Over one hundred years have now passed since the ending of the Great War of 1914-18, yet still, the grief of ordinary families is carried down through generations. People are still searching for the last resting places of loved ones. Their Lost Boys.
So, can anything new, that has not already been written about war and remembrance, still tell a forgotten story? The answer is yes and written here, through the eyes of Hampstead Pals.
Created in 1978 by a small group of Metropolitan Police Officers known as the ‘Hampstead Pals’, this battlefield touring group regularly visit the evocative battlefields of the Western Front 1914-18, and, with the unfailing assistance of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, locates the graves of lost family members.
This is the simple but extremely moving story of graves found and names on memorials located, not only of grandfathers but of uncles and great uncles, in each case, personally told by the descendants themselves as their search to recover their ‘lost boys’ is finally concluded.
All in all, a captivating contribution to the history of the Great War on a very personal level which also contains the fascinating stories of visits to the graves of fallen International Rugby Players.
Told for the first time, too, are the reminiscences of five old soldiers who accompanied the Hampstead Pals on their last journey to the ‘Holy Land’ of their youth.
John Grieve CBE, QPM, BA (Honours) MPhil was Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. He was Professor Emeritus at two universities and taught all over the world. He has held a life-long interest in history, especially that of the Great War 1914-18 and has been a member of the ‘Hampstead Pals’ for many years.
His battlefield illustrations appear in this book.
Jonathan Nicholls was a Sergeant in the Metropolitan Police and founded the Hampstead Pals in 1978 while serving at Hampstead Police Station. He is the author of the acclaimed ‘Cheerful Sacrifice: The Battle of Arras 1917’ (Pen & Sword 1990) and ‘That Bloody Band’ (2021). He is a member of the Western Front Association (10) and a guide of the Battlefields of the Great War 1914-18.
Praise for Cheerful Sacrifice;
‘A highly accomplished and readable documentary and leaves the reader hoping that his first attempt at writing military history will not be his last.’
SOLDIER MAGAZINE
‘Should you need to remind yourself what sacrifice is all about at 11 am on any 11th November then read this book… read it anyway.’
ROYAL NAVAL CHAPLAIN’S BOOK REVIEW
All proceeds from the sale of this book are in aid of the Metropolitan and City Police Orphans Fund.
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