It’s official. Cycling the Line: Part Deux IS ON!

Longer, tougher and generally more painful than ever, Steve and I are dusting off the panniers and the padded shorts and will be getting back on the bikes for another gentle ride across a large chunk of continental Europe in order to raise a few quid for our service men and women: past, present and future.

This time we will be following La Voie de la Liberté (The Road of Liberty) – one of many routes taken by the Allies in 1944 after the successful sea-borne landings at Normandy in the summer of that year. This particular route is the one taken by General Patton of the US Third Army. It starts just inland from the Normandy coast and winds its way through France, into Luxembourg, and then up to Belgium, taking in the Ardennes, where it finishes at Bastogne. A total of  1,145km, or, in proper distance,  715 miles. (As a comparison the original cycling the line trek was 550 miles).

.

Steve and I met last week to agree on the route and put the wheels in motion, so to speak, on this next adventure. The minutiae are yet to be completely finalised, but here is the general gist: We plan to do the cycle ride over 15 days; 12 cycle days with 3 rest days thrown in so we don’t kill ourselves. That works out to be an average of 60 miles a day for every cycle day. We will also be doing this trip a little bit earlier in the year, probably the last week of September/first week of October. This will mean it wont get dark at 4.30pm like it did when we went out last time – that was a real pain. Trying to cycle on main A roads in the pitch dark during evening rush hour was ‘interesting’ but not something either of us are keen to repeat again if we can help it.

It’s all for charity

As last time, the whole point of us killing ourselves for 15 days is to raise a bit of cash for our soldiers. Last time we raise nearly £3500 – which was absolutely amazing. I wonder how much we can raise this time round? I know times are tough, but if you can spare a couple of quid then we would be incredibly grateful.

This year, our charity of choice is………. Help For Heroes. You can donate at our dedicated Just Giving page:  http://www.justgiving.com/Cyclingtheline2

Thank you in advance!!

I haven’t posted on here for a while, and lots have been going on. My new website is very nearly done – hopefully all will be live before the end of January, this will incorporate an updated version of thegreatwar100.com website, my stand-alone microsite dedicated to enabling kids, teenagers and adults alike to learn about the Great War without having to read 900 page epics.

I have also been asked by The History Press to write a book on ‘Heroes of The First World War’. The contents of this book will be to take 20 soldiers or officers that served in the First World War and write a full profile on them, really getting into detail to understand the individual and their experiences during this conflict. If you have a family ancestor that had a remarkable story, perhaps they won a gallantry medal or fought at pivotal battles such as the Somme or Passchendaele, and you would like them considered for inclusion in the book, please just let me know! Just email me at mustangscottie@sky.com or contact me via Twitter @military_search

There is also some really exciting news on a new charity bike ride. I can’t say too much, as the details have not been nailed, but ‘Cycling The Line – Part Deux’ will be announced shortly, and it promises to be an absolute dandy!

2012 is already shaping up to be an absolute corker! If you want to come along for the ride, make sure you re-visit this blog regularly!

To celebrate the soft launch of my new website project – www.thegreatwar100.com – and to raise some much-needed money for soldiers old and new, I have produced a range of t-shirts (cue wild applause..)

For those that know me, you will recognise the image that is being used on the t-shirt! They have been produced in white (with black logo), black (with white logo) and olive-green (with black logo).

The price of these t-shirts are £15 (incl post and packing). For everyone that is sold, I will donate £5 to Help for Heroes.

 

Black t-shirt modelled by my daughter Lenka

 

The e-commerce page is not yet ready, it should be live before Xmas, but you can buy these t-shirts from me via email/twitter/blog post:

• you can email me at mustangscottie@sky.com
• you can tweet me at @military_search
• you can contact me via a post on this blog.

Once I have your order and you have paid the £15 (incl postage and packing) I will donate £5 on your behalf to my dedicated JustGiving page. By doing it this way, you can actually see your £5 donation on the page, and you can give me a note or dedication that you want me to write on your behalf.

Hopefully together we can raise £500 for the Help for Heroes charity.

So, here is your opportunity to buy a great Christmas present with the knowledge that you are helping one of the best charities that our helping our armed forces, both past and present.

 

close up of logo (white)

What is Help for Heroes all about?

“It’s about the ‘blokes’, our men and women of the Armed Forces. It’s about Derek, a rugby player who has lost both his legs, it’s about Carl whose jaw is wired up so he has been drinking through a straw. It’s about Richard who was handed a mobile phone as he lay on the stretcher so he could say goodbye to his wife.

They are just blokes, but they are our blokes. They are our heroes.”

 

So if you would to buy one for yourself, or as a present for Christmas, just email me at mustangscottie@sky.com and together we can Help our Heroes.

 

 

I am working on a new pet project aimed at giving, teenagers and adults easier access to information about The First World War. I speak to hundreds of people every month  about both world wars and it is clearly evident to me that there are thousands of people out there that have a real interest in this part of our history, but really know very little about what actually happened. This is down to many factors but one big issue I think is that many ‘normal’ people do not have the time/inclination/desire to sit down and read an 800 page epic on the First World War.

Don’t get me wrong, history books that are meticulously researched and brimmed full of minute detail are vitally important but in reality only us geeks will read them. The bulk of the population are really only interested in getting an overview of what happened, why and to whom. It is one reason why I am writing my ‘everyman’s First World War’ book, which tackles the ‘history book’ genre in a completely different way to how it has been done before. (More on that in a later post).

However, we live in a society that demands immediate results and answers. Whether that is in sport, business or learning. We live in a 140 character society and even short, punchy books are too cumbersome for many. Which is why I am embarking on www.thegreatwar100.com - a website dedicated to the memory of the First World War that uses infographics to get the main statistics and points across. As far as I am aware it has never been done before for this particular conflict and I really hope that all kinds of readers,(but particularly those who do not have a library full of 800 page epics!) will visit, look, read and appreciate the format and hopefully enhance their knowledge of a war that effected every single British family at the time.

Please have a look at the holding page – the final website is still in production, but the idea is to more content including a day by day account of the conflict, more infographics covering different aspects of the war and I will also be ‘following’ a particular battalion through the war, using their official front line war diary to give readers a day by day account of what it was like being part of a British infantry battalion during the first world war.

There will also be merchandise for sale including t-shirts and posters of the infographics, also individual icons from the infographics can be used to put on t-shirts, cups, caps etc. 20% of the profits from these items will go to The Royal British Legion. I will be setting up a dedicated Just Giving page for this so you can see exactly your contribution to the whole project. You can even give me a message you want to put on the just giving page and I will make sure that is included.

I hope you all think this is a good idea – I would welcome any feedback and ideas. Please visit the website www.thegreatwar100.com and have a look at the first infographic. If you like it, please share the page via Twitter or Facebook using the ‘share icons’ that are on the page. I would like as many people to see this page and learn a little bit if possible.

 

The English Football Association are in talks with FIFA to allow the England team to wear a Poppy on their shirts during the game on Saturday against Spain. Evidently FIFA’s regulations do not permit international shirts to carry any ‘political, religious or commercial messages’. This indeed is a very noble pledge by FIFA, but I struggle with the Poppy emblem being either political, religious or commercial.

The problem is, the annual ritual of remembrance is predominantly a British (and Commonwealth) phenomena. Some other countries perhaps see it as a week or two when old guys with medals hang about shopping centres giving out plastic flowers and rattling collection tins; i.e. it is nothing more than a fundraising gimmick. But it is more than that. Much more. The whole act of remembrance is deeply engrained within the British psyche unlike any other nation. It is more than just collecting a few bob for some old soldiers, and it goes beyond watching a few war documentaries on the history channel. It is one of the few times that the whole nation unites as a whole and works together for the greater good. People do wear their poppy with pride (I know I do), it brings us together as a race, it is part of what makes us British.

FIFA are obviously applying the letter of their laws here, but I think they just do not understand how deeply engrained in our society the wearing of the Poppy, and the act of Remembrance during this time is in the British culture.

I had a similar issue at work, a few months ago. I was asked to put on a partner event in November. Great!! To no great surprise for those people who know me, I booked the Imperial War Museum as the venue, I also managed to secure Cpl Johnson Beharry VC as a keynote/motivational speaker. I planned to turn the event into a quasi charity event where our partners would be asked to make a voluntary contribution of £50 to the Poppy Appeal, and what ever total these contributions made at the end of the day, I would match it. I reckon it would have raised about £500 for the British Legion.

However, my VP of marketing (American) heard of it and made it very clear to me that if I valued my job I was to cancel the event. Asking partners to pay to attend an event was an absolute no-no. He (the VP) was outraged – it was an absurd idea! And another thing, who was this guy speaking? We don’t ‘do’ motivational speakers – they don’t work, our partners want to know about our products, Scott. Nothing else. It is not a circus yadda yadda yadda….and so it went on.

I tried to continue with the event without him knowing, but there were too many people involved that couldn’t be trusted to blab…so I had to shelve the project. It annoyed me greatly on many levels…but I need to feed by kids, so I allowed my head to over-rule my heart.

It was a shame really because when i mentioned this event idea to a few partners in London they were really excited about and thought it was a great idea. But of course they loved it – because they get it.

I think both situations are nothing more than a lack of understanding and perhaps a bit of ignorance on the part of the non-British  people involved who don’t  really get the whole Poppy Appeal/Armed forces charity feelings that are incredibly strong in this country and is indeed  part of our national identity.

Let’s hope the FA stand up to FIFA a bit better than I did to my VP and tell them to stuff their rules and regulations where the sun doesn’t shine.

Every November, we pay tribute to the millions who have fought and died for Britain over the last century. This ritual began after World War I, where hundreds of thousands of our ancestors were killed, and many more were injured. With the latest military update from Ancestry, you can discover whether your family’s WWI heroes were rewarded for their sacrifice.

The Silver War Badge Records, 1914–1920, reveal more than 800,000 servicemen who were entitled to one of the Great War’s most distinguished awards. The Badge was given to men who were discharged due to illness or wounds—they wore it at home so they wouldn’t be accused of not doing their duty.

Details included in the database include their rank, when they started and finished in the Forces, the unit they were discharged from, and why they were discharged.

visit www.ancestry.co.uk for more information.

If you are successful finding your ancestor on the SWB  and want to know more about what was happening on the day he was wounded or made ill, then a search of the relevant battalion war diary around the time of his discharge may unveil more information. The war diaries are held at Kew Gardens and will need a personal visit, but it may well be worth it. If you cannot get down to London for a personal visit, then a researcher such as www.military-research.co.uk may be able to help you search on your behalf.

 

There can be no denying it. The battles of Menin Road, Polygon Wood and Broodseinde were successful. The German army were taking a hammering, were demoralised and there was even talk of tactical withdrawal. Haig sensed the panic in the German ranks and urged Plumer to renew the offensive, he was convinced the Passchendaele Ridge was there for the taking, and capturing that piece of land would enable his army to push then enemy out of Belgium once and for all.

Plumer set about planning for yet another advance, duly scheduled for the 9^th October. As he did so the rain returned to Flanders with a vengeance. With it’s complicated drainage system completely smashed to bits, it didn’t take long for the entire landscape to be transformed into a sea of endless oozing mud.

As well as reducing life in the front line trenches to abject misery for the infantry on both sides, the rain completely messed up Plumer’s organisational plans for the new offensive. The rains meant it was almost impossible to re-arrange the artillery and get them in the correct positions to enable the proper support for the infantry. As a result much of the infantry were stuck in their original positions, which meant they were having to fire at their extreme range just to hit the German front line positions. German artillery batteries were out of range, as were their machine guns. Not good.

The same issues of movement affected the attacking infantry. Movement was painful as the troops had to inch forward towards the front line over narrow duckboard paths. Every time a shell landed anywhere near these advancing troops the explosion would knock many of them off the duckboards and into the morass of mud, often sinking up to the waste and needing to be pulled out. It was a nightmare.

While the British and Allied forces struggled to prepare for their next advance, the German army were busy reinforcing their defensive lines. They had rushed reserves from the south to bolster the Flanders front. They may have been broken but with fresh men reinforcing the line, they were far from beaten. The rain continued to pour. Some senior British officers were in favour of cancelling the offensive. But Haig was desperate to seize the moment, and ordered that his forces would attack regardless of the weather.

His forces duly attacked at dawn on the 9^th October. The accompanying creeping barrage was woefully inadequate, and for the first time since August, failed to establish any kind of dominance over the battlefield. Ironically, as the advance began the weather cleared. The rain stopped an d in perfect visibility the German machine-gunners cut the advancing infantry to pieces. With little or no artillery support the Allied advance didn’t stand a chance. Anyone who somehow avoided being blown to bits by artillery or cut to ribbons by machine gun fire found that the defensive belts of barbed wire placed in front of the German trenches were largely untouched.  As a result, the offensive was an unmitigated disaster. Only in the very north of the line did the British and French enjoy slight success, but it was hardly significant.

However, not deterred by the artillery disaster, the continuing rain, the formidable defensive fortifications of the enemy, the thousands of wounded still laying out in No Man’s Land, the atrocious conditions and the slaughter, Haig and Plumer decided to have another go at the Ridge in three days time. Yet again preparations were practically impossible. Senior Artillery officers approached GHQ and admitted they couldn’t guarantee any artillery cover for the planned assault due to the extreme range and the instability of the ground making firing the guns practically impossible. Yet again the assault troops had a torrid time getting to their forward positions. Yet again Haig was asked to re-assess the planned offensive. Yet again he refused to waver. The attack would commence as planned.

As zero hour approached the rain fell again. Along a six mile front the assaulting troops advanced in a sea of mud. Once again there was little or no artillery support. For the assaulting troops struggling across No Man’s Land in direct view of the enemy, having no artillery support was suicide. They were attacking elevated defensive positions riddled with pill boxes and other fortifications, they had no cover, they had no place to hide, they were sitting ducks. The result was inevitable; they lost 13,000 casualties in just a few hours.

And so ended the First Battle of Passchendaele. A distinct case of mandatory suicide.

 

 The National Army Museum are planning a brand new exhibition exploring the true story behind the epic stage production and novel called ‘War Horse’. The touching real life stories of the horses, and the men who depended on them will be illustrated throughout the collection, encouraging visitors to think about the ‘patient heroes’ who supported the British Army in their time of need.

The exhibition will open on October 22nd and entry to the museum is free! Why not visit www.nam.ac.uk to find out more?

I will definitely be going – might see you there!

It has taken him the best part of 2 years, but finally Steve, my buddy with whom I cycled the WW1 Western Front back in 2009 has uploaded some video snippets from our trip onto YouTube.

They are small, taken with an iPhone, completely random and contain some tasty language, but they bring back some wonderful memories and watching them I do have the urge to do it all again…we have been throwing around the idea of cycling from Normandy to Aachen or maybe all the way to Berlin..so watch this space.

But back to the videos. There are 12 of them, they are not in any kind of date order (for example the first one you will see is Steve explaining our trying day to Verdun when my back wheel collapsed and we had to walk 10 miles to find a shop to fix my wheel) also, Steve got one or two of his historical dates/facts mixed up in his commentary -  he doesn’t pretend to be a history buff, but he did however cycle the best part of  600 miles to raise a bucket load of cash for our old soldiers, so don’t give him a hard time about it!

Also, there is fair amount of…erm…naughty language, so if you are easily offended please do not watch!! (You have been warned!)

So, here they are, happy viewing!

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL47CAEAC532C3D7C6&feature=viewall

 

Just a matter of weeks after declaring war on Germany, 80,000 members of the BEF, along with 30,000 horses and 315 guns of assorted size were in France and unwittingly marching straight towards an enemy who had already passed through Luxembourg and was now putting Belgium to the sword. The Schlieffen plan was working beautifully.

On the 22nd August, a forward patrol of the 4^th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards encountered the Germans for the first time. While conducting a reconnaissance along the road heading out from Maisières, four enemy cavalrymen of the 2nd Kuirassiers emerged from the direction of Casteau. They were spotted by the British and turned around, whereupon they were pursued by the 1st Troop under Captain Hornby and the 4th Troop. Corporal E. Thomas of the 4th opened fire near the chateau of Ghislain, the first British soldier to do so in the Great War. He was uncertain whether he killed or wounded the German soldier that he hit. Meanwhile, Hornby led his men in hot pursuit and charged the Germans, killing several. He returned with his sword presented, revealing German blood.

Meanwhile, to the rear, having got an inkling that things were about to get a bit heavy, the BEF decided to dig in a loose line along the Mons-Conde canal. They didn’t really know how many Germans were on the other side of the canal, but they would find out soon enough. Suffice to say, it would not be a fair fight; less than 80,000 British troops with 300 odd guns, against around 160,000 German soldiers and 600 guns. Ouch.

Although they were facing huge numbers of men and guns on the other side of the canal, the BEF did have two distinct advantages: Firstly, they were professional soldiers, highly skilled and probably the best exponents of the noble art of rifle fire on the planet. Secondly, the German 1^st Army, whom they were facing, were under strict orders not to risk outflanking the British, thus potentially losing touch with the German 2^nd Army, so they had to launch a more difficult frontal attack. Which they duly did at dawn on the 23^rd August 1914. The war was most definitely on.

The artillery opened up at dawn and at 9am the first waves of German infantry attacked, their objectives were the bridges that crossed the canal leading them to the British lines. They advanced across open country in close formation and made a perfect target for the trained British riflemen. It was carnage. The Germans suffered terribly, and by noon had made next to no progress at all.

The BEF held on for 6 hours before the sheer numbers of the enemy meant they had no choice but to blow the bridges over the canal and retreat to a pre-established second line position a few miles away. The Germans were tired and disorganised and failed to press home any advantage despite their huge numerical advantage. German reserves were called up and massed for a new attack in the evening, It was here that the British commanders finally realised the size of the enemy, and they promptly ordered the retreat. They had already lost 1,600 men and didn’t fancy losing too many more, so the men were organised, rounded up and the order was given: a fighting retreat towards Maubeuge and then down the road from Bavai to Le Cateau almost 20miles away.

There is something about a 7 minute long war epic that makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. Cut through the surface, ignore the pounding guitars and wailing vocals, delve deeper than the crash ending and you can feel the energy, sadness and torment of a world long gone. I often think that one of the best ways of conveying the important message of not forgetting the sacrifice made during the Great War to the younger generation is through music. I know for me when i was a kid when Metallica released the epic “One” a song about an ordianry soldier who survived a landmine blast although he had both arms and legs amputated. It really opened up my eyes to the personal pain – both physical and mental – many thousands of ordinary soldiers went through.

That was back in 1988, and in 2003 Iron Maiden released “Paschendaele” which for me is the best song about the War I have ever heard. It has a haunting tune and really takes you into the hell of the trenches. Lyrics such as “The sound of guns cant hide our shame, and so we die at Pashendaele” gives you a clue as to the songs attitude to the sheer waste of human life.

So there you have my first two recommendations for epic Great War Songs: “One” from Metallica and “Paschendaele” from Iron Maiden. Click on the links to see videos of the songs from YouTube.

I will add some more over the coming weeks/months. If anyone else has a suggestion then lets hear it!!

Now, I don’t often read The Sun newspaper, but on the train back from London yesterday I happened to spy a copy on the seat next to me and as i flicked through it i came across a remarkable story about Rifleman Donald McNair, a conscientious objector who was tricked into going to the front line when he answered “yes” when a tribunal asked if would defend his wife if she were attacked by a German. He survived the war and his letters were found in January by his son, now 84. A book has been published called a Pacifist at War based on his story.

I have never heard of anyone being “tricked” into the army it is an amazing story…If you can bear visiting the Sun’s website you can read it all there!

• Date of Institution: 1917
• Campaign: France & Belgium 1914
• Branch of Service: British Forces
• Metal: Bronze
• Size: Height 50mm; max width 45mm

Description: A crowned four-pointed star with crossed swords and a wreath of oak leaves, having the royal cypher at the foot and a central scroll inscribed AUG NOV 1914. Uniface, the naming being inscribed incuse on the plain reverse.

Clasps: 5th Aug.-22nd Nov. 1914. The clasp was sewn on to the ribbon of the medal. A silver rosette is worn on the ribbon strip if the bar was awarded.

Awarded to all those who had served in France and Belgium between 5th August and 22nd November 1914 . In 1919 King George V authorised a clasp bearing these dates for those who had actually been under fire during that period. The majority of the 365,622 recipients of the star were officers and men of the pre-war British Army, the ‘Old Contemptibles’ who landed in France soon after the outbreak of the War and who took part in the retreat from Mons, hence the popular nickname of ‘Mons Star’ by which this medal is often known. There were approximately 155,000 bars issued, as such this is the rarest campaign medal for the First World War.

Above description taken from The Medal Yearbook 2008, p181.

Recipients of the 1914 Star were not eligable for the 1914-15 Star, but were eligable for the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

1914 Star and Bar

It is amazing to think that today, November 11 2008 represents the 90th anniversary of the end of ‘the war to end all wars’.

Britain lost almost a million men during this war. A million sons. Think about that for a second when you are having a bad day because the fax machine is jammed.

For me, today is one of the most important days of the year. And I think it is testiment to this great country of ours, that with the passing of time, the shared emotion of rememberance seems to get stronger and stronger. As individuals, and as a nation we join together in remembering and thanking all those heros, not just in the First World War, but in the Second World War, The Falklands, Iraq, and all the other conflicts and battles. These guys lay down their lives for us so we can sleep peacefully at night, and for that I thank you.

The BBC as always have masses of information and ways of remembering. I urge you all to check out their webpages at http://www.bbc.co.uk/remembrance/

Also, the National Archives has made some of their fascinating audio records available through their ‘voices of the armistice’ project. These podcasts are free to listen to on their website, and includes a rendition of Haig’s war diary from 11.11.18, an account of a gas attack in May 1915 and extracts of the personal diary of Private Pattenden of 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. Fascinating stuff.

They shall grow not old,
As we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun
And in the morning
We will remember them.
Laurence Binyon (1869-1943)

More than any other conflict, the Great War inspired writers of all generations and classes, most notably among combatants.

Wilfred Edward Salter Owen (1893-1918) was an English poet and soldier, regarded by many as one of the leading poets of the First World War. His shocking, realistic war poetry on the horrors of trench warfare sat in stark contrast to both the public perception of war at the time, and to the confidently patriotic verse written earlier by war poets such as Rupert Brooke. Some of his best-known works-most of which were published posthumously-include Dulce Et Decorum Est, Insensibility, Anthem for Doomed Youth, Futility and Strange Meeting.

2nd Lt. Owen

He was on the Continent teaching until he visited a hospital for the wounded and then decided, in September, 1915, to return to England and enlist. “I came out in order to help these boys – directly by leading them as well as an officer can; indirectly, by watching their sufferings that I may speak of them as well as a pleader can. I have done the first” (October, 1918).

On 21 October 1915, he enlisted in the Artists’ Rifles. For the next seven months, he trained at Hare Hall Camp in Essex. In January 1917 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant with The Manchester Regiment. Owen started the war as a cheerful and optimistic man, but he soon changed forever. After traumatic experiences, which included leading his platoon into battle and getting trapped for three days in a shell-hole, Owen was diagnosed as suffering from shell shock and sent to Craiglockhart War Hospital in Edinburgh for treatment. It was whilst recuperating at Craiglockhart that he was to meet fellow poet Siegfried Sassoon, an encounter which was to transform Owen’s life.

After returning to the front, Owen led units of the Second Manchesters on 1 October 1918 to storm a number of enemy strong points near the village of Joncourt. He was killed in action on 4 November 1918, only one week before the end of the war. For his courage and leadership in the Joncourt action, he was posthumously awarded the Military Cross., the Citation of which appeared in the London Gazzette on 29.7.1919.

MC Citation for 2nd Lt. W. Owen

Owen is regarded by historians as the leading poet of the First World War, known for his war poetry on the horrors of trench and gas warfare. His great friend, the poet Siegfried Sassoon had a profound effect on Owen’s poetic voice, and Owen’s most famous poems (Dulce et Decorum Est and Anthem for Doomed Youth) show direct results of Sassoon’s influence.

Dulce et Decorum Est

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of disappointed shells that dropped behind.

GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!– An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And floundering like a man in fire or lime.–
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,–
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.

The title and the Latin exhortation of the final two lines are drawn from a poem of Horace (Odes iii 2.13):[3]

“Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori:
mors et fugacem persequitur virum
nec parcit inbellis iuventae
poplitibus timidove tergo.”

“How sweet and fitting it is to die for one’s country:
Death pursues the man who flees,
spares not the hamstrings or cowardly backs
Of battle-shy youths.”
These words were well known and often quoted by supporters of the war near its inception and, as such, were of particular importance to soldiers of the era.

Anthem For Doomed Youth
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of good-byes.
The pallor of girls’ brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

The bells were ringing on November 11, 1918, in Shrewsbury to celebrate the Armistice when the doorbell rang at his parent’s home, bringing them the telegram telling them their son was dead.

“My subject is war, and the pity of war. The poetry is in the pity.” – Owen.

Futility

Move him into the sun -
Gently its touch awoke him once,
At home, whispering of fields unsown.
Always it woke him, even in France,
Until this morning and this snow.
If anything might rouse him now
The kind old sun will know.

Think how it wakes the seeds, -
Woke, once, the clays of a cold star.
Are limbs, so dear-achieved, are sides,
Full-nerved – still warm, – too hard to stir?
Was it for this the clay grew tall?
- O what made fatuous sunbeams toil
To break earth’s sleep at all?

108-year-old, Ned Hughes, from Accrington has emerged as a possible fourth surviving British veteran of the First World War. He was conscripted into the 51st Battalion of the Manchester Regiment and training as an infantryman less than six months before the war ended.

His personal files have been destroyed which is hampering authorities proving beyond doubt he is a surviving veteran, and although it seems he didnt actually see combat in this war at least, he has been recognised by the World War One Veteran’s Society.

To read the full story in the Telegraph click here

Amazing story, I wonder how many more ‘missing’ veterans there are? It seems to me that any male that is 108 or older is a candidate, any ideas how we can get a list of all those people? There must be more than 4 of them…

Five miles from Ypres, in a quiet courtyard in the village of Poperinge, stands a pole of the sort used to support the twining vines of hops, a common local crop. It is about the height of a man. Just behind it is a steel plaque engraved with a verse from Kipling’s ‘Coward’: “I could not look on death, which being known, men led me to him, blindfold and alone.”

It doesn’t look much, especially when you compare it to the vast memorials of the Menin Gate and Thiepval, and I suppose seeing as it as a memorial to those men who were executed by their comrades for refusing to continue the fight – deserters as they are commonly called – it is understandable. The whole business of deserters goes against the glorified image of the Great War, of men linking arms and taking the fight to the enemy, no matter what the hardship. No, this is not something the authorities then (and to some extent, now) want many people to remember, it is perhaps a dirty piece of history they would rather wash their hands of.

