Laugh or Cry: The British Soldier on the Western Front, 1914-1918

The British soldiers in the trenches of the Western Front during the Great War used humor to help them survive the terrible experiences they faced. Humor was often dark and representative of the horrors around them, but it could and often did help. Peter Hart and Gary Bain have delved deep into the archives to find examples of the soldier's wit, which are at times hilarious but rooted in tragedy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 17 October 2022
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Awakened by great shouted oaths below, I peered over the side of the manger and saw a Belgian lass milking and addressing a cow with a comprehensive luridness that left no doubt in my mind that British soldiers had been billeted here before.

Private Norman Ellison, 1/6th King's Liverpool Regiment, was one such soldier who found humour to be a valuable tool in helping him survive the horrors of the trenches. Humour, often dark and representative of the horrors around them, could and often did help the British soldier cope with the outrageous stresses of war. Human beings are complicated, and there is no set pattern as to how they react to the outrageous stresses of war. But humour, often dark and representative of the horrors around them, could and often did help. They may have been up to their knees in mud and blood, soaking wet and shot at from all sides, but many were still determined to see the funny side, rather than surrender to utter misery.

Peter Hart and Gary Bain have delved deep into the archives to find examples of the soldier's wit. The results are at times hilarious but rooted in tragedy. You have to laugh or cry.

One such example is a letter written by Private Ellison to his mother on 22nd November 1916. In it, he describes a hilarious incident that occurred while he was on duty in the trenches. "I was just coming out of the dugout when I saw a big fat pig lying in the road," he writes. "I thought to myself, 'What a good meal that would be,' so I went over to it and started to pat it. "But just as I was about to reach down and grab it, it started to squeal and run away. I chased it all over the place, but it was too quick for me. "Finally, I gave up and just stood there laughing. I couldn't believe what had just happened."

This letter is just one example of the many humorous stories that emerged from the trenches of the Western Front during the Great War. Humour helped the British soldier survive the terrible experiences they faced, and it remains a valuable tool in helping us understand the complexities of human behaviour in times of war.

Weight: 584g
Dimension: 165 x 240 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399068772