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Good morning, Elle!
A bit wet here today!
Elinor Barker calls the Madison the "holding hands" race!
I suspect your book was the "Thin Yellow Line"?
Yes, Aby was an underage soldier from the East End of London.
He joined the Middlesex Regiment.
He was shot at dawn for not returning to the line after he was discharged from a treatment centre after being wounded.
He was 18, I think, although the Army thought he was older.
It is a very good account of what went on, way back then.
"The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there."
Not a book for you, though.
How are you and the bug getting on?

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, I think you are correct; it was "The Thin Yellow Line".
A very harrowing book.
But what happened to Aby? Did he deliberately not return to his regiment after his discharge from hospital.......or was he not aware that he should do so?
There must be mitigating circumstances surely, or else a book would not have been written about him?
This "making an example" of a trooper, as a deterrent to his fellow men was very wrong.........
The Bug and I are getting quite cosy, thank you..........maybe I should call it "Herbie"?
No, seriously, I shall be fine.....it just needs time!
I am crosswording......!
A friend very kindly sent me yesterday's ST crossword - so I have finished that (three parses outstanding ) and am half way through today's Cryptic.
Have you looked at your puzzle yet?

Hello, Elle!
When Aby left the clearing station he was given a form to give to his officer and was told if he did not go back he would be in serious trouble.
He had what was called "shell shock" at the time, but had recovered from wounds to his neck.
He was arrested at a farm some way behind the front line.
He was one of several (10 I think) but he was the only one tried.
Yes, he was shot as an example to the others.
Aby was a Jewish lad, and the first few chapters of the book are about his family and Aby growing up.
They left Warsaw and made their way eventually to London.
From what the author gleaned from the records, Aby defended himself at the court martial, he was not represented by anyone.
This was not unusual.
It is a very good book, although the subject matter would not be to your taste, but these things happened then.
No, I have not looked at my puzzle.
May get time later.

Good afternoon, Rusty!
Yes, I accept that executions as "examples"/ would be deterrents happened then.......which is why I originally decided to read "The Thin Yellow Line".......hopefully perhaps to understand better.
I just couldn't get along with the book.
Now down to crosswords......
I was incensed by 6d!
A supposed homophone......but only someone with very poor diction/ articulation could make "great ape" sound like "grey tape"!
And this for once has nothing to do with a local dialect!
I liked 9a and 14d.
I cannot do 22d: " C?N?C
All I can think of is "cynic" ; "conic"; and "cunic" - and cannot fit any of these into the clue?
And 22d: R?G?L
I don't think it can be "regal" but am stuck for an answer?
There were two people I had to look up!

Hello, Elle!
Great ape is fine by me!
I have just had a quick look at puzzle.
You seem to have an error in 22.
Answer looks like RU (rugby union is the game) and pleasant is nic(e) giving "runic".
24, The star is "Ri gel".
Gel for set. No idea (yet!) where RI comes from.
What two people are you speaking about?

Update, Elle!
RI apparently is the abbreviation for Regina et Imperatrix!
Just looked in Chambers.
Means Queen and Empress.

Hi, Rusty!
Sorry, I don't know why I put "people"!
(cold on the brain?)
I meant to say that I had to look up two "WORDS"!
I had the answers from the parsings, but needed to check on the meanings of "ogee" and "shillelagh" to make sure I was correct.
Thank you for "rigel" - I've never heard of it. Yes, I can see "gel", now that you've pointed it out,
But I didn't know "RI" anyway.
I don't think I have the letters wrong for 22d?
C?N?C
The first "c" comes from "sitcom" in 21a?
That is definitely right, I am sure?
It is drizzling here now!

Hello, Elle!
Please accept my apology!
You are correct with 22d!
I have just finished the puzzle and I too have "C?N?C".
I shall give it more thought but I can not see the answer.
It looks as if it should be "RU nic(e)" for "like old characters"?
So, at the minute I am stumped!

the clue of 22 down has now been corrected, as 'Participating in democracy, nice diplomatic type (5)', a simple hidden word.

Hello, Cerasus,
Has it been corrected online do you mean?
My paper version hasn't changed!