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  Stock last updated on 07 May 2024
 
   

West Kent Regiment   9 Books
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Letters of Arthur George Heath, fellow of New College, Oxford, & Lieutenant in the 6th Batt. Royal West Kent Regiment. With Memoir by Gilbert Murray. 1st Ed., [viii]+222pp., portrait frontis. Oxford: Blackwell. 1917  #66008
[HLMainPic] Arthur George Heath was born in London in 1887 & educated at the Grocers' Company's School & New College, Oxford, becoming, after graduation, a Fellow of the College, then travelled in France and Germany for a year before settling down to teaching modern philosophy. He obtained a commission in the newly raised 6th (Service) Battalion of the Royal West Kent Regiment in 1914, went to France in 1915 & was KiA on 8th October 1915, aged 28, in an attack on Gun Trench near La Bassée. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial. Contains a memoir, letters in training 1914-15 and from France & Flanders June-October 1915, with much of interest on regimental routine & Active Service: "I would rather have a man take a little risk now and then, firing at what he thinks a loophole or a periscope, than remain forever huddled down behind the sandbags quite indignant if anyone on his side fires a shot, for fear that the Germans shall reply. That is the attitude of a lot of the ex-regular N.C.O.'s especially. This trench life in any case is not good for morale. How does anyone suppose the troops will face the open after it? I think I must take more men out on little expeditions at night, just to get them used to the absence of a parapet…" Orig. apple green cloth, titled in green to spine & New College crest to front, very nice copy with inscrip. "Jose Blomfield from G.M." i.e. Gilbert Murray. See illustration on our website.   £145
The History of the Eighth Battalion The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1914-1919. 1st Ed., xiii+286pp., 38 photos., 4 fldg. maps. Printed Privately for the Bn. by Hazell, Watson & Viney Ltd. 1921  #63153
[HLMainPic] 24th Div. in F&F 1915-18: Battles of Loos, Somme, Vimy, 3rd Ypres, German Spring Offensive, Final Advance from Cambrai to Mauberge 1918. Awards roll. Orig. blue cloth, gilt, little wear, VG. See illustration on our website.   £50
ATKINSON (Capt. C.T.) The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1914-1919. 1st Ed., xxviii+629pp., 19 plates, 62 maps & sketches. Simpkin, Marshall. 1924  #63911
[HLMainPic] Bns. served Western Front, Gallipoli, Mesopotamia, Italy, Egypt & Palestine. Roll of Hon., awards. Orig. light blue cloth, gilt, VG, nice copy. See illustration on our website.   £65
CHAPLIN (Lt.-Col. H.D.) The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1920-1950. 1st Ed., 510pp., numerous illus., 29 maps, inc. eps. Joseph. 1954  #64335
[HLMainPic] Comprehensive history including Palestine 1938-39, BEF 1940, Middle East & Burma campaigns. Roll of Hon., awards, &c. Orig. blue cloth, gilt, VG. See illustration on our website.   £45
MCKIERNAN (Thomas, Col. Sgt., late 50th Regt.) Experiences of a British Veteran Soldier. 1st Ed., xv+162pp., portrait frontis., map (of the Crimea). Port Talbot: T. Major Jones & Sons. 1892  #61167
[HLMainPic] Author enlisted in the 3rd Ft. in 1853 & transferred to the 50th (later Royal West Kent) Regt. for the Crimea a year later: served throughout the campaign inc. battles of the Alma & Inkermann, capture of the Malakoff Fort & the Redan. Afterwards served in Ceylon & NZ Maori War 1864-65 (action at Wanganui &c.). Mostly concerned with his Crimean experiences. Orig. red cloth, gilt to front, cloth stained & worn, lacking front & rear endpapers but sound copy & rare. See illustration on our website.   £125
MOLONY (Maj. C.V.) "Invicta": With the 1st Bn. The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment in the Great War. 1st Ed., xi+326pp., 16 plates, 17 maps. Nisbet. 1923  #63152
[HLMainPic] 5th Div. F&F 1914-18 inc. Mons, Le Cateau, Marne, Aisne, Neuve Chapelle, 2nd Ypres, Somme, Arras &c. Excellent bn. history. Details of awards. Orig. cloth, gilt, little chipped, VG. See illustration on our website.   £50
ROBSON (Walter) Letters from A Soldier. With an Introduction by Henry Williamson. 1st Ed., 192pp., portrait frontis. VG in sl. chipped dw. Faber & Faber. 1960  #65231
[HLMainPic] Letters from North Africa 1943, Italy 1944 & Greece 1944-45 (where he died of disease) of a stretcher-bearer serving with the 1st Bn. West Kent Regt. HW clearly rated the prose as he agreed to provide the Introduction & wrote, inter al., "I believe that it will take its place among the very best of hundreds of war books on my shelves..." HW's Intriduction contains an interesting discourse on 1914-18 war literature. Orig. blue cloth, gilt, VG in sl. chipped dw with annotation to ffep: "HW File Copy 1960." See illustrations on our website.   £60
RUSSELL (Capt. R.O., MC) The History of the 11th (Lewisham) Battalion The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment. 1st Ed., xvi+259pp., 4to, 34 plates, several maps (one fldg.). Lewisham Newspaper Co. 1922  #63070
[HLMainPic] Very good, detail & well-illustrated history, Western Front from May 1916 in Ploegsteert Sector then the Somme, Messines & 3rd Ypres, Italy 1917-18. Roll of Hon., awards. A very nicely produced, well illustrated & informative battalion history Orig. blue cloth, gilt, VG & rare. See illustration on our website.   £145
THOMAS (Alan) A Life Apart. 1st Ed., 160pp., 2 portraits. VG in dw. Gollancz. 1968  #64293
[HLMainPic] Very fine memoir of service with the 6th Royal West Kents as platoon & company commander, Western Front 1916-18 inc. a good account of the battle of Arras &c. (DSO, MC). VG in dw. See illustration on our website.   £25

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