Summary
Henry Owens: A Doctor on the Western Front
The Diary of Henry Owens 1914 – 1918
The Diary of the Great War Henry Owens gives a vivid and detailed account of life and combat in the trenches of the Western Front from the point of view of an army doctor. Owens, as a member of the original British Expeditionary Force, the "Old Contemptibles", was among the first British soldiers to set foot on French soil. He spent the next four years at the front as a doctor and diarist. An eyewitness to some of the toughest and most brutal battles of the greatest conflict the world has ever seen.
During those years, he participated in literally every major battle. Which the British led during the war in Flanders. Around Ypres and on the Somme. He took care of the soldiers of all three armies - British, French and German. He was often exposed to direct fire from artillery, machine guns and rifles. He faced the same risks and difficulties as all other fighters. His experiences in the trenches, in ambulances, in first aid stations and in hospitals gave him a unique perspective. From which he could observe the brutality of the battle and the treatment of the wounded and dying.
The manuscript by Henry Owen, edited by John Hutton, who also wrote the foreword, gives us an inside look at the duties and experiences of a doctor treating combatants. As well as a vivid picture of the everyday life of a soldier.
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