The Letters and Memoirs of Gunner W J Duffell 1915-1918
This is an extraordinary collection of letters and subsequent postwar narrative describing the horrors of World War I trench warfare - the cold, the mud, the blood, the lack of sleep, the stench of death of man and beast, the violent noise and savage hand-to-hand fighting, the suffering and death from poison gas.
There were, of course, happier moments. The letters tell of radiant days away from "the line" in French villages and farm houses. Most prized of all, a spell in Blighty, which meant England and a real bed with soft sheets, hot baths, mouthwatering food and the sight and laughter of pretty girls.
Most of all, with Duffell only 18 on enlistment, we get a clear picture of an individual growing to maturity in harrowing circumstances. Last of all, the account of the gas attack that invalided Duffell and the medical aftermath (plus the sinking of the ship taking him back to Australia) are all things seldom covered.
