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Having a Go at the Kaiser

Having a Go at the Kaiser

Gethin Matthews

(2018)

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Book Details

Abstract

This book is based on more than a hundred letters sent home by three Swansea brothers during the First World War, almost all of which relate to the period 1916–18 when Richard, Gabriel and Ivor Eustis were serving in different theatres. The run of letters written to different members of the family allow us to build a picture of what the brothers thought about a range of different issues as the war was being waged, and of how their beliefs and ideas evolved as situations changed. In common with other soldiers’ letters to their families, information on the battles fought is scarce – they are rather concerned with keeping the family bonds strong during the men’s absence. The dynamics of the family are revealed in letters full of sibling rivalry and affection.


Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Cover i
Title Page iv
Copyright v
Dedication vi
Contents viii
Acknowledgements x
Illustrations xii
Abbreviations xiii
1: Introduction – the Eustis family; the local community; the letters 1
2: Richard and Gabriel, 1913–1915 33
3: Richard Eustis in Egypt, 1916–February 1917 49
4: Ivor Eustis at school, 1914–1916, and in north Wales, May–November 1916 63
5: Gabriel Eustis aboard HMT Saxon, to February 1917 97
6: Richard Eustis in Egypt, March 1917–January 1918 105
7: Ivor Eustis in north Wales, 1917 129
8: Richard Eustis in Palestine and Egypt, February 1918–June 1918 147
9: Ivor Eustis on the Western Front, December 1917–September 1918 167
10: Gabriel Eustis aboard HMT Saxon, November 1917–October 1918 195
11: Richard Eustis in Egypt, July 1918–November 1918 217
12: Ivor Eustis in England and Wales, October–November 1918 229
13: November 1918–January 1919 235
14: Aftermath 257
15: Patterns and perspectives 265
Appendix 1: List of all the extant letters and postcards sent by the Eustis brothers 293
Appendix 2: Servicemen from Mynyddbach/Tirdeunaw/Treboeth mentioned in the text 297
Appendix 3: Information on servicemen from other parts of Swansea and West Glamorgan mentioned in the text 301
Select bibliography 302
Index 305
Back Cover 309