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SHEARS (Edward Hornby, Lieut., 1st Bn. Irish Guards)
Active Service Diary 21 January 1917-1 July 1917.
1st Ed., xii+85pp., 226x162mm, portrait frontis., plate (of wooden cross). Liverpool: Privately Printed by Henry Young & Sons.
1919
#66013
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![[HLMainPic]](booksThumbs/66013.jpg "Click on the left or right of the image for more images")
Edward Hornby Shears was born in Liverpool in 1890, educated at Bradfield and Trinity College, Oxford. In September 1913 he joined the Civil Service, appointed to the Secretaries' Dept. of the General Post Office. In October 1914 he became P.P.S. to the Postmaster-General. Initially refused permission to join the Army, he finally received leave to go in May 1915 and obtained a territorial commission in the Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment. In November 1916 he transferred to the Irish Guards and this book comprises his detailed diary with the 1st Battalion, mainly on the Somme front, until killed in action at Boesinghe on 4th July 1917 during the build-up to the Third Battle of Ypres. He was twenty-six years old and is buried in Canada Farm Cemetery. His diary is, generally speaking, matter of fact, but includes some interesting opinions, e.g,, 27th February 1917: "Now for a few reflections, based on my eight days' experience of trench life. Firstly, I have grave doubts as to the quality of both our N.C.O.'s and men. They are mainly quite young soldiers, and though I am quite sure they would be brave enough in a scrap, I doubt whether they would be really resourceful or quick-witted. Next, as to trench life: when out of the trenches, one feels quite kindly disposed towards them, and really they are not so bad when one is in them, except when the German is shelling. Then they are not nice. But it is a wearing time, partly because one's rest is so spasmodic, and one could not easily stand it for more than four days." It is interesting to note the effort devoted in this battalion to training whilst out of the line. Orig. brown paper covd. boards, cloth backstrip, gilt. VG. See illustration on our website.
£245
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