Soldiers and Gentlemen - Taylor, Colin W
69,99 €
inkl. MwSt.
Versandkostenfrei*
Versandfertig in über 4 Wochen
  • Broschiertes Buch

Reassesses the reputation and effectiveness of four Royal Fusiliers battalions composed of university students and public school boys. Soldiers and Gentlemen: A History of the University and Public Schools Brigade of the Royal Fusiliers 1914-1918 recounts the Great War history of four unusual infantry units: 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st (Service) Battalions of the Royal Fusiliers. Recruited from former university students and public school boys who chose to serve as 'gentleman rankers' rather than officers, these units were dismissed as 'Chocolate Soldiers' or 'rotten men'. This volume sets out…mehr

Andere Kunden interessierten sich auch für
Produktbeschreibung
Reassesses the reputation and effectiveness of four Royal Fusiliers battalions composed of university students and public school boys. Soldiers and Gentlemen: A History of the University and Public Schools Brigade of the Royal Fusiliers 1914-1918 recounts the Great War history of four unusual infantry units: 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st (Service) Battalions of the Royal Fusiliers. Recruited from former university students and public school boys who chose to serve as 'gentleman rankers' rather than officers, these units were dismissed as 'Chocolate Soldiers' or 'rotten men'. This volume sets out to re-examine their reputation and effectiveness. Recruiting and training of the four 'Service' battalions of the University and Public Schools Brigade commenced in September 1914. Special permission was sought from Lord Kitchener; his brief reply was, 'Go ahead, and if you can raise 10,000 men I shall be all the better pleased.' Training commenced at Epsom and Leatherhead before the volunteers were moved to Clipstone (Nottinghamshire) and Tidworth (Wiltshire) for collective and pre-deployment training. Many left to pursue commissions elsewhere in Kitchener's Army during this time. Following many delays, the battalions deployed overseas for trench warfare introduction in 'quiet' sectors at Givenchy and Cambrin over the winter of 1915-1916. In early 1916, three battalions were disbanded with large numbers of personnel dispatched home for officer training. Only the 20th Royal Fusiliers, recruited largely in Manchester, remained at the front. The battalion went on to participate in the Somme offensive during which it was decimated at High Wood. It then saw action at Arras, Nieuport and Ypres before disbandment in early 1918. All of the UPS battalions (especially the 20th Battalion) have a poor reputation based on postwar criticism by literary combat veterans such as Robert Graves, Dr James Dunn, and Frank Richards. Nevertheless, although not an elite by any means, the UPS men were able to 'stick it' under pressure and fought hard on a number of occasions, contrary to this criticism. Soldiers and Gentlemen reassesses the experience and reputation of the UPS battalions by examination of a considerable number of primary and secondary sources including over thirty first-hand accounts, both published and unpublished. The latter provide a unique insight into the lives and deaths of those who served, training particulars, active service routine, and combat experience. The motivations and perspectives of the so-called 'gentleman rankers' and their transition into commissioned officers are also thoroughly explored.
Hinweis: Dieser Artikel kann nur an eine deutsche Lieferadresse ausgeliefert werden.
Autorenporträt
Colin Taylor has eighteen years of service as a British Army officer in the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) and is currently based in Bristol. During an active career he has been employed as an infantry patrol commander; Ammunition Technical Officer; signals officer and has recently served in technical training units. He has completed two operational tours in Afghanistan (one as an Improvised Explosive Device Disposal operator) and various overseas deployments including the US, Jordan, Malawi, Poland and Austria. Colin has had a long-standing passion and enthusiasm for military history and has been involved in research concerning the Great War for fifteen years. His academic credentials comprise a War Studies BA and two MAs (in Military History and Defence Studies). He has visited numerous battlefields in Europe and worldwide (including the US, Turkey, Jordan, Georgia and Hong Kong) and assisted on a couple of archaeological digs. He has contributed a number of articles to the Western Front Association magazine 'Stand To!' and to the Royal Logistic Corps Foundation Review. He enjoys spending time with his family, museum visits and orienteering.