The Battle of Loos was the largest British offensive to take place during 1915. The assault is particularly notable as the first use of poison gas by the British army, and also for the significant loss of life.
The conflict had a profound effect on the literary world. Rudyard Kipling had been a strong proponent of the war, writing propaganda poems and pamphlets for the government whilst being noticeably vocal in his assertions that all 'heroic' men should be prepared to fight for their country. He was eager for his only son, John, to join up despite being rejected twice for failing medical tests. Despite this, Kipling managed to secure a place for John in the Irish Guards. Two days into the battle, John was killed. His death profoundly affected Kipling, and he wrote the epitaph 'If any question why we died, / Tell them, because our fathers lied' and the poem 'My Boy Jack' following his bereavement. After the war he became a strong supporter of the Imperial War Graves Commission, and chose the inscription of 'The Glorious Dead' for the Cenotaph.
In addition, the autobiography 'Goodbye To All That' famously recalls Robert Graves' time there as a captain in the Royal Welch Fusiliers.
As Featured In
Cher Ami, Great War Special Interest Group Newsletter - July 2022
As Featured In
Cher Ami, Great War Special Interest Group Newsletter - July 2022
Article: '[i]Loving chronicle of Welsh war heroes[/i]' by Toby Neal as featured by
Shropshire Star, April 9th 2018
Article: '[i]Loving chronicle of Welsh war heroes[/i]' by Toby Neal as featured by
Shropshire Star, April 9th 2018
As mentioned in
Shetland Life Magazine
As mentioned in
Shetland Life Magazine
A novel, if good, you may read cover to cover never putting it down; when you do put it down you are unlikely to read it again. A history book such as ‘My Boy Jack?’, with such a powerful and intricate narrative, you put down because of its intellectual weight. It has taken me a second reading of ‘My Boy Jack?’ to begin to appreciate and hold in my head the detail that it contains. It deserves a third reading, and life on a shelf of choice books on the First World War for reference purposes and to indulge a variety of interests: ‘My Boy Jack?’ provides insights like no other. We gain a fabulous insight into the life and career of Rudyard Kipling, and through his eyes the British Empire in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras carried by the thread of his behaviour and feelings as a parent. I could imagine another title for the book, say ‘One life to give’, if we are to quote from Rudyard Kipling’s poetry as is done with ‘My Boy Jack?’ Another, alternative title, could.. Read more
The Western Front Association
A novel, if good, you may read cover to cover never putting it down; when you do put it down you are unlikely to read it again. A history book such as ‘My Boy Jack?’, with such a powerful and intricate narrative, you put down because of its intellectual weight. It has taken me a second reading of ‘My Boy Jack?’ to begin to appreciate and hold in my head the detail that it contains. It deserves a third reading, and life on a shelf of choice books on the First World War for reference purposes and to indulge a variety of interests: ‘My Boy Jack?’ provides insights like no other. We gain a fabulous insight into the life and career of Rudyard Kipling, and through his eyes the British Empire in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras carried by the thread of his behaviour and feelings as a parent. I could imagine another title for the book, say ‘One life to give’, if we are to quote from Rudyard Kipling’s poetry as is done with ‘My Boy Jack?’ Another, alternative title, could.. Read more
The Western Front Association
As mentioned in
The Shetland Times
As mentioned in
The Shetland Times
My Boy Jack?
Republished to coincide with the new ITV film, My Boy Jack? starring Daniel Radcliffe, this is the full account of the tragic life of John 'Jack' Kipling. On 27th September 1915 John Kipling, the only son of Britain's best loved poet, disappeared during the Battle of Loos. The body lay undiscovered for 77 years. Then, in a most unusual move, the Commonwealth… Read more...
