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The reminiscences of a soldier who fought with the Welsh Guards during the Second World War. -- Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru

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9780862439859

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This is the extraordinary story of an ordinary man who spent almost the entirety of World War II and his time in the Welsh Guards in various German prisoner-of-war camps. After joining up at the age of twenty-one and receiving a few brief months training in Britain, Pritchard was sent to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force, arriving somewhere near Boulogne on 21 May 1940. The Allied Forces were, of course, already in retreat and it was only a matter of days  25 May, in fact  before Pritchard was captured by the Germans. From beginning to end, this is a story of suffering and survival, fortitude and sheer good luck  together with no small amount of canniness and faith. Pritchard tells his tale in a deadpan style that somehow highlights the enormity of the experiences that he and so many other prisoners of war underwent  experiences that younger generations can only struggle to comprehend. Fourteen days of marching twenty miles a day in intense heat and with barely anything to eat or drink, with no idea of where you are being taken or what your fate will be. Years of insecurity and hardship in prisoner-of-war camps. The final desperate march: 15 16 miles a day for six weeks in appalling winter conditions and sub-zero temperatures, watching your companions literally falling by the wayside to die of starvation, fatigue and frostbite.The fact that it is beyond imagining is precisely why the stories of men like Sydney Pritchard need to be told and heard. Life in the Welsh Guards might not be great literature but it is essential reading for anyone who wants to look beyond all the award-winning books and films and read a simple, understated memoir that eschews any hint of melodrama, self-pity, self-aggrandizement or propaganda. Pritchard came home to Wales and worked in a shoe shop for the rest of his working life. Suzy Ceulan HughesIt is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment 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 ganiatd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru. -- Welsh Books Council

This is the extraordinary story of an ordinary man who spent almost the entirety of World War II and his time in the Welsh Guards in various German prisoner-of-war camps. After joining up at the age of twenty-one and receiving a few brief months training in Britain, Pritchard was sent to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force, arriving somewhere near Boulogne on 21 May 1940. The Allied Forces were, of course, already in retreat and it was only a matter of days  25 May, in fact  before Pritchard was captured by the Germans. From beginning to end, this is a story of suffering and survival, fortitude and sheer good luck  together with no small amount of canniness and faith. Pritchard tells his tale in a deadpan style that somehow highlights the enormity of the experiences that he and so many other prisoners of war underwent  experiences that younger generations can only struggle to comprehend. Fourteen days of marching twenty miles a day in intense heat and with barely anything to eat or drink, with no idea of where you are being taken or what your fate will be. Years of insecurity and hardship in prisoner-of-war camps. The final desperate march: 15 16 miles a day for six weeks in appalling winter conditions and sub-zero temperatures, watching your companions literally falling by the wayside to die of starvation, fatigue and frostbite. The fact that it is beyond imagining is precisely why the stories of men like Sydney Pritchard need to be told and heard. Life in the Welsh Guards might not be great literature but it is essential reading for anyone who wants to look beyond all the award-winning books and films and read a simple, understated memoir that eschews any hint of melodrama, self-pity, self-aggrandizement or propaganda. Pritchard came home to Wales and worked in a shoe shop for the rest of his working life. Suzy Ceulan Hughes It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment 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 ganiatd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru. -- Welsh Books Council

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