- “Somewhere in France: Letters written from the Front 1914 – 1918 by Jack Turner, MC, Croix de Guerre”. Chris’s Uncle Jack’s letters sent home from the Western Front
And
- “In Flanders Now: The War Poems of Father Albert Purdie 1915 - 1918”.
Albert Bertrand Purdie (1888 - 1976) – British writer, poet and Catholic Church Minister, Army Chaplain in WW1. For the poem by Father Purdie, please see
http://forgottenpoetsofww1.blogspot.com/2023/08/albert-bertrand-purdie-1888-1976.html
John Turner MC, Croix de Guerre (1882 – 1918) – British schoolteacher and artist (known as Jack Turner).
In a letter home written in July 1915 by Chris’s Uncle Jack when he was serving on the Western Front, he wrote about meeting the Catholic Chaplain Father Albert Purdie and reading the poem Father Purdie had written about Ploegsteert Wood.
In an extract from one of Jack’s letters published in the book, he mentions being given a copy of a book – a special gift to Catholic soldiers during the First World War from Lady Edmond Talbot.
“He has also given me a jolly little “Garden of the Soul” (Lady Edmond Talbot’s gift to the Catholic soldiers) which is small but has all the offices in.”
These two books are really interesting and give us an insight into what life was like on the Western Front from the perspective of a soldier and an Army Chaplain.
Chris Warren’s wonderful books can be purchased by following these links:
https://www.blurb.co.uk/b/11285382-in-flanders-now
https://www.blurb.co.uk/b/9304624-somewhere-in-france
Sources:
“Somewhere in France: Letters written from the Front 1914 – 1918 by Jack Turner, MC, Croix de Guerre” and
“In Flanders Now: The War Poems of Father Albert Purdie 1915 - 1918”.
https://www.hcbooksonline.com/product/garden-of-the-soul-catholic-repository-1914/
For further information please see
http://inspirationalwomenofww1.blogspot.com/2023/08/lady-edmond-talbot-18591938.html
http://forgottenpoetsofww1.blogspot.com/2023/08/albert-bertrand-purdie-1888-1976.html
http://lesserknownartists.blogspot.com/2023/08/john-turner-mc-croix-de-guerre-1882.html
