George William Burford 66th MG Coy, 22nd Div
Introduced and illustrated by Susan French Overstreet
Edited by Alan Wakefield

The 19-year-old Londoner fought nearly to the death as a machine-gunner with the British Salonika Force, posted to the 66th Machine Gun Company that served with the 22nd Division on the Vardar sector in Macedonia.

Burford found himself in the center of two historically significant conflicts. During the First Battle of Doiran in April 1917, he describes the gruesome carnage of combat including the deaths of his closest pals. After suffering a life-threatening shrapnel wound to the leg the following year, Burford dutifully works his way back from hospital to the front line for the Second Battle of Doiran in September 1918.

In addition to the brutal account of war, the diary reveals Burford’s keen and often humorous insights of a soldier’s life behind the lines, including forthright comments about officers in his section. Burford’s own compelling words are enhanced by informative extracts from the war diary of 66th Machine Gun Company, presented in the form of footnotes. The diary also benefits from a series of drawings by Burford’s granddaughter, Susan French Overstreet, based on events described in the text.

Pub date: 01 Dec 2016
ISBN: 978-1-908336-48-4
Format: 152x229mm
Binding: Paperback
Extent: 158pp
Price: £14.99
Publisher: Tommies Guides
Imprint: Reveille Press

BIC Classifications:
First World War (HBWN)
British & Irish history (HBJD1)
Regiments (JWTR)
First World War, 1914-1918 (3JJF)