If You're Reading This ... : Last Letters from the Front Line

426 Pages·2012·5.66 MB·English

by  Price

FRONTLINE BOOKS, LONDON

If You’re Reading This: Last Letters from the Front Line
This edition published in 2011 by Frontline Books, an imprint of
Pen & Sword Books Limited, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, S. Yorkshire, S70
2AS
www.frontline-books.com
Copyright © Siân Price, 2011
Foreword © Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 2011
9781783030859
The right of Siân Price to be identified as the author of this work has been
asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of
1988.

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Typeset by JCS Publishing Services Ltd, www.jcs-publishing.co.uk
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
AUTHOR’S NOTE
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
1 - AT WAR WITH FRANCE
2 - THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
3 - THE ANGLO-ZULU WAR
4 - THE BOER WAR
5 - THE GREAT WAR
6 - THE SECOND WORLD WAR
7 - THE FALKLANDS CONFLICT
8 - CONFLICTS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
PICTURE CREDITS FOR PLATES
NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
To the fallen, and those left behind
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book has its origins in a BBC Radio 4 documentary of the same name, and I
owe Siobhan McClelland a huge debt as that programme was her original idea.
Due to a car accident she was unable to make the programme, which was a topic
with deep significance to her. Her uncle had penned such a letter before serving
in Northern Ireland. Producing that programme took me on a journey into the
hearts and minds of some of the soldiers, sailors and airmen of the past three
hundred years.
Farewell letters have become a subject that has consumed over three years of
my life. I have scoured the world’s archives in search of letters from various
conflicts and different nationalities, spoken to thousands of former servicemen
and women and heard the memories and stories of bereaved families. In reading
whole collections of letters I have found myself becoming incredibly close to
those people, privy to intensely private thoughts and emotions. I hope I have
done justice to all of the men and women in this book and paid some small
tribute to those who pay the ultimate sacrifice in war.
I am deeply indebted to a number of people, and thank everyone who has
contributed to this book – but particularly wish to thank Gareth Glover, Don
Evans, Susie Fleming, Rod Suddaby and staff at Imperial War Museums; Natalia
Dannenberg, Alastair Massie at the National Army Museum; Takeshi Kawatoko,
Elsie O’Dell, Sarah Holmes, David Devenny, Tristram Clarke at the National
Archives of Scotland; Lisa and Robert Foster, Effie Karageorgos, Marie Perry,
Annie Caitlin, BFBS Television & Radio, SSAFA, the RAF Benevolent Fund,
the Royal British Legion, Jane Ellison at the BBC and Terry Lewis at Tinderbox.
I would also like to thank Michael Leventhal at Frontline Books and project
manager Jessica Cuthbert-Smith for their patience and encouragement
throughout.
Finally, I want to thank friends, family and loved ones who have joined me on
this often-emotional ride – providing support, enthusiastic encouragement and a
running reminder on looming deadlines!
running reminder on looming deadlines!