is much in his writing of the fantastical, which hints at an effort to capture the magic and wonder that was overshadowed by grief in his own childhood. Lewis and his brother "created their own world of talking animals," and even after the brother went away to school, Lewis kept his brother updated on the animals' adventures (Fortriede, 2004, p. 6).
In 1917, the war was in progress, and most young men were in Flanders and France. The war was not going well for the Allies, so conscription had been introduced. Lewis was an Irishman and was not therefore obligated to enlist, but he volunteered to do so. Although he was "technically a student, he was in effect a trainee officer in the British Army" (Wilson, 2002, p. 50). After school was out in June, he moved to the barracks and was paired with roommate Edward Francis Courtenay Moore, who was known to his friends as "Paddy" (Wilson, 2002, p. 51). Paddy's family treated Jack as a member of their own, and Jack delighted in being mothered by Mrs. Moore. By Jack's 19th birthday, he was in the front-line trenches of the war (Wilson, 2002, p. 54). Interestingly, jack was happier in his regiment than at school, enjoying the camaraderie of the men and finding more
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