Ivor Gurney (1890-1937) enlisted in the Gloucestershire Regiment in February 1915. He served at the Front, and after being gassed, was sent to the Edinburgh War Hospital, Bangour, on 25 Sept 1917 where he recuperated for a month. However he suffered a serious breakdown in March 1918 and was rehospitalised. In October he was honourably discharged from the army. After the war Gurney’s mental distress continued to worsen. In 1922 his family had him declared insane. He spent the last 15 years of his life in mental hospitals.

Frederick William Harvey (1888-1957) had been a close friend of Ivor Gurney since childhood. He too joined the Gloucestershire Regiment, but earlier, on 8 August 1914. He served in Flanders and France, was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and promoted. In 1916, after officer training, Harvey returned to France where he was captured by the Germans. The remainder of his war was spent in prisoner of war camps. In Flanders was written on Christmas Day 1915.

from notes by Robin Tritschler © 2014