[From IoM and the Great War, 1922]

PREFACE.

Idleness is hateful. A recent illness, with its consequent period of confinement to the house, afforded me the opportunity for committing to paper the few chapters of which this book is composed. Tempus fugit, and the quicker it does the quicker are records of events lost. For this reason it occurred to me that it might prove of interest if I were to describe a few of the many incidents which occurred in and around the Isle of Man between the years 1914-1918.

As an Englishman (the majority of the officials serving in the Isle of Man are Manx, Welsh, Scotch, or Irish) , I am proud to have been associated with the little Manx nation during those critical years of the War. A maritime race, accustomed to go down to the sea in ships, it was not surprising to find a host of Mona’s sons serving in His Majesty’s Navy. The Island gave of the best of her manhood to the fighting forces of the Empire. Under the voluntary recruiting system for the Army her record was not beaten by any distriot of the British Isles, save perhaps one.

The manx are most successful colonist, there are extensive Manx communities in most of the large British Possessions. In publishing these records, I hope that they may reach some of these many Manxmen across the sea, and that they will feel proud of the efforts of their Island in the Empire’s cause.

B.E.S.

Isle of Man,

1st December, 1920.