The thing is, these people (Over 300 British soldiers were executed for cowedice/desertion) were human too. Fathers, sons, brothers, lovers…normal people who just reached the end of their tether in an environment so extreme that is impossible to imagine what it was like for them. They were not born soldiers, they were accountants, farmers, mill workers, shoesmiths…normal people going about their normal business until the whole of Europe went completely mental in 1914. Then they were ordered to kill people they had no real gripe with – just because the politicians and the C-in-C said they had to.

Can we really blame them for wanting out?

My point is, these soldiers should not be forgotten, they should not be treated any differently than those people who were killed in action, died of wounds, got taken prisoner or survived the whole show. So it is nice to see the Flanders Museum, located in the Cloth Hall at Ypres, now has a dedicated section to these soldiers…

I suppose it’s better late than never.

Now this is cool. For me, the best part of researching the Great War is the individual stories, the personal suffering and heroism, the privatethoughts of the normal man-in-the-street-turned-soldier.  So, i was very pleased to see that the Royal Surrey Regimental Museum have digitised and posted diaries from some of their soldiers/officers.

One of the most famous acts of the war involved the 8th (Football) Btn, East Surrey Regiment…

On the first day of the Battle of the Somme, B Company of the 8th Battalion went into the attack dribbling four footballs which the Company Commander, Captain Neville had bought for his platoons to be kicked across No Man’s Land. Captain Nevill and many of his men were killed during the advance, but the 8th Surreys were one of the few battalions to reach and hold their objective on this day. The ‘Football Attack’ caught the imagination of the country, and illustrations of it are shown in the Regimental Museum, which also contains one of the footballs used.

On that day, the 8th Battalion alone won two DSOs, two MCs, two DCMs and nine MMs, but 147 officers and men were killed and 279 wounded.

Read the diary description this very special event right here, courtesy of the museum.

Our physical link with the Great War grew a little thinner this week with the news that William Stone, the last surviving serviceman to fight in both world wars, has died aged 108. Mr Stone joined the Royal Navy on his 18th birthday in September 1918 and served on HMS Tiger.

HMS Tiger served throughout the Great War and saw action at the Battle of Dogger Bank, and Jutland where she was hit 17 times. From 1919 to 1922 she served in the Atlantic Fleet Battlecruiser Sqdn.

During WW2 Mr Stone was a chief stoke on HMS Salamander and took part in the evacuation of Dunkirk, rescuing 11oo troops in 3 trips, despite suffering damage from an enemy air attack. After Dunkirk he took part in the Sicily landings of 1943 with HMS Newfoundland and was mentioned in dispatches.

It is inevitable that all of these old soldiers will pass away at some point, I just hope that the act of remembrance doesn’t disappear with them. With Europe spiralling into a deep recession, and an ever increasing racial and religious unrest bubbling on a global scale, there are uncanny similarities to the 1930′s and we all know the result of that….That is why rememberance and learning from history is so very important. We cannot afford  to make the same mistakes again.

The Assaination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

28th June 1914.Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, however the a large percentage of the population of the province of Bosnia Herzogovina were unhappy at Austrian rule, instead favouring a union with Serbia. The Archduke and his wife were invited to the province to watch army manoevers and they arrived around 10am by train.

At 10.10, when the six car possession passed the central police station, Nedjelko Cabrinovic, a member of the terrorist group ‘ Black Hand’ hurled a hand grenade station at the archduke’s car. The driver accelerated when he saw the object flying towards him and the grenade exploded under the wheel of the next car. Two of the occupants, Eric von Merizzi and Count Boos-Waldeck were seriously wounded. About a dozen spectators were also hit by bomb splinters.

Franz Ferdinand’s driver, Franz Urban, drove on extremely fast and other members of the Black Hand group on the route were unable to fire their guns or hurl their bombs at the Archduke’s car.

After attending the official reception at the City Hall, Franz Ferdinand asked about the members of his party that had been wounded by the bomb. When the archduke was told they were badly injured in hospital, he insisted on being taken to see them. A member of the archduke’s staff, Baron Morsey, suggested this might be dangerous, but Oskar Potiotek, who was responsible for the safety of the royal party, replied, “Do you think Sarajevo is full of assassins?” However, Potiorek did accept it would be better if the Duchess remained behind in the City Hall. When Baron Morsey told Sophie about the revised plans, she refused to stay arguing: “As long as the Archduke shows himself in public today I will not leave him.”

In order to avoid the city centre, General Oskar Potiorek decided that the royal car should travel straight along the Appel Quay to the Sarajevo Hospital. However, Potiorek forgot to tell the driver, Franz Urban, about this decision. On the way to the hospital, Urban took a right turn into Franz Joseph Street. One of the conspirators, Gavrilo Princip, was standing on the corner at the time. Oskar Potiorek immediately realised the driver had taken the wrong route and shouted “What is this? This is the wrong way! We’re supposed to take the Appel Quay!”.

The driver put his foot on the brake, and began to back up. In doing so he moved slowly past the waiting Gavrilo Princip. The assassin stepped forward, drew his gun, and at a distance of about five feet, fired several times into the car. Ferdinand was hit in the neck and the Duchess was hit in the abdomen. Princip’s bullet had pierced the archduke’s jugular vein but before losing consciousness, he pleaded “Sophie dear! Sophie dear! Don’t die! Stay alive for our children!” Franz Urban drove the royal couple to Konak, the governor’s residence, but although both were still alive when they arrived, they died from their wounds soon afterwards.

To put it mildly, this really annoyed the Austrians, who immediately set about to crush the Serbs. Exactly one month later on the 28th July 1917, Austria declared war on Serbia and Russia…over the next few months there was a lot of political pushing and shoving with governments facing up to governments declaring ‘ if you hurt my mate, you will have us to deal with’ and thus Europe quickly split into two sides, each side pushing out their chest in a show of confidence and military power.

It would only end in tears. And death. Lots of death.

After the assassination of the Archduke there began a period of political bicep flexing and a flurry of pacts, friendly handshakes and aggressive finger pointing as the major (and some of the not so major) powers of Europe shuffled themselves into two distinct sides ready for an August face-off.

On the 6th July, Germany put an arm around its Austro-Hungarian cousins and told them they could count on German support if they decided on revenge against Serbia.

Rumours are abound that the Serbian government were behind the assassination. On the 9th July the Austro-Hungarian government send Friedrich von Wiesner to check it out.

Not surprisingly 4 days later, on 14th July, Herr von Wiesner reports back confirming the rumours that the Serbia government were indeed behind the assassination. Now they are really annoyed.

On 21st July,the Chief of Staff of the Austro-Hungarian Army; Conrad von Hotzendorff called for the declaration of war on Serbia claiming that no one in Europe would bat an eyelid.

Feeling brave two days later on 23rd July, the Austro-Hungarian government placed 15 separate demands on the Serbia government, including one that they arrest the leaders of the black hand gang and send them to Vienna for trial.

The next day, 24th July, fearing the worst, the Serbs ask Russia for help if they were to be attacked by Austria-Hungary. They get the nod from Russian 26th July. Meanwhile they have already stuck two fingers up at Austria-Hungary by flatly refusing to co-operate with any of their demands. This didn’t really go down well with Emperor Franz Josef and the rest of the Austo-Hungarians, and they declared war on Serbia on 28th July.

On the 31st July Russia mobilises it’s army in support of Serbia, and in a kind of ‘come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough’ stance moved troops right up to the borders of Austrio-Hungary and Germany.

This p*ssed of Germany, who declared war on Russia on August 1st. But, not content with taking on Russia, Germany declare war on France on August 3rd and are now committed to fight a war on two fronts.

Now it’s time for Britain to get in on the act. When Germany declared war on France, Belgium understandably became very nervous. As a neutral territory they looked to Britain to help them preserve their position. Britain, being the nice chaps they were, immediately tipped their hat to Belgium and guaranteed to protect their neutrality. In the same breath Britain warned Germany that if they set foot in Belgium they could consider themselves at war with Britain and her empire.

It’s all about to kick off big time, because the Germans walked into Belgium on August 4th and true to their word Britain declared war on Germany. Over the next 10 days or so, all the major protagonists declared war on each other, making two very distinct, very powerful and very destructive sides. Austria-Hungary and Germany on one side, Russia, France and Great Britain on the other.

And after all this political show boating and feather ruffling it is left to the ordinary man in the street to fight it out in the trenches. To live and to die amongst the mud, the guns, the filth, the gas, the rats and the blood…

Now, it is often thought that Pte John Parr of the 4th Btn. Middlesex Regiment was the first British battle casualty of the War. Not true. Although he is obviously an early casualty (killed on the 21st August 1914) he was not the first British casualty.

In the early morning of August 6th 1914, with the war being only 32 hours old, HMS Amphion hit a German mine in the North Sea. Casualties on that day included 278171 Leading Stoker Andrew Collins, SS/4209 Able Seaman Albert Cowley, CH/18478 F Bates (Royal Marine Light Infantry), and K/16433 Stoker 1st Class Fred Coker

The following account of the sinking of HMS Amphion is taken from Naval Staffs Monographs. Vol 10.

At 2300 on August 4th 1914, England declared war on Germany. In anticipation of war the Konigin Luise, a former Hamburg – Holland holiday ferry, had been converted to an auxiliary minelayer by the Germans. On the night of 4th August she left her home port of Emden and steamed south through the North Sea to lay mines off the Thames Estuary. The ship resembled the steamers of the Great Eastern Railway that plied from Harwick to the Hook of Holland, and so she was painted in their colors of black, buff, and yellow to disguise herself.

Meanwhile, at the port of Harwick 80 miles north of London, HMS Amphion (Capt.Cecil H.Fox) and the destroyers of the 3rd Flotilla were preparing to sail. They departed in the early hours of the morning and by daylight on the 5th August they were well out into the North Sea sweeping towards the Heligoland Bight. A few hours after leaving port a destroyer on the screen spoke to a fishing vessel who had seen an unknown vessel “throwing things over the side” about 20 miles north of the Outer Gabbard.

At 1025 Amphion sighted the unknown steamer and sent the destroyers Lance and Landrail to investigate. The steamer was the Konigin Luise which made off at 20 knots, altering course, before disappearing into a rain squall where she began laying mines. At 1030, Lance signalled she was engaging the enemy and is credited with firing the first shot of World War 1. They were soon joined by Amphion ( which had won the fleetgunnery prize for 1914) and the German came under very accurate fire.

The Konigin Luise was only lightly armed with two 3.7cm MGs and some smaller weapons and offered little resistance. Commander Biermann brought her onto a south-easterly course hoping to regain neutral waters and draw the British ships into her minefield. However, after receiving numerous hits, the order was given to sink the ship to avoid any further loss of life. At 1222, on fire amidships and with smoke and steam pouring from her funnels, the Konigin Luise rolled over to port and sank at 55.5N 2.32E. 46 of the 100 crew were rescued.

During the action the Amphion gun crews from the disengaged side crossed over to watch the firing and showed their appreciation of good salvoes by cheering and applauding. After the action Capt. Fox mustered all hands and reprimanded the men for leaving their posts. He reminded them that they were at war and no matter what the other fellow was doing, each man was to go on with his duty and stick to it. The ship’s company rather enjoyed the lecture and saw the sense in it.

The British destroyers now sighted another ship of the same shape and color of the Konigin Luise. She was flying a huge German Flag and the destroyers began their attack. Amphion recognized her as the St.Petersburg which was carrying the German Ambassador back to Germany from England. Amphion signaled the destroyers to cease fire but in the excitement of the moment they ignored the signal and pressed home the attack. Capt. Fox then put the Amphion between the destroyers and the St Petersburg to deliberately foul the range.

HMS Amphion in 1914

At 2100 Amphion and the destroyers set course to return to Harwick. Unfortunately, due to reported problems with mines and submarines, the allocated course ran very close to where the Konigin Luise had laid her mines.

At 0645 on August 6th 1914 HMS Amphion struck a mine which exploded just beside the forebridge and broke the ship’s back. The explosion practically destroyed the bridge and smoke and flames poured from the slits in the conning tower. Except for one man, all the fo’csle gun crews were killed and the bridge occupants badly burnt. As the hands were at breakfast, many were killed or suffocated in the forward messdecks. This included 19 of 21 German survivors.

Capt.Fox stopped engines and proceeded aft to take charge. The ship was well down at the bows and attempts to extinguish the raging fires in the forward part of the ship failed. Abandon Ship was ordered. As most of Amphion’s boats were destroyed, the destroyers sent their boats to rescue the crew.

There was no confusion or panic. The men fell in on deck. Within twenty minutes of the first explosion all the survivors were safely on board the destroyers. Among the survivors was Midshipman E.F Fegan who would later win a VC as Captain of the Jervis Bay when it was sunk in WW2.

Unfortunately, although Amphions’s engines were stopped, she still had way on and she continued turning in a circle. At 0703, just as the last boatload of survivors were taken off, she again struck the same row of mines. Her magazine detonated in a huge cloud of pale yellow smoke and the fore part of the ship completely disintegrated showering the attending destroyers with debris. There were several casualties, one 4-inch shell falling on board the destroyer Lark, killing two of Amphion’s men and a German prisoner. Amphion then suddenly slid astern and sank at 0705 at 52.11N 02.36E. One officer and 150 men were lost.

A unique system of trenches, which lay undiscovered for almost a century, has been revealed by a team of archaeologists and historians in Folkestone.  See video.

I know this blog is supposed to be about WW1 and the heroes that fought in it, but last Sunday I visited the Illinois Holocaust Museum just north of Chicago, and as my passion for military history spans both world wars and beyond I thought it would be reticent of me if i didn’t comment on my trip.

The museum is just north of Chicago in a town called Skokie, luckily for me I had borrowed Bill’s Garmin the previous night as we departed a bar after watching the boxing (Still can’t believe my man Ricky got taken apart – but that’s another story!).

Although it is called a museum it is not one in it’s traditional sense, it is more like an educational centre. There are not many museum-like ‘artifacts’ to look at, instead there are a number of plasma screen that tell the story of the Holocaust, from the rise of the Nazi party from the embers of the Great Depression, to the ‘Final Solution’ and liberation of the concentration camps by the Allies.

The main Exhibition tells the story of the Holocaust, from pre-war German life through ghetto life and concentration camps to eventual liberation and resettlement throughout the world, with a special focus on post-war life in Israel and Skokie.  Artifacts, documents and photographs help illustrate the narrative of the Holocaust while testimonies from local survivors add personal detail. A rail car of the type used in Nazi deportation programs sits within the building.   The exhibition concludes with a summary film in the Pritzker Theater that connects the lessons of the Holocaust with other Genocides.

The spirit and soul of the center of course honours the millions of people that were murdered during the Holocaust, but it also salutes the courage and resiliance of the survivors. Those people that rebuilt their lives, many of them in the locality of the museum, . There is a strong message of ‘Never Again’ that runs throughout the museum.

While I was there the museum was interviewing an old lady – perhaps in her 80′s – about her experiences. She was softly spoken and I was looking on from a distance so as not to distract her, but i heard her describe the moment she was seperated from her parents after disembarking at a concentration camp (I dont know which one). That was the last time she saw any of her family.

Next time you have a bad day because your boss shouts at you, or you spill your starbucks down your shirt, or you have lost your favourite shoes, just take a second to think about the 6 million people who died in concentration camps, the ghettos, death marches, forced labour, public executions and beatings. Think about the suffering, the torture, the starvation, the loss of dignity, the constant fear of death… Think about the survivors – physically and mentally scarred for the rest of their lives.

Then, perhaps, your day won’t seem so bad after all.

Five burial pits, thought to contain the bodies of between 250-400 British and Australian soldiers have been found in Northern France, seemingly buried behind enemy lines after the Battle of Fromelles  in July 1916. A stark reminder that, even 90 plus years on, we can not and should not forget the sacrifice, heroism, and folly of this conflict.

Historians have long thought such mass graves existed in the area for a number of years, but now their thoughts have been confirmed. See a video on how the conservation process will take place on the bbc website.

The Battle of Fromelles was an unmitigated disaster.

It was conceived as a ruse to divert German attention away from the campaign on the Somme in July 1916. For the Australians the Battle of Fromelles is still talked about in the same breath as Gallipolli. It was a huge disaster for them, over 5000 casualties in 12 hours.  2000 British soldiers were also killed in this attack which was conceived as a diversionary attack to divert German attention away from the Battle of the Somme.

It is believed Adolf Hitler, then a corporal in the Bavarian reserve infantry, ran messages behind the German lines during the battle.

And the bunker Hitler visited in the 1940s when he came to occupied France is said to be just a few hundred yards from the burial site.

Lets hope the CWGC give these heroes a fitting final resting place…

The Imperial War Museum in London has a remarkable sound archive which is open to the public (by appointment). The archive holds over 56,000 hours of recordings of personal accounts from the Boer War, the Great War, WW2 and more recent conflicts such as Korea, Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan.

As well as oral accounts of soldiers who were there, the archive holds a number of recordings of war reports and famous speeches – including many speeches of Sir Winston Churchill, British and German war propoganda and broadcasts from the Nuremburg trials.

The famous ‘Forgotton Voices’ series of documentaries and books have been compiled using a large amount of sound archive material, including the newest addition – Forgotten Voices of D-Day. I have just orderd my copy of this book, and cannot wait to read it!

The sound archive has an online catalogue which can be explored at www.iwm.org.uk using a keyword search (each recording has a summary of its content, so you could search by your ancestor’s regiment, squadron, ship, or a particular battle.

For appointments visit the website or email them at sound@iwm.org.uk

I am feeling generous in May, so I have decided to offer both my book on the Military Cross and my 2009 Directory of websites to help discover your military heroes both for half price, right up until May 31st!

That means you can get a signed copy of my hardback book on the Winners of the MC & 2Bars/3Bars during WW1 for just 10pounds, and my ebook CD for just 4pounds. Postage to the UK is free also!

There are 2 ways of ordering/paying:

Firstly direct through paypal (my email address for the payment is mcfinder@sky.com) Please make sure you include your name/postal address so i know where to send everything.

Secondly email me/direct message me on Twitter (@military_search)/post comment on this blog with your order requirements and I will tell you where to send a cheque.

I have linked to the websites above so you can see information about both publications, but please dont purchase them via these websites as you will have to pay full price!! The half price special offer can onlybe honoured if you follow the procedures above.

Happy reading!

Scott

In November, myself and a good buddy of mine will be going on a ‘bit of a bike ride’.  Starting on the Franco/Swiss border we will cycle north following as closely as we can the Western Front Trench System from WW1 until we arrive at the Beglian coastal town of Nieuport, (hopefully on Rememberence Day) some 550 miles away from our starting point.

Cycling the WW1 Western Front in aid of the Royal British Legion

The aim is to raise £10,000 pounds for the Royal British Legion – a wonderful charity that looks after current and ex-service men and women. Anyone can donate at www.justgiving.com/cyclingtheline

I will be taking my pc with me and the idea is to update the blog every day with details of our adventure, I am even toying with the idea of getting a little video camera mounted on our cycle helmets so we can post video footage of us being run off the road by French lorries…

The plan is to average about 50 miles per day for 10 days (with a couple of rest days in between). I am in training already, although the north Hampshire countryside is not quite the same terrain as the Vosges Mountains!

If you would like to help us in our fundraising efforts, pls visit our secure justgiving web page at www.justgiving.com/cyclingtheline

Thanks!

Scott

I have just been reading on the Royal British Legion website about a town in Poland who is divided over what to do with a tree planted by Adolf Hitler as a birthday celebration.

According to the Legion, the oak, which stands in the Polish town of Jaslo, is one of several hundred that were given away by the Nazi leader on 20 April each year to commemorate his birthday. The town’s mayor thinks it is bad for the town’s image and is in the way of traffic, and wants it chopped down. But evidently half of the town’s 38,000 population thinks the tree should stay…hmmm.

Here’s an idea. Firstly chop the damn tree down! (why has it taken 60 years to even think about it!) BUT, from the remains of the tree create a nice, tasteful sculptured memorial in rememberance of the millions of Jews, Slavs and other races slaughtered at the hands of the Nazis. A memorial such as this, sculpted out of this symbol of Nazism, would be fitting tribute to the memories of those that perished.

Talking of the Royal British Legion, I want to thank every one who has sponsored me so far in my quest to raise 10 grand for them by riding the WW1 Western Front Trench System. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

I suppose it was bound to happen at some time as they couldn’t physically live on forever, but nonetheless it is very sad that Henry Allingham and Harry Patch both passed away this week, leaving the UK with just one physical link to horror and carnage of the ‘War to end all Wars’.

Henry Allingham was the oldest gentleman in the world when he passed away peacefully in the early hours of  July 18th aged 113.  A veteran of the Battle of Jutland as well serving on the Western Front, he was also a founder member of the RAF (The RNAS and RFC merged to form the RAF in April 1918).

7 days later on July 25th Harry Patch, the last surviving infantryman also passed away. Mr Patch had become something of a celebrity over the last few years with many historians, authors and tv companies trying to filter out his last memories of trench warfare. Harry fought at Ypres in 1917  until 22 September when he was injured by a shell bursting right over his head. He sustained a nasty abdominal injury, but 3 members of his Lewis Gun team were all killed. He never returned to the front but the memories of that day obviously stayed with him. He was often quoted as saying that the 22nd September was his rememberance day.

With the passing of these 2 hero’s the sole British survivor of the Great War is former seaman Claude Choules. Mr Choules  served in the Royal Navy and is 108, he is living in Australia but is originally from Worcestershire.

With the passing of these old gentlemen we will lose our physical link with WW1, that is inevitable I suppose, however what must never happen is that we should forget. We must never fail to teach our children, and our children’s children, the horror of this conflict, the suffering of these ordinary men, and ultimately, what they suffered for.

Thank you Henry and Harry, you are back with your old mates now. You deserve a rest.

The BBC has asked the poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, to write a poem to commemorate the passing of two of the last WW1 veterans, Henry Allingham (who’s funeral, with full military honours is today), and Harry Patch, who’s funeral is scheduled for next week.

The poem is vivid, powerful and moving, I have transcribed it in full here (hope there is no copywright infringements by doing this!) alternatively you can see it (and hear the poem being read)  on the BBC website

LAST POST

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If poetry could tell it backwards, true, begin
that moment shrapnel scythed you to the stinking mud…
but you get up, amazed, watch bled bad blood
run upwards from the slime into its wounds;
see lines and lines of British boys rewind
back to their trenches, kiss the photographs from home-
mothers, sweethearts, sisters, younger brothers
not entering the story now
to die and die and die.
Dulce- No- Decorum- No- Pro patria mori.
You walk away.

You walk away; drop your gun (fixed bayonet)
like all your mates do too-
Harry, Tommy, Wilfred, Edward, Bert-
and light a cigarette.
There’s coffee in the square,
warm French bread
and all those thousands dead
are shaking dried mud from their hair
and queuing up for home. Freshly alive,
a lad plays Tipperary to the crowd, released
from History; the glistening, healthy horses fit for heroes, kings.

You lean against a wall,
your several million lives still possible
and crammed with love, work, children, talent, English beer, good food.
You see the poet tuck away his pocket-book and smile.
If poetry could truly tell it backwards,
then it would.

95 years ago today, the Imperial German army marched into Belgium. They were, ultimately, on route to Paris and beyond, to encircle the French army (not necessarily to capture the captial) and force France to surrender before the might of the Russian war machine mobilised and headed towards Prussia.

Britain, lept to the defense of Belgium, giving the Germans an ultimatum (which was ignored) and declared war on Germany. The BEF, spread out across the globe, starts to get organised for a European conflict, and so begins the War to end all Wars…

In an effort to reduce running costs by 10% by next year, the National Archives has announced a number of significant changes. From 2010 the plans are to reduce opening times by closing on Mondays, limit access to original documents that are available online and make a number of members of staff redundent (around 35% of specialist archivists are earmaked for redundency).

The measures have sparked some critisim from researchers and historians, with some of them accusing TNA of wanting to ‘dumb down’ the services they provide to such an extent that they will become just a glorified family history centre.

I am not sure this is quite true. Although family history is popular, it is not TNA’s core service and there is a real concern that the reduction in trained archivists could have a detrimental  effect on other areas of the TNA. That said, with the popularity of websites such as www.ancestry.co.uk and TNA’s own documents online service there are a lot of people searching for documents remotely via the internet now.

However, one thing I would say is that in my experience the web based search functions are not always accurate. There have been many times where i have not been able to find someone via an online search, but when I have gone through the original documents I have found my person. So, if you are going to push people more and more to online search, please  TNA, invest some of the money you will save into the web infrastructure that is going to replace the original documents, or at least keep the original documents open for viewing.

This is just my 2penneth, other people have their views, you can read some of them on the BBC’s WDYTYA? blog

I know this is predominantly a WW1 blog, but I posted this question on a Linkedin Forum earlier this week and it sparked huge debate, so I thought it would be good to get the views of people who were not necessarily on LinkedIn.

A former German infantry commander has been jailed for life for his role in the killing of 14 civilians in an Italian village during World War II.

A Munich state court found 90-year-old Josef Scheungraber guilty of ordering the killings, in what was one of the last Nazi crimes trials in Germany.

Scheungraber had previously been sentenced in absentia by an Italian military court to life in prison.

The killings took place in Falzano di Cortona, in Tuscany, on 26 June 1944. An attack by partisans killed an NCO and a private. Scheungruber and the commander of the battalion gave an order to retaliate, which was carried out on the same day. Initially, a 74-year-old woman and three men were shot dead on a street at random by soldiers. Then, eleven men were captured and taken to the ground floor of a farmhouse in the village of Falzano di Cortona. The house was then dynamited, killing ten men who were 16 – 66 years of age.
Read the full story on the BBC website http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8194691.stm

What do you think of this? Should a 90 year old man be jailed for something he did in 1944, or should we just forgive him in an effort to stop dredging up the past? Were the Allies whiter than white during the same conflict or are we guilty of hypocrisy?

Your views are welcomed!

 Thousands upon thousands of British soldiers have given their lives to defeat Germany in both World Wars, so at first it does seem a little odd that German representatives could be invited to a future national memorial celebration of WW1. But, take a minute to think of the wider picture. Think of your family ancestors who fought in WW2 and WW1. Were they German haters? No. Did they want to kill as many Germans as possible? No. But, were they fighters? Yes. Were they proud to defend their country against evil? Yes.

And here is my point, the ordinary soldier, regardless of what side they are on are not haters, they are fighters. They didn’t start the war, they didn’t want to kill, but they did their duty to the best of their ability. The fact is war is started by politicians and finished by ordinary people on both sides who don’t want to kill anyone. When you think of it like this it actually makes me ask the question – why weren’t they invited before? If they were it perhaps it would have helped to reduce the tension that still exists between some factions of each country’s youth.

