Manx Brothers in Arms - Julie Quine

Unlike World War I books recounting the personal experiences of soldiers on the battlefield or important public figures of the time, this book gives a father's insight of his war-time perceptions and experiences, and impact of war upon the Isle of Man and shores beyond. John Quine wrote copious letters throughout the war to his eldest son, Dono. Extracts from the letters form the basis of the book, along with anecdotes and memoirs written by his three sons, as well as some added WWI background information. Surprisingly, John was very keen on helping his sons devise new methods of defeating the enemy - on land, at sea and in the air... John's sons served on very different battlefronts. Dono entered the Royal Navy, working as an engineer in ship construction, and later at sea on the Dover Patrol. Lardy joined the 3rd Monmouth Railway Engineer Company, eventually engaged as an engineer on railway extensions to the Western Front. The youngest son, Vess, enlisted with the Volunteer Corps on the Isle of Man in 1914 and encountered some set-backs in training, but was finally sent abroad in January 1916 to Salonika in Greece. He wasn't impressed by the lack of action there to begin with, and complained that he would rather be in France... However, he faced far greater peril when he joined the Royal Flying Corps! This was a period when their stable, complacent Edwardian world suddenly faced unknown and frightening threats, even in the Isle of Man: spies on the hillside signalling to ships; submarine activity in the Irish Sea; strange contraptions discovered on the beaches; the sound of bombing from across the water; the creation of two large internment camps filled with Germans and Austrians, and not least, the threat of invasion from the sea and the air, including the sight of airships... Readers' comments: 'Well presented and fascinating read. Highly recommended.' Tom Fayle (Australian University Lecturer) Companion book to 'Odyssey of a Marine Engineer 1886 to 1980': Dono's memoirs and stories of his life at sea, together with his change of career during WW2: his political interests led him to put his name forward for a place in the Manx House of Keys.