With my regiment : From the Aisne to La Bassée

A young officer’s first days of mobilization are captured with vivid immediacy, as the calm of a London townhouse gives way to the frantic scramble of a nation at war. He watches friends and acquaintances bid farewell at the station, feels the weight of his packed kit, and senses the collective anxiety that hangs over the crowds and the wharf. The narrative paints the ordinary details—folded letters scented with violet, a well‑worn photograph slipped into a pocket‑book, the mess hall turned storage room—into a palpable portrait of a society thrust into conflict.

From the moment the telegram arrives, the story follows his journey from the home front to the railhead, through the early days on the Aisne and the first encounters with the front lines. The author’s voice balances wry reflection with an unflinching look at the realities of a regiment being forged in the crucible of war, offering listeners a personal glimpse into the courage and uncertainty that marked the opening months of the Great War.