So lets invite them, and welcome them with open arms…

I get a large number of enquiries from people asking me to help them research their ancestors who fought in WW2. Unfortunately there is only a limited amount of help any researcher can do with this campaign, due to the fact that the MoD still hold the service records of all soldiers of this era. Indeed, any soldier who served beyond 1922 has not had his/her service records released to the public. I suppose the good news in all of this is that, unlike the vast majority of WW1 records, they still survive!!

So what can be done, well just because the MoD have them doesn’t mean family members cannot continue their search – below I have written some tips and tricks to help you uncover your WW2 Ancestors.

Ancestor Killed in Action?

If your ancestor was killed during WW2, the first place to go is to the Commonwealth War Graves Commision website Here is a complete list of all army, navy, air force and merchant navy personnel who lost their lives during this conflict, there are even civilian casualties listed. The search form is straight forward and you will be able to gain certain information which could include the regiment/battalion/ship/ served, age at death, date of death, cemetery/memorial details, and next of kin details.

Alternatively, another good source of information is the Army Roll of Honour which is now in CD format and can be purchased from The Naval and Military Press. Click here for more information on that.

one of my ancestors on the cwgc site

Diaries/Flight Logs/Combat Records

If your ancestor was killed in action during the war, then a good place to try and find out more information as to where/when/how/why he was killed is to consult the Battalion diaries. Every army unit that served overseas were expected to keep a relatively detailed diary of their time at war. They can be consulted as original documents (Although some are now digitised) at the National Archives in Kew. These diaries can often be vary detailed especially during large attacks/battles. It is rare for ordinary rank and file to be mentioned by name, however there are usually detailed casualty lists and Officers are usually mentioned by name.

RAF Squadron records also held at Kew, you can find them in AIR27 on microfilm. These are detailed and for each operation the crew of every aircraft is listed, and details of what happened during the flight (where known).

Air Ministry Combat records are available online and contain  combat reports of squadrons, wings and groups in Fighter, Bomber, Coastal Commands and Fleet Air Arm squadrons. The records cover Commonwealth and Allied units based in the United Kingdom including the United States Army Air Force.

Naval records are rare for individual ships as they were not required to keep detailed diaries like the Army. However there are many combat reports in the ADM area of Kew, it just takes a bit more digging to find the relevant information.

Prisoner of War?

There are selected escape and evasion reports online at the National Archives. These Prisoner of War reports are listed by the name of the person making the statement, the date of the interview and the individual report number (as it appears in the report, example MI9/SPG: 1402). In addition to prisoner of war accounts, the reports include dates of capture and escape and personal information such as civilian occupation and home address.

Medals – Gallantry

If your ancestor was awarded a gallantry medal (for example a Military Medal, Military Cross etc.) then The National Archives hold an online directory of recommendations for these awards. It is rare to find WW2 award citations in the London Gazette, but these recommendations should give you good detail as to why they were awarded this gallantry medal. This online records is for the Army only.

Medals – Campaign

If you want to know what campaign medals your ancestor was entitled to, or indeed want to claim their medals (For WW2 soldiers had to make a claim to get their medals, and many didn’t)  you must write to the Army Medal Office at the following address:

Officer in Charge
The Army Medal Office
Government Buildings
Droitwich Spa
Worcester
WR10 8AU

Campaign medals to merchant seamen during the Second World War can be searched for and found online at the National Archives

Service Records

As already mentioned, any soldier who served beyond 1922 has not had his/her service records released to the public. Access is allowed by only by direct Next of Kin, who must prove their relationship to the soldier. You have to fill out a form which can be downloaded from their website. This weblink will help for Army, Navy and RAF records.

There is a fee of around £30. You are not sent copies of the original record, but a typed summary of service which normally only includes basic details; if you have specific information you want it is worth asking direct questions. It can take a few months to get your information so be patient!!

For the first time in half a century, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission have began work on a brand new military cemetery. The Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery is being built to rebury the bodies of hundred of British and Australian soldiers who were killed in the Battle of Fromelles and have recently been found in a mass grave. In advance of the burials, archeologists from Oxford are examining the grounds around the grave and many artefacts are being uncovered. The CWGC will provide an individual grave for each soldier, many of which are being identified by badges, buttons and other items.

It is estimated that the cemetery will be completed in summer 2010, and there is a planned public commemorative event planned for July 19th 2010 (the anniversary of the Battle, which took place in 1916 as part of the Somme offensive) to mark the completion of the project.

The CWGC do a remarkable job tending to our fallen war heroes. Their war cemeteries and memorials to the missing ensure that these brave men are not forgotten, it is only right that the soldiers of Fromelles are given the same opportunity.

I have just read an article on the Royal British Legion’s blog that says recent research suggests that British school children are severely lacking in British historical knowledge. Not surprising given the wide spectrum of curriculum modern schools are supposed to cram into term time, and the never ending surge of political correctness that means these children spend a dis-proportionate amount of time studying the history and beliefs of far flung countries rather than the history  and beliefs of their own…

The legion suggest that some teachers out of a survey of just over 2000, admitted to only dedicating 1 hour of teaching time to the subject of the holocaust. To me this is unbelievable.

How can we expect future generations to avoid the mistakes of the past if we do not make them aware? And I dont mean watching a one hour documentary, or colouring in a few yellow Stars of David…they need to truly understand how a seemingly civilised country such as Germany accepted the systematic slaughter of over 10 million people as ‘something that needed to be done’.

Surely such study is important? In a recent article in the Guardian it argues that this so called more flexible curriculum is less challenging to pupils and there is concern that subject matter such as Hitler, Stalin, Churchill and Ghandi are no longer compulsory.

No longer compulsory? Are they mad? At a personal level, almost every child in British classrooms today will have family stories from the first and second wars, surely it is their right to know what happened to the grandfather,   and great greatgrandfather? Surely they should know that they fought to make the world a better place, that they werent killers, but proud fighters that wanted to protect their country and their families.

The only way to learn is to learn from mistakes, but are we not allowing the future of our country learn? The Holocaust must never happen again, but how will our children know if they are not taught properly?

The folks at the National Army Museum have had a busy summer delving into their extensive photograph archives, the results of which are now being shown via their online exhibition entitled First Shots: Early War Photography 1848-60. The online exhibition features  the work of many celebrated war photographers including Bengal Army Surgeon John McCosh who, as an enthusiastic amateur, recorded some remarkable scenes from the Second Sikh War (1848-49). Also featured is the work of Roger Fenton, of Crimea fame, whose pictures were among the first to be used for propaganda purposes.

Supported by early photographic equipment, First Shots provides a fascinating insight into the origins of what has become one of the most powerful journalistic mediums.

Visitors may find some images in this exhibition disturbing.

As we remember the 70th anniversary of the start of the Second World War, it is a good time to remember the 349,000 british soldiers, sailors and airmen who fought and perished during this conflict.  Ancestry.co.uk have just released the WW2 Roll of Honour which records all these heroe’s names, along with specialist information, manually decoded from the original short-hand documents. This means, that now you can now see extra details of those who were killed in action, died of wounds, disease, sickness or natural causes.

You can also find out where they were fighting and where they were taken after being wounded. These details were all recorded by the War Office and are now available online for the first time. Search for them online at www.ancestry.co.uk (subscription required). If you do not have a subscription, contact me for an individual quote on discovering your own hero. It will be a lot less expensive than the cost of the subscription to Ancestry.

Their stories should never be forgotten.

It has been 4 months in the planning, but ‘Cycling the Line’ – my attempt to raise 10 grand for our soldiers by cycling the WW1 western front trench system – is fast approaching. This time next month, myself and Steve Habbishaw will be on the Euro Star hurtling towards Basel for the start of our little bike ride in the country…

The plan is to start riding on 31st October (my birthday by the way – who arranged all this?) from Pfetterhouse on the Franco/Swiss border, the westerly point of the WW1 Western Front trench system and cycle our way north east up towards Verdun, through places such as St. Quentin, Albert, Thiepval, Vimy, Ploegsteert, Ypres, and finishing at the Belgian coast on Armistice Day, 11th November. That’s the thick end of 580 miles for any of you that are interested!

Steve and I have been mates for years and we are both keenly interested in military history and such like, this is our little way of saying ‘thank you’ to all the soldiers, sailors and airmen (veterans and those currently serving) who have given up so much to protect our country… With the passing away of the last veterans of the Great War earlier this year, it has made our journey all the more poignant.

I will put the full route on here soon so you can all have a laugh as you discover just how far we have to go and how many places we have to travel through. The first day will be quite easy, approximately 40 miles north to a town called Thann which is at the foot of the Vosges mountains. My brother in law laughed when I told him (in very broken Czech) that I was cycling over the Vosges. ‘Ha!’ he said…’they are not proper mountains’. Hmmm. OK he may live in Switzerland these days spending his weekends on the Swiss Alps, but to me, living in very flat Hampshire, they are mountains, and even a month out, are frightening me to death…that second day is going to be 70 miles of uphillness. Not fun. But, as I keep saying to myself, the soldiers who were there 95 years ago went through a lot worse. At least no one will shooting at me.

So far we have raised just over 1100 quid which is fantastic! More is needed though so if you are reading this and havent sponsored us yet, please do so. You can donate at our secure justgiving page.

Last month I wrote to HRH Queen Elizabeth II, as she is the patron of the Royal British Legion, and told her of our plan. In response I received a letter from Buckingham Palace wishing us good luck for the trip, which was excellent! Corporate sponsorships have been difficult to get however, I have tried companies such as Halfords, Evans, Tesco, Sainsbury, Maximuscle, Fuel Sports etc. but none of them were willing to help us in any way. It is disappointing, but these kind of companies must get thousands of requests each week from people similar to us asking for support.

Saying that, we have been sponsored by Outstanding Branding a great corporate clothing/merchandise company – they have helped us produce some Cycling the Line t-shirts which we will be wearing along the trip and giving away as a competition nearer the event…watch this space! Anyone reading this who wants to help us (cycling equipment, energy supplements, clothing etc all warmly welcomed!) then get in contact!

I will post more details about the ride on here over the coming weeks. Throughout the journey I hope to update you all on how we are going on here as well as on Twitter (my twitter name is @military_search)

Talking of Twitter, I have to say a huge thank you to everyone on Twitter who is helping me so much to spread the word about this ride…Even Jonathan Ross has been promoting our cause! The support has been fantastic – you guys are the best!

www.justgiving.com/cyclingtheline

The countdown is well and truly on for our bike ride for the Legion. Here is a quick rundown of the schedule for those that are interested…

Day 1 – We start on the Franco Swiss border at Pfetterhouse and cycle north(ish) through Seppois, Largitzen, Hirtzbach, Carspach, Altkirch, Aspach, St. Bernard, Balschwiller, Aspacht before arriving in the town of Thann at the foot of the Vosges Mountains. We plan to stay at Thann overnight and tackle the hills fresh on day two..

Day 2 – This is going to be a killer. From Thann we transend the Vosges going through Willer, St Amarin, Ranspach, Fellering, Oderen, Kruth, Wildenstein, Barmont, Belles-Huttes, Collet Jardin, Le Valtin, Habeaurupt, Plainfaing, Fraize, Vencheres, St Leonard before we arrive at the aptly named St Die after 70 plus horrid miles…where will probably feel like dying.

Day 3 – With the worst of the hills behind us we head off to La Pecherie, La Voivre, Etival-Clairfontaine, Raon-l’Etape, Neufmaisons, Pexonne, Fennevillier, Badonvillier, Montreaux, Ninhigny, Barbas, Blamont, Repaix, Igney, Avrincourt, Moussey, Maizieres, Bourdonnay, Lezey and finally Chateau-Salins were will will stop for a well earned overnight rest.

Day 4  sees us head upto Verdun, via Montauville, Limey, Flirey, Beaumont, Rambucourt, Apremont, St Mihiel, Rouvrois, Lacroix, Troyon, Ambly, Genicourt, Dreue, Haudainville and then Verdun.

Day 5 – Rest Day. We will take a day out at Verdun and do a spot of sight seeing around the Verdun battlefield.

Day 6 – Onward we go upto Fleury, Douaumont, Ossuaire, Charny, Marre, Chattancourt, Esnes, Avocourt, Vauquois, Varennes, Montblainville, Apremont, Charleyaux, Conde, Cernay, Rouvroy-Ripint, Fontain, Gratreuil, Manre, Aure, Sommepy-Tahure, Ste Marie, St Souplet, St Martin-l’Heureux, St Hilaire-le-Petit, Betheniville, Pontfaverger, Epoye, Lavannes, Pomacie, Fresnes-Les-Reims and Bourgogne before dropping a few miles south for our overnigh stay on the outskirts of Reims. There are a lot of town/villages in this list, it looks like it could be a long day!!

It really is a long, long way..

Day 7 – We head north out of Reims to Coivre and on to Villers-Franquex, Hermonville, Bouvancourt, Ventelay, Roucy, Pomavert, Craonnelle, Mon le Pantheon, Chavignon, Pinon, Anizy, Wissignicourt, Premontre, Septvaux, St Gobain, Deuillet, Andelain, Charmes, Danizy, Achery, Mayot, Brissay-Cholgny, Brissay-Hamegicourt, Sery-les Mezieres, Mezieres-sur-Oise, Itancourt, Neuville St Amand before finally arriving at St Quentin – a landmark place in our tour as it marks the start of the British sector on the Western Front…

Day 8 Sees us explore more familiar names to us British as we cycle up towards the Somme battlefields. Fayet, Fresnoy-le-Petit, Pontru, Verguie, Jeancourt, Montingny, Hervilly, Roisel, Marquaix, Tincourt, Peronne, Clery-sur-Somme, Maricourt, Carnoy, Ficourt, Bercorde before ending up at Albert where we stop.

Day9- Rest day on the Somme.  We will be taking a car and taking in all the sights of the Somme battlefield. I think this is going to be a cracking day.

Day 10 – From Albert we had north(ish) to Aveluy, Authuille, Thiepval, Hamel, Beaumont, Serre, Puisieux, Bucquoy, Ayette, Boiry St Martin, Arras, Bailleu sur Berthoult, Farbus, Vimy, Avion, and Lens were we are scheduled for an overnight stay.

Day 11 is a landmark day in our ride as it is the day we say Goodbye to France and Hello to Belgium. From Lens we move on to Benifontaine, Haisnes, La Basee, Lorgies, Neuve-Chappelle, Fauquissart, Retillon, Fleurbaix, Armentieres, Le Bizet (French Border) Ploegsteert, Mesen, Wijtshcate, St Elooi and finally to Ypres.

Day 12 (Rememberance Day) We start the day with a trip to the Menin Gate just outside Ypres where we will take part in the Remembrance Day sevice and then off we go to Potizje, Frizenberg, Zonnebeke, Paschendaele, St Juliaan, Poelkapelle, Madonna, Hothulst, Kierken, Diksmuide, Ijertoren, Stuivekenkerke, Schoorbakke, Ramsapelle, Belge, Nieuwpoort, Lombardsijde and Westende…where we have one or 5 beers before getting the ferry back home the next day…

We have raised ov£1200 so far but more is needed, please help any way you can by visiting www.justgiving.com/cyclingtheline

Today I was at the ‘Find Your Roots’ family history fair in Exeter. The show was bustling with people itching to discover more about their family history, for me it was a particularly busy day as a large number of the visitors seemed to make a bee-line for my stand to discuss their military ancestors. I spoke to scores of fascinating people and discussed all manor of people and aspects of military life. However one story stood out as being particularly remarkable, and I wonder if anyone out there can shed some light on the medal in question for me?

The discussion in question was from a local lady who waited very patiently for around 20 minutes while I was talking to another customer…she had a remarkable story of a chap who was her neighbour who allegedly recieved a very special medal from Queen Victoria. This story was captured in print in a publication called ‘From Youth Onwards: Recollections and Escapades of a Doctor’, John William Ley. c. 1910

 

THE SILVER VICTORIA CROSS

“Soon after I commenced practice at Newton Abbot I was called in to see a patient in the neighbouring village of Kingsteignton.  The case was nothing in itself, but through I became acquainted with a fact that probably is little known and worth recording.  My patient, who must have been a man of enormous muscular development, was quite blind, and he had been terribly wounded during the attack on The Redan during the Russian War.

 After the first unsuccessful attack he was discovered quite insensible between the great redoubt and the trenches.  He was clutching a dead Circassian by the throat, whom he had evidently throttled before he became insensible; but not before the former had thrust his curved sword through his forearm, where it was still fixed.

He had been shot sideways through both eyes; and a great part of his lower jaw had also been blown away!  Besides this he had a fearful bayonet wound in the chest and numerous other injuries; in fact, I never saw a man who had been so knocked about!

He had no recollection whatever as to what has occurred; but it was generally thought that the Circassian and others had come out from The Redan after the repulse to finish off the wounded; and that it was in this encounter he had received most of his injuries.

Although the poor fellow was so fearfully wounded that he could not for some time be removed from the field hospital, he was ultimately taken to Netley.  He was there when Queen Victoria paid her visit; and she ordered the huge bullet, which had been extracted from his throat, to be set in a silver cross, of the same shape as the present Victoria Cross, and given to him!

I saw the full account of it as told to the Queen and the description of her visit, and what she said to him in I think, ‘The Times’ newspaper.  The extracts had been cut out and pasted in a book, which he shewed me with great pride.

It stated that only three of the Crosses had ever been given; and directly after this the Order of the Victoria Cross was initiated.

This man was engaged as an instructor for the Bind Institution, I think, in basket making.

But the extraordinary part of the thing is, that, although I have stated these facts to a great number of military men, I have never come across on who had ever heard of the ‘Silver Victoria Cross’!

I saw it myself, with the bullet set in the centre!

Unfortunately I cannot remember the man’s name; I know he was the son-in-law of an old gardener called Locke, who lived in Kingsteignton; but the whole family have long since been dead.

These three Crosses must be of some value; and I think it is a great pity that they cannot be traced, as they must still be in existence, and are of historical interest.”

 [This meeting would have taken place sometime between 1883 and 1910]

Does anyone know anything about this medal? What was it called, what did it look like? I would be very intrigued to know…Answers on a postcard (or email)…

Well here we are in Basel, day 2 of our cycling the line journey across the WW1 trenches. We both had an eventful day yesterday…even before we left the UK. I had an early start, leaving the house at 6.30am, bike fully loaded, paniers on back pack on..lets go! The cycle ride to the train station for me is about 6 miles. In that time I nearly fell off three times – the bike is quite unstable with full paniers on – and the panier rack broke. I mean fell off. So I had to do some emergency repairs by the roadside which didnt really do the job, my panier pack fell off the back every half mile or so…A great start seeing as I had 550 miles in front of me. Getting into london I had to get a cab to St. Pancras because there was no way I was going to ride across london with a broken panier. Black cabs are the best vehicles in the world, swallowing the bike and paniers easily. I did get a few odd looks though: ‘why is that guy with a bike taking a cab?’

Getting to St Pancras I then had to get our tickets, the ticket machine chewed up the tickets which meant a 45 min queue to get them reprinted (nice).

In the meantime, Steve texted me to say he was running late – so $*£*$ had stolen his rucksack off the back of his bike (well he does live in Slough) And gone are is ipod, camera, and other stuff…Needless to say when he didn finally get in the station he was not a happy bunny.

The Eurostar is a fabulous piece of kit..very smooth, it was my first time on it and I was impressed. Getting into Paris Nord bang on time we then set about to find our bikes (they were stored else where on the train). After asking a couple of Frenchies where to go and not understanding a word they said we finally found our bikes, at the other end of the station about 20 mins walk! Carrying paniers this is not funny. Some emergency repairs to my paniers and rack and we were all set to find Gare d’lest. We had a 3 hour wait for a next train so grabbed a bit of lunch 7Euros for a sandwich and beer!! And it wasnt even a pint. Whilst we were sipping, some old French lady came up to us and took all our paper wrapping from the sandwhich and then just walked off. Very random.

The train to Basel was again very cool – a proper train. Fast and comfy, with the coolest reading lights I have every seen! We got into Basel about 9pm found the hotel and also found that we had a double bed. Nice. We are good mates, but not that good! After a quick fight, Steve lost and slept on the floor. He paid be back by snoring like a mo-fo all night though…

So now it is morning, we are off to Fellering today – about 40 miles. We couldn’t get a hotel in Thann which was our intended stop on day one so we are doing a few extra miles…oh joy! My zip on the top panier is completely buggered and is flapping in the breeze…which is nice.

Our hotel tonight is a very small local place, I doubt they will have internet, so if there is no update that is the reason…

Cycling the Line is finally happening….let the pedalling begin!

Day 1 of the cycle happened to be my birthday (31st October). We eventually left Basel in a taxi big enough to take our bikes and kit (we had waited over an hour for him to turn up, in the meantime 2 cabbies had turned up for us in mercs, even though we explicitly said we had 2 bikes..DOH! Anyhow, the 30min cab ride cost us ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY EUROS. Can I just say Switzerland is a thieving place everything is uber expensive, but that cab ride took the piss. Anyhow, we got dropped off a Pfetterhouse – the southernly point of the Western Front, and started pedalling…The little villages we passed through were beautiful, however the all seemed to be set in small valleys, which meant lots of hills! Luckily there were enough down hills to compensate for the uphills so it wasnt too bad.

Before we knew it we had knocked off a fair few towns and were feeling very good about things, Thann came and went – we decided to push on a little further than previously planned because we had made good time. We eventually got ourselves to a small village called Fellering. Our hotel was up the biggest, steepest hill I had every seen. It was 3miles long this hill and we had to walk it – it was impossible to cycle, especially after 40 odd miles. At every corner I was pleading that the hotel was in sight, but it was not to be. It took over an hour to get there up this hill…but we got there. A beautiful place surrounded by forest – absolutely in the middle of nowhere. The landlady cooked us chicken and rice and home made soup which did the trick just nicely…and we went to bed content that 43 miles had been knocked off in the first day…

I will be honest with you..I was worried about today, I expected a really tough tough day through the Vosges Mountains…and I wasn’t disappointed.

Today has been the hardest day of my life, from a physical point of view, yet apart from the birth of my 2 children, probably the most rewarding and amazing day ever.

We set off at 9.45am this morning, down the huge hill we had come up the night before and headed towards the looming dark shapes on the horizon – the Vosges Mountains. The road up to them was very misleading, a gently slope upwards that was exhausting, even though it didn’t look that steep. After 8 miles we had a stop as we were both feeling the pace a bit. As we rested by the side of the road a couple of motorbikes passed at a fair rate..we heard their engines fade but then reappear about 100ft above us, then they faded again, and then re-appeared even higher up…that meant one thing..The switchbacks were about to start. And here started 12 miles of the hardest physical excursion I have ever endured in my life. Switchback after switchback…unrelenting steep hills..we passed 600m above sea level, then 700m..I have to remind you that we had a ‘continental breakfast’ which consisted of 2 croissants and some homemade jam – and that was it! So we were both struggling..My pace was ridiculously slow and every 3rd or 4th swiitchback I had to stop and lie down for air! My legs we on fire and it felt my heart rate was 300! There was nothing in Hampshire that could get you ready for this kind of thing.

Eventually we made it to 950m above sea level. At which point Steve confidently announced – we are at the top. We took photos and looked forward to a downhill ride..however, that downhill ride was very short lived. A mile down the road we made a left and was soon at 1100m. At this point we had to walk for a bit, the effort was just too much. We rode on and on stopping almost every mile for a breather. We got to 1300m and rode into a ski resort, complete with cable cars and a cheese restaurant. I practically collapsed in the carpark while Steve went in to get some water. A minute later he came out swearing about the ignorant German @£$!$ that wouldnt serve him. So I went in, and got some water and chocolate. That absolutely saved us, and after 30 mins rest we felt ready to crack on. Good job too as the sunshine we had enjoyed had rapidly turned to fog and we could see the weather front moving quickly our way, the temperature had dropped significantly and we knew we couldn’t hang about.

Luckily from then on, the rest of the trip was down hill…very down hill. I was free-wheeling at 36mph most of the way! The miles racked up in no time at all.. We went through many pretty villages on a valley road with the mountains either side of us and after a couple of hours of nice easy riding we ended up in St Die – very happy to find our hotel after a HUGE day where we had conquered the Vosges mountains…

If you are reading this and haven’t sponsored us yet, pls do so, we are riding the entire Western Front in aid of the British Legion. You can donate securely online at www.justgiving.com/cyclingtheline

Day 3 of cycling saw us leave St. Die early doors and head north..we had no hotel booked, and planned to travel as far as we could during the day, as day 4′s trip up to Verdun would be a long one..

We thought we had seen the back of the Vosges, but the little smashers had one final leaving present for us… a ruddy great climb as soon as we left the pretty town of Raon-L’-etape which had a moving memorial to its past mayor who had been executed by the Nazis in 1944. The town may have been nice, but the holl the other end of it was a b*&!h, that exhausted us before we had even begun.

To be honest I struggled for the first 10 miles or so, the mountains were still in my legs so to speak, and Steve shot off like a rabbit and left me huffing and puffing away at my own pace (slow). The day started dry but by lunch time the heavens opened and my did they open. We cycled through 20-25 miles of open countryside buffets by howling gales and horizontal rain….which was nice. Once out of the countryside we slipped through numerous small villages, although we are cycling the Western Front of 1914-1918 this part of France also saw plenty of action in WW2. Most of the towns we passed still had their battle scars for all to see..bullet holes in walls, memorial plaques to the Allies and information as to when the town was liberated. and the odd tank..We were really traveling in the footsteps of heroes.

Mercifully the rain let up around mid afternoon, which allowed us to dry out a bit…and we enjoyed some great cycling (albeit hilly – why cant the French build flat roads?) The roads were dead straight but resembled the Loch Ness Monster with big humps as far as the eye could see…until we arrived at a little town called Chateau Salin. We had knocked off 55 miles we decided to stop here and found a little bar/hotel called…something (I forget). Anyhow, this hotel was run by Jean-Claude and his wife, Marie and it had a whole 1 star. But it was dry and warm and we were wet and cold, so I said to myself, Scott my ol’ son, this will doo-hoo…you.

Our host with the most asked us if we wanted dinner, Steve declined as he had just bought himself a gourmet delight from the local Aldi (ham sandwich and a huge packet of crisps), but I said oui…although I had no idea what ‘dinner’ would be.. Our room was ‘cosy’ but it had two beds and he put the bikes in his garage, which was nice. The dinner surprise was served at 7pm…and consisted of eggs for starter, and lasagne for mains….ooh la la! Just what the doctor ordered after a hard day pedaling! Washed down with a couple of petit biers and Scott was a happy chappie..

