Military Model Scene

Title: Reported Missing in the Great War
Author: John Broom
Publisher: Pen & Sword
ISBN: 978-1-52674-951-2

'100 Years of Searching for the Truth' from Pen & Sword Books. A 287-page hard-cover book.
We are over the 100 year mark since the end of WW1 and this provides an interesting look at one of the most lasting legacies of that war. For most of us these days it is difficult to appreciate how it feels to receive a notification that one of your relatives, maybe a husband, father, brother or whatever, to inform you that they are Missing . Some of the numbers are staggering, that of the roughly 1 million British/Commonwealth casualties of the war, about 1/2 of those remain unidentified. This book examines the detail of 8 different individuals, and even now, only 3 of those gained some form of closure. Under a series of headings we get some context plus the stories of each of these 8 servicemen broken down under the 6 wider chapter headings. Searching for the Missing: Ordinary Lives: In the Service of their Country: Dying and Missing: Searching for the Missing and finally, Commemoration of the Dead. From reminders that the soldiers of WW1 were largely ordinary people with their individual civilian lives before they became soldiers for the war. There are the events of their death and the efforts that their families made to trace them and their final resting place. Some had the funds to explore more widely, writing to many possible witnesses of their loved ones death. Replies clearly wanted to provide some help but often added to the confusion, and often avoided saying something that would upset the person enquiring. War in WW1 was violent, and many died in unpleasant ways. Commemoration can be in a marked grave, in a grave simply marked as 'Unknown' or without any known grave, and just a name on a larger memorial.
For those of us who have visited any CWGC cemeteries either here in the UK or on the continent will be familiar with reading the inscription of 'Known Unto God'. Even today some identifications do take place while some bodies are still discovered every year. Understanding the feelings of loss for a family is well described in these stories, even though in these 8 cases, only 3 have had some final closure after all these years, but others still don't have that one definite destination which they can visit and grieve their loss. So many remain just a name on a large memorial to the missing, despite all the work that goes into trying to trace the missing to this day. Perhaps a thought provoking read for anyone who visits one of the CWGC sites, wherever they may be.
Thanks to Pen & Sword for our review copy.

Robin