Pupils
and parents packed out the Eve Lecture Theatre last week to gain a powerful,
thought-provoking insight into life on the frontline during World War I. The
College welcomed Historian Jon Cooksey, who regularly appears on BBC television
and radio programmes, to tell the remarkable and gripping story of Lieutenant
Harry Drinkwater
Jon,
of course, is no stranger to Shiplake having taught here until December 2013.
He left to focus more on his growing media and writing career, having had a
number of books published in recent times. The latest of these – Harry’s War –
is a commentary on the fascinating, enthralling and at times chilling wartime
diary of Harry Drinkwater.
Drinkwater
served as a front-line solider throughout the war, becoming an officer and winning
the Military Cross. Harry logged his experiences between 1914 and 1918 in a
pocketbook journal. The diary features numerous stories including Harry’s experience
of battles, rest days and how he once captured a German soldier and sent his
bayonet home to his dad as a souvenir.
After
the war, Harry had the diary on a lectern in his sitting room and would often
be seen flicking through it, probably as a form of therapy. Harry’s diary was
sold after his death in 1978 as he remained unmarried with no children. In
2012, collector David Griffiths acquired the diary at an auction and enlisted
the help of Jon Cooksey to publish the book and share Harry’s story. The book
has been critically acclaimed by experts and proved equally popular with the
public, currently rated 5 stars on Amazon.
Year 12 pupil Joshua Cuffe commented:
“Mr Cooksey's history lecture on Tuesday was outstanding, covering the story of
WW1 veteran Harry Drinkwater. Through Drinkwater's insight we gained access to
a bank of knowledge and a truly unique perspective to topics covered in the
classroom. Cooksey delivered a great lecture with his natural love for speech
and presentation becoming evident through his talk.”