And so ended our 3rd day cycling the line…Verdun tomorrow..

Day 4 of the cycle ride and our destination was the fortress city of Verdun. I was looking forward to getting to Verdun for two reasons, firstly it has huge significance for the First World War, and secondly, it meant we would finally get a rest day!

We set off from our Hotel Paradiso at about 9am but by the time we had stocked up on supplies it was nearer 10 before we got pedalling. The first 2 miles out of town were up a killer hill. I was expecting a long day and this was not the best start.. I didn’t really get much better either, the terrain was very hilly – we went through some wonderful countryside with tiny villages in valleys, but valleys been hills and that was not good. Also there was the weather. Gale force winds and torrential rain made things just miserable…At this point I think it is worthwhile to point out that Steve was wearing swimming trunks for the days cycling…red swimming trunks and a camouflage jacket…the mad fool.

The first 30 miles were tough…really tough, it seemed to be uphill all the time and the weather was appalling. We arrived at a place called Pont-a-Mousson around 1pm and in the space of 3 minutes were hit with a huge double whammy that nocked us both for 6…

First, I had to pay the best part of 5 Euros for 2 cokes…(did I swear or what). Then, no sooner had we finished hurling abuse at the cafe owner and got on our way that we say a signpost saying ‘Verdun – 69km! In proper distances that is about 40 miles…my heart sank.

Fortunately the road out of Pont-a-Mousson was flat and we made decent progress however our speed was severely hampered by the weather which was not letting up..by this point we resembled a couple of drowned rats..we stopped off at a small place and got some more supplies, including a small bottle of whiskey to warm us up a bit. Little did we know how grateful we would be for that whiskey later on..

We headed across open country for what seemed like eternity watching as the signposts slowly counted down the kilometers to Verdun. The light was fading fast and in a country where they seem to have forgotten about the street light, this was becoming an issue for us..

The hills reappeared again just as dusk fell, Steve’s back light lasted about 5 minutes before the rain got the better of it…luckily mine seemed to work ok…There was one hill that was too much so we had to get off and walk, I was about 50m behind steve and as he walked up to the top of the hill he was silhouetted against the the lights of the oncoming cars. which, mixed with the fog and rain, gave an eery yet poignant image reminiscent of a solitary soldier walking off to the front, it is an image I will not forget in a long time.

The last 10miles into Verdun were perhaps the longest 10 miles I have every had on a cycle, they were simply horrible. At the foot of the final hill I was so tired I just lay on the floor – I think I must have passed out momentarily until Steve shouted at me to get up and have some whiskey. It is that whiskey that got us up that final hill and into Verdun at about 7pm…We had done nearly 70miles, were freezing cold, soaking wet, and so very very tired..

Bonfire night…and today the entire trip almost went bang on us.

Verdun to Reims was the planned trip today. 70 miles of open but mainly flat countryside should have been ok as long as the weather held up..We set off early and by 8.30am we were out of Verdun and out on the open road. Things were going well. The countryside surrounding the north of Verdun is as magnificent as it is sad. The land is littered with cemeteries and land still bears the marks of the savage fighting of early 1916 where the German army threatened to ‘Bleed France white’…

Then, 10.5 miles north of Verdun something bad happened. 4 spokes from my back wheel decided that they didn’t want to continue on the trip and snapped. The diagnosis wasn’t good, the bike couldn’t be ridden until some more spokes could be found…and in the middle of nowhere those spokes were not forthcoming.

The only option was to walk back to Verdun and try and find a place that sold spokes…so off we trudged, walking the 10 miles were had just ridden over..During that walk my heart sank so low…I was convinced that I was not going to be able to continue the ride…I started to think about how I would get home, and how I would face everyone having failed to complete the trip, those thoughts got me very depressed and I will be honest – I cried like a baby…it was a long long walk back to Verdun. Thankfully the rain was only very light, but the wind was still very strong and the walk was not fun. We found a supermarche but they didnt sell spokes, they did however sell spoke keys and so Steve set about trying to repair the spokes I did have and even took a few from the front wheel to put in the back one. It was freezing cold and the job was painful but he managed to replace 2 spokes. After a quick test drive in the carpark we then found out that Steve also had a puncture, so that needed to be repaired before we decided what to do next.

By this time it was gone 2pm. There was no way we could ride to Reims, and indeed we didn’t know if my bike could take the journey, so we decided to get the train. French trains are great – Mr Brown, pls take a few trips on the French railway system and make copious notes on how to improve our sorry national rail service.

We arrived in Reims about 6pm and then preceded to walk another 7 or 8 miles across town to our hotel.

So we have arrived at Reims, it is a very busy place with a remarkable cathedrale..we are off to St. Quentin tomorrow – 55 miles or so, I am not sure if the bike will make it to be honest, I will have to go careful with it, it could break at any moment and short of buying a new wheel or new bike (I went in to a bike shop in Reims only to be told to get out as they closed 3 minutes before) there will be no cure and it will be the Eurostar back to Blighty..

Fingers crossed for tomorrow let’s get this cycle ride back on track…

With crossed fingers we set out at 9am from Reims with St. Quentin, and the British sector of the line, in our sights. We set out at a steady pace and I kept a close eye on the bike to make sure it was in good shape…however, today it wasn’t my bike that began to play up…Just 4 miles down the road a link came apart on Steve’s chain…another blow to our chances of finishing. He had a go at fixing it by the roadside but was not confident that the fix would last the trip. We needed a bike shop or a large supermarket to pick up supplies.

We carried on at a steady pace to save both bikes..there was neither supermarket or bike shop anywhere in sight. So we kept on. Mercifully the sun was shining and it was dry with only a light wind, however the rolling French countryside kept throwing damn big hills in our way and the Frenchie lorries were doing their best to push us off the road..so the first 30 miles were not the easiest.

We managed to find a Carre-Four but, guess what, it was closed…well it was 2pm, of course it was closed, it was stupid of us to even think a major supermarket would be open in the middle of the afternoon..We waited patiently for the nice manager to finish his stinky cheese and vin rouge and bowled in for a) some lunch, and b) some bike kit…we managed to get lunch, but no luck on the bike front…so we carried on.

The hills kept coming, the curses were getting louder and louder…why is France so bloody hilly! Finally we enjoyed some downhilliness and picked up our average speed, we were going to struggle to get to St. Quentin before dark. Eventually the route did flatten out, which was a good thing as it was less stressful on the bikes and slightly easier to pedal..we just kept moving on, ticking off the little villages as we passed them, stopping at a few memorials to take some pictures until finally we saw the magnificently impressive Basilica of St Quentin on the horizon. It really was a majestic site, lit up like a Xmas tree in the night sky, dominating all around. It was 75 miles to St Quentin. Thats a long way, in case you were wondering.

St. Quentin is a pretty place, it is easy to imagine it fully of British Tommies enjoying some precious time out of the line..it was very lively with lots of traffic buzzing around. Our hotel is right opposite the Basillica which is great. One thing is odd though, it is Friday night and yet it is completely quiet and empty..what do the Frenchies do on a Friday night? They dont go into town thats for sure..

Tomorrow is a shorter (hopefully) trip to Albert…bang in the middle of the Somme battlefield…can’t wait to finally cycle through the British sector of the line…

In case you were wondering, we are doing this cycle trip in aid of the Royal British Legion’s poppy appeal. You can donate online at www.justgiving.com/cyclingtheline

Although the trip so far has been great, it is now, as we approach the Somme region and the areas of British involvement in the war that things start getting really interesting (for me at least). So, I was excited at the prospect of cycling upto Albert today. Albert is practically in the centre of the Somme battlefield and is synonymous with the British Tommy.

We set off at about 10am after a nice petit-dejuner the rain threatened but stayed away and we made good progress..After about 10 miles Steve asked me if he had a buckled wheel, to which I said yes, about 50 yards later his back wheel exploded with a loud bang! That was the end of the wheel, we were about 10km from the next town (Peronne) so we walked and hoped that we would find a supermarche that stocked innertubes and wheels.

The walk was long, and, ironically it was flat..the first 10miles or so out of St. Quentin had been hilly and tough going…  As I was minding my own business walking by the side of the road (county lane with no pavements) I got hit by a Fiat Panda. It’s wing mirror smacked into my elbow and I will be honest…it hurt like hell. The car stopped 20 metres down the road and out hobbled some old Frenchie with a bad limp and no teeth. Now, I dont mind old peeps, but it is my opinion is that when you get to a certain age you should stop driving, for the good of your fellow people…and this guy was way past this age. I was pretty pissed off and started shouting at him asking him in very plain anglo-saxon what the blazers he thought he was doing driving into me…He obviously didnt speak a word of anglo-saxon as none of my insults made an impression. So I just shrugged him off after he said ‘pardon monsiuer’ and trudged off down the road cursing. To be fair though, it was probably difficult for him to see me on the road, it was a dead straight road, in the middle of a sunny afternoon, and I was only wearing a white high-visability jacket…so I do feel sorry for the old git. Sorry, French, garlic crunching, old git. I have still got pins and needles in my arm…

After a couple of hours we got to Peronne and found a huge supermarket which stocked what was needed, and within half an hour of arrival we were back on the firm. We had 20 miles or so to go and a couple of hours of daylight left, so we needed to get a wiggle on.

We made good progress and as we got nearer to Albert there were more and more signs of fighting…a few shells scattered along the roadside, various pieces of land that were still visibily scarred with shell craters – even after 90 plus years, and then eventually we found a British military cemetery along the side of the road. Seeing those graves is a humbling experience and brings home why we are doing this trip. The next few miles on the bike were quiet, the  fact that there were still loads of hills didn’t really matter anymore…

The nearer were got to Albert the more cemeteries were saw, we stopped off at another one – the Devonshire Cemetery where we saw the grave of a VC winner: 12639 Pte J MIller, Royal Lancaster Regiment. While at this cemetery I checked my bike over to make sure everything was ok, and found that I had another spoke broken…not good news.

We road a few more miles, but to save the bike I walked the last couple to the hotel. Tomorrow is a rest day in Albert, the plan is to take a hire car and visit a few of the memorials and museums, as well as try and find a bike shop! Should be an interesting day…

Sorry for the delay in blogging, I have had trouble trying to connect with hotel wi-fi systems…

We set off from Albert early doors and headed north across the old killing grounds of 1916. The mist was heavy on the ground and gave an eery atmosphere as we crossed the open fields and pock-marked ground of the Somme. Our first stop was the Lochnager mine crater which was just awe inspring. It is still about 40 metres wide, almost 100 years after being made…Next stop was even more inspiring. The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. This monument is 45metres high and is simply jaw-dropping in both its sheer size, and what it represents: 73,000 soldiers and officers killed during the Battle of the Somme but who were denied the dignity of having a known grave…

We carried on north through the battlefield..the mist finally cleared and the sun came out to say hello…we made good progress and saw many memorials and cemeteries along the way..the hills kept coming and we saw lots of shells along the roadside..Steve picked one of these ‘le bombs’ up and strapped it to his bike to take home.

We finally came into Lens  via a motorway which we really shouldn’t have been on…imagine cycling on the M4 and you get the idea, it wasn’t a good experience! (Lens is a shit hole by the way..terrible place full of immigrants) and luckily found our hotel without too much trouble, without any more motorways…

By the way…still got pins n needles in my arm from that ruddy car!!

A relatively hassle free day upto Lens…next stop Ypres!!

Another early start on the 10th as we tried to get out of Lens and head north (and across the border) to Ypres. Getting out of Lens wasn’t particularly easy or pleasant…but we got there in the end and headed out into the country, which, thankfully was largely flat. We passed through some sites of famous battles: Neuve Chapelle, Aubers, Fromelles, Ploegsteert, Messines (with a most wonderful Irish memorial on top of the ridge) and Wijtschate..the nearer we got to Ypres, the more memorials and the more cemeteries we passed..a true sign of the horror of the 3 huge battles that were fought here during the Great War.

Just outside la Basee, Steve got a puncture, but thankfully it was a quick fix…my bike seemed to be doing ok and I was doing my best to nurse it through these final couple of days. However a couple of miles down the road I also got a puncture…another easy fix hopefully but it was not to be. My tyre kept going down and I kept pumping it up – I had to keep as much air in the tyre as possible to keep the pressure of the badly damaged rim (remember the lack of spokes…) It lasted until a couple of miles outside of Ypres but I got another puncture…

We walked the last couple of miles into the main town. Ypres itself is a wonderful place…it is similar to Verdun in some respects with its large walls and ramparts.. The cloth hall is one of the most impressive buildings I have ever seen, especially as it was largely destroyed by artillery fire. Walking through Ypres to the north we passed through the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing - what an amazing piece of architecture. With almost 55,000 names of soldiers who fought and died on the Ypres battlefields but do not have a know grave it is as sad as it is breathtaking.

Designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, this memorial combines the architectural images of a classical victory arch and a mausoleum and it contains, inside and out, huge panels into which are carved the names of the 54,896 officers and men of the commonwealth forces who died in the Ypres Salient area and who have no known graves. This figure, however, does not represent all of the missing from this area. It was found that the Menin Gate, immense though it is, was not large enough to hold the names of all the missing. The names recorded on the gate’s panels are those of men who died in the area between the outbreak of the war in 1914 and 15th August, 1917. The names of a further 34,984 of the missing – those who died between 16th August, 1917 and the end of the war, are recorded on carved panels at Tyne Cot Cemetery, on the slopes just below Passchendaele.

The Menin Gate is not a memorial tucked away in some remote part of the town, remembered now and then. The Menin Road is still an important thoroughfare and traffic and pedestrians pass under the gate as part of the daily life of Ypres. In this aspect alone, Remembrance is kept very much alive in Ypres, but there is more.

Every night of the year, without exception, policemen close the road to traffic at 8.00 p.m. and then stand at the salute while buglers from the Ypres Fire Brigade play “The Last Post”. This happens whatever the weather and there is always someone there to watch. The people living near the Menin Gate often open their doors and stand on their doorsteps to join in this daily act of Remembrance in honour of the young and brave who came from all over the world to die in the defence of their town.

Our hotel was not in Ypres ( I couldnt get a room for lest than 200 quid – something to do with Remembrance Day!) but in Menen, which for me was great because it meant an opportunity to cycle down the infamous Menin Road via Hellfire Corner and past the Hooge Crater. We continued to walk (I had a puncture remember) as we thought the hotel wasnt too far out of Ypres, but it soon turned out it was almost 10 miles, so we stopped and tried yet again some emergency puncture repair action on my poor old wheel. To say it was a pain in the arse is a huge understatement. The design of my back wheel makes getting the tyre back on after a repair a real mission – so much so that in the course of trying to lever the tyre onto the rim caused more punctures…twice. And broke 2 plastic tyre levers. Tensions and tempers were rising but the damn wheel was not going to beat us – we finally got the wheel back on and flew down the menin road to our hotel. It was a Best Western and probably the nicest hotel we had stayed at on the trip..

Next morning (11th) we rose early and rode back down the Menin Road to Ypres. We arrived at 10am and there was already a crowd gathering at the Menin Gate. We were in good time though and made sure we got good positions. The Remembrance Ceremony was fantastic with the Last Post being played at 11am followed by a minute silence. Standing in the shadows of that great memorial, hearing the haunting tunes of the last post, and seeing the huge wreaths being laid by various dignatories of the UK and the Commenwealth was an amazing, humbling, emotional experience…we had done it. We had cycled the line and got to Ypres for Remembrance Day…

 

For The Fallen (Laurence Binyon)
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England’s foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Yesterday I visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, about 50km west of Krakow, Poland. It is a place I have always wante to visit, indeed it is a place, that personally, I have told myself I must visit, owing to the significant historical and humanitaria (or lack of it) story that the site has to tell.

Our visit (I went with a small group of like minded friends) started at 10am in the main ‘mother camp’ Auschwitz I. It is this camp that has the iconic gate with the infamous motto ‘Arbeit mach frei’ (Work makes free). The original gate is still there, along with the barrier and ‘halt’ signage. Standing under that sign, and knowing I was about to enter one of the most tortured places in Europe, if not the world, did send a shiver down the spine…

Arbeit Mach Frei - Auschwitz I

We were lucky enough to have a supremely knowledgable tour guide to take us around both Auschwitz I and Auschwitz-Birkenau. His knowledge and wisdom really did bring the whole place to life.

Auschwitz I is a living museum. It is still very much in tact as it was in the 1940′s. Many of the original baracks have been transformed into exhibitions about various aspects of camp life: for example working conditions, sanitary conditions and punishment. There is also the original crematorium (Crematorium I) that has still survived. This particular structure resembles an air raid shelter (because that is what is was used for after the construction of the huge gas chambers/crematorium of Auschwitz II).  Walking into this crematorium, standing in the exact same place where thousands of people were gassed, looking up to the roof to see the holes where the zyklon B was poured in by the SS guards and then seeing the furnaces that burned the bodies is something that will stay with me forever.

Block 11 of Auschwitz I is the ‘prison within a prison’ where any inmate who fell foul of the numerous camp regulations would end up. This was (and still is) a particularly brutal place, for me it was the standing cells that hit home. These were tiny cells (about 1.5m square) with a metal hatch at the bottom where the prisoners climbed in. Upto 8 (yes, eight) prisoners were confined in each cell, squashed right up against eachother – with absolutely no choice but to stand up all night. Ventilation was offered by a tiny hole in the wall, it must have been hell. Image standing in one of these concrete cells all night, pitch black, squashed against 7 other stinking souls, no ventilation, no air, then, when morning comes you go to work – hard manual labour for 12-15 hours, then back in to the standing cell for another tortuous night. Some inmates suffered this for a whole week. Brutal. Unimaginable to you or I. Next door to block 11 is the execution yard, with its wall of death where thousands of prisoners were executed at the whim of the camp SS guards, or strung up with their arms behind their back on wooden posts – which still survive today.

Execution Courtyard - Auschwitz I

For me the most distressing part of the whole tour was learning about the individual stories and seeing the evidence of inmates…One room has a display of suitcases – thousands and thousands of suitcases, all with the name and address of the owner painted on them. Our guide pointed out a few names and told us the stories about the people behind the names…a girl of 3, a baby boy of 1, teenagers, pensioners, veterans of WW1…all exectued on arrival. Then there was the huge pile of shoes (the exhibit was about 20m long and 3 or 4m high…just think about that for a second..thousands upon thousands of shoes. There were other similar exhibits, pots and pans, a mountain of spectacles, then the one that did it for me…..an enourmous mountain of human hair – womens hair. There is approximately 7 tonnes of hair in this one exhibit, evidently that is about 140,000 people. All the hair was grey, caused by the passing of time, apart from one lock which was still vibrantly red.

The hair from one hundred and forty thousand women. You can clearly see the plats, curls etc…until you have seen such a thing it is difficult to imagine, but let me tell you it is a harrowing, harrowing site. It becomes even more distressing when you realise these items are just a tiny fraction of the total that was generated in this camp. These were only the items that were discovered by the Russians in 1945. The vast vast majority of hair had been sent to manufacturers in Bavaria and Germany to make items such as blankets/uniforms for the war effort.

Suitcases of prisoners

A short drive to Auschwitz-Birkenau and we were face to face with that guard tower and that railway track…seeing it in the flesh kinda knocks the wind out of you. Trying to comprehend how many trainloads of people passed the very spot you are standing straight to their death is simply not possible for my little feeble brain. It is not until you see Birkenau for yourself you understand the sheer scale of the place. It is enourmous. There isnt much left of it now: the crematoria were destroyed by the SS in 1945 and the majoity of the wooden barracks were destroyed by a mixture of the SS and Russian army. However, the brick chimneys/heating system of each hut is still there and acts as a kind of individual memorial for those poor souls that lived, suffered and died in each of the barracks.

Auschwitz-Birkenau

Tracing the route of the railway line you come to the siding where the selection process took place. It was here where the SS Doctors decided the fate of the prisoners. Those they thought could work were sent to the camps, those who were too old, too young, or disabled were sent straight to the gas chambers. We traced those tragic footsteps – 380 metres from the siding to crematorium 2 – silent in our own thoughts.

Earlier this month I was lucky enough to cycle in the footsteps of heroes whilst cycling the WW1 Western Front. Now, I was walking in the shadows of death.

Ruins of the gas chamber: Crematorium II

Several months ago I posted a question on Linkedin about the ruins of the Crematoria in Auschwitz-Birkenau. I asked whether they should be preserved or left to rot as nature intended. My gut feeling at the time was to keep them and preserve them as much as possible. By preserve I dont mean rebuild, but try to stop the natural erosion of the relics. The online discussion was very intense with many people having strong opinions one way or another. After visiting the site my view is now equally as strong. We have to preserve as much as we can. We have to teach future generations of the awful atrocities that were carried out at Auschwitz with the hope that they learn from the mistakes of the past.

Forgetting is not an option.

 

 

The double Victoria Cross awarded to Captain Noel Chavasse during WW1 has been sold privately to Lord Ashcroft for a reported £1.5million.

The VC and Bar was sold by St. Peter’s College, Oxford which was founded in 1929 by Captain Chavasse’s father, the Reverend Francis Chavasse, and had been gifted the medals decades before by the Chavasse family.

These medals will no doubt be the star exhibits at the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum which will house Lord Ashcroft’s VC collection, as well as 50 other VC’s from the Museum’s own collection.

Captain Noel Chavasee was the medical officer attached to the 10th (Liverpool Scottish) Battalion, The King’s (Liverpool)Regiment during the First World War and was the only man to be awarded 2 VC’s in this conflict.

Chavasse was first awarded the VC for his actions on 9 August, 1916, at Guillemont, when he attended to the wounded all day under heavy fire.

On 30th July 1916, The battalion was moved into the Somme battlefield near Mametz. The plan was for the battalion to be in reserve for an attack on Guillemont on 31st, but they were never used. The next week for the men was spent digging communication trenches. On 7th August, the battalion received orders to take part in an assault on Guillemont at 4:20am on the 8th. The battalion was part of 166th brigade and was again in reserve. The attack by 164th and 165th brigades was successful on the right but in the middle and left, it was held up. The Liverpool Irish in 164th Brigade appeared to be cut off near the railway station. The 166th were ordered to attack at 4:20am the following morning. The preparation for the attack didn’t go well. The guides failed to turn up, and while waiting for fresh guides, they were caught in German shelling which caused casualties. Eventually the guides arrived but they only had the vaguest idea of the route. The battalion reached the jumping off trenches with only minutes to spare.

The attack was to be made past Trones Wood and Arrowhead Copse to capture the German front line trench and on into Guillemont. The attack started under a German bombardment of the trenches and no-mans-land. Heavy machine gun fire swept Death Valley and pinned down the attackers. In all four attempts were made by the battalion but all without success. The failed attack cost the Liverpool Scottish dear, out of a starting complement of twenty officers and about 600 men, five officers were killed, five were missing and seven wounded. Of the men, sixty nine were killed, twenty seven missing and 167 wounded. This attack was made over the same ground that 30th Division which incorporated 89th Brigade attacked on 30th July, 1916 with enormous casualties. 89th Brigade was manned with three Battalions of the Liverpool Pals. The Scottish must have known the men who lay so thickly on the ground over the ground they were attacking. What this did to their morale does not need any explaining.

During the action, Noel was wounded by two small shell splinters in his back, despite this, he performed the deeds that were to gain him his first VC. The evening of the attack saw Noel and a party of volunteers in no-mans-land helping bring in wounded men. He got as close 25 yards (23 metres) to the German front line where he found three men. This went on all night and throughout all this, a constant rain of snipers bullets and occasional bombing swept no-mans-land.

The battalion went back to a rest area at Valines west of Abbeville, Noel was granted sick leave to recover from his wound. He rejoined his battalion on 7th September near Delville Wood. Back in the thick of the fighting, he was again out rescuing men and treating those brought in to his Casualty Clearing Station. In early October Bishop Chavasse received a letter from Lord Derby which despite being “absolutely forbidden by War Office Rules” he informed the Bishop that “one of your sons in the RAMC attached to the Liverpool Territorials” had been forwarded to him and he “had the honour of forwarding his name to His Majesty for the bestowal of this magnificent Order (the V.C.) and I cannot tell you how pleased I was to do so”. The Bishop wrote immediately to Noel who replied (with some scepticism) “.. till I see it in print I will not believe”. He told no one else in the battalion.

The battalion moved from the Somme back to the Ypres Salient in the Weiltje sector, it was even more battered and grim than he remembered it. By this time, news started to reach the battalion of awards following the action at Guillemont. Two of Noel’s stretcher bearers had been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and two more the Military Medal then on 26th October, 1916 the London Gazette announced that Noel Godfrey Chavasse MC, RAMC had indeed been awarded the Victoria Cross. The Scottish received the news on 28th October and a celebration ensued, the officers held a dinner for Noel in a chateau at Elverdinghe. The citation in the London Gazette read:

Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse, M.C., M.B., Royal Army Medical Corps.

For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty.

During an attack he tended the wounded in the open all day, under heavy fire, frequently in view of the enemy. During the ensuing night he searched for wounded on the ground in front of the enemy’s lines for four hours.

Next day he took one stretcher-bearer to the advanced trenches, and under heavy shell fire carried an urgent case for 500 yards into safety, being wounded in the side by a shell splinter during the journey. The same night he took up a party of twenty volunteers, rescued three wounded men from a shell hole twenty-five yards from the enemy’s trench, buried the bodies of two Officers, and collected many identity discs, although fired on by bombs and machine guns.

Altogether he saved the lives of some twenty badly wounded men, besides the ordinary cases which passed through his hands. His courage and self-sacrifice, were beyond praise.

Chavasse’s second award was made during the period 31 July to 2 August 1917, at Wieltje, during the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchedaele).

The offensive was scheduled to start on 25th July but due to several factors, it was delayed until 31st July. On 20th July, The Scottish moved away from their training camp and back to the familiar ground at Weiltje. The preliminary bombardment for the offensive had already started and the Germans replied by shelling the roads and communication trenches which caused 9 deaths in the battalion as they moved up to the front line. Mustard Gas and high explosive shelling caused a further 145 casualties in the next few days. On the 24th July, the battalion were relieved and they moved back to make good their losses. On the 29th July, they battalion moved forward to its assembly positions, ominously, the fine weather now broke and the rain, which was to turn the battlefield into the infamous quagmire, started. Noel, moved into the dugout at Weiltje. This was no simple scrape but an excavation large enough to hold several hundred men and deep enough to be safe from artillery. It even had its own generator to supply power for lighting and more importantly, water pumps.

