Raunchy sex history of Somme revealed
A book lifts the lid on the carnal comforts sought by First World War troops

David Smith writing in The Observer,
Sunday August 24 2008

The young soldier stepped into the bedroom. It was the first time he had gone to a prostitute and he felt apprehensive and embarrassed. He also found himself unable to have sex. 'I was - what do you call it? - impotent,' he said.

This type of recollection from an unnamed veteran of the First World War, 90 years after the end of the conflict, is seldom reflected in the histories, poems or services of remembrance. It is among newly discovered accounts which bring to life a hidden history of young men who, facing death daily in the trenches, sought sexual release where they could.

They came to light when historian Joshua Levine trawled the sound archives of the Imperial War Museum for his forthcoming book, Forgotten Voices of the Somme. The archive contains more than 56,000 hours of taped interviews, with contributions from veterans who have long since died. Along with memories of battle and the loss of comrades, some were surprisingly candid about sex and sexuality, despite the taboos of their generation.

Read David Smith's full review at The Observer online.