The extraordinary challenge of providing critical care to casualties of combat is evoked in a new collection of poems by the former Armed Forces Surgeon General, launched in support of veterans and their families.
The haunting and inspiring poetry of Frontlines and Lifelines, by Major General Tim Hodgetts CB CBE, distils some of the often-harrowing experiences of his 40-year career, while deployed on operations as an emergency and helicopter doctor and as a pioneering field hospital medical director.
It captures the personal experience of Major General Hodgetts in times of crisis and war, spanning four decades from Northern Ireland, through Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, culminating in the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
Royalties from the book will be used to help members of the Armed Forces community make progress towards civilian employment with support from The Poppy Factory, the national charity for which Major General Hodgetts is a trustee.
The author gave a reading from the volume on August 26 at a launch event at Edinburgh Napier University in Craiglockhart – where renowned war poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon met as patients – as part of its Forces at the Fringe festival programme.
Major General Tim Hodgetts said:
“In poetry I have found the ability to say what is otherwise difficult or unpalatable. Some of the poems are critical and challenging; some are humorous, as dark humour is a well-recognised tool of the resilient soldier. All are observational and grounded in the realities of crisis, conflict, and the environment of war.
“For those who are discharged from the Armed Forces, and for the families who support them, the mental and physical impact of time in Service may be felt long after entering the civilian world. My hope is that these poems may offer inspiration to those who are experiencing difficulties, with any royalties helping The Poppy Factory to support veterans and family members in addressing some of those challenges.”
Frontlines and Lifelines includes a moving foreword by the BBC’s Security Correspondent, Frank Gardner, who recounts the emergency care that saved his own life after he was shot six times in a terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia.
Frank Gardner writes:
“There are few people better qualified than Gen Hodgetts to remind us that for those who have come through them, often outwardly unscathed, the hidden scars remain, long after the conflict has ended.”
As a trustee since 2021, Major General Hodgetts has witnessed the launch of new services that have helped The Poppy Factory reach more members of the Armed Forces community across England and Wales. Last year, 531 veterans registered for support and 301 started new jobs.
Amanda Shepard, Chief Executive of The Poppy Factory, said:
“The insight and experience that Major General Hodgetts brings from such a distinguished medical career, captured here in poetry with such power, is a tremendous asset to our charity. I am very grateful for his generosity in donating the royalties from this book, which will make a real difference in the lives of veterans and family members who face significant barriers to civilian employment.”
