I am absolutely delighted to say that my new book Postcards from the Front: 1914-1919 has been released today is available from places such as Amazon, Waterstones, WH Smiths etc.
Postcards from the Front – Click the picture to purchase your copy from Amazon
This has been two years of painstaking research and writing so that I could retell the stories of a handful of men and women, in their own words and pictures, through their postcards home to their loved ones.
There are many stories in my book, all derived from the postcard collections sent by men (and women) from all over Britain. My book includes the story of two VADs, Clara Woolnough and Gertrude Unwin, who nursed at Number 25 General Hospital in Hardelot (Pas des Calais), told through the eyes of Clara’s postcards (along with the hospital’s war diaries) during the Battles of the Somme.
Postcards sent home by Clara during the Battles of the Somme
I have also written about two brothers; Reg and Charles Pullen. Reg fought during the Battles of the Somme; and sent home postcards from places such as the Battle of Albert during his rest periods. He was seriously injured during the first day of the Battle of Pilckem Ridge (part of the 3rd Battle of Ypres) and his heroic actions won him a Military Cross. His brother Charles, entered the Royal Flying Corp in 1917 and was shot down by the enemy during the Battle of Amiens in August 1918. Both brothers stories are told through their postcards home, along with accounts from various war diaries.
Entry from 1/5 Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment’s war diaries, sent against a backdrop of the Pullen brothers’ postcards
My book also contains extensive appendices on how to research your own First World War postcards from your family, and how to discover your ancestor’s war through their postcards home. For example, how to identify postmarks, censor marks, censor signatures, and how to use First World War postcards as historical documents to squeeze as much info as possible out of them.
Page from the extensive appendices on how to analyse a postcard from the First World War
Postcards from the Front: 1914-1919
My first review on Amazon has called my book:
“A beautiful book. Evocative and eloquent,
but ultimately still relevant.”
If you are interested in the First World War, then this book will be of interest to you. I hope you enjoy it!
You may also be interested in my three other books:-
Firstly, an apology for lack of posts over the last couple of months.  In the background, my writing has not stopped.  In fact I have been frantically spending every waking hour researching and writing for my next book due out next spring Postcards from the Front: 1914-1919 (ignore Amazon’s date of publication as this is wrong).
My book is the story of a handful of men and women who went to war exactly one hundred years ago, as told through their postcards sent home to their loved ones.  Many of the stories in my book come from single postcards, as single cards is all that has survived from that person. However, I have been able to thoroughly research and retell the story of three peoples’ war.  A female volunteer nurse who nursed throughout the Battles of the Somme in one of the British Army’s largest military hospital in France; and two brothers, one of whom won the Military Cross for his courageous action during the opening day of the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) and the other brother (aged only 19 years old) who was in the Royal Flying Corp/Royal Air Force in the 49 Squadron and took part in dog-fights in the skies above France in 1918.  So my book is a combination of eye-witness accounts (as told through brief messages on postcards), information from War Diaries, and newspaper reports.
My book is due to be published in May of next year. As a taster for my book Postcards from the Front: 1914-1919, throughout December, I will be posting on this blog, postcards from the First World War with their messages home.  Click on the picture to be taken to an external website which will be of First World War interest. Each day, the link will take you to a different website and, hopefully, help you discover resources new to you.  Just like a traditional advent calendar, you’ll not know what you’ve got until you’ve opened (or clicked) the door.
My Advent Calendar is my Christmas gift to you. Happy Christmas!
What’s behind the door?… Click on the picture above. When you’ve finished viewing the external website, come back to my blog and, in the comments, tell me what you think of the website you’ve just visited.
To Mr Burley. With the best Compliments from The Front
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My books
You may be interested in purchasing my local history books. They make ideal Christmas presents!
Within my collection of postcards dating from the First World War is this very poignant card from a father to his young daughter. Â Unfortunately, there are no other identifying marks on the card so it is impossible to trace anything in connection with this card, so the sender of the card must remain AÂ soldier of the Great War –Â Known Unto God.
In my mind’s eye, I see Rhoda’s daddy spotting this postcard being sold by the street vendors near the Western Front, and on seeing the embroidery of the soldier with his rifle, thought this to be a good likeness of himself. And so Rhoda’s daddy sent home to his much loved daughter, a portrait of himself in uniform, pipe in mouth.
