Fighting with French: A Tale of the New Army

In Short

Herbert Strang's adventure novel follows Kenneth Amory and his companion Harry Randall as they join Britain's newly raised forces alongside local factory workers during World War I. Sent to the Western Front in France, the volunteers learn the harsh realities of trench warfare, undertake dangerous night patrols, and unravel a insidious espionage plot engineered by a local philanthropist. The story endures for its rich slice-of-life depiction of early wartime camaraderie, its vivid tactical detail, and its earnest portrayal of how shared sacrifice bridges social divides on the battlefield.

The Story

The tale begins in England at the outbreak of the war, where factory workers express deep hesitation to enlist for a shilling a day while wealthy employers lower wages. When a vocal worker named Ginger challenges the upper-class Kenneth Amory and Harry Randall to join if they expect anyone else to step forward, Kenneth impulsively agrees. The pair enlist alongside hundreds of factory men, forming the core of No. 3 Company in the Rutland Light Infantry. Refusing initial offers of promotion to keep their promise of serving strictly in the ranks, Kenneth and Harry build strong bonds with their fellow recruits through training, football matches, and shared camp life, gradually molding the raw volunteers into an efficient fighting force.

Once deployed to the Western Front in France, the regiment enters the grueling routine of trench warfare. Kenneth, Harry, and Ginger distinguish themselves through initiative and daring. During dangerous night operations, Kenneth uses his knowledge of German to lead listening patrols into no man's land, unearthing clever enemy tactics—including a concealed single-track railway painted with tar that allows a low-noise electric train to move heavy artillery along the lines. Together, the trio hunts down hidden snipers, survives heavy shellfire, and carries critical messages across exposed terrain when sent on motor-bicycle despatch missions between the lines.

As the conflict intensifies, an insidious internal threat emerges behind the British positions. Madame Bonnard, their host's wife in the French village, harbouring an instinctual distrust of Monsieur Obernai—a wealthy local Alsatian philanthropist who ostensibly supports the villagers and British troops—turns out to be correct. Suspicious nightly movements, hidden notes, and music paper left behind point toward an elaborate spy ring operating right in their midst. Kenneth eventually discovers a hidden signaling device in Obernai’s upper room: a finely calibrated acetylene lamp mounted inside a wall-piercing tube designed to project undetected signals straight to enemy positions.

With the aid of Ginger and Harry, Kenneth exposes Obernai and his fellow conspirators, though their disgruntled unit mate Stoneway vanishes in the aftermath. Having proven their exceptional merit and leadership through bravery and intellect, Kenneth and Harry finally accept their earned commissions as officers. As the battalion falls in to march north toward a major new offensive, the young men look forward to the challenges ahead, bound by mutual respect and enduring friendship.

How It Unfolds

A sporting challenge At a tense rally, Kenneth Amory answers a crowd of hesitant factory workers by promising to enlist as a private if they do, leading hundreds of men to join Kitchener's New Army.

Forging the battalion Kenneth and Harry decline N.C.O. promotions to remain with the men, building No. 3 Company into a cohesive unit despite friction with Stoneway, a persistent growler who refuses medical inoculations.

Into the trenches The Rutlands arrive in France and take up positions, where Kenneth and Ginger crawl into no man's land to hunt down a clever sniper and gather intelligence on enemy positions.

The hidden railway During a midnight patrol by a large pond, Kenneth and Harry discover a concealed single-track railway hidden under litter, witnessing an electric train quietly transport and fire a heavy artillery gun.

Despatch by fire Volunteering to carry urgent messages across exposed roads by motor-bicycle, Kenneth and Harry dodge sniper fire and navigate treacherous cross-country paths to reach command positions.

Ginger's bold escape After being captured inside enemy lines, Ginger ties up a German lieutenant, stuffs a printed Hymn of Hate into his mouth, grabs a chicken carcass to eat, and escapes in a stolen uniform.

Unmasking the spy Following a series of suspicious clues, Kenneth discovers an intricate acetylene signaling apparatus in Monsieur Obernai's attic, capturing the local philanthropist and his fellow German spies red-handed.

Marching north With the espionage network dismantled and their true leadership proven, Kenneth and Harry accept their commissions as officers and fall in to lead their battalion to a new front.

The People

• Kenneth Amory: An educated, quiet young gentleman who enlist as a private to inspire working-class men. Driven by duty and modesty, he uses his fluency in German and sharp observation to excel at night scouting and counter-espionage, eventually accepting a leadership role he earns through merit.
• Harry Randall: Kenneth's steadfast companion and factory owner's son. He seeks action, despises inactivity, and supports Kenneth on perilous bicycle despatch runs and trench reconnaissance, demonstrating unyielding loyalty to his friend and unit.
• Ginger: A vocal, plain-spoken factory worker and self-proclaimed Socialist. Initially reluctant to serve, he becomes a fiercely loyal comrade, frequently providing comic relief, common-sense wisdom, and daring action, such as overpowering an enemy officer while trapped behind lines.
• Stoneway: A chronic grouser and dissenter among the recruits. He constantly complains about camp conditions, refuses medical treatments, and ultimately flees when implicated in local treason.
• Monsieur Obernai: A prominent Alsatian settler in France widely admired for his philanthropy. Beneath his gentle exterior lies a calculated German agent using an disguised light tube in his attic to signal enemy lines.

In Its Own Voice

"If you men will enlist, we'll enlist with you, and share and share alike."

Kenneth turns a tense recruiting rally into a massive mobilization by pledging to serve alongside the factory hands as a low-ranking private.

"I say now, as I've said afore, that there's no call for a man to stick himself up and think himself mighty superior 'cos he's got a quid for every penny I've got."

Ginger addresses his squadmates, reflecting on class differences while recognizing that effective leadership requires proper training and practical talent.

"A good deal of it springs from personal knowledge of the training of the New Army."

The author outlines his intent in the preface, grounding his wartime adventure in authentic details of military preparations.

What It's Really About

At its core, the book explores the rapid breaking down of class barriers under the pressure of national crisis. By placing educated gentlemen and outspoken factory workers side by side in the mud of the trenches, the narrative argues that true authority is earned through shared hardship and mutual respect rather than birthright. It also examines the nature of modern warfare, contrasting machine-like military discipline with individual initiative, cleverness, and adaptability. Beneath the external adventure lies a quiet insistence on vigilance, civic duty, and the essential decency found in ordinary people pressed into extraordinary circumstances.

Why Read It Today

Readers drawn to early twentieth-century history and classic adventure tales will find much to admire in this novel. It offers an engaging, immediate window into how British society understood the onset of World War I in real time, capturing the cultural optimism, training routines, and military innovations of 1914–1915 before the full, grinding disillusionment of the war set in.

The prose is straightforward, lively, and unpretentious, enriched by period slang and vivid descriptions of early trench technology—from motor-bicycle despatch riding to clandestine signaling tools. Modern readers should be prepared for typical period attitudes, including sharp anti-German sentiments standard in wartime literature, as well as heavily accented dialect spellings for working-class characters. Yet the book's warmth, authentic focus on logistics and fieldcraft, and genuine affection between its main characters make it an evocative, highly readable historical artifact that captures the spirit of Kitchener's recruits.