Remembrance Day

"To the armies of the British Empire who stood here from 1914 to 1918 and to those of their dead who have no known grave."


This is the inscription on the Menin Gate memorial (pictured). This impressive structure was built in place of the old gate in Ypres, Belgium, which was destroyed in the war. On its walls are inscribed the names of 54,900 soldiers of the British Empire who died in the Ypres salient during the first world war, and whose bodies were never identified.

Every day at 8pm there is a short memorial ceremony beneath the Menin Gate, as well as a full-length ceremony at 11am every November 11th, marking the Armistice Day. I have attended a few 8pm 'Last Post' ceremonies, and went to my first Armistice Day ceremony a few days ago during a trip to France and Belgium for further research and to get a real feel of the actual places where my characters (and thousands of real men) fought. I strongly recommend attending to anybody who wants to get a feel of the true scale of the war. Looking at the walls covered in names, and knowing that these are only the ones in this part of the front, and only those who were not found, is truly mind-numbing.

 

 

 



I also travelled to the memorial to the 18th Division, situated against the backdrop of Trones Wood, in the Somme area; where my characters' battalion fought impressively against all odds to capture the wood. Walking through the wood behind the memorial, there are plenty of craters in the ground. These are covered now by leaves and foliage, but it makes you wonder; are these the remnants of shellfire?

The characters in my book are part of the 7th (Service) Battalion, of the Royal West Kent Regiment, formed in Maidstone to answer the call for more men in the early stages of the war. Although I do use artistic licence for smaller patrols and raids, I chose to place my men in a battalion that really existed so that I could trace their movements and ensure that the places they travel to and the battles they fight in are a realistic accomplishment for one battalion. After choosing the West Kents due to their proximity to my own home, I found an article from the time detailing their gallant efforts at Trones Wood - something I was very impressed with and thought must be included in my book!

During my trip, I have also begun a rigorous process of editing at a very detailed level, shortening paragraphs that frankly went on forever about something barely important. Although it is proving to take a long time, I have managed to shorten 4,600 words to 3,000 words in my first chapter, without losing any part of the plot, so there is hope!

Will keep you updated. Thanks very much for reading; I already have more page views on here than I expected, keep up the good work!

Cheers,

Harry