It’s a long way to Tipperary was a song written in 1912 and first performed in the music halls prior to the outbreak of the Great War. On the original printed sheet-music, the name of the song had an extra “long” in it – It’s a long, long way to Tipperary. But by the time of the First World War, this extra “long”, had, in the main, been dropped from the title. From the very beginning of the First World War, the song became a very popular song sang by soldiers marching across the Western Front and other theatres of war.
It’s a long way to Tipperary, It’s a long way to go. It’s a long way to Tipperary To the sweetest girl I know! Goodbye, Piccadilly,
Farewell, Leicester Square! It’s a long long way to Tipperary,
But my heart’s right there.
The song was so popular that prolific publishers of postcards, Bamforth of Holmfirth, Yorkshire, published in 1914 a series of 4 cards with the lyrics on each card, and It’s a Long Way to Tipperary song-cards became another set of postcards for people to send each other during the First World War. Â These type of postcards were, no doubt, designed to boost the morale of the population.
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If you want to read more from my blog, please do subscribe either by using the Subscribe via Email button top right of my blog, or the button at the very bottom.  If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, then please do Like it with the Facebook button and/or leave a comment below.
I have long been a collector of old postcards – those evocative images conjuring up a bygone era. Originally, I was only interested in the pictures and scenes depicted on the front of the cards. But over the years my interest has switched to the messages on the back. Who are all those faceless people with their messages of ‘I’ll be home for tea’ and ‘I will be catching the 2pm train’?
Many many years ago, I bought a collection of First World War silk post cards. Within that collection are 12 cards all from the same man and are addressed to either his mother or his father. Each postcard is signed, ‘Your loving son, Fred’ and were sent to 101 Manor Road, Leyton, Essex in 1916.
It is interesting how Fred’s tone is different to his father than it is to his mother. Â To his mother, he writes of the weather in France and his sister, Winnie. Â To his father, he writes of ‘the line’, peace and Zeppelin raids (in 1916, there were several Zeppelin raids over Essex). Â The postcards cover the period from May to December 1916 during Fred’s time in France. Â So they cover the period of the Battle of Somme which started on 1 July 1916. Â I do not know if Fred took part in the battle – his postcards do not reveal this or any information on the trenches or the battles he took part in or the terrible conditions he lived through.
Read Fred’s cards and wonder at the sacrifice his generation made.
5/5/16 Dear Mother Just a card to let you know I’m all OK. Hope you are the same. We are having lovely weather, today sweltering hot. Will write and tell you all the news soon. Heaps of love & kisses.                                        Your loving son, Fred In the top left corner is written: Just this minute received parcel thanks very much
France, 17/6/16 Dear Mother Just a card to let you know I’m still around & well. Have you been getting my letter safely of late? Have just heard from Nancy that she hasn’t had a letter for about 10 days. I rather think the mail has been held up somewhere. Haven’t any news so thought you’d like a card.
