From the Front Line

Family Letters & Diaries: 1900 to the Falklands & Afghanistan

Hew Pike

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN:
  9781844158126
• eBook ISBN:
  9781781598443
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Historical Biographies
• Index: History

From the Frontline is an extraordinary record of a familys military service over the last 100 years. Thanks to careful editing, each individual tells his story through letters and diaries which capture the military scene and reflect family ties that bind them all closely. The eight family members served in South Africa, West Africa, Korea, Aden, the Falklands and Afghanistan as well as both World Wars. One lost his life and others were wounded. Two became generals, many were decorated. Their records may span a century when warfare changed greatly. Yet the tone of the letters remains surprisingly constant reflecting confidence in their fellows, a pride in service to Crown and Country, love of family and understatement of the dangers. Being thinking men, their views on the conduct of operations is sometimes critical as are their opinions of their leaders. This collection is highly unusual and totally enthralling.

Table of contents

• Dedication
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Sources and Acknowledgements
• Chapter One - Reggie Tompson – Aro Expedition, Southern Nigeria, 1901 – 2
• Chapter Two - Sydney Pike and Bessie Huddleston (‘B’) – South Africa, Mauritius and Blackheath, 1900 – 7
• Chapter Three - Reggie Tompson and Bridget Thicknesse, Western Front, 1914 – 16
• Chapter Four - Frank Thicknesse, Passchendaele, 1917
• Chapter Five - Reggie and Bridget Tompson, 1918 – 37
• Chapter Six - Willie Pike, Dunkirk, 1940
• Chapter Seven - Bridget Tompson, Bentley, Hampshire, 1940
• Chapter Eight - Hew Tompson, North Africa, 1942
• Chapter Nine - Willie Pike, Tunisia, 1943
• Chapter Ten - Cuthbert Thicknesse, St Albans and Hiroshima, 1945
• Chapter Eleven - Willie Pike, Korea, 1951 – 2
• Chapter Twelve - Hew Pike, Radfan, May 1964
• Chapter Thirteen - Hew Pike, Falklands, 1982
• Chapter Fourteen - Will Pike, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, 2006
• Epilogue
• Glossary of Abbreviations
• Index