With the Tanks at Cambrai: The War Diary of Sergeant Frank Briggs by Sergeant Frank Briggs
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| Thanks to About France |
Author: Sergeant Frank Briggs
Published: Not known
Source book: Other Paths to Glory by Anthony Price
Ostensibly the With the Tanks at Cambrai: The War Diary of Sergeant Frank Briggs, is a memoir of the First World War, obviously with special reference to the early (and extemely unreliable) tanks which hold such fascination for tank fans everywhere. But in fact this book is no such thing.
The book was produced by R&D for David Audley to give to Paul Mitchell (a faked inscription in faded ink on the fly leaf reads Paul Lefevre, 16 August 1966 with love from Mother) in his new undercover persona of Captain Paul Lefevre. Whatever the text says, the important parts of the book from our point of view are the carefully doctored photographs (this was 1974, so no photoshop). The Prince Albert Street volunteers of 1914; Café Belge, near Dicksbusch; Shrapnel Corner; The Divisional Christmas Party 1917, and In billets before the battle featuring Corporal J. Manson and Sergeant ‘Jocko’ Ogilvy.
All the photographs show (mostly) men who might have been involved in Mitchell’s attempted murder or characters he might have come across recently in France. But in the photograph labelled Blighty: No.8 Military Hospital at Rouen Mitchell spots Nikki MacMahon who is not a WWI nurse at all, but a woman he has met in the last couple of days.
Sergeant ‘Jocko’ Ogilvy from In billets before the battle turns out to be none other than David Audley’s longtime friend....and nemesis; Edouard Olivier who [spoiler alert] was soon to attempt to murder our heroes. But [extra spoiler], fails.
Other Paths to Glory also makes mention of Paul Mitchell’s first book The Breaking of the Hindenburg Line.
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| This photograph shows my Grandfather in charge of an army orchestra in WWI. He’s the one in the middle showing off a fancy watch. And he’s probably the only one who couldn’t play a musical instrument. |
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