COPSE 125

Copse 125 was known to the British as Rossingnol Wood, situated about two kilometres south-east of Gommecourt, looking down on the Gommecourt-Puisieux road. The book is a description of six weeks of trench warfare throughout July and the first ten days of August 1918, but it is more an expression of the thoughts of the author, then a company commander, as he reflects on the war and the probability of defeat but having the sense of duty that impels him to fight on - the philosophy of a soldier under fire. This book culminates in violent action, vividly described, when troops of New Zealand's Otago Regiment assault the wood. It ends with Junger's company being relieved and leaving the wood for the last time on 10th August. A tale of heroism, endurance and stubborn defence.