Annotation Sergeant Albert Simpkin MM s Great War diary is of unusual scope and exceptional interest. Albert was a First World War motorcycle dispatch rider attached to the Headquarters 37th Division throughout the war which he was so fortunate to survive. His wide-ranging role enabled him to witness much more than his fellow men who were restricted to the trenches. One day he would be dodging shell holes and ammunition limbers to take his dispatches to the front, the next commenting on the quaint but often courageous lives of the local populace. As a result his diary entries, and some longer descriptions of the main actions of the Division, provide a graphic record of the war on the Western Front; Fortunately Albert was a gifted observer of the scene and a fluent writer. The fact he was awarded the Military Medal is testimony to his bravery. Throughout the diary are colorful and amusing anecdotes about his fellow soldiers, and critical comments on the strategies and tactics employed by the officers. Dairy of a Despatch Rider offers a unique opportunity for readers to immerse themselves in a well written and objective firsthand account of life and death on the Western Front."

The book is skilfully abridged version of the diary of a First World War motorcycle despatch rider, Sergeant Albert Simpkin, who was attached to the HQ 37th Division. The diary entries, and some longer descriptions of the main actions of the Division, provide a fascinating record of the life of a despatch rider on the Western Front; one day dodging shell holes and ammunition limbers to take his despatches to the front, the next observing the quaint but often courageous lives of the local populace. Throughout the diary are colourful and amusing anecdotes about his fellow soldiers, and critical comments on the strategies and tactics employed by the officers.

Oswald Harcourt Davis was a despatch motorcycle rider during World War 1. This item contains his own words written as a diary during his years on the Western Front. Oswald joined the Royal Engineers in 1916 and arrived in Abbeville, Somme, France, in July that year. He was attached to the ANZACs and rode a Triumph motorcycle to carry pigeons at a time when communications were limited and risky.

Oswald Harcourt Davis was a despatch motorcycle rider during World War 1. This item contains his own words written as a diary during his years on the Western Front. Oswald joined the Royal Engineers in 1916 and arrived in Abbeville, Somme, France, in July that year. He was attached to the ANZACs and rode a Triumph motorcycle to carry pigeons at a time when communications were limited and risky.

This book reveals the impact of communications on the military operations of the British Expeditionary Force during the First World War.

Terence Loveridge offers a unique look at the land and air operations around the strategic village of Monchy-le-Preux at the center of the western front during World War I. The story of the Great War is usually one of condemnation or rehabilitation of strategists and consecration of the common soldier, while the story of those who planned, directed, and led operations on the ground has generally been overlooked. Loveridge uses experiences of junior leaders fighting around the key terrain of Monchy-le-Preux to challenge the currently accepted views and reveal that the Great War, despite subsequent impression, was a surprisingly dynamic effort conducted in an arena of constantly evolving practices, techniques, and technology. Less well known than its contemporary campaigns at the Somme, Verdun, or Passchendaele, Monchy also carries less preconceived baggage and thus offers a prime opportunity to reevaluate the accepted wisdom of the events, personalities, and understandings of the Great War. The Road Past Monchy offers readers a unique chance to uncover the "lost" perspective of junior war leaders in a theater of war that saw almost continuous operations from 1914 through to 1918.