Capt Fred G. Coxen's Journal
Non-fiction story of the early battles of World War I based on my grandfather's war journal. The reddish brown military ledger was near the bottom of the tattered box which contained documents and memorabilia that once belonged to my paternal grandparents. Carefully moving items out of the way I found the 6x9 inch journal and gently lifted it from its hiding place. I was consumed with the realization I was holding a piece of history in my hands but more than that, I was holding a piece of my grandfather's life. That is important to me because during his life I never got to know him as a person. He and my grandmother visited during the summer, but even then my grandfather was not a warm fuzzy and therefore he remained a mystery. This all changed after I transcribed his journal. Through his written words I came to realize the amazing man I called grampy. As a bonus I discovered the horrors of a war I knew so little about. In America WWI is called the forgotten war because it was over shadowed by WWII and we did not get involved until late in the war therefore it did not impact our daily lives.
CONTRIBUTOR
Frederick L Coxen
DATE
/
LANGUAGE
eng
ITEMS
146
INSTITUTION
Europeana 1914-1918
PROGRESS
METADATA
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I have attached the diary and two pictures of Fred. I also attach a number of letters written at the time to Fred's sister and his girlfriend/wife. It is rather confusing because they are both called Ethel! Actually one was Elizabeth but she was also known as Ethel. || My grandad, Frederick Charles Rawlings, was born on 15th December 1892 in Southwark, London. He was one of the millions caught up in the First World War. I remember, as a child, the stories he told about when he was in France. He was a driver but when the British Army was running out of canon fodder, he was sent to train for the front line in the Bull Ring. I have no idea where that was but he refers to it in his diary, which I have. On his way to the front line he was gassed and taken to hospital in Blighty. You can read the trauma he went through when he was told that he was being sent back to the front line and the sheer relief when he was subsequently told that he was being sent home after all. The diary was written in pencil and is very small so I have enlarged it when I scanned it in. I can also attach photos of my grandfather as well as letters to and from home. During the war his brother, William, (born 12th November 1891) was killed. I understand that he was mounted on a front horse of a carriage team pulling a gun when he was struck by shrapnel, which killed him. My mother, who is 86, still has the bent silver cigarette case that he had on him when he was hit. Hence references to Poor old Will.
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