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WORLD WAR 1
WORLD WAR 2
OTHER
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CONTENTS
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: Rudyard's childhood
- Chapter 2: Rudyard's Young Manhood
- Chapter 3: John's Birth and Early Childhood
- Chapter 4: Growing Up
- Chapter 5: The Great War Starts
- Chapter 6: The Battle of Loos
- Chapter 7: My Boy Jack
- Chapter 8: I will Make Thee a Name
- Chapter 9: The Great War Ends
- Chapter 10: The Twilight Years
- Epilogue: Is it Really Jack?
- Postscript to this Edition
- What the Experts say about the Identification
- Select Bibliography
- Index
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My
Boy Jack?
The Search for Kipling's Only Son
New edition with
updated information
On 27 September 1915 John, the beloved son of
the world-famous author Rudyard Kipling, was reported
'missing' in the Battle of Loos. Having pulled
every string to get his myopic son into the Irish
Guards, Kipling was devastated at the loss of
his only 'man-child' and determined to find his
final resting place. Despite his influential position
and a lifelong search, he never succeeded in his
quest.
In 1992, seventy-seven
years later, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
named a previously unknown soldier buried in St
Mary's ADS Cemetery in France as John Kipling.
Intrigued by this unusual development Tonie and
Valmai Holt, well -known for their battlefield
tours and guidebooks, felt compelled to investigate
further. In the process they became fascinated
by the brief life of this young man, previously
dismissed as intellectually inadequate and undistinguished.
Instead, as this book reveals, they discover a
likeable, humorous and brave young officer, remarkably
unspoilt by his father's fame. They also reveal
that John's death had a devastating effect on
his father and greatly influenced his subsequent
work.
Major & Mrs Holt's
intensive researches led them to the conclusion
(reinforced by the opinions of four qualified
professionals which are reproduced at the end
of this book) that the Commission's 1992 decision
was unsound. In 2001, as a result of the Holt's
new evidence, they duly agreed to reopen their
investigations . They did not change their opinion
but the Holt's believe that the wrong evidence
was used and still believe the decision to be
unsound.
Portrait of John Kipling in Irish Guards
Uniform
New Headstone in St Mary's ADS CWGC Cemetery,
Loos |
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My
Boy Jack on Television - Daniel Radcliffe plays John
Kipling
Daniel Radcliffe,
best known as Harry Potter, and Kim Cattrall from
Sex and the City, both starred in 'My Boy Jack', a two
hour tv drama (ITV 11 November 2007) written by David
Haig who played Rudyard Kipling.
In conjunction
with the play the Imperial War Museum mounted an Exhibition
'My Boy Jack' which not only told the story of John
Kipling's short life but also that of the disputed identification
of his body. Tonie and Valmai Holt were the Consultants
for the Exhibition.
Also in conjunction
with the Exhibition the Holts published the Third Edition
of their biography 'My Boy Jack?' and in an Appendix
to this edition they presented clear evidence that calls
into doubt the original identification of the unknown
body and even suggests a possible alternative officer
casualty. Have a look at www.myboyjack.co.uk
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