Duncan Daly

Raise the War Cry Duncan Daly

Raise the War Cry is a story set in the latter part of World War One. It follows the fortunes of Peter Godwin, an upper middle class English boy, who decides to become a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps. Despite being several years below the minimum age for acceptance he succeeds and is eventually trained as a pilot, flying SE5a fighters. Peter is posted to 171 Squadron in France and is soon embroiled in the brutal aerial combat above the trenches. The reader follows Peter's experiences as he adapts from a shy and sometimes timid schoolboy, to the unforgiving adult arena he has voluntarily but irregularly entered. This central figure of the story must learn to cope with unrelenting fear, not only of a fiery death, but also a secret fear of cowardice lurking within, which he is obliged to learn to live with and conquer daily. The story progresses from his early experiences as a newcomer to the front and some early brushes with fate, which he is fortunate to survive where other comrades, and enemies, have been less fortunate in similar circumstances. Each dogfight is a colossal challenge for Peter to overcome his fears and do his duty, come what may. As he gains experience Peter soon learns that he is not invulnerable and that the presence of death looms constantly in the clouds. The story has a fast paced, action filled tempo which carries the reader to the climactic finale.