PREFACE
My purpose for writing this book was to honor my grandfather by telling
his story. In addition I wanted to impart to the reader the experiences, as
well as the conditions of war, and what it was like trying to survive each day.
.
The story is based
on the World War 1 journal written by Captain Frederick G. Coxen, who served in
the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1905 to
1919.
On August 5, 1914,
he was called into active duty when the British Parliament passed the General
Mobilization Decree. He reported for duty at Newcastle upon the Tyne located in
northern England, where he was assigned to the newly created 40th Battery of
the 43rd Brigade. By August 16 the brigade had been sent over to
France as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).
“World War 1 – An
Unkept Promise” is a
historical account of the following: the first battle of Mons, the first battle
of Marne, the first Battle of The Aisne, the first and second battles of Ypres,
and the battle of Neuve Chapelle. Each battle is represented as a chapter in
the book and begins with a brief overview of the battle, intermingled with
dramatic journal entries. This format helps establish a foundation for
understanding the relationship between the journal entries and the battles they
describe. Journal excerpts and other supportive documents are italicized and
indented to assist with identification and clarity.
NOTE: All journal entries are quoted as they were written;
some expressions, used one-hundred years ago, were in common usage, which would
be deemed offensive in today’s society.
Now available on Kindle
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