From a Stretcher Handle: The World War One Journal and Poems of Private Frank Walker

by Frank Walker

Frank Walker was 20 years old when "the War to end wars" began in 1914. He enlisted with the Canadian Field Ambulance, Canadian Medical Corps, and served as a stretcher bearer in some of the worst battles of the war, including Ypres, Vimy Ridge, the Somme, and Passchendaele. During that time he kept a journal, which charted his gradual transformation from military innocent to war-weary veteran. He also wrote a collection of poems, which was published in England during the war. Upon his return to Charlottetown in 1919, he went on to become one of the Charlottetown Guardian's most respected newpaper editors. He retired in 1969 and died in 1977. Edited with a preface by his daughter, Mary Gaudet, From a Stretcher Handle includes the journal and the poems, as well as an essay by island historian Boyde Beck, which places the journal within the context of the Canadian Medical Service on the Western Front. As time passes by and more and more people lose sight of the horrors of war, works such as From a Stretcher Handle serve as raw and powerful reminders of what so many fought and died for. At the same time, Walker's words set Prince Edward Island firmly in the canon of First World War literature.

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

About the author

Frank Walker is a veteran journalist. His newspaper roles have included being chief reporter for the SUN-HERALD covering defence, veterans' affairs, national security and terrorism. He's also worked on the Sydney Morning Herald, the National Times, for News Limited in New York, and for Deutsche Welle international radio in Germany.

In 2009, Hachette published his first book, The Tiger Man of Vietnam - the remarkable true story of the secret war of Captain Barry Petersen in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. It was a bestseller.

Frank followed this with his bestselling Ghost Platoon in 2012, Maralinga in 2014 and Commandos in 2015. He lives in Sydney with his family.

Reviews

[Annemarie Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This small volume is an extremely personal look at WWI through the eyes of a young PEI stretcher bearer from volunteering to training to the bloody fields in France and Belgium. Originally curated by the author, his writings are brought together here by his daughter.

She ends the book like this:
“From a Stretcher-Handle allows us to journey with the foot soldiers of the Great War from their youthful, exuberant march forward to “Glory and Adventure” to the stark realization that war really has no glory. My father’s personal account gives an emotional depth to our understanding of World War I that statistics and overviews can not convey. His words poignantly serve as a clarion call to remembrance for our generation and for generations to come.”