An author will showcase her collection of poems from Renfrewshire soldiers in World War One in Paisley next month.
Tracy Patrick’s new novel, called Braw Lads are Marching Awa, tells various stories of brave soldiers from Renfrewshire as they tackled “the great war” through poetry.
Some of the work in the novel is often grim and tragic, but some of the poems are surprisingly darkly comedic.
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Tracy, who was born in Elderslie, said: “The book arose from research I was doing for a book of my own poetry. I was looking for some poems based on the First World War in Renfrewshire and I started that project during the 1914 to 2014 Centenary.
“So, although I was tempted to compose my own poems based on the material that I had found, I then discovered poems that were already published from people during the First World War and I eventually gathered the poems and then realised that they warranted a book of their own.”
World War One began in July, 1914 and ended in November, 1918 and in those four years, it is estimated that 100,000 to 135,000 Scottish soldiers lost their lives, according to National Records of Scotland.
It was not just the human soldiers that faced difficult times, but animals, horses in particular, as around eight million horses, donkeys and mules lost their lives during the war.
Many of them succumbing to exhaustion, drowning and of course, artillery fire and great numbers were badly injured due to poisonous gas.
Tracy added: “There is a poem in particular that I found really sad and it is by a poet called A.L Wilson and it is called ‘Evacuated to Hospital’ and tells the pitiful state of the war horses at the end of the war.”
Some of the poems are anonymous and many try to shine brightness despite the darkest of days by speaking about their wives back home and how much they miss them whilst overseas fighting.
Tracy is hoping that the poem's roots within Renfrewshire’s history will be able to entice an interest in the local community.
She explained: “The poems are very rooted in Renfrewshire and some of the poems have references to well known spots.
"Some of the poems also mention particular people and one such poem is called ‘In Memoriam’ and is dedicated to a young man called George Hunter ... who died and was the youngest of five Paisley brothers.
“So people might find that they actually know some of the people that are mentioned and if they don’t know the people, then they will definitely know the places.”
The book will be displayed at Abbey Books, 21 Wellmeadow Street, on October 1 at 1pm and Tracy will sign copies of the book.
The book can be bought at the book shop but can also be bought at Waterstones by visiting: www.waterstones.com/
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