The attack started at 3:50 am on 31st July. The Scottish were by this time already in open ground and made good progress towards their first objective and they pushed on towards the Steenbeek, a stream that crossed their route. As they crossed it, they were held up by uncut wire in front of them and by heavy machine gun fire from Capricorn Trench. One of the two tanks detailed to aid in the assault came up at 7am and despite being put out of action very quickly by three direct hits from a German field gun, it managed to break through the wire and by 7:45am all the battalion’s objectives had been taken. Noel had moved his aid post forward with the attack and set it up in a captured German dug out at Setques Farm. The area was subjected to intensive German fire but he stayed put. The dugout was small and it served only as a patching up station before the wounded were sent further back Noel had been injured in the head by a shell splinter as he stood up and waved to indicate the position of his aid post. It is possible he suffered a fractured skull in this incident. After being dressed at the Weiltje dug out, Noel returned, despite advice to stay put, to his aid post. His stretcher bearers had been busy and Noel was very busy until sundown. As night fell Noel picked up his torch and went searching the wrecked landscape for survivors, it was raining again by this time.

Early the following day, Noel found himself a German captive who was a medic and the two of them worked hard to treat wounded men in the impossible conditions of mud, blood and water. Noel went to the door of the dugout to call in the next man when a shell flew past him and down the stairs, killing the man who was waiting to be carried away by the Field Ambulance. Details get very confused at this point, Noel may have received another wound but he carried on. The official history of the Liverpool Scottish has it that Noel was wounded twice more in the head. One stretcher bearer had been sent to the aid post to tell Noel to return. Despite intense pain, “The Doc refused to go and told us to take another man instead”. There is no doubt that at about 3am in the morning of Thursday 2nd August, 1917, another shell entered the aid post, Noel was sitting in a chair trying to get some sleep. Everyone in the aid post was either killed or seriously wounded. Noel had received four or five wounds, the worst being a gaping abdominal wound from which he bled profusely. He managed to crawl up the stairs and out of the dug out and crawled along the (flooded, muddy) “road” until he stumbled across a dugout occupied by Lt. Charles Wray of the Loyal North Lancs Regiment who sent for help and later sent an account to his local paper.

Noel was sent to Casualty Clearing Station No. 32 at Brandhoek, which specialised in abdominal wounds. He was operated on immediately and after all the shell splinters had been removed he was patched up. He regained consciousness and he spoke to a Colonel Davidson who reported “He seems very weak but spoke cheerfully”. It was not to be a happy ending however as Noel died peacefully at 1pm on Saturday 4th August, 1917. Three years to the day since the outbreak of the war.

The Citation for the second award read:

The award was announced in the London Gazette on 14th September, 1917. It read:

Though severely wounded early in the action whilst carrying a wounded soldier to the dressing station, he refused to leave his post, and for two days, not only continued to perform his duties, but in addition, went out repeatedly under heavy fire to search for and attend to the wounded who were lying out. During these searches, although practically without food during this period, worn with fatigue and faint with his wound, he assisted to carry an number of badly wounded men over heavy and difficult ground. By his extraordinary energy and inspiring example was instrumental in rescuing many wounded who would have otherwise undoubtedly succumbed under the bad weather conditions. This devoted and gallant officer subsequently died of his wounds.

Captain Chavasse is buried in Brandhoek’s New Military Cemetery. His grave (Plot 3, Grave B15) has had several memorials over the years, the current headstone was erected on 28th April 1981. It is the only headstone in the world to have two Victoria Crosses engraved on it. The inscription “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” was selected by his father. This cemetary is looked after by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission who do such a wonderful job in many countries of the world.

aptain Noel Godfrey Chavasse, M.C., M.B., Royal Army Medical Corps.For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty.

During an attack he tended the wounded in the open all day, under heavy fire, frequently in view of the enemy. During the ensuing night he searched for wounded on the ground in front of the enemy’s lines for four hours.

Next day he took one stretcher-bearer to the advanced trenches, and under heavy shell fire carried an urgent case for 500 yards into safety, being wounded in the side by a shell splinter during the journey. The same night he took up a party of twenty volunteers, rescued three wounded men from a shell hole twenty-five yards from the enemy’s trench, buried the bodies of two Officers, and collected many identity discs, although fired on by bombs and machine guns.

Altogether he saved the lives of some twenty badly wounded men, besides the ordinary cases which passed through his hands. His courage and self-sacrifice, were beyond praise.

Adolf Hitler’s war record is to be published at the ancestry.co.uk archive. The website is to publish thousands of WWI documents detailing the full military careers of troops that were based in the south east of Germany. They include details of the then 25-year-old volunteer Lance Corporal Adolf Hitler, who was described as a Catholic and an artist. The records also show that he was a bike messenger for his regiment, whose role was to carry messages back and forth from the command staff to the units near the battlefield.

It is not confirmed, but it may also give details of how he won his Iron Cross First Class, a source of great pride to him throughout his life.

Hitler aside, this is a great opportunity for those UK families with German ancestry to discover these particular relatives, after all, the majority of the soldiers from the German Army didn’t want to fight any more than the British Tommy, they were just following orders and doing what they thought was right.

There are hundreds and hundreds of online resources to help you learn more about the First World War and the soldiers that fought in it, indeed, if you want an (almost) exhaustive list of all military research websites, then check out my interactive pdf which lists, links to, and describes thousands of very useful websites…

However, there are half a donzen or so websites that personally, I keep coming back to time and time again when I am researching WW1 heroes..over time, I will share with you my fave WW1 websites…(in no particular order). First up is the Commonwealth War Graves.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission  www.cwgc.org

This free online resource is simple to use and brilliant for tracking down those soldiers who died in both World Wars. The Debt of Honour Register is a database of about 1.7 million (count them) men and women the Commenwealth who died, as well as the 20,000 plus cemeteries and memorials where they are commemorated. There is also 67,000 civilian dead on the register.

Searches are carried out by surname, and can be refined by adding initials, years of death, nationality and which force served in. Once you hit the ‘go’ button you will then see a list of hits in tabular form noting name, rank, regiment, date of death, age and grave/memorial reference. When you find your chap, you can click on his name and more information such as any gallantry medals, next of kin, and the important unit information is also shown. You can print out a ‘certificate’ which gives you all this information on one page which is a nice touch…

cwgc - search results

However, the site is not just about the register, there are good online learning areas, specifically on the Battle of the Somme, Ypres and the German Offensive of 1918. There is also a new North Africa (1940-1943) area which is very good.

A related site is the War Graves Photographic Project (http://twgpp.org) which aims to hold a photographic record of every Commission head stone and memorial.

Roger Day proudly wore ‘his’ medals at last years remembrance parade in Bedworth, Warwickshire. He is an unassuming gentlemen, however his medal bar was anything but! Seventeen medals (count them!), including what looks like from the photos (and I may be mistaken so pls forgive me) a Distinguished Service Order and Bar, a Military Cross, and a Military Medal adorned on 2 seperate bars would suggest this war veteran was a true hero. We are talking The Red Baron, Bomber Harris, Douglas Bader, Chavasse, and the like – household names –  kind of heroism here. Indeed the recipients of such gallantry awards are often the souce of numerous research projects and books and documentaries.

But there is no book on Mr Day, because his medals are fake. Not fake in the fact that they are not original, but they were not earned by him. Evidently he concocted a story of military heroism to impress his wife/girlfriend. That’s fine, I suppose if you want to do that kind of thing..we have all bent the truth a bit to impress a lady, but 17 medals? With 4 Gallantry awards? That’s a bit much. If he would have had a single MC and a couple of campaign medals, no one would have batted an eye lid – but such an impressive haul was bound to get attention.

So now, after pleading guilty, he gets 60 days community service. Silly old sod!

To read more about this story click here

Just before Christmas I posted about the CWGC website as one of half a dozen WW1 bias websites that I believe are invaluable for researchers and family historians interested in this conflict.

Next up is The Long, Long trail (www.1914-1918.net). This site is a huge website jam packed with great detail about the British Army of the First World War. It is home to detailed and well illustrated  accounts of strategy, the formation of the regular, territorial and new armies, plus histories of corps, regiments and individual units. The site inlcudes descriptions and samples of records, including some transcribed unit war diaries.

The site is also home to the ‘Behind the Wire’ database, a searchable index of names and information culled from inteviews of escapees and returning prisoners of war, conducted by the Committee on the Treatment of British Prisoners of War in 1918.

A brilliant, brilliant website.

The Great War of 1914-18 was fought on a scale never before witnessed and caused casualties and damage beyond any battle or war previous to it. In military, social and eonimic terms it was simply immense, touching practically every single Britsh family with millions of people, military and civilian, men and women involved from Britain and all over her empire.

It was quickly agreed that the large number of combatants that had taken part in the war were deserving of distinctive campaign medals. A first it was proposed to follow the same precedent as previous medals and produce appropriate clasps  for individual campaign and battles. This is exactly how it worked for the Boer War of 1899-1902, for which there were no less that 26 clasps issued. And so, after the war a army and navy committees were set up to draw up a list of clasps..the army came up with 79 different clasps and the navy came up with 68 of the little blighters. Granted, these medals and clasps would have made researching the individual soldier/sailor much easier (you would know which battles he served in for starters!) but it would have meant that particular ‘busy’ soldiers/sailors would have had medals with ribbons that stretched down to their belly button!! Not a good look when on parade.  Plus there was the small issue that Britain was economically on her knees after the end of the war, and as such the issue of the clasps to the medal was deemed to complex and costly to put into practise.

So, in the end all serving personnel of the army/navy/airforce received the same standard campaign medals. These were distributed to serving and discharged personnel as well as next of kin as quickly as possible but still it took until well into the1920′s

Each medal will be dealt with seperately in more detail at a later date, but below is a brief description of what they all got (depending on when they served).

The 1914 Star

A single sided bronze star approved by the King for the army in April 1917 and to naval forces in 1918 to reward those who had served in France and Flanders on the strength of a unit from 4th August up to midnight of 22nd/23rd November 1914. A dated clasp was instituted in 1919 to distinguish those who had been ‘under the close fire of the enemy’ (i.e. they were shot at!) between those dates.

The 1914-15 Star

Sanctioned in 1918, this star is very similar to the above 1914 star except it carries the ’1914-1915′ date across its centre. The 1914-15 Star was awarded to British and imperial forces for service in any theatre of war up to 31st December 1915. No clasp was associated with this award.

The British War Medal, 1914-1920

The standard silver war medal for The First World War, the British War Medal was awarded to all forces of the Empire and given to everyone who had served in uniform or had rendered ‘approved’ service. Unlike the previous stars it could be awarded singly. There was also a bronze version of this medal which was awarded to various members of non-combatant labour corps (Chinese, Indian, Maltese and the Macedonian Mule Corps).

The Victory Medal

This is specificall the British version of the Allied Victory Medal as all members of the Allies agreed to issue a similar medal – thus the VM of Britain, France, Belgium, Japan, USA and other allies such as the Czech Republic all bear the same symbolic figure of Victory and the same rainbow-coloured ribbon. The reverse dates on this medal are ’1914-1919′ to include the Russian Civil War. South African awards were bi-lingual.

1914-15 Star trio

The Mercantile Marine Medal, 1914-1918

This bronze award, with it’s dramatic reverse scene, recognised the vital role of the Merchant Navy during the war. Just over 133,000 were awarded with one or more voyages in a designated war zone qualifying. Recipients who served only in the Merchant Navy were awarded this medal along with the British War Medal.

The Territorial Force War Medal, 1914-1919

A bronze medal awarded to members of the Territorial Force (i.e. part time soldiers and nurses) who were already members of the TF on 4th August 1914 and who had completed four years’ service by this time. In addition, they had to have (a) undertaken on or before 30th September 1914 to serve overseas, and (b) to have served overseas but not be eligable for weither the 1914 or 1914-15 Stars. It is the rarest campaign medal of this war, with only 34,000 issued..

65 years ago today, Russian troops liberated what was left of the Auschwitz death camp. Unfortunately less than 3,000 inmates were left, the rest had either been executed or put on a forced death march away from the camp. The camp itself was in tatters as the SS had tried to destroy as much evidence of their crimes as possible.

65 years ago isn’t that long ago really. I know lots of people of that age and older. They were alive at the same time these poor soles were being tortured and gassed – this is not a medieval crime akin to burning the witches, this is a modern-day crime, meticulously planned and carried out by intelligent people.

Every year (About this time) another conversation/debate rages about should we keep Auschwitz and other symbols of Nazi persecution. Why don’t we just raze them to the ground and eradicate the evidence of how shitty the human race can be with each other. (Pardon the language).

I say no. We must keep them all. We must study and try to understand how these tragic events came to be in the first place and ensure we teach out children, and our children’s children that this simply cannot happen again. Having visited Auschwitz first hand recently  I can testify that these monuments will gain ever more importance as the years pass and the people who witnessed the events first hand fade away. We must carry on their fight.

I think we owe it to them.

It’s encouraging to see that, in Hampshire at least, the Holocaust is being taught at school and is taken seriously by schools and pupils alike. One of my neighbours have a teenage daughter (Lyndsay McGregor) that recently met a holocaust survivor as part of a history field trip. On the back of this meeting, Lyndsey wrote the following poem which she has allowed me to share with you…

Tired of Guilt

I can see your face but I know you’re not there.
I know that you are just a nightmare,
I can see in your face the hell you were in,
I can wait simply for the hell to begin,
I know it could have been me who was taken,
And still now I hope only to waken,
It wasn’t my fault, all were at risk,
All of us suffered no matter how brisk,
I have suffered long without your help,
No matter how wild you were, young whelp,
You know I loved you with all of my heart,
And it broke when were pulled without mercy apart,
Teas have left empty grooves in my face
But I have no left for others to chase
But I am still here and you are elsewhere,
I can accept it but still we move nowhere,
I shall never forget you but know I must leave
For also I almost died for what I believe.

Poignant, I think you would agree, and lets us hope that if the rest of the future generation think as deeply about the Holocaust as Lyndsey then hopefully the human race won’t repeat it’s mistakes…

So here is something that I hope will get a little ‘crowd participation’. Here are a few little know or slightly strange facts about WW1, please feel free to add your own facts or sound bites to this little collection..overtime I may add to it so it becomes a little glossary of amazing little Great War soundbites..

So, in no particular order:

On June 28th 1914 Gavrilo Princip shoots Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo. Their car’s registration plate was “A 11 11 18″ Do those numbers seem familiar? Answers on a postcard…

In October 1914, H Dennis Cutler performed the first aerial reconnaissance flight in German East Africa, in an attempt to lcoate the German ship HMS Konigsberg. The radiator of his aircraft failed, and he was forced to make an emergency landing. The radiator could not be repaired, as there were no spare parts, but someone remembered seeing a Model T Ford at Mombasa. HMS Fox was despatched on a 200 mile trip northwards to get the radiator from the Ford, which was then fitted to Cutler’s plane, enabling him to fly over the Konigsberg, which was located in the Rufiji River.

In the spring of 1915 the Belgian Army adopted khaki, not because it was the colour of their choice, but because Britain could supply the enormous amount of cloth required to replace the existing coloured uniforms.

USA pilot Howard Clayton Knotts DFC, DSC achieved the unusual feat of destroying more German aircraft as a prisoner of war, than as an active pilot. After recording 6 victories, he was shot down on the 14th of October 1918, and taken prisoner. When he was aboard a train transferring him to a prison camp, Knotts discovered that 7 Fokker aircraft in a freight car were in the same train, on their way to an aerodrome. When the train stopped, Knotts was able to set fire to some refuse used to pack the freight car. When the train started, the draft caused the fire to destroy the freight car and all 7 Fokkers.

On average, 230 combatants died EVERY SINGLE HOUR for the entire duration of the war.

Most RFC pilots lasted only an average of about 3 weeks once they arrived at the Western Front. Those who weren’t killed, wounded, or taken prisoner were often posted to the reserve due to “nerves”. Flying was extremely stressful and dangerous. Those who lived through the first few weeks acquired skills that helped them live longer or even survive the war.

On Christmas Day, 1914, there was a spontaneous cessation of hostilities between British and German troops in the front lines. They met in No Man’s Land (the area between the opposing front lines) where small gifts like chocolate or buttons were exchanged, and in some places they played football. It has become known as the “Christmas Truce”.

Field Punishment # 1 was regularly given for minor offenses such as drunkenness. A soldier would be tied to a wheel or stake for a couple of hours a day for up to 21 days.

The UK started to use Daylight Savings Time from 30th April 1916 initially as an attempt to conserve coal.

For some more facts on WW1 see my other post: More Little Known Facts on WW1

I know, I know. It has take absolutely ages. But after approx 4 months, the photos from cycling the line are finally on-line. You can see some of the photos we took on my flickr page. I havent got round to putting a title on them all yet (that will take another 4 months probably) but hopefully you will get the jist.

All of these were taken by Steve – he was the man with the cam (era). And some of them are really rather good. So, sit back, relax and enjoy. Pls feel free to comment!

One of my favourite pictures from the trip

“I was standing on the parapet of an old German trench near the guns having a few words with a pal of mine.

A shell burst practically under my feet lifting me some feet of the ground.

My pal was quite 12ft from me at the time and after picking myself up feeling bruised all over as I had been hit by boards, stones and all sorts of debris which had thundered down on me. I ran for cover and collided with him at the entrance of the old German dugout.

He said ‘be careful, I think I’m hit’. Which I soon found to be correct as one of my trouser legs was smothered in blood from him.

I helped him down the steps of the dugout which called for all my strength as he was weakening fast.

At the bottom I lay with him with his head on my knee and the medical officer was soon busy dressing the wounded who were carried down.

To return to my pals case we noticed that his right leg was in a terrible state and on cutting away the trouser leg we found that his thigh had been shot away leaving the bone exposed from hip to knee.

I drew the MO’s attention to his arm which appeared to be twisted in an unnatural position and on cutting his sleeve away we saw that nothing but a shred of skin was holding his arm on.

All this happened in a few minutes and at the end of which time poor young Hoiland died in my arms.”

 

This is a small quote from a remarkable WW1 diary from a Jersey soldier that has recently been discovered. Clarence Percy Ahier was from Jersey, born in 1892 and served as an artilleryman at the Somme and Ypres in the Great War. 

The diary, telling his story from first enlisting in 1915 through to the return to his island home in 1919 is a typically understated British tale.

True heroes do not need to shout about their exploits, they are there for everyone to see. To read more about this remarkable story visit the BBC Website

Over a quarter of a million army pension records have now been made available online at www.findmypast.co.uk

For soldiers that served in the British army before WW1, by far the best way to find any information on service and personal details is via the chelsea pensioner discharge papers. (National Archives WO97). This series holds over 900,000 records of soldiers that were eventually discharged to an army pension during the years 1760-1913.

Working with The National Archives, www.findmypast.co.uk have a plan to digitise the complete series, as well as another 500,000 militia records. The first phase has now been completed and 270,334 records from 1883-1900 are now online and ready for viewing (for a small charge – of course!).

So, what can a researcher find out about the old pensioners from these files? Well, usually these files are 4-6 pages long, although some are longer and take the form of the man’s attestation (joining up) form, which was filled out when he joined the colours. Information on here would include date and place of birth, full name, civillian trade, a physical description including any distinguishing marks. There would then be a statement of service form which gives details of campaigns served in, details of any promotions, good conduct pay, wounds and any campaign and gallantry medal entitlement. The is sometimes extra information such as next of kin, details of marriage and children.

Soldiers were eligable for an army pension after 12 years of service, or earlier if they were wounded. However soldiers who died in action or whilst on service,a nd those who were discharged early did not recieve a pension, as a result they will not have a pension file. For those soldiers it is very difficult to get information. One way would be to check WO120 – The regimental registers which can give brief details of the soldiers.

One thing to bear in mind is that the dates that are referenced relate to the date the soldier was discharged. So the range that has been digitised will cover soldiers that were discharged between 1883 and 1900.

The rest of the files are being digitised and are planned to be released as follows:

• 1901-1913: By May 2010
• 1873-1882: By June 2010
• 1855-1872: By July 2010
• 1760-1854: By April 2011

These files are very popular at the National Archives, where they can only be viewed as original documents, so it is nice to see that they are being digitised. It is a shame however that the public are being forced to subscribe to another web based geneology site. The WW1 soldiers records are with ancestry.co.uk and these are with findmypast.co.uk. Finding out about your ancestors is not a cheap past-time!

Now this has made me angry.

Private Dave Tatlock is a soldier in the British Army, a couple of years ago he was blown up on active duty and told by his doctors he would never walk again. I suppose it was a good thing he took out special insurance with a company called Abacus before he went on tour in Afghanistan. The 25 grand he would get if he was injured on active service would certainly help.

If you happened to watch the Carling Cup Final earlier this season you may have seen this young chap as it was him who carried the cup onto the Wembley turf infront of 80,000 respectful supporters.

Seems though, that some eagle eyed mother-fucker from Abacus also clocked Pte. Tatlock walking on to the pitch that day, and as a result this anonymous piece of shit called up the rehab centre where he is learning to walk again to say that his insurance claim is being put under review because he has been seen walking. He/she didn’t even have the guts to tell Pte Tatlock to his face.

Now, I am not against insurers (my best man is in the insurance trade – and he is a fine fellow!). But when a lifelong Manchester United fan is invited to Wembley as a small token of appreciation for what he has recently been through, and then is at risk of losing a big insurance payout because some little jobsworth low life thinks it is big and clever to try and stop the insurance claim – I think this is out of order.

Whoever you are little insurance person, you are nothing compared to Pte Tatlock. I hope you are proud of what you have done. Maybe a 6 month tour of the front line would wake you up to realities of what these guys have to go through..

Fucker.

Read the full story here.

When my wife texted me yesterday saying she had bought me a surprise present I thought that I had finally worn her down enough to give in and buy me a Mustang. When I finally got home and didn’t see it all shiny and new on the driveway I thought to myself ‘Aah, she has parked it somewhere or we pick it up tomorrow, there is probably a picture of it in a card, or the keys are hanging up… 

There were no keys. There was no picture. There was, instead, a little wooden box, with a couple of engraved plaques on. Now, I will be honest, I was a little bit disappointed (but not totally surprised) that there was no mustang, but on closer inspection this box could be a little gem all of its own. 

The box is maybe 4 or 5 inches square with a large etching of Jerusalem on the lid, and at the front an inscription to the giver and recipient of this box. The inscription reads: 

Presented to Vice-Admiral Sir R Halliday DGI 

By M.G. E. Barak DMI/IDF 

 Hmmm. Vice-Admiral huh? Interesting! Was my initial reaction and an hour later I discovered that this Vice-Admiral was a WW2 Naval officer who earned multiple gallantry awards, was shot down by the Japs, rescued by royalty and went on to become a Knight of the Realm… 

The little box

Roy William Halliday was born on June 27th 1923 studied at William Ellis School and University College School before volunteering in 1939 for the Royal Navy solely in an effort to avoid at all costs the infantry.  His previous seagoing experience had been the hardship of a deckhand’s life in a Lowestoft fishing trawler. Initially entering service in 1941 as a naval rating at HMS Royal Arthur at Skegness, he was quickly offered a commission as an officer in the RNVR  and asked to train as a naval airman. He immediately accepted without hesitation and probably didn’t make the connection that one telling reason for his quick promotion was the casuality rates for naval airman at this time! 

Although not yet at war, the US was secretly providing training for British airmen. Halliday was shipped to Canada and then to the US naval air station at Grosse Ile, near Detroit, followed by highly intensive flying training at Pensacola, Florida, where he obtained his “wings” after 300 hours solo. 

Pearl Harbor enabled the British at last to wear uniform. Halliday was appointed to a squadron of Grumman Avengers, a sturdy US-designed carrier-borne bomber, and joined the escort carrier Chaser in the Gulf of Mexico.  

Three months of anti-submarine patrols in the Atlantic were followed by deployment to the Royal Naval Air Station HMS Sparrowhawk at Hatston in Orkney, as a guard against the escape of German heavy warships from Norway into the convoy routes. 

Interesting inscription

Halliday’s squadron was then embarked in the large carrier HMS Illustrious, which arrived in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in January 1944. It thereafter carried out bombing raids on Japanese installations in Java and Sumatra, as well as operations in support of General Slim’s 14th Army in Burma. 

Halliday had transferred to the HMS Victorious by January 24, 1945, the day of the largest raid carried out by the Fleet Air Arm, on oil refineries at Palembang in Sumatra, which were bombed by aircraft from four large carriers. During the raid Halliday’s Avenger was shot up by a Japanese Zero fighter, and after a hair-raising flight, on fire, over mountainous jungle he ditched in the Java Sea and was picked up in his dinghy by the destroyer HMS Whelp, part of Force 63, a group of destroyers whose job it was to patrol the waters around Sumatra. 

As the downed men struggled to inflate their life raft, and with the plane rapidly filling with water, the first lieutenant of HMS Whelp dispatched a rescue boat to haul them to safety. 

In an interview with the BBC Halliday’s air-gunner in that plane, Norman ’Dickie’ Richardson, recounts the moment of rescue. “The first lieutenant was leaning over the rail and introduced himself as Lieutenant Philip,” recalls Dickie. He arranged clean, dry clothes for them, and ensured they were fed and watered. At the time, they had no idea who he was – but his friendliness and efficiency remained with them. 

It was some time later that they were to discover they were rescued by Philip Mountbatten, Prince of Greece, soon to be HRH Prince Phillip.  

Returning to HMS Victorious, Halliday found that his cabin mate had been shot down and was a PoW. He was one of nine British naval aircrew who were paraded in Changi Prison, Singapore, two days after VJ Day and beheaded, to Halliday’s great distress. 

Vice-Admiral Sir R W Halliday KBE DSC

In the meantime, Halliday had continued in Victorious, taking part in raids on Formosa (Taiwan), the Ryuku islands and finally the Japanese mainland. Soon after the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atom bombs ended the war, he was shipped home in the troop ship Rangitiki, having been awarded two Mentions in Dispatches and the Distinguished Service Cross for his gallantry and skill. 

More research needs to be done into exactly where/when/why/how he won these 3 gallantry awards, a quick check through the online London Gazette has come up blank, which is not surprising as the search engine is rubbish. A search of the National Archives list of recommendations for gallantry awards between 1935 and 1990 also came up blank, although not that many RNVR awards are in there…so I will have to keep looking! 

He took up the offer of a permanent RN commission and was appointed as a test pilot to the experimental establishment at Boscombe Down, where an exciting tour meant that he flew the newest types of jet aircraft. 

From 1973 to 1981 Halliday was part of the defence intelligence network, initially as Director of Naval Intelligence in the Ministry of Defence. His tour in Washington as head of the British naval mission and naval attaché had a high intelligence content — unlike the other two services the naval staff was based in the Pentagon itself. 

