The Escape of a Princess Pat Being the full account of the capture and fifteen months' imprisonment of Corporal Edwards, of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and his final escape from Germany into Holland

About this book

The work is a first‑hand wartime memoir that blends a personal diary with official records to recount the capture, imprisonment, and multiple escapes of Corporal Edward Edwards of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. The opening pages make clear that the author, George Pearson, has vetted the narrative against both the soldier’s recollections and military dispatches, promising a “readable history” that treats enemy figures fairly. The book proceeds chronologically through the harrowing actions at Polygon Wood, the chaotic days of May 1915, and the subsequent life of prisoners in German camps, culminating in Edwards’ final flight into Holland. Its structure follows a detailed table of contents, with chapters that intersperse battlefield description, camp life, and escape attempts, all anchored by Edwards’ own “rough diary” and the author’s own experience as an “original Patricia.”

Written in a straightforward, matter‑of‑fact style typical of early twentieth‑century military accounts, the narration retains the cadence of a soldier’s report while occasionally slipping into vivid, almost lyrical observations of trench life and the surrounding devastation. Readers who appreciate authentic World War I perspectives, especially those interested in Canadian forces, prisoner‑of‑war experiences, and the gritty realities of escape, will find this account both informative and compelling. The voice, grounded in the language of the era, offers a direct window into the front‑line and camp conditions without romanticizing the conflict.