| From Stretcher Handle |
| The World War I Journal and Poems of Pte. Frank Walker |
| Edited by Mary F. Gaudet |
Frank Walker was 20 years old when "the War to end
wars" began in 1914. He enlisted with the Canadian
Field Ambulance, Canadian Medical Corps, and served
as a stretcher bearer in some of the worst battles of the
war, including Ypres, Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele.
During that time he kept a journal, which charted his
gradual transformation from military innocent to
war-weary veteran. He also wrote a collection of poems,
which was published in England during the war. Upon his
return to Charlottetown in 1918, he went on to become
one of the Charlottetown 's most respected newspaper
editors until his retirement in 1969. He died in 1977.
Edited by and prefaced with an essay from his daughter,
Mary Gaudet, From a Stretcher Handle includes the
journal and the poems, as well as an essay by Island
historian Boyde Beck, which places the journal within the
context of the Canadian Medical Service on the Western
Front.
As time passes, and more and more people lose sight of
the horrors of war, works such as From a Stretcher
Handle serve as raw and powerful reminders of what so
many fought and died for. At the same time, Walker's
words set Prince Edward Island firmly in the canon of
First World War literature.
wars" began in 1914. He enlisted with the Canadian
Field Ambulance, Canadian Medical Corps, and served
as a stretcher bearer in some of the worst battles of the
war, including Ypres, Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele.
During that time he kept a journal, which charted his
gradual transformation from military innocent to
war-weary veteran. He also wrote a collection of poems,
which was published in England during the war. Upon his
return to Charlottetown in 1918, he went on to become
one of the Charlottetown 's most respected newspaper
editors until his retirement in 1969. He died in 1977.
Edited by and prefaced with an essay from his daughter,
Mary Gaudet, From a Stretcher Handle includes the
journal and the poems, as well as an essay by Island
historian Boyde Beck, which places the journal within the
context of the Canadian Medical Service on the Western
Front.
As time passes, and more and more people lose sight of
the horrors of war, works such as From a Stretcher
Handle serve as raw and powerful reminders of what so
many fought and died for. At the same time, Walker's
words set Prince Edward Island firmly in the canon of
First World War literature.
|
| _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ REVIEWS |
| "From a Stretcher Handle is a wonderfully full, graphic account of the First World War. It rises above a diary. Walker offers the kind of editorial commentary that one might expect from a seasoned journalist. That, together with his knowledge of literature and history, makes this a truly remarkable autobiography of War." - David Pierce Beatty, Professor Emeritus Mount Allison University Sackville, New Brunswick |
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Acknowledgements "You Have No Idea": Stretcher Bearers in the Great War Boyde Beck Introduction Mary F. Gaudet A War Journal Epilogue Biographies Index |
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