On return to the UK in 1978 he was promoted to vice-admiral and appointed Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Intelligence), in charge of the intelligence function of all three services. He was appointed KBE in 1980 and, as a mark of his undoubted acumen and his sound judgment about Cold War issues, was, unusually, continued in the quasi-civilian post of Director-General (Intelligence) as an under-secretary of state for a further three years, finally retiring in 1984. This period included the Falklands conflict. He was also chairman of trustees of the Burma Star Association and chairman of the British Military Power Boat Trust, which restores and preserves boats of historical interest. 

So…an interesting character. It’s amazing what you can find in your local charity shop isn’t it? 

Biography researched from the following pages:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Halliday

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4646270.stm

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article2962440.ece

While cycling home today I had an idea for a new fundraising idea for the Royal British Legion, which I would like your feedback on. Some of you may remember my Cycling the Line trek last November which I did with my good buddy Steve, well, while I want to do some more fundraising for the Legion this year, I am going to give my back and knees a rest from the bike for a while. So, this year my thought is a charity auction, to take place on November 11th with all proceeds going to the Legion.

The loose plan is that I talk to a friendly auction house (someone like Bosely’s) and see if they are willing to host a charity auction and then set about convincing people to put some stuff up for auction. I am thinking celebrities could offer some signed photo’s or other stuff, and as this is a military themed auction I was going to contact medal collectors and dealers that I know to contribute odd medal or other piece of militaria they no longer need in their collection to the auction. I have other contacts that I can talk to about other stuff military – uniforms, hollywood props and other stuff, plus contacts in the media and publishing where I may be able to get some interesting things for the auction.

So there is my plan. What do you think? Realistic or fanciful and naive? Do you think I will get enough pieces for the auction, do you have any ideas/contacts/advice. I would like to try to raise a similar amount to what we raised last year on the cycle ride – that being about £3500. So I am probably looking at 100 – 150 lots…

I would be very interested to hear/read your thoughts..

I had the pleasure of hosting my European marketing colleagues at work this week, along with some senior members of our corporate marketing management team. During the meetings I put together a ‘cliché tax’ system where a small fine (20p or 20c depending on where you came from!) was paid every time someone said one of a set of pre-defined ‘clichés’. These words included ‘Leverage’ (I hate that word), and stuff like ‘boil the ocean’, ‘let’s take that offline’, ‘holistic view’, win/win, and ‘work smarter not harder’. 

To my delight all my colleagues they all embraced this idea fully and were really great sports! In total we raised £22.30, $2.00 and 17.70Euros. A total of roughly £38.00. I am going to match the total, so a cheque for the Royal British Legion is on its way in the post for £76.00. In my opinion this is a great way of raising a bit of cash for a great charity. The do an amazing job looking after our soldiers. 

Why don’t you try it next time you have a meeting? If we all did something small like this, the combined effect could be very powerful. 

bruce the bear (meeting mascot) and the fines

Surrendered to Britain by Germany at the end of the First World War, the UB-88 was given to the U.S. for study and a victory lap from New York, around the Panama Canal and back up to the coastal waters off California. The agreement called for the German submarine to be sunk within two years. So on January 3, 1921, the U.S. navy sent it to a watery grave off Long Beach, without revealing the exact location. 72 years later Gary Fabian, exploring USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) maps, noticed something unusual: It was long and bore a shape that could indicate a submarine. The multi-beam sonar images are free to anyone who cares to view them on the internet, although they are very complex and need a good level of technical understanding to decipher them. However, Gary Fabian, being a bit of a geek, managed to figure it out and after forming a search group called UB88.org, starting checking it out.

In an interview with  a local paper, Gary takes up the story, 

“We can take those numbers that I get from that (the USGS map), put it in the GPS on a boat and the divers can go right to the site. I mean it’s accurate to within less than 30 feet. The divers took cameras along as they dove to between 200 and 300 feet.

ub88 in 1921

“We were able to watch the video onboard the boat,” he said, “so we’re obviously gathered around this tiny little screen watching it. You can see the conning tower sticking up and the torpedo tubes and dive planes. Yeah, that’s a sub! So it was exciting!”

It didn’t take long for the powers-that-be to take notice.

“We were contacted by the navy because they found out in short order that we had located the sub,” said Fabian. “They informed us that it’s considered sovereign immune property, which means it still belongs to Germany or Great Britain technically, and we’re not to disturb it. We’re fine with that because our divers aren’t into looking for relics or bringing anything up. That’s not what they do.”

I think this is very cool – a WW1 Submarine re-discovered after the best part of 90 years… a bit geeky, but very cool. So in my very best American I say ‘Good Job Gary!’

ub88 wreck

I have been a regular ‘tweeter’ for a while now and have a growing ‘army’ of followers that has just hit 750 people! I tweet about all things military history including news and tips on how to uncover your family heroes.

http://twitter.com/military_search

I always think back on this day – the anniversary of the allied beach landings on the Normandy coast - about a trip that I did with a good buddy of mine, Andy Wootten, a few years back. (I want to say 2004, but my memory is shocking and that could be wrong).

Andy’s Dad took part in the Normandy landings as part of the British/Canadian landings at Juno Beach and we set about following in his footsteps and also having a good look around the entire landing site and surrounding areas. Andy had some photo’s of his Dad taken in the area and we managed to find the exact spots the pictures were taken and take our own, modern versions of the photos, which was fantastic. To this day it is one of the most amazing trips I have ever been on. There is history and stories every where you look, from bunkers to gun emplacements to war cemeteries, memorials and of course the beaches themselves. Just standing on the beach, looking out to sea, and then looking at the coast and still seeing bunkers and guns and knowing that just a few short years ago, men (actually most were mere boys) actually walked up that same beach you are standing on with what felt like half the German army lobbing bombs, shells, grenades and machine gun fire in their general direction. There are not many places in Europe like it. You can almost taste it in the air when you breathe.

The American cemetery above Omaha Beach is one of the most moving places I have ever been, Pointe du Hoc is awe-inspiring and some of the gun emplacements are just mind-blowing. If you have never been, I strongly urge you to go and visit – it is a remarkable piece of France.

I have been asked a few times if I would have liked to have been there as it was all kicking off. It is an interesting question. Part of me is perhaps a little bit jealous of these men that they witnessed at first hand, indeed were intrinsically part of, such an important historical day. They must all have amazing and often sad personal stories and memories. I am not sure I would have behaved so impeccably, so calmly, so professionally as these guys did. I would probably have become hysterical with fear and no good to man or beast. Perhaps if I could have been invisible so the Germans couldn’t shoot me then I would give it a go.

All of the soldiers and men from the Allied forces who took part in the landings should be remembered today – the anniversary of D-Day. They are all heroes. All of them.

Almost all of us have a family member who fought for King and Country during the First World War. With digitisation of army and pension records, as well as medal cards, ancestry.co.uk is a great resource for anyone wanting to find out more about their family heroes from WW1.

There are a vast number of service records available online (Although the search is a bit clunky and don’t forget that about 80% of all service records from WW1 were destroyed during the Blitz). Some of the details you can find on these records are great, obviously there is the basic name, age, place of birth, next of kin, but then there is extra details such as hair and ey colour, tattoos or scars, any wounds during engagement etc.

Nearly everyone who served in WW1 received a campaign medal. The Medal Index Cards have also been digitised onto ancestry.co.uk and will tell you what campaign medals they won, as well as rank/regiment/service number and perhaps the date they went to war and the theatre (i.e Western Front, Egypt etc.) they served in.

Another fascinating search is the De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour which has short (a single paragraph mostly) biographies of many of the fallen soldiers. It only covers a small percentage of the total war dead, but can be a rewarding search.

Today is the anniversary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Widely regarded as the blackest day in British military history, approximately 60,000 British soldiers were killed, wounded or missing as Kitchener’s New Army was blooded – quite literally – on the battlefields of France. That’s sixty thousand men…twenty thousand of them killed. Twenty thousand families ruined in a few hours. Think about that for a minute. As a comparison, that was more than 5x more than the combined Allied casualties on D-Day.

Now, popular myth and perception is that the generals and officers that devised this attack were incompetent fools that led their brave new armies to death due to poor decisions, poor planning and a bucket-load of indecisiveness and delays…Well, in my opinion this is not necessarily 100% true. Yes, mistakes were made, however many of these generals and staff officers may not have been quite the bumbling fools that have since been characterised by the likes of General Melchett in the splendid Blackadder Goes Forth.

So were the lions of the Great War really led by donkeys?

No! Let’s blame it on the French.

At the end of 1915, there were considerable tensions rising to the surface between the British and the French governments. The French Commander in Chief - Generale Joffre was demanding strenuously that the British take part in more offensive actions on the Western Front. Up until now, it was his impression that the French were doing most of the fighting. And most of the dying. The 2 million British sailors afloat keeping the high seas safe and free of U-boats were of little consequence to the French who just wanted to get rid of the German invaders. However, the British has a tiny army compared to the French, and wanted more time to recruit, equip and train new conscripts, their argument being you cannot send raw recruits into battle without the proper training and equipment. That would be just madness, right?

The French wanted the Somme to be a battle of attrition – their own attempt at bleeding Germany white. He promised 40 divisions (500,000 men) which would have been double the British representation. Oh and they also said the battle would be in August 1916.

Let’s blame the politicians.

Despite these promises, the British (and specifically Haig) didn’t really fancy a bloodbath on the Somme. He had his attentions turned to those pesky U-boats that were threatening to cut off vital war supplies that were being shipped in from overseas. If the U-boat bases, especially those in Belgium, could be wiped out, that would help everyone. What would winning on the Somme achieve? hmmmm…he had a point. So why did he agree? One word my friends: Politics. He was under enormous pressure by the British government to keep the Frenchies happy, he had no choice really. Merd.

No, Let’s Blame it on the Germans instead.

So, Haig was all set for an August attack with a signficant French army backing him up…then, in February 1916 those ruddy Germans decided to have a go at Verdun. To bleed France white. They almost succeeded too. The battle was ferocious and pretty soon the French army was at breaking point. They demanded help from Britain. And quick. June please. Or July at the very latest. They needed a diversionary attack to draw German troops away from Verdun. Oh, and you know those 40 Divisions of French help? Make that 5.

And so, the scene was set for the Battle of the Somme. An unwanted battle for the British. Fought for the wrong reasons, fought in the wrong place, and fought at the wrong time.

So what about the attack itself. One myth is that the British soldiers were told to stand up and walk slowly across No Man’s Land towards the German trenches. Did this actually happen? Well, yes it did, actually.

Here’s the deal with the ‘walking slowly towards lots of machine guns’ thing. I guess you have 3 options here: walk, run or crawl. The German trenches were at a minimum a quarter of a mile away from the British lines, and in many places more than a mile away. How long would it take to crawl that amount of distance? I suspect too long, so that is the crawling business put to bed. The average Tommy wore kit that weighed about 30-35kg, now, you try running up hill for a mile carrying 30kg on your back and then have a fight with some angry Germans. Chances are you would be exhausted before you got anywhere near the enemy. Oh, and dont forget the terrain would have been annihilated by shell fire and would be very treacherous and uneven. As a result the British attackers were instructed to walk, to take it easy in the first stages of the advance in an effort to save themselves for a short, sharp rush when they got near the oppositions trenches. Kinda makes sense I guess, and it may have worked if it wasn’t for those darned machine guns.

Bombardment

This was an artillery war, indeed 58% of all casualties during the first day of the Somme were due to artillery fire. As soon as the British poked their heads above their parapets for the advance the Germans let them have it with a huge artillery bombardment on their trenches and in No Man’s Land. But hang on a minute. This was never meant to happen. The Brits had been shelling the crap out of the Germans, at the rate of 3 shells a second, every second of every minute of every hour of every day, since the 24th June. That’s a lot of shells by the way, about 1.7million. That’s got to hurt. Indeed the entire battle plan was that this bombardment would be so devastating that there would be nothing left of the German lines, and the attack troops would just have to ‘mop up’. But it didn’t work out that way. Why?

As I have already alluded to, the Germans had very good defensive positions. And so they should, they had dug in  in 1914 and could pick the best positions at their leisure. The Somme area is very chalky, and chalk is good for deep dugouts that can resist artillery bombardments. Over time the Germans had built a subterranean network of deep dugouts some more than 10m below ground, and were able to hide in relative safety from the guns. Whatsmore, the British artillery failed to cut the German barbed wire defenses, it just didn’t have enough of the correct type of shell to effectively cut wire, this in particular would prove catastrophic. Add to this the fact that around 30% of all shells were duds that failed to explode and the effectiveness of the barrage was significantly reduced.

Can we really blame the Generals in the field for poor quality ammunition and superior enemy defences?

Equipment

In any walk of life if you buy something to do a specific job you would normally expect it to be tested to ensure it can do what it was designed to do. Unfortunately many of the bits of kit that the Soldiers took into battle in 1916 were not tested properly before being issued. Take wire cutter extensions, a natty little gadget that soldiers placed on their rifles..the idea was that you pushed it against the German wire and it would snip neatly through the wire. It worked great on British wire…just didnt work at all on the Germans stuff. Which was a shame.

Logistics.

When you think about it, you can have the best troops in the world, the best equipment, the best training, the best of everything, but if you cannot move your armies, or feed them, or get them to hospital when they are injured, then they are quite useless. The logistics for the Somme battle were incredible. It was like moving a large city over to the middle of France. Don’t forget, this was a time before helicopters, lorries, mobile phones etc. There were no tyres, wheels were wooden and transport was largely horse or mule powered. All rations, ammunition, guns, clothing, railway tracks, gravel and other equipment were all moved about using equine power. And here is another thing, feeding those horses took huge resources as well, in fact some sources suggest that in weight terms, there was more fodder for horses transported to france, than shells. Hat’s off to those logistics people is what I say.

Mines

As the preparations for the attack were being made above ground, preparations underground had been going on for months. Tunnelers were excavating huge mines packed full of explosives directly under the German lines, in a scale never seen before. The British Army was pushing the boundaries of warfare. These tunnels, dug within metres of the enemy It was a master stroke which caused, as intended, massive loss to the enemy.

Communications

The First World War was the only war ever where the commanders could not directly affect the flow of battle by his own voice. In previous wars he would be right there with his troops, shouting instructions, in later wars there was radio. On the Somme the commanders were forced to use carrier pigeon, basic telephones (although the wire was cut almost immediately) and runners. The fact is the technology of killing had vastly out stripped the technology of communication. They simply didn’t know what was going on, and thus were almost unable to make decisions on the spot that would perhaps have changed history.

Haig – Prime Donkey or War Hero

Field Marshall Douglas Haig is widely seen as the prime donkey in all of the donkey kingdom that was the British high command. At the end of 1918 he was a hero. It was his army, he had built it, he had deployed it and he had maintained it in such a fighting state that by the end of the war it was the only army fit enough to defeat the Germans militarily. He won the war. The politicians loved him, his soldiers loved him, the people of Britain loved him. He was a very popular chap.

He was also a champion of technology. He has demanded more than 40 tanks for the opening day of the battle, if they had been delivered on time who knows what would have happened.

On July 12th the Germans pulled out of Verdun, so I suppose in a funny kind of way the early days of the Somme were a strategic success in that it relieved the pressure on our French friends and allowed them to regroup and recover. And another thing, after the Battle had ended in November 1916, the German High Command conceded that it couldn’t take another Somme battle. It therefore resumed its U-Boat war, that in the end brought the USA into play, another indirect consequence of the Somme.

Disagree? Post a comment – we love a good bit of banter!

The dedication of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, Fromelles, northern France, will take place on Monday 19 July 2010. During the dedication, an un-named soldier will be buried.  He is the last of the 250 Australian and British soldiers found at the Pheasant Wood site to be laid to rest.     

Access to the site will be controlled, for security and safety reasons.   

Most invited guests will receive their invitations by post.  In the case of the families of Australian soldiers, they will receive their tickets direct. In addition to invited guests, members of the public are welcome to attend, and can apply for tickets for the event, under the following conditions:  

 - Tickets are free and must not be sold or used commercially.  

 - Applications must specify the names of all those who wish to attend.  

 - Unless travelling as part of a tour group, all applicants must apply individually and will be issued with a separate ticket.  Tickets will be issued in the name of the applicant.  Anyone who has received an invitation to the event does not need to apply for a ticket.  

 - Tour groups or associations may apply in bulk, as long as the application is accompanied by a list of the names of their party members.   

 - Tickets will allow access to the public area reserved for spectators and should be carried at all times.  

 - The field has a capacity for about 4,500 spectators.  Plots on the field can not be reserved.  

 - Spectators are permitted to bring lightweight folding seats or picnic blankets.  However, umbrellas, banners or other items that may block the view of others are not to be used during the ceremony.   

 - The consumption of alcohol is not permitted before or during the ceremony.  

 - Parking areas will be available, on the outskirts of Fromelles, for those travelling to the ceremony.  Access to Fromelles, and the parking areas, will be restricted to ticket holders/tour groups (other than local residents).  

 - The ticket will allow free use of the shuttle bus between the parking area and the village of Fromelles.  There will be a short walk from the drop-off point to the Cemetery and public viewing area.  

Placing a Gravestone at Fromelles War Cemetery

  

 Other than invited guests, and the families of Australian soldiers, anyone wishing to attend, including members of the public who may have already registered their interest elsewhere, is requested to order their free ticket from the Service Personnel and Veterans’ Agency (SPVA) by email.   

The email address for applications is:  

SPVA-Events@MOD.UK  

Those who do not have access to email may apply in writing to the SPVA at the following address:  

Service and Veterans Support Team, Service Personnel and Veterans Agency, Room 6108, Tomlinson House,   Norcross, Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, FY5 3WP  

Timings – 19 July  

0930                   Park and Ride opens
1130                    Guests requested to be seated
1200                   Official ceremony starts
1300                   Official ceremony finishes
1500 – 1800    Private ceremony for families of named soldiers only
1900                   Cemetery closed for removal of event infrastructure  

Timings – 20 July  

0900 – 0945    Private reflection period for UK families
1000                   Cemetery open to public – see below  

Getting There  

Due to the limited capacity of the local roads, the Gendarmes will establish a traffic control zone on all the approach roads to Fromelles and access to the village will be restricted.  

By Car. If you plan to travel to Fromelles by car you will need to use the Park and Ride facility (see map).  

By Taxi. There are multiple taxi companies in Lille which may be able to take you to Fromelles. Prior to the event Taxis will be given access to Fromelles for drop off only and will not be allowed to wait in the village. For guidance the approximate fare from Lille to Fromelles is €50. Please do not pre-book your taxi for your return journey from Fromelles as taxis will not be allowed into the village after the event. A shuttle bus will be provided to take you to Beaucamps-Ligny where a taxi rank will be established for your onward journey.  

By Tour Bus. Tour buses are required to park at the coach park (see map) . The walk from the coach park to the entrance of the public event site is approximately 600 metres.  

All guests will need to show tickets at all Gendarme control points.  

Disabled Access  

There is a disabled parking area close to the village for those with Disabled Car Badges.
There will be spaces for wheelchairs in the public event area and, if required, disabled transport will also be available for the 200 metre distance from the vehicle drop-off point.  

The Event  

Background information about the Battle of Fromelles and the work leading up to the day’s events will be shown on a large screen at the site. The ceremony will also be shown on the screen. The dedication ceremony will include the re-interment, with full military honours, of an un-named soldier by a joint burial party from the Australian and British Armies.  

Facilities  

Toilets (including disabled toilets), a First Aid post, information displays and catering facilities where food and beverages can be purchased will be available in the public area, which is a field adjacent to the cemetery. These will be available both prior to, and after, the ceremony.  

Dress  

The weather in Fromelles in July can be difficult to predict, ranging from very hot and sunny to cool and wet. Please note this is an outdoor event; the public viewing area is in a field and you may be there for over two hours, so please dress and prepare accordingly. The ceremony will proceed regardless of the weather. There is no overhead protection from the elements in the public viewing area.  

Security  

All guests are to carry photographic identification (eg passport or national ID card) in case of security checks at the site.  

Mobile Telephones and Photography  

Please ensure that all mobile telephones are switched off during the ceremony. Photography during the ceremony is permitted but guests are reminded to pay due respect to the activity being undertaken.  

Access to Cemetery and Wreath Laying  

On 19 July, access inside the cemetery itself is limited to those participating in the ceremony and to the families of named soldiers buried within.  

Visitors wishing to lay wreaths on 19 July may do so near the entrance gate to the cemetery after 1315. At the end of proceedings all wreaths will be taken up to the Cross of Sacrifice.  

On Tuesday 20 July UK families will have an opportunity for a reflection period from 9am – 9.45am.  

The cemetery will open to the general public at 10am on Tuesday 20 July. Event infrastructure will be being dismantled at this time, but there will be pedestrian access to the cemetery. Safety of visitors is of utmost importance. The parking area will remain closed – visitors will have to park in the village and walk into the cemetery.  

Disabled Access – special arrangements  

If you think the arrangements above for disabled access may not meet your specific needs please contact SPVA in UK (SPVA-events@mod.uk) or the Australian Fromelles Project Group on (freecall) 1800 019 090 or email ahq.fromelles@defence.gov.au  

Details and image taken from the official CWGC Fromelles website: http://www.cwgc.org/fromelles/?page=english/homepage

Took the kids the other day to the tank museum at Bovington - Had a wicked time, I hadn’t been there for many years. The museum has under gone a very nice new facelift, including new exhibitions and facilities, and is a wonderful day out. From the very first tank ever (Little Willy – which has now got a beer named after it!) to the modern-day 21st century vehicles there are over 200 tanks and armoured vehicles that have seen action in every major conflict since 1915. 

I wanted to visit the Trench exhibition which allows you, the visitor, to follow in the footsteps of a ww1 army recruit. From recruiting office in England to mud and blood of the front line trenches. But my young boy, Honza, was scared of the exhibits and we didn’t go in…which is a shame, but I am sure we will get to go again! What has this got to do with a tank museum you may well ask? Well, actually, everything. The tank (or land-ship as it was originally called) was primarily invented (by the British) in an attempt to break the stalemate of trench warfare, and made its world debut in September 1916 near Delville Wood during the later stages of the Battle of the Somme. 

Another great exhibition is the Tank Story which follows the evolution of the tank from Little Willie in 1915 up to modern-day tanks and all in between. Including the daddy of them all – the Tiger.. 

After spending 4 hrs shouting ‘Daddy look at that big gun!’ my two lovelies dragged me to the souvenir shop where we purchased 2 (talking) soldier hats. Jan and Lenka both then ran to the car pretending to be tank soldiers, shooting imaginary baddies. We had a great day which ended up with both of the proclaiming loudly ‘Daddy, we LOVE tanks!’ 

TAAAAANNKKSS!!

So, why not get down to Bovington this summer – it looks like the sun has gone for the summer so you will probably be looking for somewhere indoors to take the kids…the tank museum is a great choice! 

Honza taking on 'the baddies'

Perhaps the only disappointing thing from ‘Cycling the Line’ was the fact that we couldn’t really spend much time looking around the places we were travelling through. This was especially true when we hit Ypres at the very end of the trip. My bike was in such a bad state I dared not do a metre more than was absolutely necessary, and as a result we missed out on a couple of areas that I wanted to visit – namely Tyne Cot cemetery and the area to the west of Ypres…Passchendaele. 

So, on a business trip to Belgium this week I decided to take a day’s holiday, hire a car and re-visit some of the places we cycled to, or just missed, at the very end of our trip. I had only 1 day so decided to  take in Tyne Cot cemetery, the village of Passchendaele, Polygon Wood, Sanctuary Wood, Hooge Crater, Langemark, Zonnebeke, and the Menin Road… 

My first stop was the largest commonwealth cemetery in the world – Tyne Cot -  with 11,908 individual graves and 34,927 names of soldiers who have no known resting place…near on 46,000 soldiers…There are many different emotions when you visit a place such as this. I was awe-struck, humbled, sad and proud all at the same time. There is a small information centre in front of the cemetery with artifacts and personal stories from soldiers that are resting in the cemetery near by. Th letters, photo’s, pieces of uniform and equipment, and medals are a stark reminder that each white stone and each name on the vast walls of the memorial represents a man; a son, husband, lover, father. And that 46,000 families were shattered when they received that telegram…‘it is with deepest regret…’ In the background while you visit the centre there is a female recorded voice reading a roll call of the officers and men that are in the cemetery. Benjamin Thomas Robins, aged 19; John Gibbs, aged 23…It is very haunting. 

Graves and Memorial: Tyne Cot

The cemetery itself is vast. It is a remarkable place. I walked up and down the rows of graves of men…boys I never knew, are not distant relations,  but yet I found myself whispering a few words to the headstones and wondering what kind of people they were. Sitting on the steps of the cross of sacrifice (built on top of a German bunker) and looking out over the thousands of pristine white stones, I don’t mind telling you there was a tear. 

Next stop was Polygon Wood, the scene of bitter hand to hand fighting. The Polygon Wood cemetery is in stark contrast to that of Tyne Cot. Tiny in numbers and the graves are not set in neat rows, but rather randomly set. This was a front line cemetery and I guess it is difficult to bury your comrades in neat and straight lines when you are being shot at and shelled! In the garden in front of the cemetery was a donkey, obviously a pet of a nearby house… I couldn’t help thinking about the common feeling of the Lions being led by Donkeys. 

After a few hours visiting other cemeteries and the village of Passchendaele (including the memorial museum which is a must if you visit the area) I ended up on The Menin Road. I have strong memories of manically cycling up this iconic road, but desperately wanted to take time out to visit Hellfire Corner, Clapham Junction, Sanctuary Wood and the Hooge Crater. 

The preserved trenches at the Sanctuary Wood museum are unbelievable. They are one of the few places left where you can actually get some kind of idea as to what a real trench looked like…although the thousands of visitors to the site over the years have eroded the grass and moss that originally covered the ground – it is still an eery and remarkable place, even more so as I was the only person there at the time (one advantage of visiting during the school holidays!). 

So all in all a magnificent and moving day on the Ypres salient…I have taken lots of photos but am having trouble uploading some of them..I will upload them asap and link to them from here…

Photographs now uploaded to Flickr. You can see them here:

Today, at 15.52BST to be precise, marks the 70th Anniversary of the famous ‘So Few’ speech from Sir Winston Churchill as he paid tribute to the RAF as they threw everything they had against the mighty Luftwaffe in The Battle of Britain.

To commemorate this anniversary, the speech will be replayed outside Churchill’s war-time bunker in Whitehall, at 1552 BST – precisely 70 years since Churchill stood up to give the address in Parliament. It will be followed shortly afterwards by a Spitfire and Hurricane fly-past over Whitehall.

In his speech that day, Churchill encapsulated the heroism of the RAF Fighter Command and the gratitude of a nation in one memorable, succinct sentence…

Never in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few.

