Grandad was the first writer in the family. He seems to recognise the flies and lice as enemies every bit as morale-sapping as the Turkish forces. His injury was caused by shrapnel above his knee. The wound quickly became infected and it was touch and go for a while. His descriptions of operations without anaesthesia are, as ever, concise and unsentimental, but pretty harrowing! I intend publishing the ‘sequel’ at some point soon.
Thank you for sharing that—your granddad could sure tell a tale! I’m curious what his injury was.
This line popped out: “if you left [clothing] on the sand to dry, thousands of insects held dancing classes on them.”
Grandad was the first writer in the family. He seems to recognise the flies and lice as enemies every bit as morale-sapping as the Turkish forces. His injury was caused by shrapnel above his knee. The wound quickly became infected and it was touch and go for a while. His descriptions of operations without anaesthesia are, as ever, concise and unsentimental, but pretty harrowing! I intend publishing the ‘sequel’ at some point soon.