The Last Fighting Tommy

For many years, I have been interested in Harry Patch. Being born and bred in Somerset, I often saw him on the front of the local papers and on local TV, as well as many interview clips talking about various things. What I saw, was a hero, a man who had fought through the first world war and had lived to tell the tale so to speak. What I didn't realise though, was the real Harry Patch, the man behind the story. It was only by coincidence that Harry became the last fighting Tommy, if it hadn't have been him, it would have been someone else. 

I bought Harry's autobiography The Last Fighting Tommy written by Richard Van Emden back in the summer but it took me a little while to read it. I'm not entirely sure, but I think it had something to do with me thinking it would be all about military life and what happened. It might be a surprise to you, considering I write this blog, but I don't actually like reading about the military events or in depth about weaponry and battles. I much prefer reading about how it affected people's lives and how they coped. 

It was a complete surprise when I finally started to read the book because it only touched on the first world war for a little bit, it certainly wasn't the whole book. Once I started reading it, I find I just simply couldn't put it down. One thing that I really didn't expect was how great a sense of humour Harry had. I suppose I had only really seen him talk about a period in his life which he really didn't want to relive and it was certainly a sombre subject. Instead, whilst reading this book, I found myself laughing aloud, probably getting a few funny looks along the way, as Harry's personality really shone throughout the book. 

Being from Somerset, I loved reading about all the little villages in the area and how much both world wars changed Britain in various different ways. I really felt like I was part of the story and could see the transition of how it could change in one lifetime. What I didn't bank on was how some things had stayed the same all of this time. For instance, the train station he is to report to at the beginning of his military service was the same station I used to wait at to board the train to the seaside during my childhood. As he describes it, I could see it in my mind how much of it was still the same underneath all of the technology. His tales of village life had me in stitches and really hit home because it is only down the road from me and is certainly somewhere that I would like to visit and see for myself. 

The book captured my attention so much that when it touched on how he coped with the loss of his friends both immediately and in the years that followed, I found myself crying alongside Harry. After reading about the jolly times they had had and the stories of his friends, I felt I had lost them too! 

Above all, they main thing I took away from the book was that Harry was just an ordinary man. He started as a apprentice, before going off to war, if somewhat reluctantly. He saw and did things that nobody should be expected to and had to cope with the sudden devastation of war. After the war, like many he didn't really want to talk about his experiences - he simply wanted to get back to civilian life and continue on his way. As it turned out, after the rest of his comrades had passed before him and so him became the last surviving soldier of the first world war and so the world focused on him again. 

I remember in 2014 visiting our local museum as they put on their new exhibit to mark the first world war centenary, with various artefacts as well as people's stories and experiences. There was one particular part which showed a lovely painted portrait of Harry Patch, the man, not the soldier. It had a speaker next to it in which it played a recorded message from Harry, talking about his experiences in the trenches. I remember thinking then that he sounded so upset and tired from talking about those experiences and I realised that, if you are asked the same questions over and over for the best part of 90 years, you wouldn't want to talk about it either. 

I realised through reading this book, that many people just wanted to hear about the glory of war and what it was like. They didn't necessary want to get to know Harry as a person and hear about his life, because lets face it, the first world war was just a tiny part in a long life. I now feel like I can truly appreciate that and I feel like I really know the person beyond the uniform. I highly recommend taking the time to read The Last Fighting Tommy by Richard Van Emden  for yourself, I promise you, you won't be disappointed and you will come out the other side a better person, with a completely different perspective on life.