For Love and Courage

Letters Home from the Western Front 1914-1917
Edited by Anne Nason

Preface Publishing

Published: 28 October 2009

Lieutenant Colonel Edward William Hermon died in battle on 9 April 1917. Though, unlike some soldiers, he is not in danger of becoming another forgotten hero; even though his years were cut short, he left a testament of his life in letters to his wife that give a full insight into the day-to-day life of a cavalry officer during WWI.

For Love and Courage is composed of a collection of previously unknown, unpublished and uncensored letters, which he wrote to his beloved wife Ethel, and his children. Edited by his granddaughter, Anne Nason, from a collection of around 600, the lost letters not only reveal the testament of love between Edward Hermon and his wife, but also vivid details of life on the front line.

It’s overwhelming how comfortable the writer is expressing every aspect of human detail and emotion and it is through the chapters of the collection that the character of Edward Hermon is unraveled bit by bit.  We soon feel as if we get to know the real man who wrote these letters.

What strikes you primarily throughout Hermon’s entries is the love that he displays towards his wife and children, revealing him as a family man and of a fatherly nature.  He addresses a large majority of the letters to ‘darling mine’, and often expresses his longing to see his children, ‘the chugs.’
 
A self–described ‘soldier of England’ he displays much duty and courage constantly through his memoirs.  When ironically stating ‘if it comes to fighting’ he describes himself as the ‘most fed up man in England’ when not on the frontline – a dedication certainly shown by others like him at this time.

What makes the character of Edward Hermon most likable on paper is his ability to make the most out of a bad situation. His words are laced with humour although in anything but a humorous situation.  In particular describing his efforts at the French as ‘decidedly crude.’  A selfless man also appears, as even when it is obvious the situation around him is bleak he appears to play down the severity of the situation in his letters home, even when he has an accident he reveals his wound only ‘distracts from my beauty.’

Not only human sentiment can be drawn from the entries but also historic fact.  Hermon reveals that Mondays on the front line are normally lively, as ‘the French don’t shoot much on Sundays.’ This provides vivid evidence only experienced by those in the heat of the action, and is vital in piecing together the battle.

Not just a battle memoir, For Love and Courage is also a love story, and the feelings of one man that largely represent a vanished age of WWI’s fallen heroes.

Review by Rhea Johnson