Dearest Mother: First World War Letters Home from a Young Sapper Officer in France and Salonika

Andrew Baines; Joanna Palmer

ISBN 10: 1910294578 / ISBN 13: 9781910294574

Published by Helion & Company, 2015

About this Item

signed by both authors on the title page, illustrated, 270 pages.

Seller Inventory # 016937

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Dearest Mother: First World War Letters Home from a Young Sapper Officer in France and Salonika
• Publisher: Helion & Company
• Publication Date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1910294578
• ISBN 13: 9781910294574
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Very Good
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)

About this title

Synopsis

John Stanhope Baines, a Winchester classical scholar and young Royal Engineers officer, was on active service in France and Salonika during the First World War. Throughout this time he wrote to his ‘Dearest Mother’, who had studied classics at Cambridge before being widowed when John was three, and to Honor, his younger sister. The letters give regular updates of his activities in an affectionate, amusing and relaxed way, while disguising the true horror, dangers and realities of war.

The work of the Sappers was challengingly different from that of other arms, but equally important. Constructing trenches and defences, putting out wire and demolitions at night, assault operations into no-man’s land, and much more, were all in a day’s work in France. In the Salonika Campaign the construction of roads, in the most inhospitable conditions as the letters testify, was vital to the strategic success of the Allies. John obviously enjoyed all the challenges he faced in his four years of active service, and writes about them with a delightfully light touch.

Through these well-written letters we are able to share in John’s military career, his personal and political views, his interest in things classical, his passion for the Lake District, his sense of humour, and above all in the love, care and responsibility he felt towards his mother and sister while serving his King and Country.

These letters have been brought to life by the editors, who are grandchildren of John Baines, in a refreshing and unusual way. Through careful research, many additional details of topics John writes about are included – individuals, articles, places, military aspects, family and also of his mother’s life back on the Home Front. This book will therefore be of general interest to a wide readership.

About the Author

Andrew Baines and Joanna Palmer are grandchildren of John Baines, and great grandchildren of Elizabeth Baines. Andrew followed in both his grandfather’s and father’s footsteps as a Wykehamist and Sapper; Joanna, in addition to being ‘an Army child’ is the widow of General Sir Patrick Palmer. So between them they have been able to combine and share their deep family knowledge and wide military experiences in editing ‘Dearest Mother’ and making the letters accessible and enjoyable for all.