College Echoes: An Epitaph to the Great War

Over 3,540 Old Cheltonians (OCs - former pupils of Cheltenham College) fought in the Great War of 1914-18, with six being awarded the Victoria Cross for their valour, and many more receiving the recently-instituted Military Cross for gallantry. Sadly, 702 OCs paid the ultimate sacrifice. College Echoes puts into context the progress of the Great War through the prism of this remarkable group of individuals. The book provides a fitting epitaph to the War through the activities and writings of some of the OCs who fought a century ago. In its pages, elegantly introduced by General Sir Michael Rose, the book captures the ethos of an astonishing generation who saw service, duty, and altruism as codes of conduct not to be prejudiced or undermined. College Echoes is a comprehensive, illustrated anthology of events focused on these OCs, not only following the War year by year through their experiences, but also illuminating the fighting and conditions in the many theatres of war across the globe, including the Western Front, Gallipoli, Africa, Salonika, Mesopotamia and Palestine. Furthermore, it considers the tremendous impact of the War on everyday life at College and the subsequent process of memorialisation as the enormous cost in terms of OC lives was realised. The book concludes with the experiences and thoughts of the current cohort of Cheltonians regarding their Great War forbears in a poignant but enduring communion of spirit now over 100 years old. See more