: HISTORY OF THE 53rd (WELSH, T.F.) DIVISION :. 1914-18.
By Major C. H. Dudley Ward, D.S.O., M.C. Illus- trated. (Western Mail. 12s. 641., post free).—It is a pleasure to greet the appearance of a sound, workmanlike book. Major Ward's History possesses several good features—excellent tough sketch maps, date-headings to each page, synopses of the general situation of the War at different periods, and, to catch and rivet the attention of Welsh patriotism, there are prefixed to sonic of the chapters Welsh mottoes, which it is unfortunately beyond the competence of a mere Saxon reviewer to translate. The story which.the book has to unfold brings the Division through the various stages of its combatant career—Gallipoli, where it landed on a brilliant August morning to retire, a trifle disillusioned, on a dark cold December night ; then to Egypt for a period of much-needed refitment and reorganization to make ready for the slow penetration of the desert over a wire-netting roadway. After the first battle of Gaza, where defective staff-work (now for the first time brought to light) disappointed the Division Of victory, the advent of General Allenby in June, 1917, launched it on the path towards final success, which included (for some of its members) a repast on pork and white wine in Jerusalem and culminated in the battle of Megiddo. When, or if, a future Welsh Territorial Division has to take the field, this volume, a memorial of past achievements, will serve it as a fiery inspiration.
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