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Gun Fire (Number 21), edited by A.J. Peacock

A5 size booklet, 116 pages. (A27BK1)

Gun Fire was originally an occasional journal produced by members of the Western Front Association, and it contained articles about aspects of the First World War, and this edition is titled 'an alternative guide to the Western Front'.

From the first inside page: There are many guides to the old Western Front of 1914-18, but I think it is true to say that most, if not all, of those in print follow (understandably) fairly well-known routes to places like Ypres, Albert, Armentieres and so on. This guide, or gazetteer, by and large ignores the places that other guides go to (though on occasion it mentions things that are overlooked in some well-known places). It has very little to say about cemeteries and concentrates on places like Mondement and sites like La Fontenelle. Each of these had a 'history' in 1914-18; some, like those villages at the extreme end of the retreat from Mons, were only briefly' in the war zone; others had four years when they were shelled, fought over and repeatedly destroyed. With the latter places, particularly, it is difficult in the gazetteer format I have adopted to even indicate what those four years were like so, like most gazetteers, I have selected something from the Great War to comment on and hope that it will give the reader an indication of what happened at some time. Many places, like most battle sites, have nothing left to indicate that a war went on there (beyond perhaps having only post -1918 buildings). These, never the­ less, will be of interest to WW1 buffs I am sure. There is nothing much to see at Marston Moor or Towton either, but they are still worth visiting to let one's imagination run. Many places on the Somme are like this. Most of the places on the Marne, the Grand Morin and the Petit Morin are like this.

Of course it must be said that the choice of entries in these pages is somewhat selective, it had to be if only because of space, and it could be argued that a village left out had as interesting a war as one put in that is nearby. This will be true, absolutely true, but reading about or looking at a village in, say, the Argonne, will give an indication of what also went on nearby and in the area it is hoped.

This work is not intended to supplant existing guides; it is intended to supplement them and it presupposes some knowledge of the Great War. If the traveller is in an area where the war went on, it might be worthwhile to look at the index of this work and see 'if there is anywhere or anything else' of interest nearby. For example a journey off a well-known route in one of those guides to, say, Fort Leveau will (this is said without hesitation) be more than worthwhile. The few remarks on Leveau herein might add something to a tour (will add something to a tour). It might well prompt further interest. It is intended to do that...

Interestingly, an earlier edition of the journal explained the origins of the slang phrase 'Gun Fire', detailing how it was a term for the early cup of tea served out to troops in the morning before going on first parade. In the War recruits in training always had Gun Fire supplied to them, as the work before breakfast was often particularly gruelling.

Condition of the booklet is generally good. The cover has several minor scuffs, blemishes and creases, but the staple spine is intact, and all pages are clean, intact, unblemished and tightly bound.

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