A RIPPING YARN!

Michael Palin’s life has been (since his Python years) one of globe-trotting and writing. He had known vaguely from comparative youth, of a great uncle who was killed in the Great War. A maiden cousin of his father had deposited copious family documents with his (Michael Palin’s) family. Not until he saw Harry’s name on a wall in Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, did he realise that he needed to investigate further.

Harry Palin was born on 19 September 1884, the youngest of seven, virtually 60 years younger than his father; more likely then to have been a grandfather! He was also 16 years younger than the eldest and his only other brother was 12 years older. His nearest sibling was born in 1878. In some respects, he could be considered an only child, as by the time Harry was old enough to be running around outside, his sister at 10 and brother at 16 were possibly not too interested in him as a playmate. So, Harry’s upbringing was probably a bit on the lonely side, with much expected of him in this high-achieving family.

His father, Edward Palin, was an Oxford Don. In those days, an undergraduate who wished to be a Fellow, had to take Holy Orders and commit to a vow of chastity. From his diaries, this was clearly a difficult decision as it is rather obvious that he was attracted to the opposite sex (as Harry’s diaries show about himself) and from his photograph, was quite a good-looking young man! Rather obviously, he did marry; a much younger lady whom he had first met on one of his summer walking holidays on the Continent.

Poor Harry, if not actually feckless, seemingly was unable to either settle down or do what his family hoped being sent to India should achieve during this heyday of Empire; firstly, working for the railway and then in the tea business, from which he was effectively sacked. After returning to England twice, after both of these failed enterprises, his by then widowed mother, must have wondered what would become of him. By this time, it was 1912 and he decided on New Zealand, which turns out to have been much more successful. It is with the New Zealanders, therefore, with whom his fate lay during the war.

Most of Harry’s diary entries are sparse; he describes a severe storm that cost the convoy from Australia to Egypt a lot of horses, as “heavy seas”! Before the Somme, his longest and most detailed entry on the war is about the assault on Chunuk Bair, which affected him deeply as he lost quite a few mates.

Palin has not had to guess at the piecing together of Harry’s story. As I have commented previously reviewing similar books, these people were well to do, educated and very middle class. The kind who are very traceable in the records and keep all correspondence, paperwork and diaries.

Also, because the NZ records were not subject to the attentions of the Luftwaffe and because so many other young men from Harry’s unit or battalion etc kept diaries and wrote letters, pretty much the whole story of his experiences have been retold here. Although there are no Notes in this volume, there has clearly been some good research undertaken as expert luminaries, such as WFA Vice-President, Christopher Pugsley are quoted. The final chapter (entitled The Hunt for Harry) details some of, it has to be said, luck that came his way.

Such is Michael Palin’s skill with the pen, that this true story could just as easily have read like something out of Rider Haggard; A Ripping Yarn indeed! I read half of it on a train journey to Birmingham and back (3hrs). Full of contemporary photographs and eight good maps (high praise from this reviewer)! Great uncle Harry, if it hadn’t been for the Great War, would have been lost to history. As it is, he has been brought skilfully to life and if only he could know, should be proud of his great nephew’s efforts. Highly recommended.

Barbara Taylor