A new edition of an eye-witness account of the war experiences of a member of the Field Security Personnel in various French towns, January-June 1940, including a record of the retreat to Dunkirk, reflecting the fear and optimism of the ordinary soldier, with a perceptive introduction by N H Reeve. First published in 1942.

Argraffiad newydd o hanes llygad-dyst o brofiadau aelod o'r Field Security Personnel mewn amryw drefi Ffrengig, Ionawr-Mehefin 1940, yn cynnwys cofnod o'r enciliad i Dunkirk, yn adlewyrchu ofn a gobaith y milwr cyffredin, ynghyd â chyflwyniad craff gan N H Reeve. Cyhoeddwyd gyntaf yn 1942.

There have, of course, been numerous first-hand factual accounts written by combatants in the fields of action during World War Two. Although many of these titles have enjoyed a wide readership, there are not all that many which one would judge in terms of exceptional literary quality. Among those which have now come to be regarded as literary classics of warfare is Richard Hillary's The Last Enemy and the book under review falls into the same category.

It first appeared in 1942 and at the time the novelist Elizabeth Bowen sensed in it ‘an entirely different rhythm from all the usual rhythms of English prose.’ The editor of this reprint, N.H. Reeve, who contributes an extremely helpful introduction, even goes so far as to state that ‘. . . there is nothing comparable to it in the other literature of the period.’

Both these quotes are a little surprising, I find, for Gwynn Brown was using a stream of consciousness technique which had been pioneered by James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. The difference is that whereas they were writing an entirely new kind of fiction, the author of this book was writing a war memoir. I must admit that the style became slightly tedious at times, but this is a fairly minor criticism.

But what ground does the book cover? FSP stands for Field Security Personnel who, following basic training, operated in the French war zone. Here they endured shelling and aerial bombardment at Dunkirk before boarding a rescue craft which took the fortunate survivors back to England. The author succeeds in capturing vividly the soldiers’ optimism, fear and sometimes a bitter sense of being faced by overwhelming odds.

The remit of Seren's publishing programme is expanding and it was an excellent idea to republish this title. Perhaps they may bring other autobiographical volumes from the past into print again?

Dewi Roberts

It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgement should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council.

Gellir defnyddio’r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatad Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru.