An artist's letters from the trenches

This First Volume of Letters by John Seymour Lindsay takes us from enlistment in the London Rifle Brigade, training in the City, to Southampton and embarkation for Le Havre. After training in France, JSL describes his journey to the Ploegsteert Sector in Belgium, working three days in a week at The Barricade and building the Front Line trenches. Each letter is accompanied by a full transcription.

This Second Volume of Letters by John Seymour Lindsay takes us from his February 1915 journey to the trenches and the Barricade, injury and recuperation, his return to Ploegsteert and The Front, the horrors of trench and gas warfare, the Battle of St Julien in the Second Battle of Ypres, to his injury and visit to hospital in Rouen. Each vivid letter is accompanied by a full transcription.

This Fourth Volume of Letters takes us from November 1915 to the end of April 1916 and plots his journey up to Poperinghe again via Cassel, Bergues, Gezaincourt and Magincourt sur Canche and his rapid promotions to Corporal, Lance Sgt and Sgt, and to the offer of a commission. In mid March the London Gazette published his Citation for gallantry with the award of his Distinguished Conduct Medal.

This Third Volume of Letters by John Seymour Lindsay takes us from the end of May to the end of October 1915. The Letters describe his release from Hospital and journey to London for a quick marriage, to training in Rouen, St Omer and Calais before moving up to the Belgium border and Cassel, Bourgbourg, Bergues, Wormhout and Watten, in preparation for a new excursion to The Front.

This fifth volume of Letters by John Seymour Lindsay takes us from the end of May 1916 to December 1917. From Bienvilliers to the presentation of his Distinguished Conduct Medal and Commission in the field, to the hell of the Battle of Gommecourt, hospitalisation, further training, heavy shelling resulting in his injury at Leuze Wood and final recuperation at Osborne House, Isle of Wight.