Never A Soldier: A Conscript Serves in the Second World War

Never a Soldier: A Conscript Serves in the Second World War by Daniel Johns is a memoir about the conscription of the author’s uncle, Daniel Josiah Johns, during the Second World War.

In contrast to the impressionable teenage recruits, Johns’s prior depression era life experience had instilled in him a jaded respect for authority.

Described by one captain as a “barracks room lawyer,” Johns remained a minor discipline problem throughout his service.

Nevertheless, he subsequently volunteered for transfer to Europe where he did his job. He performed conscientiously and, when necessary, bravely.