Men, Horses, Mud and Stew, The Little Fusilier's Great War

Wilfred Cook
(Edited by Audrey Larkins with illustrations by Soren Hawkes)
£15.95
Published by Tommies Guide

 

Published: 27 November 2009

From a ‘truly Christian home with family prayers and chapel attendance’ to the battlefields of France, Wilfred Cook was one of the many young boys that signed up for war in 1915. Underage by a year, he lied to gain enrolment and joined the Northumberland Fusiliers or “The Fighting Fifth.

The narrative follows ‘Cooky’ on his journey to and around France and Belgium – quite literally made of men, horses, mud and stew. The memories and recollections of life in the trenches and on the front line tell of the near misses and tragic consequences of WWI. The different stories show the character of Wilfred and his fellow Geordies with tales of using a bacon box for refuge, being introduced to the pipe by ‘Paddy’ and having his periscope shot at and broken by a sniper when after it was poked above the trench.

Wilfred was affectionately known as ‘Little Fusilier’ by a nurse, after he was taken to a military hospital for septic poisoning. After spending his 19th birthday in hospital, he was sent back to the trenches. But trench foot saw his boots cut from his feet and sent him back to hospital. He reluctantly became a bandsman on the advice of mate Syd, and his experiences of a stretcher-bearer reveal war at its most horrific.

Comradeship and courage are the constant themes through this book and Wilfred’s sense of humour reflects his strong will and soldiering determination to do his job, even though he lost many friends along the way and had a couple of near misses himself.

Edited by Audrey Larkins, Wilfred’s daughter, the story is accompanied by illustrations for each chapter by British artist Soren Hawkes who lives in Leper, Ypres, and whose great grandfather and great uncle both served in WWI. Men, Horses, Mud and Stew is both a charming and humbling read and another great insight into a life lived at war.