Product Description

Private Albert Turley was just an ordinary British soldier of World War I. He died on the Somme for king and country. He didn't win any medals for gallantry and has no known grave. Like thousands more soldiers whose names fill local war memorials the length of the country, he left neither letters nor diaries from which to reconstruct his story. This book describes one man's search for the story of his distant relative, describing Private Turley's active service with the 3rd Battalion -The Worcestershire Regiment that led to his death in one of the most infamous battles of the 20th century. David Whithorn's reconstruction of Albert's story from surviving records and histories led to a pilgrimage following his footsteps to the Somme hillside where he fell in August 1916. This is both a tightly focused history of the 3rd Worcestershire and a detective story that eventually reveals what happened to Private Albert Turley.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #852122 in Books
• Published on: 2003-06-19
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

From the Author
'Bringing Uncle Albert Home' is my first book arising from a life-long interest in the Great War and of the lives of ordinary men and women who were caught up in it. Almost all of us have long-forgotten 'Uncle Alberts' somewhere on our family trees, young men who died in their late teens and early twenties, sometime between the fateful years of 1914-18. Most soldiers' accounts of the Great War were written by fortunate survivors, tidied up from 'illegally' kept diaries hastily scribbled in the trenches when circumstances permitted. For the majority who fought and fell, there were no diaries and few letters survive. Yet, these silent soldiers can still tell us their stories

Albert Turley is one such soldier. I reconstructed his story because having left nothing behind but his name on a war memorial in a peaceful English village and the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing on the Somme, I considered this would represent the most unpromising starting point for such research. I wanted to demonstrate to others, who believed such a task would be impossible, that even for soldiers such as Albert, much could still be found amongst existing records.

In fact, I surprised even myself just how much I was able to piece together of his life. I hope now my efforts will encourage others, with the sources I have provided, to find out more about their own relatives who served in the Great War. Some may even make their own pilgrimage to the battlefields of the First World War and the silent, lonely farm tracks of the Somme will ring once more with the sound of English voices.

The story also tells of the effect that the Great War can still have on people, like the author, born many years after its conclusion. I will not give the plot or the ending away but it is not a sad book. I asked a few friends to read the original manuscript when I had completed it. Their reaction was universal; none had finished it with a dry eye.

Finally, I hope my book will be seen as my own personal tribute to the soldiers like Albert who still lie 'somewhere in France'. Through it, I hope readers will ensure that their sacrifice in a war fought so long ago, will never be forgotten.
David P.Whithorn

About the Author
David P. Whithorn is an amateur historian and genealogist with a special interest in the First World War. He lives in Hampshire. This is his first book.

Customer Reviews

Careful and loving description of a WW1 soldier's story
This is very much a 'procedural' book, showing how it is possible with careful research, to put 'flesh on the bones' of a family story.

The author starts with a family anecdote and ends up following in the footsteps of an ordinary soldier of the 3rd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, who died in the savage fighting at Thiepval during the Battle of the Somme.

This is an excellent introduction to how this work can be done, and is worthy of recommendation on that count alone; but what really makes it a touching read is the care and diligence shown in recording everything about Uncle Albert's story.

This is so much more than an arid collection of data - there is real warmth and empathy on display, and I suggest that this should make this book appealing to a much wider audience than just WW1 enthusiasts.

A labour of love in all senses.

Uncle Albert brought home
I read this unusual book, sort of 'by accident', as I had previously shown only a superficial interest in World War I. I
knew from television documentaries, etc. that the 'Great War' had been particularly bloody and that millions of people (both British and German) lost their lives in this conflict. I knew too that the Battle of the Somme is regarded by many as a complete massacre, with many young men dying in appalling conditions.
David Whithorn's book has increased my knowledge of the War and made me view it from a different aspect.In his book the author sets out to find out as much as possible about the war time experiences of a distant relative Albert - a young man barely old enough to fight.
The style of writing is pleasant and easy to read, but is very hard on the emotions.The author describes his visits to France to locate the battle lines and to find out, as exactly as possible, where Albert fell in battle. The author shows an amazing (but obviously genuine) ability, to himself experience emotions such as Albert himself might have had, during his time in action. The ability to describe these emotions in words shows a great sensitivity.
In describing so clearly how he tracked down all the information about Albert, David Whithorn outlines how others, whose relatives died at war, could do likewise themselves.
A study of World War I is now, I believe, a part of the National Curriculum in schools in Great Britain. I would suggest that this book would make compulsive reading for teachers of history and shold be seriosly considered as compulsory reading for students at secondary schools.
In summary, a book suitable for all ages from eleven years upwards, but it is a truly moving story.

Uncle Albert Brought Home
I read this book, sort of 'by accident',having previously had only a superficial interest in the history of World War I. I had heard of course of the general horrors of the Battle of the Somme, but had never paused to think about what conditions must have been like for our brave soldiers actually involved in that bloody battle. Reading 'Uncle Albert'has given me insights I might never have otherwise had.
The author's style makes this book easy to read, although it is hard on the emotions. The author's use of extracts from an officer's diary of the account of the conflict in which Albert so bravely fought and died, brings one almost personally into the battle itself. David Whithorn's remarkable ability to so genuinely experience for himself the emotions felt by the young soldiers, truly brings the history alive. It reaches deep into one's own emotions.
The manner in which the author clearly describes the ways in which he gathered together the information about Albert, provides
ideal guidelines for anyone wishing to find out details of a relative who served in a past war. I suspect that this book may prompt a number of readers to attempt to do just that.
As a study of World War I is now a part of the National Curriculum, this book would provide invaluable material for both teachers and students.I suggest that it should be considered for 'compulsory' reading for children at secondary school.
Finally, the book is an excellent read for people of all ages, who would individually gain something different from it.