Pure Nobility By Rhodes, Peter

In a long-forgotten war diary, we can almost hear the voice of an ordinary soldier transported from the tranquillity of the Yorkshire Dales to the madness of the Western Front. Private John Willie Smith served from 1914-19 and faithfully recorded it all, day by-day, from his first encounter with the recruiting band until guard duty with the Army of Occupation in beaten Germany. His brother Alvin was killed on the Somme, probably by "friendly fire"from his own side. Pure Nobility recaptures the life, times and dreams of these brothers-in-arms and the girls they left behind.