Victory in The Battle of Britain almost definitely put pay to a Nazi invasion of our island, without air superiority such an invasion would never have been successful. So, today, 70 years on from that remarkable speech, let us quietly say thank you to those 3000 or so RAF boys (and girls)who did so much for us…there are not many of them left now, they are fading quickly, but let us make sure that their memories and their brave deeds live on.

They should not be forgotten.

 

A full transcript of Churchill’s famous speech can be seen here. Also, the BBC has a wonderful microsite dedicated to all things Battle of Britain.

 

The are literally ‘some’ splendid websites out there where you can find details of the final resting place of your family hero who made the supreme sacrifice so we can eat cheeseburgers in peace…here are a few of my faves. 

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org) 

In my opinion, this is the daddy of them all. Their Debt of Honour Register is the single most important registry of war dead that exists and should the first stop for anyone searching for fallen ancestors from the two World Wars. It contains details of some 1.7 million men and women who died during these conflicts as well as information on the 23,000 cemeteries and memorials around the world where they are commemorated. 

You can search the register by surname, initials, year of death, conflict, area of service and nationality. This will give you a number of possible matches, once you have found your ancestor another mouse click will give you extra information such as regiment, age, cemetery or memorial, date of death and often details such as address and next of kin. 

cwgc example

The website is not just a database of the war dead though, there is a great ‘histories’ section which gives a good overview of some of the major conflicts including The Somme and Ypres. There is a section for schools and a great audio/video section with some excellent videos especially on the new Fromelles Cemetery. 

One thing that there isn’t, is individual images of headstones, memorials. They (the CWGC) do not offer that service. But that doesn’t matter because, my next website of choice, The War Graves Photography Project, does. 

The War Graves Photographic Project (http://twgpp.org) 

The guys behind this project are working towards the not insignificant task of putting together a photographic record of every single CWGC headstone and memorial. To use this site simply input your ancestors name into the search box and see what appears. If nothing is there it may be that the chaps with the camera has not got to that particular cemetery/memorial yet, so it is an idea to return to the site every now and again to check their progress. Once you have found your person, there is a small charge (£3 for electronic, £5 for printed copy) to order your photograph. 

So, what happens then, if your ancestor was killed in action during one of the World Wars, but for some inexplicable reason he or she is not on the CWGC ‘Debt of Honour Register’? Well, fear not my lovelies, a great little project called In From the Cold will help you out. 

In From the Cold (www.infromthecold.org) 

This project is dedicated to tracking down those names missing from the CWGC ‘Debt of Honour Register’. So, if your search brings up a blank, get in contact with these chaps and they will do some digging on your behalf with the aim of getting official commemoration of the ancestor in question. Splendid. 

WW1Cemeteries.com is a terrific site that acts as a comprehensive guide to all the memorials and military cemeteries in France, Belgium, UK, and worldwide. With easy to use indexes of all French, Belgian and Gallipoli cemeteries, a WW2 index, a VC index and a shot at dawn index this website is well researched and of great use. There are also thousands of photographs throughout.

Finally, We have all driven, walked or cycled past war memorials in or near our home towns, sat on benches  or visited churches and schools which house memorial plaques and such like. The UK National Inventory of War Memorials (www.ukniwm.org.uk) is an ongoing project to compile a record of all war memorials across the UK, regardless of type. Covering all conflicts, more than 60,000 war memorials have been transcribed so far. The only downer on this site is there is no name search facility, however that will be added very soon. And there is a nice blog too. 

These are just a few interesting websites, there are many more including regional registers, regimental sites and others…So have a quick ‘Google’, you never know what you might find.

Now, I don’t normally read too many newspapers, firstly because I don’t get a great deal of time to do so, but mainly because I am not that interested in which footballer is bedding which whore, or if Paris Hilton is partying in Vegas without any knickers…

But today is different, because as I was perusing the front pages of the dailies in my local Tesco Express, I came across the headline of the Daily Express. ‘DON’T MENTION THE WAR’ with the sub headline stating that German politicians are trying to stop Britain building a memorial to honour the heroes of Bomber Command.

I have to say I find this incredulous. Firstly it is a memorial to 55,573 aircrew who bravely took to the skies during World War 2 to defend our island from the Nazis and never returned home to their families. It is NOT a celebration or some crass gesture to Germany to say ‘we bombed more cities than you’, and it is certainly not a tasteless gesture aimed directly at towns such as Dresden, Cologne, and Frankfurt that suffered so terribly during the war. Despite what some German politicians might think.

In face, not having a memorial to Bomber Command is tasteless. These guys suffered huge casualties, indeed 10% of all war casualties were from Bomber Command, and it is the only sector of the armed forces to not have a formal memorial dedicated to their memory. Surely we owe it to them, the airmen and airwomen, to remember their brave deeds and actions?

According to the Daily Express, Helma Orosz, the Mayor of Dresden, is quoted as saying “A memorial like the one which is planned in London would not be part of the culture of reconciliation.” She also added: “The emotions of the people in Dresden are running high. It is against our culture of remembrance.”

Well excuse me, but surely if Britain chooses to build a memorial to British airmen and women, who fought and died for Britain, and to build it in London, then isn’t that down to us? Without being rude….it really is none of your business, love.

If they (The Germans) were to succeed in ensuring this memorial wasn’t built, then what next? Are they going to tell the Jews to tear down their memorials of the Holocaust? Should we then tear down all the memorials and statues in London? The Cenotaph would have to go…Nelson’s Column would probably be on the list, plus thousands of town and village memorials up and down the country. While we are at it, let’s close down all the museums, burn all the books and pretend it all didn’t happen. That’s a sure-fire way of our kids making the exact same mistakes again, and WW3 would be on us in a jiffy.

To not build this memorial would be a huge injustice for all the heroes of the RAF and Bomber Command. We should be proud of them, not hide them away incase they embarrass us or another country. Let us celebrate their actions, remember their memories and make sure that we don’t need to build any more memorials in memory of another 55,000 hero’s.

So, with that, I am going to stick 2 Churchill-esque fingers up at those damned German politicians. Keep your noses out of our business. The Bomber Command Memorial needs to raise £2 million by the end of 2010 to enable it to be built, I am going to donate £20 right now. I ask all of you that read this to donate a small amount too…let’s show the world how proud we are of our history, our heritage, and our RAF.

You can read more on the Bomber Command Memorial, and donate to the cause at www.bombercommand.com

If your ancestors served in the Militia it may seem that trying to trace their careers is significantly more difficult than those men that served in the regular army. But there are some great websites that can help you in your search.

What is the Militia?

The Militia was a part-time voluntary civilian force organised county-by-county, which was formalised by the Militia Act of 1757. The list of able-bodied men that were drawn up under this act can serve as a kind of census. The militia was widely embodied at various times during the French and Napoleonic Wars. It served at several vulnerable locations,  particularly the South Coast and in Ireland.  The militia could not be compelled to serve overseas, but it was seen as a training reserve for the army, as financial incentives were offered to men who opted to ‘exchange’ from the militia to the regular army.

In general the best advice to trying to find ancestors who served in the Militia is to go local and talk to the local records office, family history society or regimental museum. However there are a number of websites that may also be of use..So, in no particular order here are some good websites to help you in your search.

Genuki (www.genuki.org.uk)

This is a great place to start your search. Type in Militia to the Genuki search box and you will get 1066 matches. All of which are links to other sites that have Militia relevant information on them. These could be the Militia lists and Musters for Cambridgeshire, or it could be information on Sir John Reresby’s Militia Troop

The National Archives (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk)

As always, the National Archives is a great source of information. Their specific webpage for the Militia is http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=26&j=1 The Archives hold a great deal of information on various aspects of the Militia including soldier and officer papers, commission books, muster rolls, casualties and medal rolls.

Militia Attestations Index (www.originsnetwork.com)

This Index currently contains the names of over 110,000 recruits to militias in Cheshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Northumberland, Suffolk, Surrey, Wiltshire and Yorkshire, and in south and central Scotland; the Irish Origins database contains an index to a further 12,500 men who applied to militias in Ireland. These recruits came from all over the British Isles. 

They also have a digital archive of the complete WO96 section from TNA. Available for search and download at £10 per soldier. Or you can use the information here to access the documents in person at the Archives.

As I have already said, the best place to start your search maybe your local records office. Once you have an idea of where/when your ancestor served you can go through the Access to archives and the National Register of Archives to fins records held in local offices. Some of these archives may provide online indexes while others will demand that you visit in person. Many regimental museums will also hold relevant information, and while most offer a visit-by-appointment, many do offer research services. The best place to track down your regimental museum is at www.armymuseums.org.uk

This time last year I was in the final preparations for my cycle ride along the entire WW1 Western Front  trench lines. Steve and I raised about £3500 for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal, of which we are both very proud.  This year, unfortunately I have not been able to repeat such a feat, however from now until the end of November, for every sale of my book, For Conspicuous Gallantry: Winners of the Military Cross and Bar During the Great War, I will donate £5 (25% of the cover price) to this year’s poppy appeal.

You can find out about my book by clicking on the ‘For Conspicuous Gallantry’ tab at the top of the page. If you want to purchase a book, just email me at mcfinder@sky.com or DM my twitter account @military_search

In addition to this I will be running a repeat of the cliche tax I ran a few months back in the office to raise some money for the appeal too, last time it was successful, so I hope to have a repeat performance from my office colleagues!

So, what are you doing to raise awareness and money for the 2010 poppy appeal? Leave a comment on this blog and I will retweet it to all of my followers and try and get you some additional interest and awareness.

Let’s help each other make this Poppy Day one to remember!

A couple of years ago I wrote, on this blog, about the famous ‘Football Attack’ on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, and how some of the war diaries for these football battalions were now available online to view.

The Footballers’ Battalions were formed partly in response to criticism that the 1914-15 league season had not been cancelled despite the outbreak of war, with many members of the public suggesting strongly that players should be drafted to the army instead of continuing to play football.

In remembrance of these football battalions, on Thursday just past, more than 100 people gathered in Longueval on Thursday morning to attend the unveiling of a memorial. You can read a description of this service on the BBC website – a very good blog post written by Paul Fletcher.

Football is hugely popular, and rightly so, it is still the ‘beautiful game’, however in a week where the media went into meltdown because Wayne Rooney said he may leave his club, and the hysteria continues to envelope Liverpool because they have lost a couple of games, let’s take a second to take stock of life and put a few things into perspective…these old footballers swapped football boots for Lee Enfield rifles and the trenches, many of them paid the ultimate sacrifice on the Somme. Soldiers are still putting everything on the line and are being wounded and killed in Afghanistan.

When a footballer gets injured or throws his toys out of the pram to get a few extra ‘noughts’ on his already huge contract, or your club loses a few games…let’s put it into perspective. It isn’t exactly life or death now is it?

What a great idea – the British Legion has released an iTunes track to raise money for this years Poppy Appeal, and many music experts think it could reach number one in the charts — despite being two minutes of silence.

The track “2 minute silence” is being released by The Royal British Legion on iTunes and contains no music or speaking at all.

A ‘music’ video has even been produced which features a host of celebrities including Bruce Dickinson, Andy Murray, David Tennant and Mark Ronson, all not singing.

Money raised from the £1 downloads of the single — which each come with the video — will go towards furthering RBL work in supporting serving and ex-Service personnel.

It’s hoped the silent single will be a poignant reminder of Remembrance Sunday… and not just make people think their iPod is broken when it comes up on shuffle.

So show your support and purchase your copy now at www.silentsingle.com or from iTunes.

Join us in our mission to make chart history by reaching number 1 by Remembrance Sunday and show your support by joining the official Facebook™ page facebook.com/poppysingle2010.

You can access a preview of the video and behind the scenes footage at: www.youtube.com/user/royalbritishlegion.
So Come on! Download your copy of the single now from itunes and let’s get the Legion to Number 1 in the charts! It’s got to be better than that dross that is being churned out from Xfactor!?!

First of all, you will have to all excuse my language in this post – because reading this story from the Daily Mail has really pissed me off.

So, some trumped up, self important shop keeper has told 18 year old Harriet Phipps that she cannot wear a RBL Poppy to work as it is not part of the uniform. Who the <inster swear word here> does that person think they are? Their excuse is that it is not company policy. Well I say sod corporate hoity-toity bloody policy and show some damn respect. Soldiers are fighting and dying so you can keep your shitty shop open without the threat of being bombed and you wont let your staff wear a little poppy? It makes me sick.

So. The shop in question is Hollister in Southampton. I am in half a mind to go to Southampton and paint the whole f@*@ing shop poppy red. If anyone is passing by the store, go in and ask why none of the staff are wearing poppys – see what they have to say. Better yet, take a war veteran in with you and get the pompous, self centred, ignorant jumped up little shit of a shop manager to tell the veteran why none of the staff are allowed to wear a poppy.

What a bunch of fuckers.

Oh and here is another thing…those people that have commented on the Daily Mail story about ‘times are changing’ and the Poppy Appeal is out dated etc…you tell that to the veterans of the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan that are looked after by the Legion. You tell that to the soldiers who can’t walk any more because of land mines. You tell that to the widows of the soldiers that have been killed. You tell that to the kids who no longer have their Dads.

Get some respect.

Today is Remembrance Sunday, the day where we should all take a few moments to say our silent thank you’s to those family members, friends and comrades who have fought, and in many cases, died for Britain and for freedom. For me, there are a few people who I ‘remember’. My Grandad, who passed away when I was 3. He was a driver in the RFA in WW2 and saw action in Africa and Italy. I don’t remember him, but I have a picture of him on our wall, along with his medals.

Then there is Charlie Addington. He and his wife had 5 children at the outbreak of the first world war, and as such he was allowed to stay at home instead of joining the army. However, every 6 months or so, the call up papers came, and he went to the local courts to put his case forward – in late 1917 his wife, Alice, had just given birth to their 6th child, and was very ill, however the British Army had lost so many men on the Somme and at Passchedaele that his case was rejected and he was called up. On the 12th June 1918 Charlie was killed in action by shell fire, a week later, his wife Alice also died, leaving their 6 children, one of them my Grandfather, orphans.

Every British family has a similar story, every British person has similar silent thank you’s they wish during those 2 minutes silence. That is what makes this day so special for so many people.

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England’s foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Laurence Binyon (1869-1943)

Earlier this month (Remembrance Day to be exact) the Commonwealth War Graves Commission signed an agreement with the Flemish government which will mean closer working ties between the two parties in the run up to the centenary of the Great War (2014-2018). The result of which will be brand new visitor centre in or near the Flemish town of Zonnebeke and a shed-load more visitors to the region to learn and understand how and why Europe went to war, to provide additional interpretation on the key events of the war.

The Commission’s Director General, Alan Pateman-Jones said: “The Commonwealth War Graves Commission owes a debt of gratitude to the Flemish and Belgian governments and the people who do so much to enable us to honour the memory of those who died. Their vision and efforts have helped make this partnership possible.

The new centre will create a visitor landmark in the heart of the First World War battlefield region of Flanders. It will provide the public with a fascinating insight into the work of the Commission and the importance of this work in remembering the fallen of two World Wars.”

The centre will also house a purpose-built headstone manufacturing operation which visitors will be able to view in action. The Commission’s main headstone production centre is, and will remain, near Arras in France, but with an extensive programme of headstone replacement and repair taking place over the next 20 years. This additional manufacturing capacity will be invaluable.

It is proposed the new centre will be operational in time for the centennial commemorations of the First World War.

For more information visit www.cwgc.org

I received an email this evening from one of my military research customers. The content of the email was a poem and a message from the soldier who penned it. Both are transcribed below…

This poem was written by a Peacekeeping soldier stationed overseas. The following is his request. I think it is reasonable. Would you do me the kind favour of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to all of the service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let’s try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.

T’WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,

HE LIVED ALL ALONE,

IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE,

MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY,

WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,

AND TO SEE JUST WHO,

IN THIS HOME,

DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,

A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,

NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,

NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,

JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,

ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES,

OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,

AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,

A SOBER THOUGHT,

CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,

IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,

I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,

ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,

SILENT, ALONE,

CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR,

IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,

THE ROOM IN DISORDER,

NOT HOW I PICTURED,

A TRUE BRITISH SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO,

OF WHOM I’D JUST READ?

CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,

THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALISED THE FAMILIES,

THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,

OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS,

WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,

THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,

AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE,

A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM,

EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,

BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,

LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN’T HELP WONDER,

HOW MANY LAY ALONE,

ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE,

IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT,

A TEAR TO MY EYE,

I DROPPED TO MY KNEES,

AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED,

AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,

“SANTA DON’T CRY,

THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,

I DON’T ASK FOR MORE,

MY LIFE IS MY GOD,

MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS..”

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,

AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,

I COULDN’T CONTROL IT,

I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,

SO SILENT AND STILL,

AND WE BOTH SHIVERED,

FROM THE COLD NIGHT’S CHILL.

I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE,

ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,

THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR,

SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,

WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,

WHISPERED, “CARRY ON SANTA,

IT’S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.”

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,

AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.

“MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,

A ND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.”

I don’t think any more needs to be said, except why don’t you tell as many people as you can about this, and lets share this message of courage, hope and sacrifice.

Each year, I am amazed at the amount of money people waste on Christmas cards. Most people wander into Clintons, or if they are trying to look posh, M&S, buy a gazillion cards and send them to all and sundry. They send them to the person they sit next to at the office, they send them to their aunt/uncle who they haven’t spoken to all year, they send them to their Mum, dad, brother, sister…anyone. Millions of pounds are wasted as Mr Clinton Cards gets a bit richer and a bit fatter.

I don’t ‘do’ Christmas cards. Not because I am an old miserable git (although some people would probably agree with that). But I refuse to give my money to some greedy suit without getting any tangible benefit back from them. Call me old fashioned, but If there is someone I want to say Merry Christmas to, I call them. The person I sit next to in the office..guess what…I turn around and say, ‘hope you have a great Xmas’. Why do I need to send them a card? My Mum and Dad? I call them, actually, they come over to see us, so I tell them to their face.

So, the money I would normally spend on Christmas Cards goes to charity. Normally the British Legion, or Help for Heroes. In my humble opinion, the soldiers who are going to be away from their families this Christmas, so we can spend a safe Christmas at home with our own families, deserve the money more than Mr Clinton Cards.

 

The lyrics below are from a wonderful song from John McCutcheon. It describes the Christmas Truce of 1914 where British and German soldiers put aside their hostilities for one day as a spontaneous truce was recognised up and down the Front Line.

You can see a you tube video of John singing his song here

 

Christmas in the Trenches

My name is Francis Tolliver, I come from Liverpool.
Two years ago the war was waiting for me after school.
To Belgium and to Flanders, to Germany to here
I fought for King and country I love dear.

‘Twas Christmas in the trenches, where the frost so bitter hung,
The frozen fields of France were still, no Christmas song was sung
Our families back in England were toasting us that day
Their brave and glorious lads so far away.

I was lying with my messmate on the cold and rocky ground
When across the lines of battle came a most peculiar sound
Says I, “Now listen up, me boys!” each soldier strained to hear
As one young German voice sang out so clear.

“He’s singing bloody well, you know!” my partner says to me
Soon, one by one, each German voice joined in harmony
The cannons rested silent, the gas clouds rolled no more
As Christmas brought us respite from the war

As soon as they were finished and a reverent pause was spent
“God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” struck up some lads from Kent
The next they sang was “Stille Nacht.” “Tis ‘Silent Night’,” says I
And in two tongues one song filled up that sky

“There’s someone coming toward us!” the front line sentry cried
All sights were fixed on one long figure trudging from their side
His truce flag, like a Christmas star, shown on that plain so bright
As he, bravely, strode unarmed into the night

Soon one by one on either side walked into No Man’s Land
With neither gun nor bayonet we met their hand to hand
We shared some secret brandy and we wished each other well
And in a flare-lit soccer game we gave ‘em hell

We traded chocolates, cigarettes, and photographs from home
These sons and fathers far away from families of their own
Young Sanders played his squeezebox and they had a violin
This curious and unlikely band of men

Soon daylight stole upon us and France was France once more
With sad farewells we each prepared to settle back to war
But the question haunted every heart that lived that wonderous night
“Whose family have I fixed within my sights?”

‘Twas Christmas in the trenches where the frost, so bitter hung
The frozen fields of France were warmed as songs of peace were sung
For the walls they’d kept between us to exact the work of war
Had been crumbled and were gone forevermore

My name is Francis Tolliver, in Liverpool I dwell
Each Christmas come since World War I, I’ve learned its lessons well
That the ones who call the shots won’t be among the dead and lame
And on each end of the rifle we’re the same.

 

And with that, may I wish you and your family a truly wonderful and safe Christmas and New Year!

Crunchy numbers

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Fresher than ever.

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 7,900 times in 2010. That’s about 19 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 36 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 87 posts. There were 19 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 5mb. That’s about 2 pictures per month.

The busiest day of the year was November 9th with 111 views. The most popular post that day was Help The British Legion Become Number 1 in the Charts!.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were military-research.co.uk, twitter.com, revoltoftheplebs.wordpress.com, en.wordpress.com, and mail.live.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for facts about ww1, ww1 facts, great war heroes, facts on ww1, and ww2 propaganda posters.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

Help The British Legion Become Number 1 in the Charts! November 2010

2

10 Little Known Facts of WW1 March 2010

3

Sunk Australia WWII hospital ship Centaur: first images January 2010

4

Auschwitz-Birkenau: Walking in the shadow of death November 2009
1 comment

5

Researching Your WW2 Ancestors August 2009

Details of thousands of Boer War soldiers have been digitised and compiled into a single on-line collection, making it much easier for family historians to search for their family heroes. The records are at www.findmypast.co.uk  and list more than 260,000 soldiers, nurses and civilians who served with the British Imperial Forces between 1899 and 1902. Included in the collection are a series of medal rolls, a casuality list and a gazette of the conflict. You have to buy credits from the website to access them but there is no need for an annual membership, researchers can pay as they go to look at these files.

Another great example of technology making it easier to understand and discover your family heroes.

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day, on this day in 1945 Russian soldiers finally liberated the Nazi extermination camp of Auschwitz. To mark this anniversary here are a few interesting facts about Auschwitz and the Holocaust.

Auschwitz II – Birkenau, was built in October 1941. It held more than 100,000 prisoners and housed gas chambers capable of disposing of 2,000 people a day. By 1944 some 6,000 people a day were being killed;· Auschwitz III – Monowitz, supplied forced labour for the nearby IG Farben plant, the company which made the Zyklon-B gas used in Nazi death camps;

No one really knows how many people died during the four and a half years of Auschwitz’s existence; Estimates range from 1.1million to 1.5million people.

Only an estimated 11% of Jewish children who were alive in 1933 survived the Holocaust.

In total 90% of the Jewish population in Poland died: some 2.8 million people.

Out of a total of about 7,000 guards at Auschwitz, including 170 female staff (the most infamous was Irma Grese, the 20-year-old daughter of a dairyman), 750 were prosecuted and punished after Nazi Germany was defeated.

More people died in Auschwitz than the British and American losses of World War Two combined.

A unit in Auschwitz where valuables snatched from incoming prisoners were kept was known as Canada, because Canada was thought to be a land of untold riches.

Nazis at Auschwitz offered some non-Jewish female prisoners the option of ‘light work’. As the women soon discovered, ‘light work’ meant prostitution.

Josef Mengele’s scientific experiments at Auschwitz often involved studies of twins. If one twin died, he would immediately kill the other and carry out comparative autopsies.

Denmark was the only Nazi-occupied country that managed to save 95% of its Jewish residents. Following a tip-off by a German diplomat, thousands of Jews were evacuated to neutral Sweden.

Some Jewish prisoners secretly wrote eye-witness accounts of the atrocities of the gas chambers and hid them in bottles or metal containers buried in the ground. A number of these accounts were discovered after the war.

These facts were taken from the brilliant Holocaust Survivors and Remembrance Project: “Forget You Not”™

http://isurvived.org/AUSCHWITZ_TheCamp.html

You may remember several months ago I re-visted some places in and around the Ypres Salient, specifically to the north around Passchendaele, as we hadn’t had much time to properly visit some of these areas during our Cycling the Line trip in November 2009.

Well, today I was able to get back to the Salient again, and this time spent a bit of time in Ypres itself, and then I headed south to have another look at some other areas of interest, most notably Hill 60 and Messines.

I started the day in the town of Ypres. This town is mostly famous for being almost totally destroyed, and the images of it’s once great Cloth Hall in ruins are pictures that all of us have seen. Today the Cloth Hall has been rebuilt and is truly magnificent. It also houses the fabulous ‘In Flanders Fields’ museum which walks visitors through how Ypres and the surrounding region was affected by the War. Ypres is a lovely town, with delightful shops, and plentiful parking and it is always nice to see the odd UK number plate in amongst the cars parked in the main square! Walking up the hill towards the Menin Gate there are 2 shops of specific interest, both on the left hand side and deal in battlefield tours and books, militaria. I visited Salient Tours, unfortunately the battlefield tour I wanted to go on was not running today, however as I looked around the bookshop I noticed they has some copies of my Military Cross book – so I duly held an impromptu book signing ‘event’ (I use the word event in its loosest possible sense)…!

Onwards to the Menin Gate, which is quite possibly the most remarkable and awe-inspiring memorial in the world..ever. It has the thick end of 58,000 names of soldiers from Britain and the Commonwealth that died in and around the Ypres Salient during WW1, but have no known grave. The scale of this building needs to be seen to be believed, and the endless panels filled with names of the missing soldiers is very sobering.

I then got in the car and drove south and soon came upon a couple of CWGC cemeteries known as ‘The Bluff’ (Hedge Row, 1st DCLI, Woods). They are quite remote, set smack in the middle of acres of farm land, but Hedge Row cemetery is quite unusual because all the grave stones are set in a circle with the cross of sacrifice in the middle, and they all  have the inscription ‘known to be buried in this cemetery’ on them, as well as the usual name, regiment inscription. This is because this part of the front endured almost continuous shell fire from March 1915 until August 1917 and all this shell fire kept churning up the graves that were in this area…the men were known to be buried here, but, the bodies were all destroyed or moved.  Standing in this cemetery today, there was not a sound, completely quiet. It is not often you get complete stillness in life these days, and it was fabulous. So fabulous that I took some video with my camera – when I get home I shall upload it to share.

Next stop was Hill 60. I have been wanting to visit for a while, and I was not disappointed. The preserved area of this battle is remarkable. The 2 craters can be seen easily and the whole area is riddled with big (some deeper than me – 6ft plus) shell holes. It is a landscape that shouts at you, it is chaotic, angry and tangible. Bunkers still remain, their reinforced concrete twisted and contorted from the shell fire they endured. Even 90+ years on you can quite easily envisage the complete bedlam and chaos that would have been going on in this area when those mines were let go and the artillery rained down on the defenders. It is a truly amazing place, and a must for any visitors to the area. One thing that struck me was how small the area actually was. It is not really a hill, more an over-spill of land from the nearby railway cutting, and it can be measured in hundreds of metres..it is not big at all, which would have only concentrated the effects of all those shells and explosions.

