KNOWLEDGE FOR WAR
Captain B. C. Lake
HARRISON AND SONS, London, 1916
‘Am I doing my utmost to collect information about the enemy, his defences, his activities and movements, and especially about his patrols at night? Which is the best way to get through my parapet in order to go towards the enemy?'
A rare WW1 British Army officers trench warfare handbook. This is the 7th edition, undated, but published in 1916. It proved to be a very popular book with those serving at the front, and at least eight editions were published during the war.
Knowledge For War is a compendium of vital information a junior officer heading out to the trenches would need to know: from basic details of officers kit, to how to deal with gas attacks, build trenches and dug-outs, construct barbed wire defences, lead bombing raids, look after weapons, and all the other duties of an officer in the front line. It includes a selection of inspiring verses that might help out in moments of crisis: Kipling's 'If' and Wordsworth's 'Freedom'. With advice on how to get a Machine Gun working in an emergency, how to use several different types of hand grenades and other more general hints on trench warfare, this is a very interesting window into the world of the junior officer in 1916. Near the end of the book there is a checklist of things an officer should constantly ask himself:
'I am here for two purposes—to do as much damage as possible to the enemy and to hold my part of the line at all costs. Am I doing everything possible to ensure my being able to do this?'
The book is well illustrated with diagrams and line drawings and also includes a number of excellent advertisements for officers kit, such as trench coats by Burberry and that other essential item, the luminous trench watch.
Condition:
In good condition. The boards are in good condition, with general signs of age and wear, and some marks. The binding and hinges are secure. The text and illustrations are in very good condition, with some marks to the endpapers.
Published: 1916
Khaki boards with black titling
Illustrated with line drawings and diagrams
Dimensions: 105mm x 155mm
Pages: 178
