They Did Not Grow Old: Teenage Conscripts on the Western Front 1918

Focusing on the experiences of a group of teenage conscripts in World War I, this narrative reveals the harsh realities faced by 130 young men who arrived in France in June 1918. As they became part of the British Expeditionary Force, one in four would not survive the conflict. Unlike the naive recruits of earlier years, these boys had grown up amidst war and understood its brutal nature. Tim Lynch highlights their transformation into a dedicated fighting force, emphasizing the personal stories behind the forgotten headstones in cemeteries across France and Flanders.