Best love & kisses to all. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Your loving son, Fred
France, 27/6/16 Hello Mother Still another card for your collection. Do you like these? We are still having rotten weather, showery all the time. Hope all are well. Best love & kisses. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Your loving son, Fred
France, 12/7/16 Dear Mother Received Winnie’s letter safely yesterday. How’s everything at Leyton. Was very glad Nance managed to get down on Saturday. Would not have minded if I could have strolled in during the afternoon. Was too bad though. Winnie was disappointed at not seeing her beau. Hope everyone is well. Best love to all                                            Your loving son, Fred France, 21/7/16 Hello Dad Thought you might like a card from this side. Are you keeping well? Markers are beginning to look quite cheerful all along the line aren’t they? Guess they’re going to rob you of August Bank Holiday this year. Never mind. I expect everyone will make up for it when peace is declared. Please thank Winnie for her letter. Will write her later. Weather here is still rotten but am getting used to that now. Best love & kisses to all.                                              Yrs etc, Fred France, 23/7/16 Hello Mother, Just a card to let you know I’m all OK. Weather a little better for a change. Did John manage a visit to Winnie this week? Hope all are well. Best love & kisses to all                                             Yrs etc, Fred
France, 5/8/16 Hello Dad Hope you are keeping well. Did you get a glimpse of the Zepps during this last Raid? Am still keeping OK but wouldn’t mind a few days holiday. Guess you’ll miss Winnie for the next week or so. Best love to Mother & yourself                                     Yours etc, Fred
France 10/8/16 Dear Mother Hope you & Dada are well. Do you miss Winnie very much? I had a letter from her the other day & seems to be having a good time apart from a few mosquito bites. Have been having some lovely weather lately the best this year. Best love & kisses                                                       Yrs Fred France, 3/11/16 Dearest Mother, Just another card to put in the album & to let you know I’m OK. The weather here is fierce nothing but rain. I wonder whether its any better over home. Will be writing you soon. Best love to all, hoping everyone is well.                          Yr loving son, Fred France, 4/11/16 Hello Dad Hope this card will find you in the best of health. The weather here is nothing but rain all the time. I haven’t had very much time lately for writing so must forgive me for keeping you so long without a card. Best love & kisses to all at home                                 Yr loving son, Fred France, 6/11/16 Dearest Mother This card is going to bring you good news for I am leaving for the Base today. I may have some better event than that a little later. Don’t write again till you hear from me. Hope all are well. Have been enjoying contents of Winnie’s parcel. Best love & kisses to all                                          Yr loving son, Fred Hastings, 22/12/16 Hello Mother, A card to wish you all a pleasant Xmas. Its too bad I could not get home but still cheer up. I shall be with you very soon now. Expect to be spending the day with some residents in town so won’t be so badly off. Best love & heaps of kisses                                   Your loving son, Fred
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I have not been able to track Fred in the records of the  Commonwealth War Graves Commission Debt of Honour, so hopefully Fred survived the Great War and returned home to his loving mother, father, and sister Winnie.  A Frederick H Sargeant married  Annie F Page, West Ham, September quarter 1917 – is this our Fred?  In the death indices, the only Frederick Sargeant with (nearly) the correct age and location died in March quarter 1954 aged 63 in Romford.  Is he our ‘loving son, Fred’?  I wonder why he was in Hastings at Christmas 1916 – perhaps this a convalescent home – had our Fred been wounded?
1891 Census – 31, London Lane, Hackney Alfred Sargeant, Head, aged 43, born 1848 Shoreditch, occupation Fancy Cabinet Maker
Amelia Sargeant, Wife, aged 37, born 1854 Marylebone
Alfred J Sargeant, Son, aged 5, born 1886 Westbourne Park
Frederick H Sargeant, Son, aged 2, 1889 Hackney
1901 Census – 101 Manor Road, Leyton, Essex
Alfred Sargeant, Head, aged 50, born 1851 Shoreditch, occupation Cabinet Maker
Amelia Sargeant, Wife, aged 43, born 1858, Marylebone
Alfred Sargeant, Son, aged 16, born 1885 Kensington, occupation Printer Compositor
Frederick Sargeant, Son, aged 12, born 1889 Hackney
Winifred Sargeant, Daughter, aged 6, born 1895Â Â Hackney
1911 Census – 101 Manor Road, Leyton, Essex
Alfred Robt Arthur Sargeant, Head, Married, aged 62, born 1849, occupation Carpenter
Amelia Elizabeth Sargeant, Wife, Married, aged 57, born 1854
Winifred Sargeant, Daughter, Single, aged 16, occupation dressmaker
Marriage Records Frederick H Sargeant to Annie F Page, West Ham, September quarter 1917
Death Records Alfred Joseph Sargeant, aged 22, died  September quarter 1908 (West Ham)
Amelia Elizabeth Sargeant died in 1926 (West Ham) Alfred R A Sargeant died in 1927 (West Ham)
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This blog
If you want to read more from my blog, please do subscribe either by using the Subscribe via Email button top right of my blog, or the button at the very bottom.  If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, then please do Like it with the Facebook button and/or leave a comment below.
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France, 12/7/16
France, 21/7/16
France, 23/7/16
France, 5/8/16
France 10/8/16
France, 3/11/16
France, 4/11/16
France, 6/11/16
Hastings, 22/12/16