MINERS' BATTALION

Sub-titled 'A History of the 12th (Pioneers) King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 1914-1918'. Little is known or understood of the contribution made by the thousands of men who served with the original Pioneer Battalions. Building and repairing roads, bridges, railway lines, gun emplacements, and laying barbed wire to protect the front line were just some of the tasks that they performed on a regular basis. Fortunately the subject of the British Army's logistical support in the war zone during the new industrialised warfare that developed during 1914 and 1918 is now being examined in greater detail. The initial training the Battalion received laid the foundation of the spirit of discipline and self-sacrifice for which it was noted, whether serving with the Division or detached for special duty. When sent to Flanders for the Third Battalion of Ypres, their services were the subject of highly complimentary reports from the Corps and Army Commanders. The first person to be acknowledged in this reproduction of the history must be the original author, Captain R. Ede England, whose intimate knowledge of this Battalion allowed him to describe in detail the part it played and the difficulties experienced by these former miners and engineers who found themselves caught up in the world's first truly industrialised global war. The photographs included were taken by members of the Battalion, despite the fact that Army Regulations forbade the use of cameras at the Front. With use of recollections of former members and the Battalion's war diary as the basic framework on which to hang the stories of battles fought and hideous conditions endured, Captain England's approach to the telling of the story appears somewhat light-hearted but this simply may reflect his ability to see a lighter side to the grim reality that was all around him. Of course there were at the time many comical articles published in The Wipers Times by another Pioneer Battalion. Captain England also refers to the extent of the damage to the towns and cities of Northern France, and even to the very nature of the soil over which the battles were waged over four years. His figures show that during the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917, the 12th KOYLI laid 29 miles of light track railway carrying some 18,000 tons of ammunition in one week alone. The original readers of Captain England's book would have been familiar with the political, social industrial background of the time and such names as Maconochie's Stew, only one of a number of canned food stuffs that developed an unfortunate reputation with the troops. The Battalion performed with such distinction it gained the nickname 'The Yorkshire Guards'. 188pp, very well illustrated with photographs and map.