The Diary of a Flying Soldier During the First World War on the Western Front, 1914-18

Rifleman, Highland regiment officer and RFC pilot—one man’s incredible war

This book’s original title, ‘A Soldier’s Diary of the Great War’, did nothing—despite being an excellent account—to give potential readers any indication that it is a very unusual diary of the First World War by a British Officer.

The author put more literary effort into writing this diary than is normally the case, this makes this both an informative and enjoyable read for those interested in the period. However, what makes this diary especially interesting is that the author first enlisted as a rifleman in the ranks of the London Rifle Brigade and served in France. He then became an officer in a Scottish infantry regiment, the Cameron Highlanders. After further service in the trenches in 1916 he volunteered for the Royal Flying Corps and was accepted for pilot training. The final section of his diary, concerning the war in the air in 1917, is a record of his flying experiences. This is a valuable diary of varied Great War recollections and is recommended. This Leonaur edition contains photographs not present in the original publication.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.