This is a book of fiction, yet many of the events it contained are indeed true—though some liberties were taken with some timelines, real characters, etc. Though there’s little evidence there was ever a crucified solider, the reaction to the myth was most certainly real. On 10 May 1915, The Times printed:
The Times Last week a large number of Canadian soldiers wounded in the fighting round Ypres arrived at the base hospital at Versailles. They all told the story of how one of their officers had been crucified by the Germans. He had been pinned to a wall by bayonets thrust through his hands and feet, another bayonet had then been driven through his throat, and, finally, he was riddled with bullets. The wounded Canadians said that the Dublin Fusiliers had seen this done with their own eyes,
