As a military historian, battlefield enthusiast and all-round history nerd(!) I take great pleasure in going to the Western Front with and without groups to discover new places and new stories. As a battlefield guide, I have spent many a rainy and windy day telling students about the First World War and hope to doContinue reading “My favourite time to guide…”
Tag Archives: France
46th (North Midland) Division – Battle of the St Quentin Canal – 29th September 1918
In previous posts about the 46th (North Midland) Division, I have often highlighted the, what I believe to be, unfair assessments made of the division’s capabilities after the attack on the village of Gommecourt on 1st July 1916. The reputation of having ‘a lack of offensive spirit’ followed the division until almost the end ofContinue reading “46th (North Midland) Division – Battle of the St Quentin Canal – 29th September 1918”
46th (North Midland) Division – Lens 1st July 1917
A while back, I published a post about the 46th (North Midland) Division. I have decided that I will write a post about each of the main attacks that the division was involved in during the First World War, starting with the attack on Lens/Liévin in July 1917. 1st July 1916 was not a goodContinue reading “46th (North Midland) Division – Lens 1st July 1917”
The task continues…
Last week I wrote a post about a research task that I had set for myself during lockdown; to find out how many men from my town were killed during the First World War. Whilst carrying out this task, I found that four men were had received gallantry awards; two being awarded the Distinguished ConductContinue reading “The task continues…”
What happened during the First World War? – June
This post is the next in a series, giving a monthly overview of some of the key events that happened throughout the First World War. 1914 28th – The assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie by Gavrilo Princip. The Archduke and his wife were visiting Sarajevo in Bosnia when they wereContinue reading “What happened during the First World War? – June”
The ‘Silent Cities’ of the Western Front – Part 3
Welcome to Part 3 in my continuing series of cemeteries that have personal importance and significance to me. I hope you are enjoying this series of posts. If you have missed posts, you can find them in the My Blog section of the website. First on the list for this post is Aveluy Wood (LancashireContinue reading “The ‘Silent Cities’ of the Western Front – Part 3”
46th (North Midland) Division – A General History
The First World War has a very significant place in the collective memory of the United Kingdom, and other countries around the world for many reasons. One of those reasons being that ordinary young men who had never considered being in the armed forces before, were now enlisting in droves. The rapid expansion and recruitmentContinue reading “46th (North Midland) Division – A General History”
The ‘Silent Cities’ of the Western Front – Part 2
Welcome to the second in the series of my favourite cemeteries of the Western Front. As with the previous post, these are all cemeteries and memorials that are maintained by the CWGC who do a fantastic job all year round, making sure these sites are looked after in the right manner. If you haven’t already,Continue reading “The ‘Silent Cities’ of the Western Front – Part 2”
What happened during the First World War? – May
In this special monthly post, I will be highlighting key dates throughout the First World War. This post features the key events that happened during the month of May. 1915 7th – The sinking of the RMS Lusitania. In the autumn of 1914, the Royal Navy started a blockade preventing imports from getting to GermanyContinue reading “What happened during the First World War? – May”
Life in the trenches…
If you ask someone to tell you what they know about the First World War, one of the first things that comes up is ‘soldiers in trenches.’ The trenches are undoubtedly one of the key and defining elements of the period and there has been much written about them. This blog post will be aContinue reading “Life in the trenches…”
The ‘Silent cities’ of the Western Front – Part 1
As a battlefield guide, I spend a lot of time around cemeteries and memorials. From a practical perspective, there are lots of key and interesting stories that you can tell whilst in a cemetery or by a memorial. You may have a Victoria Cross winner, family members buried or commemorated near to each other orContinue reading “The ‘Silent cities’ of the Western Front – Part 1”
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