Ghosts Have Warm Hands by Will R Bird

A comprehensive look, filled with adventure of everyday life on the western front for the Canadian soldier of the Great War. A gripping read for anyone about individual experience with a twist.

The book follows the author Will Bird through his Great War experiences as a member of the 42nd Battalion (Black Watch of Canada) Canadian Expeditionary Force.

The title may be a little misleading to some, as although the book does have supernatural references, these are limited in comparison to the rest of the text. The original edition was titled "And We Go On", being published in 1930.
The title actually becomes apparent as you read the book and understand the close relationship between Bird and his brother. The author's brother Stephen Bird had been killed earlier in the war, but not before leaving him the promise "If I don't come back, I'll try to find some way to keep an eye on you". Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, the authors encounters with his brother after his death make for a gripping read.

The book was written after the war with the authors diaries for reference. This explains why sometimes it became a little fragmented and hard to follow. I found myself having to reread sections to bring me back in. This being said, it is very well written and is almost like an adventure story littered with danger and humour. Full of excitement, the book isn't all doom as somebody may expect from a soldiers experiences in the trenches. Having said this, the author also doesn't shy away from sharing and describing for us the horrors associated with the war.
A part of the book that stands out for me is the description of Bird's first experience at sniping. This obviously had a deep impact on him as he records in great detail the appearance of each of his victims.
Will Bird comes across as being quick thinking and level headed throughout the book, which must be credited to his character, being awarded the Military Medal. He seems to have lived extremely interesting life, I would be happy to read anything else he had written. Ironically, Will Bird was in Mons when the war ended, right where the British Army had started from in 1914.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what life was like for a Canadian soldier in the Great War. Due to the writing skills of Bird, little knowledge of the war is need to understand and enjoy his adventure. I personally consider this to be the best memoir published by a Canadian soldier of the Great War.

If you're in the UK like myself, getting hold of a copy of the book can be somewhat problematic. When copies do come up for sale here they can be quite expensive. The alternative option is to order a copy from Canada, but again with postage this can still work out quite expensive. Again www.abebooks.co.uk and ebay seem to be the best options as the book is out of print. For the battlefield visitors amongst us, I did notice on my last trip to the old western front the military book shop by the Menin Gate had copies at a reasonable price.

Note: In this 1997 CEF Books reprint, a handy list of those mentioned in the text is included, with a brief snippet of information on them.

A Sergeant-Major's War - From Hill 60 to the Somme By Ernest Shephard

A fantastic insight into a pre-war professional soldier's adaptation to increasingly modern warfare. A must read for anyone with an existing interest in the Great War.

I'm starting my first review with one of my personal favourite books on the Great War. A gripping first hand account written as a diary by the author. It was never intended for publication, in fact, he shouldn't of been keeping a diary on active service anyway! Admittedly I have a bias on my interest in this book. The author served with the Dorsetshire Regiment, of which I have a personal interest.

Covering life on the western front, Shephard takes us through everyday routine, major battles and everything in between both as a sergeant major and a commissioned officer. From the onset, it is clear that Shephard is a professional soldier and his style of writing mirrors this. He records in detail date, names and locations which adds another layer to the book. Because of his accuracy, you can follow his story through official records and discover all about those he mentions. As a diary, he is very honest in his opinions of those around him. He gives credit where it is due, but isn't afraid to criticise those who aren't doing there bit. This is a refreshing change thanks to the author not being able to edit his diary for public viewing. So many of the memoirs we read were edited or even written after the war when memory had begun to fade.

One of the most compelling parts of the book I find is his description of one of the first gas attacks, in which the 1st Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment (his unit) suffered heavily. As well as providing an eye witness account, he describes how it effected him emotionally and brings about a more personal touch to the book. As well as gas, we follow him through artillery barrages, mortar attacks and machine gun fire as his war intensifies.
The book is eventually cut short as his diary entries end. Sadly, this was due to Shephard being killed in action on the Somme.

This would make a good read for somebody who already has a basic knowledge of the British army around the Great War period. However, if you have limited knowledge on the war, I would recommend reading something else first.

If you would like to read this book for yourself, you can find copies on www.abebooks.co.uk regularly and occasionally on ebay too. It is however out of print so you will need to find a second hand copy. If you have any other questions on this book, or even the Dorset Regiment in the Great War, please feel free to contact me.

Coming up ... The first 5

Over the next coming weeks I shall be adding reviews for the following Great War Books to kickstart the blog.

A Sergeant-Major's War by Ernest Shephard
Ghosts Have Warm Hands by Will R Bird
Battles on the Tigris by Ron Wilcox
Bradford Pals by David Raw
'Conceal, Create, Confuse' by Martin Davies