by Ian Read

A manuscript which sat unread for years has been published thanks to two experts who advised Steven Spielberg on his new film War Horse.

Military historians Andy Robertshaw and Steve Roberts discovered the document was actually a detailed account of day to day life in the trenches recorded by Joseph Johns Steward, who served continuously for two years on the Western Front in World War One.

He was a distant relative of retired geography teacher Jean Gray, 64, from Boughton whose children inherited the document in the Seventies.

Mrs Gray said: “We thought about throwing it away but decided not to because it appeared to be a story about life in the trenches and might be of interest to a war museum.

“What we didn’t realise was that it was virtually a diary of the experiences of Private Steward, who served with the London Regiment from 1916 to 1918.”

His words came to light in 1974 when the author died and relatives cleared his home in Croydon. But it then they stayed neglected on a bookshelf until Mrs Gray mentioned it to a history teacher during a Kent College school trip to the battlefields of Ypres a couple of years ago.

He later showed it to Andy Robertshaw when he came to give a talk at the school and he realised it was a unique document.

Pictures to accompany story on book The Platoon

Called 'The Platoon’ it has now been turned into a book, which Mrs Gray says the family are delighted to see.

Although Stewards changed names in his draft, Andy and fellow historian Steve were able to compare it to his unit’s war diary which survives.

They were able to cross check incidents in the book to real life events in the trenches.

Andy said: “There are not many manuscripts written by private soldiers.They are very few and far between. Most of the books written about the trenches were by officers. We are lucky to have this record as it was nearly thrown away twice.”

Researching World War One battlefield history has given Andy and Steve a great insight into the realities of trench life.

The

Image of men in trenches from book The Platoon

Platoon shows how random life and death can be in the trenches. In one moving passage a soldier receives a letter from home and he’s shot in the head as he reads it.

Joseph Johns Steward was a drapery clerk in a store before he joined up. He arrived in the midst of the Battle of the Somme and fought at Arras, Ypres, Passchendaele, Cambrai and the bitter battles following Germany’s last offensive.

Apart from two short leaves he was on active duty throughout and miraculously survived unscathed.

Steve said:”We cross checked everything page by page and it was an accurate account of life in the trenches. But he was very lucky to have gone through all that fighting and not suffered a wound. Lots of his comrades were killed or seriously wounded around him.”

Steward is thought to have set down his recollections following the loss of his only son, Eric aged eight. They stayed in an attic and eventually were passed to Jean.

The Platoon is published by Pen and Sword, priced £19.99.