A Very Unimportant Officer

A VERY UNIMPORTANT OFFICER is the account of an officer on the front line in France and Flanders throughout 1916 and 1917. Recruited to The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in 1915 aged thirty-three, Captain Stewart went 'over the top' many times. He describes the mud, the flies and the difficulties of suffering dysentery while on horseback. In an episode in which he engaged the enemy while smoking a pipe, he was awarded the Military Cross. Yet through the chaos and horror of the trenches, Captain Stewart reflects with compassion on the fears and immense courage of the men under his command.