A Privates Story

Local resident Anne Jenks, an organiser with Milford Conservation Volunteers, has found herself to be a unexpected publisher in aid of Help for Heroes.

 

Private Jenks

Whilst in France during WW1, Anne's husband's father kept a detailed diary which he wrote up when he returned. He also collected postcards from wherever he went and drew one or two diagrams of events.

Anne writes: 'Whilst going through some old papers of my late husband, I came across two brown exercise books, closely filled with immaculate handwriting. I had seen these many years previously, but on re-reading recently, I felt they justified sharing with a wider public.

John Stanley Jenks (1896-1975), known as “Stan”, was my husband’s father and a man of Warrington, Lancashire. Prior to the war Stan Jenks was a railway clerk at Warrington, a post to which he returned when the war was over.

The book is one man’s view of his experience of the First World War in France. During the war he kept a diary and wrote this account on his return. In order to preserve Private Jenks’ personal style and phraseology, I have done very little editing. In my view it is so carefully written and so understated that it brings home the real horrors of war. I suspect it also had a cathartic effect for Private Jenks.'

 

Anne has dedicated the book to the memory of Private Jenks and of his son, Frank Garnett Jenks and his daughter, Enid Joan Jenks, both now deceased. She also thanks Dr Michael Haisman, also a resident of Milford on Sea, for his proofreading and his encouragement and support throughout.

 

Setting the Scene

 

Imagine yourself, 20 years old yesterday, recently conscripted into the British Army and in six weeks time you will be setting off to France to fight in a major war for your country! How do you feel? What will you find? Will you survive? What will you experience?

In our modern world of sophistication and technology it is not easy to understand the austerity suffered by soldiers in the First World War and with such courage and humour.

This diary is a factual account of a young man, going abroad for the first time, as a Private in the British Army at war with Germany in France. It brings home the tragedy, the deprivation and the comradeship experienced by so many in this period of British history.

 

The Book: Diary of Private John Stanley Jenks

 

Below highlights the chapter titles, which in themselves provide an evocative expectation of the content.

 

John served with the 25th division, South Lancashire Regiment, in France from December 4th 1916 to August 11th 1917 and then with the 55th division until February 28th 1919

 

Chapter 1: On Active Service
Chapter 2: Up The Line
Chapter 3: First Impressions of War
Chapter 4: Trench Warfare in Winter
Chapter 5: Bombs
Chapter 6: Preparations for the Battle of Messines
Chapter 7: With their Backs to the War
Chapter 8: Over the Top and The Best O’ Luck

Chapter 9: Ypres and Fatigues

Chapter 10: Wounded

Chapter 11: Blighty
Chapter 12: Return to Active Service

Chapter 13: Holding the Line
Chapter 14: The Beginning of the End

 

A Short Excerpt from Chapter 8

'In the dusk we reached the support trenches and in single file moved up to the assembly trenches which lay in No Man’s Land. A shell burst amongst the leaders and two of our company runners were killed and one or two wounded. Eventually we reached our positions and lay in the bottom of the trench awaiting our orders to advance.

What a sensation it was to be sure! There we were, 100 yards from the enemy with his shells bursting very close, waiting for ……….?

What would the morning bring forth? And who would be living to tell the tale two hours hence? It was inevitable that some of us would be killed but I suppose the prevalent feeling was that it would be the other fellow and that at the worst we should be wounded and sent to Blighty.

Midnight! The guns were still roaring on all sides but soon there was an appreciable slacking off. By 1.00 am they began to quieten until within the next hour all that could be heard was an occasional enemy shell bursting near our approaches.'

Get a Copy of the Diary of Private John Stanley Jenks | All proceeds go to Help for Heroes
 

Anyone who wishes can obtain a copy from Anne on 01590 644316 or anne.jenks@talktalk.net. It is also available from Inger Lise's, The Village News and Milford News newsagents.
The publisher has recommended a price of £7.95 which is shown on the book.