BOOK REVIEWS
 |
EWHURST
REMEMBERS |
Brian Powell says, in his introduction, that he is not a professional writer. This may be so, but what makes good writing is not only professional status, but whether or not the written words come from the heart. And in Brian Powell's case, they do.
Starting with the chance find of the war grave of a man who came from his home parish - Ewhurst in East Sussex - he embarked on the task of researching this book in memory of the 30 men whose names appear on the Parish War Memorial.
This, on the face of it, is a relatively easy thing to do, but Brian Powell found that as he researched, he was illuminating more and more avenues and as a result he has produced an extremely thorough and personal record.
Of the 30 men named on the Ewhurst memorial, 21 died during the First World War and 9 during the second. For each man, Brian Powell gives a very full record. There are details of the man's pre-war life in the parish but the author has followed each trail, as far as possible, to the very end, visiting the places where the man was killed and buried or commemorated. The stories are illustrated by photographs and copies of other documents and mementos supplied by relatives.
To make this as complete a history as he can, Brian Powell has also given brief details of how the Parish was just before each of the world wars.
There is also a photgraphic record of the Somme Battlefields, where most of the men named on the memorial met their deaths, as well as a well-illustrated section on the medals which were awarded to the men named on the memorial.
All in all, it's an excellent work of remembrance and also of local history but it does have a wider implication. The 21 men of Ewhurst were in danger of becoming forgotten, even though their deaths occurred, historically speaking, a relatively short time ago. The same is true of other men named on other memorials. In a way, the story of the Ewhurst men is the story of those countless others whose names are becoming ever more difficult to read on war memorials up and down the country, and what Brian Powell has done has shown how, with perseverance, memories of these names can be brought back into the sunlight again. As he says on the last page of his book, "Ewhurst men, neither you nor your deeds are forgotten." Would that the future remembrance of men from other towns and villages was as secure.
Ewhurst Remembers
is published by Brian M. Powell
Copies are are available direct from the author:
Brian M. Powell,
Pattendens,
Ewhurst Green,
TN32 5TB.
Tel:01580 830383
Oe use this link to contact Brian M.
Powell by e-mail
Paperback, 176 pages - illustrated with many photographs - some in colour
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