Michael Lucas’s initial interest in the 9th East Surrey was sparked off by family connections, and he has made an in-depth study of the history of the battalion – and of the part that R.C. Sherriff played in it. As well as consulting a wide range of published and archive sources, he has contacted descendants of soldiers who served in the battalion. He has published a number of articles, chiefly on the Great War, including two in Stand To!, the journal of the Western Front Association.