On August 4th, 1916—exactly two years after Britain entered the First World War—a telegraphist with the Royal Engineers was called up to serve under Lord Derby’s Group System Scheme. His mission would take him on a gruelling, months-long journey by sea and river to one of the least remembered theatres of the war: Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq.

From the crowded troopship H.M.T. Huntsgreen to the blistering deserts of the Tigris, this extraordinary diary records every step of one man’s passage from Devonport to Baghdad, through storms, sickness, and sandstorms. Written with plainspoken honesty and striking detail, it captures the hardships and small joys of the “ordinary Tommy” — the camaraderie, the fear, and the relentless endurance captured in the motto: Keep on keeping on.

Meticulously annotated and introduced by the editor, this diary restores a missing voice to the history of the Mesopotamian Campaign. It traces not just the movements of armies, but the moral courage of a man who lived through the chaos of war while staying true to his duty and humanity.

For historians, collectors, and readers of personal wartime memoirs, Keep on Keeping On offers an irreplaceable window into one of the British Empire’s most challenging campaigns — and into the mind of a soldier who never stopped recording the truth.

Key Features

Authentic first-hand diary from a Royal Engineer serving 1916–1917
Detailed route from Devonport to Baghdad, cross-verified with historical records
Includes restored itinerary table of transport, locations, and dates
Insight into daily army life: fatigue, faith, humour, and endurance
Essential reading for World War I and British military historians

Perfect For Readers Who Enjoy:

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves
Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T. E. Lawrence
The Great War Diaries collections
Authentic primary sources from World War I

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