The revolver issued to JRR Tolkien as a soldier on the Somme during the First World War has gone on display at the Imperial War Museum North in Trafford and reveals the true story behind the writing of The Hobbit.
Tolkien endured life in the front line trenches of the Somme throughout the summer and autumn of 1916, before being invalided out with trench fever and his experiences on the Western Front would remain with him for the rest of his life and its influence. it was assumed, can be clearly seen in the darker sections of his mythological creations.
After graduating from the University of Oxford, Tolkein obtained an army commission as a Second Lieutenant and was posted to France with the 11th Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers, whom he joined at the Somme in June 1916.His More battalion occupied front line trenches during that time. At the end of October, Tolkien contracted trench fever and was sent back to hospital in Birmingham where he began to write early versions of his ‘Middle Earth’ stories.
The debate continues regarding the influence of Tolkein’s wartime experiences on his writings, but the horror stories that must lie behind his revolver do make one wonder whether the author’s fantasy creations helped to preserve his sanity.
The revolver is going on display in IWM North’s main exhibition space to coincide with the release of the second of the new Hobbit film trilogy, The Desolation of Smaugh this week. The gun will also feature in IWM North’s major exhibition to mark the First World War Centenary opening in April 2014: ‘From Street To Trench: A War That Shaped a Region’.
Graham Boxer, Director of IWM North, said: “Visitors to IWM North will be able to see this weapon and connect further with Tolkien’s magical stories which were born from harrowing wartime experiences.”
