Escapee by Dysart

Puzzle explanation

The letters missing from some across clues spelt out “I am the enemy you killed”, from Wilfred Owen’s poem Strange Meeting. The entry CONFLCT at 1ac reflected its first line, “It seemed that out of battle I escaped”. Extra words in the last three across clues gave a paraphrase for the title, “interestingly unusual encounter”. Corrections to misprints in down clues formed War Requiem, Benjamin Britten’s work incorporating poems by Owen, the titles of some of which were represented cryptically in the grid: ANOTHERFMLAD = Anthem for Doomed Youth [(ANTHEM FOR) * + LAD], EMITEGN = Strange Meeting [MEETING *] and EXTENTH = The Next War [(THE NEXT) *].

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Missing letter Answer Explanation
Across
1 fa(I)r CONFLICT CON + F + LICHT − H
6 le(A)d IBADAH (A(bu) + DHABI) *
10 War(M)blood LILITH (LIT + H) after ((evi)L (succub)I)
12 loo(T) NEARER EARNER with ’N’ moving
13 (H)Eight ANOTHER (H + ORNATE) *
14 d(E)ad LADY LAY around D
17 crud(E) NABOKOV BOOK * in VAN <
18 tau(N)t GAENOR (RAG around ONE) <
19 unit(E) EMIT M in TIE <
20 (M)asked GLOWED GLED around (O + W)
21 char(Y) ASHY SHY after A
23 flak(Y) DISROOTED D + ((h)I(t) T(a)R(g)E(t) S(p)O(t)-O(n)) * + (squa)D(rons)
27 bar(O)n SLOB SO around (rura)L + B
31 mis(U)sed ICECAP (A + C + PIEC(e)) *
33 (K)night’s ADEN NAKED * − K
34 pa(I)ns TENTIE TENE around TI
36 sp(L)it TACHISM TA + (s)CHISM
38 comp(L)ete ODOR OR around DO
39 h(E)ard EPHEDRA (k)EP(t) + HEARD *
40 bin(D)s NOSTOI (Ze)NO STOI(cally)
 Extra word
41 interestingly LEMNOS LEMONS with ON <
42 unusual EXTENT EX + TENT
43 encounter HAY-BOTE (TO BE) * after HAY
DownMisprint
1   CLAGGY CLAY around ((wa)G(on) (mi)G(ht))
2   OINK (b)OINK
3 roo(M) FIT IN IT in FIN
4   CHEERER CH + E’ER around RE
5 So(U)red’s TURNED TED around URN
6   INFAMY INFRA − R + MY
7 S(A)nd BEMBIX BE + B in MIX
8   DRAKES 2 meanings
9   HRYVNYA H(e)R(b)Y (e)V(e)N (m)Y (M)A
11 (E)mits THROWS (TWO + M + HORSES) * − SOME *
15 (W)ild DOG-HIP (VAN GOGH − VANG) in DIP
16   VELD (tra)VEL D(evotee)
20   GILEAD GI + LEAD
22   ISOTONE (IS + ONE) around (O(f) T(hese))
24   OCTAPLA CATO * + ALP <
25 n(I)bble TEETHE TEE-TE(e) around H
26   DATE (i)TE(m) after DA
28   ONCOST NCO in OST
29 (Q)uest EDISON SIDE < + ON
30   NESBIT NEST around BI(d)
31 (R)avel INMESH IN + M(agistrate) + (s)ESH
32   DEBASE S in (DEBATE − ’T)
35 tr(E)e NEEMB NEB around ’EM
37 (R)evolutionary TROT 2 meanings
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