""These Letters, which were written to me from France during the first winter of the World War, do not in any way pretend to literary attainment; they are just the simple letters of a soldier recording as a diary the daily doings of his regiment at the front. Often were they penned under great difficulties, and many a time under a rain of fire. The accounts of the awful loss of life and the discomforts experienced, both by officers and men unused to such severe climatic conditions, are sometimes heart-rending, and they make the reading sad."" This book is part of the World War One Centenary series; creating, collating and reprinting new and old works of poetry, fiction, autobiography and analysis. The series forms a commemorative tribute to mark the passing of one of the world's bloodiest wars, offering new perspectives on this tragic yet fascinating period of human history. Each publication also includes brand new introductory essays and a timeline to help the reader place the work in its historical context.

Lieutenant Colonel George Brenton Laurie (1867-1915) was born at Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was educated at Galt Collegiate Institute, Ontario, and at the Picton Academy, from whence he passed into the Royal Military College, Kingston, Canada, in 1883. He joined the Royal Irish Rifles as a Lieutenant in 1885, going with them to Gibraltar in 1886, and on to Egypt in 1888. He was promoted Captain in 1893, and when the Rifles came back to home service he obtained an Adjutancy of Volunteers in Devonshire in 1896, and from that date until 1901, by ceaseless energy he brought the battalion to full strength and high efficiency. In 1901, he was appointed a special service officer, including the command of a mounted infantry battalion for the South African War. After peace was signed he served in Ireland, and in 1904, obtained his majority. Afterwards he served in England till, becoming Lieut. -Colonel in 1912; he went out to India to take command of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles. He had previously written a history of The French in Morocco, compiled from many sources during his years in the Mediterranean.

"[...] Being an early bird, I varied matters this morning by calling my officers! Major Baker[2] is splendid. After Church parade, reading the service myself, I have been generally hustling things, and am going out for a route march at 2 p.m. to-day. The sun is finally dispersing the fog, so we shall get an opportunity of drilling together. We have practically never done so yet; and I am really appalled at what might be the consequences of going into action with the men unpractised. Few of them have been on active service before, and it will all have to be taught under fire.... Since I have managed[...]".

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Excerpt from Letters of Lt.-Col. George Brenton Laurie (Commanding 1st Battn; Royal Irish Rifles): Dated November 4th, 1914 March 11th, 1915 Colonel george laurie came from a military family. His father, a distinguished General, and his uncle both served m the Crimea and elsewhere, and many of his near relations joined the army, and were well known zealous soldiers of their Sovereign. His elder brother fell in the Boer War 1n the beginning of this century, and he himself saw active service in the Sudan and in South Africa, before he landed 1n France to take his share in the great World War. On being promoted to the command of his battalion, he joined it at Kamptee in India, and this obliged him to leave his wife and family at home, for young children are not able to live in that tropical, very hot and un healthy district. From that station, with scarcely any opportunity of seeing them again, he was launched into the severities of a cold and wet winter in a water-logged part of Flanders. His experiences are graphically told in his letters, and they will show how much our gallant troops had to endure when engaged in the terrible conflict which the ambition Of Prussia had provoked, and with what fortitude and courage they defended the country from the serious dangers that then menaced it. All who have read these interesting letters will, I think, perceive that one dominant feature in Colonel Laurie 3 character was a keen and all-pervading sense of duty, and an earnest determination to discharge it ln every circumstance as thoroughly and as completely as possible. Never did he spare himself. What he had to exact from others, that he sternly imposed upon himself; and he fully shared with his men all the dangers and all the hardships Of the war, with serene good temper and with a cheerful spirit. This fine dis position, which he himself had trained by self-discipline, ensured the prompt and willing obedience of his subordinates, and endeared him to all who were committed to his charge it also secured for him the respect and the confidence of his superiors, who were well aware that every order they gave him would be carried out to the letter with prudence and with strict fidelity. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

'Follow me! I will lead you!' were the last words of Lt. Col. George Brenton Laurie, who commanded the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles and was killed at Neuve Chapelle in March, 1915. He died with his revolver in hand while leading his men in an assault on the German lines. Laurie left behind a remarkable collection of letters, which provide us with a privileged insight into the day to day experience of a battalion commander and his struggles to make sense of the developing madness of trench warfare.Leading his battalion amidst the constant mud, shelling, sniping and waterlogged trenches of Flanders occupied every waking moment of the life of Lt. Col. Laurie, from the moment the battalion was deployed in November, 1914 through to his death in March, 1915.His surviving letters give a clear sense of the ever present danger from the bullets, and shells, and the miserable squalorendured by the men who fought the early trench battles during the first winter of the Great War. Laurie was a hands oncommander who visited the front lines daily, and this fascinating collection provides an all too rare primary account ofthe BEF as witnessed from the perspective of a battalion commander.