In My Father's Words

Shortly after her mother's death in 1975, Nancie Davis Field encountered her father tossing various old papers into an incinerator.  Her eye was drawn to five little leather books at the top of the pile and Nancie immediately asked if she could have them.  Despite her father's offhanded remark that he didn't know what interest they'd be to her, Nancie was curious and pleased when he handed them over to her.

Now, having been transcribed, the diaries of Ray Davis give a remarkable and often poignant narrative of "The Great War" from the perspective of an insightful, intelligent and brave young man.  Nancie writes, "He left home with his patriotism shining brightly...he came through three and a half years of monotony, miserable living conditions, and the horror of that war with his character intact."

In sharing her father's diaries with the world, Nancie presents a gift to us all.  We invite you to journey into the pages of Ray's diaries and learn how love and faith, honor and duty, helped him survive the darkest days.  This gift is especially welcome as present-day humanity faces challenges not unlike those in Ray's time.

Praise for In My Father's Words:

IN MY FATHER’S WORDS is an important contribution to the literature of The Great War. It is the dramatic record of a soldier who experienced front-line combat and also served in many other capacities in several countries during the War, providing him with broad knowledge of the conflict. Ray Davis made almost daily entries in his diaries from 1915 until his return home in April, 1919. The diaries are beautifully written, richly detailed and filled with fascinating stories that will interest general readers and scholars alike. Davis’ courage, sharp mind and strong personality emerge through his fine writing.— Gurney Norman
Gurney Norman is the Director of the University of Kentucky’s Creative Writing Program. His books include DIVINE RIGHT’S TRIP, a novel, and KINFOLKS, a collection of short stories.

As an Australian oral historian, lecturer in oral history ethics, and a member of Ray Davis’ family, I salute him for being able to maintain his level-headedness and human caring throughout all of that terrible time in France, as is evidenced in his writing.— Patricia Grimoldby
Patricia Grimoldby has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Australia, and had a career (mainly in Western Australia) working in community development programs with Aboriginal people and helping them to accommodate to social change.

I have had the pleasure of reading Ray Davis’ diaries of his Great War experiences as an Australian soldier. I have never seen any like it. Quite unusually for anyone other than a high-ranking officer he had knowledge of actions all over the front and beyond. He was well educated, and had technical skills which were utilized in work protecting Allied troops from gas. He traveled by foot, truck, train, or motorcycle all over the western front. Anyone interested in the conflict will find this book stimulating, as well as those concerned with the Diggers of the Australian Imperial Force.— Paul Guthrie, Attorney
Paul Guthrie is tours officer, member of the board of directors and former Vice President of the US branch of the Western Front Association.

IN MY FATHER’S WORDS is a distinguished piece of work. Ray Davis’ diaries themselves are faithful, laconic, understated, masculine--recording unimaginable horrors and mind-numbing war experiences from the trenches amid “Fritz’s” constant bombardments. The reader is present as history is being made, for example: airplanes are first used to make war, and gas is used to kill and maim. Through all the entries wind the threads of hope and love for his family and fiancée, Gwen. And Ray’s daughter, Nancie Field, adds immeasurable depth and breadth with the commentaries, explanations, glossaries and maps, and running snippets of history. This is a book for all of us who deplore war and need to keep learning why history keeps repeating itself.— Barbara Mabry
Barbara Mabry has retired from a career, first in the English Department at the University of Kentucky, and then as a counselor in the medical school there. She is an author and has recently published a book of poetry, IN MY OWN VOICE.

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