K. W. Mitchinson

A Forgotten History

It is great to see the Pen & Sword are publishing Pioneer Battalions in the Great War by K. (Bill) W, Mitchinson one of the UK’s brilliant lecturers and researchers on the First World War. While journalists et al seem to be producing books about the Great War it is nice to see in print an academic who has dedicated years of study to the subject sharing his knowledge. As a history graduate who over the years has read many history books some good others bad this is one of the better ones. While much has been written about various battles, the start of the war and famous battalions not much or more honestly very little has ever been written about the Pioneer Battalions and how important they were and the sacrifices they made.

Mitchinson brings the misunderstood history of the 68 battalions that were crucial to the Allied victory through his research using all the primary sources that are available to him that are scattered around Britain in various archives. So much of this is original research using war diaries that have never been published to official publications.

Pioneer Battalions were vital in the assistance in the work that they did for example in supporting the work of the Royal Engineers acting as their labour. The book also explains the search for various skill sets that were required by various battalions to aid their work. They could be digging trenches, building roads or railways or driving the trains that carried armour to the front, or that were being used by the artillery.

This is a fantastic book, well researched that is a brilliant and enlightening read. Buy this book and learn something about the forgotten Pioneer Battalions.… (mer)