The manuscript 'Retrospect'

History alumnus to publish great grandfather’s first-hand account of WWI in the Middle East

An alumnus from the Cornwall campus, Henry Austwick (History, 2011), is set to publish an unseen first-hand account of his great grandfather’s time in the Middle East during the First World War.

Henry made the decision to publish his great grandfather’s story after he found the manuscript, whilst still a History student at Exeter. It was in his grandmother’s loft with a publisher’s note from the 1950s saying: "Although (I) have no doubt that it would appeal to the older generation of readers, I feel the majority would think there is no real reason for bringing up the 1914 - 1918 war now". This is a statement that seems odd now given the public interest in, and volume of war stories available.

Henry’s great grandfather, Major G. E. Badcock, was a career soldier and went on to attain the rank of Brigadier, and served in Gallipoli, Cairo, Damascus and then Jerusalem. The book ‘Retrospect’ is a well-documented unique account of his time on the ‘Forgotten Front’ and, due to his time in logistics, focuses on how the army moved, sharing insights into army life at the time. After the war, Major Badcock went on to work in Bermuda and China (for the army), before retiring in the 1930s, however was called up as Director of Salvage in WWII.

 Henry is now crowdfunding  to support the publication of ‘Retrospect’.

Date: 7 April 2017