I know Tim well, he taught me for the vast majority of my degree, one of the finest Great War historians out there, it's worthwhile checking out his book on morale and discipline in the Irish Regiments of the Great War.Jenks wrote:WW1 historian Dr Timothy Bowman believes Carton de Wiart's example helps debunk some myths.
"His story serves to remind us that not all British generals of WW1 were 'Chateau Generals' as portrayed in Blackadder. He exhibited heroism of the highest order.
Back to the OP, I did my dissertation on combat experience and the experience of PoWs, I used the 1st Battalion Regiment (Korea) and 2nd Battalion (Battle of France and NWE '44-'45) of the Gloucestershire Regiment as a case study.
Being a conscript force or as in the case with Korea having a large number of reservists called back who had fought in the Second World War it's interesting to note their attitudes to conflict. Most wanted to get the job done and go home, they were by far the vast majority. There are the odd few though who just enjoyed it, and I mean really enjoyed it, of those I've listened to the interviews of or read accounts from, it mainly centres around getting a rush from the experience, one guy even claimed he had never been happy since the war as all he did was go back to working in a factory and he felt bored of life.
Obviously I will hasten to add for clarity, this is what I have found from academic study, I by no means can account for actual experience in combat so please take what I have found and my interpretations of such with a pinch of salt.