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PRIESTLEY (R.E., MC, BA, late Major, RE)
Work of the Royal Engineers in the European War 1914-19. The Signal Service (France).
1st Ed., xvi+359pp., frontis., 20 drawings/diagrams (some fldg.). Chatham: RE Institution.
1921
#62352
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![[HLMainPic]](booksThumbs/62352.jpg "Click on the left or right of the image for more images")
Excellent, detailed official survey & history of signals throughout the war on the Western Front by an interesting participant: his pre-war exploits included being geologist for Shackletons "Nimrod" Expedition to Antarctica (1907-09) & Scott's "Terra Nova" Expedition (1910-1913). Author's presentation inscrip., "W. Scott. With the Author's best wishes. R.E. Priestley. Clare College Cambridge 14/11/27." Priestley shared in much of the privations of the Antarctic missions: as part of Shackleton's advance party, laying food & fuel depots for the final (& nearly successful) push for the South Pole, due to lack of space in the tent he spent three days in a blizzard outside in his sleeping bag, nearly slipping to his death from the glacier. On the "Terra Nova" expedition he was with Campbell's party that the ship could not reach due to pack ice. Realising that they would have to spend the winter there, the party excavated a 12 x 9 foot ice cave & remained there for seven months, adding seal & penguin to their depleted rations. With the coming of better weather they spent five weeks walking back to Cape Evans, only to learn that Scott & the rest of the Polar party had met their deaths months previously. After service in the Royal Engineers 1914-1919 Priestley was employed to write the official record of the RE Signal Service here offered. He also wrote "Breaking the Hindenberg Line" - the record of the 46th Division's battle here in which he took part. Post-war he earned a BA at Cambridge & co-founded the Scott Polar Research Institute. He was elected a Fellow of Clare College & pursued an academic career at Cambridge & elsewhere. He was knighted in 1949 & was chairman or president of several organisations including the Royal Geographical Society. Orig. blue cloth, gilt, rather faded but completely sound, with a rather speculative inscription by the distinguished author. See illustration on our website.
£250
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