"Fighting the Hun From Saddle and Trench" is a fascinating read. Sergeant William R. Jones joined the Royal Canadian Dragoons at the outbreak of the Great War, making his way from his home in New York State to Valcartier to sign on just days before the regiment left for the UK in September 1914.
Jones' story is told in the first person, and he manages to transport the reader into the trenches, where the bodies piled up and the mud caked soldiers from top to bottom. We are with him as he charges the enemy on his faithful horse, knee to knee with his comrades, sword levelled. Sergeant Jones witnessed the heroics of Strachan, VC, of the Fort Garry Horse; Harvey, VC, of the Strathcona's; and the first tank attacks by the British.
Known as "Lucky Bill" for his long survival under fire, Jones was lucky for sure, being off on furlough when the Canadian Cavalry Brigade attacked at Moreuil Wood. At the end of the book he is heading back across the Atlantic, returning to France to continue his battle against the hated enemy. There is no indication, at the end, of whether he survived the last hundred days of the war.
A gritty read, providing a look into the mind, ideals, and emotions of a warrior.
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