F W Harvey Soldier Poet Author:Anthony Boden, A BODEN F.W. Harvey was one of a generation whose lives were splintered by the First World War. He joined the 5th Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment only days after war was declared, and was among the first Territorials to land in France. As a Lance-Corporal he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for "conspicuous gallantry" followed by a ... more »commission. He survived the Somme offensive but was captured in August 1916 and spent the rest of the war in POW camps. A contemporary of Owen, Sassoon and Thomas, he wanted nothing more when "at rest" than an interval of quiet in which to set down in verse his longing for his Gloucestershire homeland, his outrage at the waste of war, his joy in comradeship, his humour and his unflinching faith. This biography contains many of the poems, including the world-famous "Ducks", and is illustrated with a wealth of contemporary photographs.« less