Joseph Murray (1) (1896–1994)

Joseph Murray was a young Scottish miner at the start of World War I. His brother had earlier joined the Royal Navy and left home for the war in June 1914 (he was later lost when his ship was sunk by the Germans in the South Pacific). By October, Joseph had answered Churchill's call for volunteers for the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserves. This was to be a infantry brigade formed of seamen for action in the Dardanelles campaign. Murray details his entry into service, his training, and then transport to Egypt, and, finally, the landing on the Gallipoli peninsula. His story of the campaign is an excellent reminder that war is hell and is something to be avoided at all costs. That is particularly the case when one is involved in a campaign so poorly planned and executed as the Gallipoli landings and the fighting that followed. The British and Commonwealth troops were immediately pinned down in unfavorable terrain against a skillful and determined enemy that had been very much forewarned of the landings. Murray's infantry group is immediately decimated in fierce fighting that quickly devolves into the same sort of trench warfare that was going on on the Western Front. Murray's abilities as a miner eventually lead to his becoming a "sapper", a soldier responsible for undermining enemy positions in order to place explosives. Of course, the enemy had its own sappers, and it was very often the case that the sappers from both sides were digging in order to place explosives that would destroy their counterparts. Murray's descriptions of these harrowing episodes are the highlight of the work. Both sets of sappers could hear each other digging, and the goal was to place explosives and explode them before the other guys could. Murray also does an excellent job of describing just how miserable the lives of the 40,000 troops on the narrow strip were before the campaign was finally called off. The fact that he came through the campaign without serious injury is simply amazing. The only real negative of this version by Cerberus Publishing is that it wasn't very well edited. If you can overlook all the typos, it is a rewarding read.… (més)