[ A British Army surgeon in the Crimean War. ] Handbill article: 'The Trenches. | By Surgeon Lt. Col. E. M. Wrench, II. V.B. Sherwood Foresters, late Asst. Surgeon 34th Regt.' With cyclostyled facsimile letter describing the assault on the Redan.

ONE: 'The Trenches'. Handbill printed in two columns of small print on one side of a piece of 4to paper. Drophead title to first column. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with closed tear along central vertical fold line unobtrusively repaired with archival tape. The article begins: 'WHAT was service in the trenches before Sebastopol like? is a question that I have been often asked, and if my powers of description equalled my experience, I should be qualified to answer, but it is not an easy matter to make those who have no experience of war, comprehend conditions of existence so totally unlike ordinary life. For thousands of men to spend stormy nights and sultry days in the open air, often without food and always without shelter for over ten months, attempting to destroy as many lives and as much property of another army of men who were doing their best to emulate such devil's work, is certainly more like the experience of heathen than the inhabitants of Great Britain, and I feel that my pen is not equal to the task. All that I can attempt is to describe a few of the sights I saw during the nine months I never missed a "trench duty." The description of the three assaults that I was present at, I must leave to some future occasion. | Before I speak of the life and, alas! also of death in the trenches, let me tell what they were like materially.' No other copy traced, either on OCLC WorldCat or on COPAC. TWO: Cyclostyled facsimile letter of sixty lines, with facsimile signature: 'Edward M Wrench'. 2pp., 4to. In poor condition, on aged, worn and chipped paper, with central closed tear repaired with archival tape. Part of a series of duplicated letters intended by Wrench for distribution amongst his family. He precedes his reminiscences with the following: 'The date of this letter reminds me that today is the Jubilee of a very eventful day in my life, for on the 18 June 1855 I was in the Crimea and was present at the unsuccessful assault on the Redan, I marched down to the trenches before Sebastopol, with a valiant 437 of all ranks of the 34th Regt in which I was Assistant Surgeon, and crawled back to camp with the few survivors, 322 of the 437 having been killed or wounded in less than half an hour.' Postscript reads: 'Of the 13 officers of the 34th who marched down to the trenches on June 18th 1855 only three walked back, viz St Wyse Boyce & Asst Surgeon Wrench'. Wrench's obituary in the British Medical Journal, 27 April 1912, deals with his Crimean career.