Below is an extract from some of the author's 'sales pitch' that Len Smith (known as 'Smithie'), sent out with his diary when he tried to get it published,  unsuccessfully, because of the cost of reproduction of the many colour images.

"From an early age Len Smith displayed a flair for drawing and a certain whimsical vein of humour in his writing that flows throughout the pages of his war diary.

From schooldays onwards his various jobs leaned to the art world. During a  spell of freelance he received a commission to prepare a design for Crosse and Blackwell's jams, which was approved and resulted in a 16 sheet poster being displayed with wide coverage on many hoardings.

[After the outbreak of war on the 4th August 1914]: About a month went by and then patriotism reared its compelling urge, and on his birthday 19 September at the age of 22 he enlisted as an infantry man in The City of London Regiment.

One feels the general wretchedness of the days at Festubert, everything just mud and water - impossible to have trenches, only breastworks of sandbags.

The battles of Loos and Vimy Ridge, where he was one of only a few survivors of the splendid 'A' Company's attempts to scale the Double Crassier, Len was drafted to the 140th Brigade Sharpshooters as an observer. This resulted in his becoming an accredited War Artist with an official pass to work at large over the whole brigade sector.

He duly received a command from the Brigadier General to prepare a detailed panoramic drawing of the enemy trenches facing our lines, with special note to irregular features. Soon after completion and delivery by despatch rider to HQ, Smithie was detailed to appear before Brigadier General Cuthbert for a personal interview, in which he was greeted with a vigorous handshake and congratulated for his efforts. (Quote) 'Very cleverly executed'. (The General would never know how nearly Len had been executed). 'Colour and drawing mighty skillful, but above all definitely useful.'

Leonard Smith would then receive special mention in an important dispatch to the highest authority."

Most of this particular drawing of Vimy Ridge, two yards long when completed, was made from sketches drawn from shell holes within yards of Gerry's trenches (reached before daybreak and left after dark) by peering over the lip of the crater at odd moments.

After a severe bout of trench fever he was transferred to the Royal Engineers Special Branch Works Park quite near the front, where many strange devices were 'cooked up' for camouflage purposes, and the details of this side of war are quite a revelation to most folk, and also to be found in this book.

oOo

Dave Mason is the inspiration behind the publication of Len Smith's diary - Len was his great uncle on his mother's side.

He writes: "I can honestly say I was amazed when I first read this book to find how much he had been involved in the Great War. In the camouflage department of the Royal Engineers he explains all the tricks of the trade including the amazing feat of removing an old oak tree and replacing it with an identical hollow steel tree into which an observer can secrete himself, all within 20 yards of the enemy trenches and without them knowing.

"He talks of his friends and how most of them were killed, of the narrow escapes he has but at the same time he is very conservative about the German soldiers he killed, only mentioning one or two incidents, leaving much to the imagination - on one occasion when referring to a sniping sortie for example, he said that he returned to his unit having run out of ammunition.

"Even his marriage to Jessie Hookham whilst on leave on 12 October 1917 hardly merits a mention, even though he was besotted by her and sent her the most ornate and beautiful cards, all hand made and drawn by him at the time.

"Uncle Len tried very hard to get his book published in the 1960s but was told over and over again that although the publishers would love to produce it, they would want to include the pictures. Unfortunately at that time the cost involved would have been prohibitive."

Leonard Smith died in December 1974 at Bexhill-on-Sea at the age of 83, still keeping a diary and doing his sketches up until a few days before his death. His wife Jessie live to the ripe old age of 99.

"I am now delighted at the opportunity to be able to present this amazing diary for all to read, and to finally fulfill my uncle's wish to get it published."

Dave Mason