From the chaos of Hill 60 I drove to the peace island of Ireland which is a beautiful monument to the Irish Divisions perched high upon Messines Ridge. I remember this ridge well, it is on top of a bloody steep hill, and I remember cursing the whole of Belgium as I pedalled up to it, and everyone in the world who had said Belgium was ‘flat’. It isn’t. Fact.

Last main stop on my mini tour was the British Cemetery at Messines. This again is perched up on the top of the ridge. It is a large cemetery with over 1500 graves, however only 577 are identified. A testament to the frightful result of (what was then) modern mechanised warfare, and the continued battering this area of land had over 3 years of fighting. By this time of the day the light was fading and I needed to head back. The day had been beautiful and sunny, and as I sat on the steps of the cemetery, high on the ridge looking down to the valley below, watching the sun slowly disappear below the horizon, I was reminded of the immortal poem from Laurence Binyon:

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them”.

I was on the phone today with a good friend of mine and the discussion got round (inevitably) to military stuff, specifically this time, the investment potential of militaria and medals. I have been collecting medals and militaria on and off (more off than on recently, to be honest) for the last 20 years. And as we discussed various things, I thought that the topic of militaria and medal investment potential would be a splendid blog topic. So here we go…

So, is militaria a good investment? The short answer is yes. And there are a few reasons for this:

• More and more people are collecting
• The is a limited supply, and this supply is not going to get any bigger
• Programmes such as WDYTYA, and the antiques roadshow have made more people more aware of their family history and see it as an opportunity to mix a hobby with an investment.

In terms of appreciation, the value of medals & militaria has increased about fivefold in the last two decades.

For example, a Victoria Cross was worth around £100,000 in 1990. Today, the record price for a single VC is £491,567. and in 2009 the Chavasse Double VC was sold for £1.5million.

Meanwhile, an 1815 Waterloo medal, the first British campaign medal, cost £350 in 1990. Today, it sells for around £3,500 and I have seen some priced at £5000 plus.

Second World War memorabilia can offer plenty of gains; however First World War medals generally remain the best investment. And with a significant anniversary on the horizon (2014 will mark the 100^th anniversary of the start of the Great War)  prices for this period at least are set to go up even further.

At the lower end of the price scale (why I play), the general WW1 medal market pricing is increasing at around 10-15% a year, depending on what  you are collecting. For example, I collect (among other things) single 1914 stars. 5-7 years ago, £60 would get you a good star, with ribbon, to an infantry regiment or maybe even a guards regiment if you were lucky. Nowadays, these are going for £80 – £90.  

Other examples: A single Military Cross in 2011 will be a minimum of £500. 10 years ago these were £350.

With WW1 medals, the research is the key. All WW1 medals were named, therefore it is relatively easy to research the recipient of the medal. Factors that can severely affect the price include:

• Rank of the soldier (officers command much more money than rank and file soldiers)
• Regiment (‘Corps’ such as Royal Engineers, ASC, RFA etc. Are more common, and therefore less valuable than infantry regiments or guards/cavalry)
• History of the individual. For example, medals to soldiers that were killed in action are worth double or even treble those of soldiers of similar rank/regiment who survived the war. Why? The personal story is more interesting, the medal is rarer, and the opportunity for research is greater. Medals to soldiers that were killed on specific dates (such as the First day of the Somme), or during specific battles (Mons, Passchendaele) also can command significant premiums, and will always be required by collectors, and even though they are more expensive to buy, will often offer the best investment.
• Type of Medal. Some campaign medals are more scarce than others (1914 Star), also gallantry medals are obviously worth more as they are rarer and have a significant story attached to them, which can be researched further.

And it is not just British WW1 medals that are going up, I am trying to buy a good WW1 Iron Cross First Class, these seem to be going through the roof, 10 years ago they were £90-£100 now you get an average one for £150.

Another area of medals to consider (in my opinion) for investment purposes are Second World War medals. Currently there is only limited research potential for these medals, because service records of soldiers and officers are still with the MoD. Because of this, and the fact that the campaign medals for this conflict are not named, the cost for groups are lower – demand is not as high. However, if you can get a nice group of 3 or 4 campaign medals, with their paper work (boxes of issue with name and address) then, when the service records are released, the research potential rises, as will the price. And who knows what interesting information the research will through up to make the group more interesting and valuable. For me, named WW2 groups are a good investment, especially those that were killed in action or attached to an interesting regiment.

Third Reich medals have always had a strong collectors market, especially in America,  and prices have risen steadily. Iron Crosses (2^nd Class) are being sold for £80 these days, a few years ago they were £50-£60. First class awards were £100 10 years ago, now they are almost double. The problem with Third Reich medals, is that because of the difficulty in privately buying/selling you are forced to go through dealers. Now, I have nothing against dealers, and with Third Reich medals, I would always buy via a reputable dealer because of the high number of fakes, but you do tend to pay a high premium because you cannot buy from ebay or other places. Also, if you decide to sell, you have to either sell at auction or back to a dealer, where you will not get the full market price (a bit like buying a car). For this reason, unless you are in it for the long haul, these kind of medals may not be as much an investment as Allied medals.

So there you go..in a nutshell, WW1 stuff is always going to steadily increase, but it is best to look for specific medals - gallantry medals, rare regiments or medals awarded to soldiers that died in action are good bets. WW2 medals have great potential if you can get attributable groups, and Third Reich medals/militaria will always have a good market of buyers, but the restrictions on buying/selling could limit investment potential. And there is a large risk of fakes in the market place – so be careful.

I hope that this article has been helpful, let me know what you collect and if you agree that medals can be an alternative pension! For my sins, I collect single 1914 Stars, any medals to the Northamptonshire Regiment (family regiment), Passchendaele casualties, and if I am feeling really rich, which isn’t often, Military Crosses. I also dabble in WW2 attributed groups and some Third Reich medals and paperwork.

Major Henry Wyndham Francis Blackburne Farrer Military Cross and 2 Bars, RFA

Record of Service:

• Born  Salisbury 10/8/1894
• Volunteered for service on 12/8/1914 and joined as a 2^nd Lieutenant with the 39^th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
• Left for France on 17/10/1914 from Southampton on SS Winifriedan.

The 39^th Brigade was part of the 1^st Division. One of the earliest Divisions to move to France, the First Division remained on the Western Front for the whole duration of hostilities and took part in many major actions; including Mons, Marne, the First Battle of Ypres, Somme, Passchendaele, and the Hindenburg Line.

• Promoted to Lieutenant on 12/8/1914
• Mentioned in Dispatches: 22/6/1915
• Invested with the one of the first Military Crosses to be awarded on 30/7/1915
• Mentioned In Dispatches: 1/1/1916
• Invested with the Bar to the Military Cross on 20/6/1916
• Appointed Acting Captain from 28/7/1916 until 13/1/1917
• Mentioned in Dispatches: 4/1/1917
• Appointed Acting Major from 14/1/1917 until 24/9/1917
• Invested with the Second Bar to the Military Cross on 19/10/1917

Major Farrer was Killed in Action less than 2 weeks from the end of the War, during fighting at Mazinghein on 30/10/1918. The battalion war diary recalls this unfortunate event:

Mazinghein, 30/10/1918

At 0530 hours S.O.S. was signalled by our infantry and immediately responded to by us, but the enemy managed to penetrate our lines S.W. Cattilon. At 1200 hours an attack was made under cover of our barrage, and the ground captured by the enemy in the morning was retaken. At 1415 hours a single gun from the 54^th battery was sent forward to deal with an enemy M.G. emplacement. The gun moved up but before coming into action our infantry had captured the gun.

Further serious loss of officers was inflicted on the Brigade the following being killed in action:

            Major H.W.F.B. Farrer MC   30^th Battery

            Lieut. F.A.H. Sharp                 51^st Battery

            2/Lieut. W. Dunlop                  51^st Battery

 National Archives: WO95/1249

• Major Farrer was buried the next day at Vallee Mulatre Cemetery, France

 

WW1 Medal Entitlement:

1914 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Mentioned in Dispatches: 22/6/1915, 1/1/1916, 4/1/1917

Belgium Croix de Guerre (Listed in Gazette issue 30631 – 12^th April 1918)

Military Cross and 2 Bars:

• Military Cross listed (no Citation) in Gazette issue 29202 (22^nd June 1915
• 1^st Bar Citation published in Gazette issue 30023 (17^th April 1917)
• 2^nd Bar listed (no Citation) in Gazette issue 30308 (25^th September 1917)
• 2^nd Bar Citation published in Gazette issue 30466 (8^th January 1918)

 

1^st Bar Citation – 17^th April 1917

Lt. (A./Capt.) Henry Wyndham Francis Blackburne Farrer, M.C., R.F.A.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when a gun team became casualties.  He went to the gun and rendered assistance to the wounded under very heavy fire. He has at all times set a splendid example of courage and determination.

 

2^nd Bar Citation – 9^th January 1918

Lt. (A./Maj.) Henry Wyndham Francis Blackburne Farrer, M.C., R.F.A.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when a cottage full of ammunition had been set on fire by enemy shells close to the battery. He took a party and saved some 400 rounds by pulling away the boxes. Some of the shells, however, exploded, killing one man and wounding four, causing his party to retire. This officer, hearing cries from a man who had been left behind wounded, gallantly ran back into the middle of the burning cottage, pulled him to the door and, with the help of two others, got him away in spite of the exploding shells. He was much bruised by falling masonry, and his hands were scorched and his hearing damaged. His example of self-sacrifice and devotion was beyond all praise.

 

The information in this blog post has been taking from the book ‘For Conspicuous Gallantry…The Winners of the Military Cross During the Great War’. (Vol. 1) by Scott Addington.

Here are a selection of  quotes (both well known and slightly more obscure), from people who lived and fought through the First World War. These are just a few of my favourites, I hope I have quoted them correctly (I am sure I will get told if I haven’t!) If you have a favourite quote that is not in this list, then why not let me know!

So, in no particular order…here are some interesting, amusing, sad, and ultimately, historic, quotes from the war to end all wars…

 

‘It is my Royal and Imperial command that you exterminate the treacherous English and march over General French’s contemptible little army.’ (Kaiser Wilhelm II, 1914)

‘The machine gun is a much over rated weapon..’ (Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1915)

‘It takes 15,000 casualties to train a major general.’ (Ferdinand Foch)

‘Hard pressed on my right. My center is yielding. Impossible to maneuver. Situation excellent. I attack.’  (Ferdinand Foch during the First Battle of the Marne, Sept 1914)

‘Everything depends on whether we have for opponents those French tricksters or those daring rascals, the English. I prefer the English. Frequently their daring can only be described as stupidity. In their eyes it may be pluck and daring.’ (Baron Manfred von Richtofen).

 

‘The idea that a war can be won by standing on the defensive and waiting for the enemy to attack is a dangerous fallacy, which owes its inception to the desire to evade the price of victory.’ (Field Marshall Douglas Haig).

‘You will be home before the leaves have fallen from the trees.’  (Kaiser Wilhelm II speaking to German troops in August 1914).

‘The nation must be taught to bear losses. No amount of skill on the part of the higher commanders, no training, however good, on the part of the officers and men, no superiority of arms and ammunition, however great, will enable victories to be won without the sacrifice of men’s lives. The nation must be prepared to see heavy casualty lists.’  (Written by Haig in June 1916 before the Battle of the Somme began).

‘Very successful attack this morning… All went like clockwork… The battle is going very well for us and already the Germans are surrendering freely. The enemy is so short of men that he is collecting them from all parts of the line. Our troops are in wonderful spirits and full of confidence.’ (A report by Haig on the first day of attack, 1st July 1916).

“Ils ne passeront pas!” – ‘They shall not pass!’ (Henri-Philippe Petain, during the Battle of Verdun, 1916).

‘I hate to shoot a Hun down without him seeing me, for although this method is in accordance with my doctrine, it is against what little sporting instincts I have left.’ (James McCudden, VC, RFC, 1917).

‘Inaction is atrophy, paralysis, death.’ (Ferdinand Foch).

‘The spell of Trafalgar has been broken.’ (The Kaiser after Jutland).

‘There was not a sign of life of any sort. Not a tree, save for a few dead stumps which looked strange in the moonlight. Not a bird, not even a rat or a blade of grass. Nature was as dead as those Canadians whose bodies remained where they had fallen the previous autumn. Death was written large everywhere.’ (Private R.A. Colwell, Passchendaele, January 1918).

‘Fight on and fly on to the last drop of blood and the last drop of fuel, to the last beat of the heart.’ (Baron Manfred von Richtofen).

‘I died in hell – (They called it Passchendaele).’  (Line from Memorial Tablet, Lieutenant Siegfried Sassoon, November 1918).

“…pretty mechanical toy but very limited military value”. (Lord Kitchener upon overseeing trials of the tank).

‘Retreat? Hell, we just got here!’ (US Marine Captain Lloyd W. Williams).

‘This is not peace, it is an armistice for 20 years.’ (Ferdinand Foch. After the Treaty of Versailles, 1919).

And perhaps my favourite WW1 quote: A poem called ‘The German Guns’ from a certain Private Baldrick…

Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom,
Boom, Boom, Boom,
Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom,
Boom, Boom, Boom.

As I was driving home this evening, I heard on the radio that a man who was found guilt of burning poppies and singing ‘British Soldiers burn in hell’ on Armistice Day has been fined £50 (fifty pounds). Now, I don’t know about you, but I find this disgusting. £50 is a desultory amount for such an inflammatory act of ignorance and hatred.

(Taken from the BBC website) District Judge Howard Riddle said: “The two-minute chanting, when others were observing a silence, followed by a burning of the symbol of remembrance was a calculated and deliberate insult to the dead and those who mourn or remember them.”

Now £50 is a joke, I wonder if the tables were turned and ‘westerners’ were caught chanting anti-muslim slogans during a time of national remembrance what their punishment would be? I bet you it would be a good deal more severe than £50 (plus costs – don’t forget those…).

To me, this is borderline treason. This guy gets (according to the BBC) the thick end of £800 in state benefits. I am sorry, but I am of the opinion he doesn’t deserve these benefits. Someone in the government should take the decision to rescind all state benefits of this guy, and people like him who behave this way (muslim, catholics, french, english, it doesn’t matter) – if they cannot show some respect for this country’s history, the sacrifice soldiers and their families have gone through, and continue to go through, so they can have their iPhone and cheap Nike trainers – then the have no right to live in this country and be supported by English tax payers.

And here is another thing. The lawyer who was defending him (english guy by the way – a Mister Daniel Breger) had the audacity to try and defend his client on national radio, by saying he had the right to express his ways in what ever way he desired, and that because the poppies he burnt were not the proper ones, just orange replicas, that it was alright. I am sorry mister I-will-take-money-from-anyone-who-will-pay-me-because-I-am-a-blood-sucking-scumbag-of-a-layer-who-has-no-morales-or-principles-and-will-do-anything-for-money, but you are just as bad. You are scum just like the **** you were defending. Any lawyer with even a smidge of decency and moral code would have walked away from this case and refused to work it. But no, you will do anything for money. How can you sleep at night? You should be ashamed of yourself.

 

The name Tommy or Tommy Atkins has long been used as a generic nickname for the British Soldier for hundreds of years. There are many opinions as to where/how/why this name came about, my favourite is the one that suggests it was chosen by the Duke of Wellington…

The Duke was standing on a path which ran around the ramparts of Walmer Castle on a sunny summers day in July 1843. Near him, standing to attention, was a young Staff Officer of the Adjutant-General’s Department. He had just asked a question on a small matter of detail which the War Office thought should, as a courtesy, be referred to the Commander of the Forces. A name typical of the British private soldier was required, for use on the model sheet of the soldiers’ accounts and to show them where to sign.

The Duke stood gazing out to sea while the young officer waited, searching in a long memory stored with recollections for a man who typified the character of Britain’s soldiers. He thought back to his first campaign in the Low Countries where he had fought his first action with his old Regiment, the 33rd Foot.

When the battle was over and won, Wellesly rode back to where little groups of wounded men were lying on the ground. At the place where the right of the line had been lay the right-hand man of the Grenadier Company, Thomas Atkins. He stood six foot three in his stockinged feet, he had served for twenty years, he could neither read or write and he was the best man at arms in the Regiment. One of the bandsmen had bound up his head where a sabre had slashed it, he had a bayonet wound in the chest, and a bullet through the lungs. He had begged the bearers not to move him, but to let him die in peace. Wellesly looked down on him and the man must have seen his concern. ‘It’s all right, Sir’ he gasped. ‘It’s all in the day’s work.’ They were his last words.

The Old Duke turned to the the waiting staff officer. ‘Thomas Atkins,’ he said.

From the Ypres Times April 1929.

Major Edward Alexander Chisholm, MC and 2 Bars, RFA

Record of Service:

• Born in Canada 26/7/1892
• Previous to the outbreak of war had served with the 18^th Battery, Canadian Garrison Artillery, rising to the rank of Captain.
• Volunteered for service as part of the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force on 27/11/1914
• Transferred to the 161^st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery in November 1915 and embarked for France on 25/12/1915, and as part of the 32^nd Division saw action on the Somme, Arras, Amiens, and Sambre
• Appointed Acting Major on 16/9/1916
• Appointed Acting Major once more on 1/10/1918

Major Chisholm was killed in action in the last week of hostilities, on 7/11/1918, aged just 26. He is buried at Grand-Fayt Communal Cemetery, in Northern France. His Military Cross and 2 Bars were sent to his family on 7/7/1919. The Brigade Diary recalls his last brave action:

7/11/1918

KLI advanced through the Borders and A&S. Highlanders at 8.30am this morning. A/161 moved in close support. B/161 and C/161 received orders to move into positions to cover the objective or line established, with a range of approximately 3000 yards…C/161 moved through LE GRAND FAYT, and was delayed until a bridge was constructed, crossing about 11am. A/161 engaged hostile machine-guns throughout the day. Major E.A. CHISOLM (C/161) accompanied by B.S.M. LAY endeavoured to work round a hostile machine gun to capture the crew. Major CHISOLM was killed by a machine-gun bullet.

National Archives: WO95 2380

WW1 Medal Entitlement:

1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Military Cross and 2 Bars:

• Military Cross listed (no Citation) in Gazette issue 30340 (16^th October 1917)
• 1^st Bar listed (no Citation) in Gazette issue 30507 (1^st February 1918)
• 1^st Bar Citation published in Gazette issue 30780 (2^nd July 1918)
• 2^nd Bar listed (no Citation) in Gazette issue 31266 (1^st April 1919)
• 2^nd Bar Citation published in Gazette issue 31680 (9^th December 1919)

1^st Bar Citation – 2^nd July 1918

T./Capt. (A./Maj.) Edward Alexander Chisholm, M.C., R.F.A.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He displayed magnificent gallantry in preparing a forward position, in getting all his guns into action there, and bringing up a large amount of ammunition in a very short time. Though the position was in full view of the enemy and approached by a single road, which was in very bad condition and was continually shelled, he personally organised every detail of the work under constant heavy fire and great difficulties. The success of the battery was due to this officer’s untiring zeal, fearless example, and determination to succeed, which were worthy of the best traditions of the regiment.

2^nd Bar Citation – 9^th December 1919

T./Capt. (A./Maj.) Edward Alexander Chisholm, M.C., C/161^st Bde., R.F.A.

Near Ora, on 4^th November, 1918, he went forward to reconnoitre a position for his battery, and found the infantry held up. He went forward by himself, and captured ten prisoners and an enemy field gun. He sent back the ten prisoners by an orderly from his battery, and then went back and led up a party of infantry to secure the gun which he had captured. He was constantly under machine-gun fire.

 

 

Taken from ‘For Conspicuous Gallantry: Winners of the Military Cross During The Great War – Volume 1′ by Scott Addington.

Today, April 1^st, sees the anniversary of the birth of the Royal Air Force (RAF).  The RAF came about from the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service and announced in the London Gazette on April 2^nd 1918.

“All Officers serving with the Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Flying Corps on the 31st March, 1918, or in connection with those Services in certain Government Departments, in other than the undermentioned capacities, are granted temporary commissions in the Royal Air Force, with effect from the 1st April, 1918, in ranks which will appear in the Royal Air Force List.“

In celebration of this, I thought it pertinent for today’s ‘Hero of The Line’ to be a member of the RAF. But not any old member, no sir. What we have here, if you have a minute, is a proper hero. A pure gold nugget of an airmen, who conquered a fear of flying to become arguably the greatest Allied flying Ace of WW1 and second only to Baron von Richtoffen as the greatest Ace of the war.

So, without further ado, I introduce to you Major Edward Corringham ‘Mick’ Mannock VC, DSO and Two Bars, MC and Bar.

The outbreak of the war found him working as a telephone engineer in Turkey. Those pesky Turks took him prisoner and put him jail, where he suffered very poor health. Knocking on death’s door, he was repatriated and, in 1915, joined the colours. By 1916, he had become an officer in the Royal Engineers and in August 1916 was transferred to the Royal Flying Corps.

After training, he joined No. 40 Squadron but found it difficult at first to settle in. His unease was shown in his flying, to the extent that his colleagues thought he was a coward. He admitted he was scared, but on May 7, he shot down an observation balloon which would prove to be the start of a prolific air career.

By the end of July, Mannock had been awarded the Military Cross (MC) and was a flight commander. On August 12, 1917, he shot down and captured Leutnant Joachim von Bertrab. Both flyers were aces – Mannock had shot down a balloon and four aeroplanes; Bertrab was his sixth “credit”.

He kept flying and conquered his fears, working tirelessly at gunnery practice and forcing himself to get close to the German aeroplanes. After one kill, he coldly described it. “I was only ten yards away from him – on top so I couldn’t miss. A beautifully coloured insect he was – red, blue, green and yellow. I let him have 60 rounds, so there wasn’t much left of him.” His determination, flying skill and sense of teamwork earned him a promotion to Captain and a Bar to his MC in October 1917.

In February 1918, Mannock was appointed flight commander of the newly formed No. 74 Squadron. The squadron was posted to France in March 1918. He continued shooting down Germans, but never hogging credit, letting newer pilots get credit for kills. In three months, he claimed 36 more, bringing his total to 59. He was an excellent patrol leader; he took a very protective attitude toward his fliers and lectured them on survival and success. “Sight your own guns,” he told them, “The armourer doesn’t have to do the fighting.”

Mannock was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in May 1918, and received the Bar to the DSO just two weeks later.

On 26 July, Major Mannock offered to help a new arrival, Lt. D.C. Inglis, obtain his first victory. After shooting down an enemy  two-seater behind the German front-line, Mannock is believed to have dived to the crash site to view the wreckage. However, while crossing the trenches, the fighters were met with a massive volley of ground-fire. The engine of Mannock’s aircraft was hit and immediately caught fire and crashed behind German lines.

Mannock’s body was never officially found and he is commemorated on the Royal Flying Corps Memorial to the Missing at the Faubourg d’Amiens CWGC Cemetery in Arras.

A year after his death, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

Major Mannock was awarded the undermentioned distinctions for his previous combats in the air in France and Flanders:

• Military Cross. Gazetted 17th September, 1917.
• Bar to Military Cross. Gazetted 18th October, 1917.
• Distinguished Service Order. Gazetted 16th September, 1918.
• Bar to Distinguished Service Order (1st). Gazetted 16th September, 1918.
• Bar to Distinguished Service Order (2nd). Gazetted 3rd August, 1918.

Citation for Military Cross

T./2nd Lt. Edward Mannock, R.E. and R.F.C.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. In the course of many combats he has driven off a large number of enemy machines, and has forced down three balloons, showing a very fine offensive spirit and great fearlessness in attacking the enemy at close range and low altitudes under heavy fire from the ground.

Citation for Bar to Military Cross

T./2nd Lt. (T./Capt.) Edward Mannock, M.C., R.E. and R.F.C.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has destroyed several hostile machines and driven others down out of control. On one occasion he attacked a formation of five enemy machines single-handed and shot one down out of control. On another occasion, while engaged with an enemy machine, he was attacked by two others, one of which he forced to the ground. He has consistently shown great courage and initiative.

Citation for Distinguished Service Order

T./2nd Lt. (T./Capt.) Edward Mannock, M.C., R.E., attd. R.A.F.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during recent operations. In seven days, while leading patrols and in general engagements, he destroyed seven enemy machines, bringing his total in all to thirty. His leadership, dash and courage were of the highest order.^[13]

Citation for Bar to Distinguished Service Order

T./2nd Lt. (T./Capt.) Edward Mannock, D.S.O., R.E., and R.A.F.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. In company with one other scout this officer attacked eight enemy aeroplanes, shooting down one in flames. The next day, when leading his flight, he engaged eight enemy aeroplanes, destroying three himself. The same week he led his patrol against six enemy aeroplanes, shooting down the rear machine, which broke in pieces in the air. The following day he shot down an Albatross two-seater in flames, but later, meeting five scouts, had great difficulty in getting back, his machine being much shot about, but he destroyed one. Two days later, he shot down another two-seater in flames. Eight machines in five days—a fine feat of marksmanship and determination to get to close quarters. As a patrol leader he is unequalled. (D.S.O. gazetted in this Gazette.)

Citation for Second Bar to Distinguished Service Order

Lt. (T./Capt.) Edward Mannock, D.S.O., M.C. (formerly Royal Engineers).

This officer has now accounted for 48 enemy machines. His success is due to wonderful shooting and a determination to get to close quarters; to attain this he displays most skilful leadership and unfailing courage. These characteristics were markedly shown on a recent occasion when he attacked six hostile scouts, three of which he brought down. Later on the same day he attacked a two-seater, which crashed into a tree. (The announcement of award of Distinguished Service Order, and First Bar thereto, will be published in a later Gazette.)

Citation for Victoria Cross

His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Victoria Cross to the late Captain (acting Major) Edward Mannock, D.S.O., M.C., 85th Squadron Royal Air Force, in recognition of bravery of the first order in Aerial Combat: —

On the 17th June, 1918, he attacked a Halberstadt machine near Armentieres and destroyed it from a height of 8,000 feet [2,400 m].

On the 7th July, 1918, near Doulieu, he attacked and destroyed one Fokker (red-bodied) machine, which went vertically into the ground from a height of 1,500 feet [460 m]. Shortly afterwards he ascended 1,000 feet [300 m] and attacked another Fokker biplane, firing 60 rounds into it, which produced an immediate spin, resulting, it is believed, in a crash.

On the 14th July, 1918, near Merville, he attacked and crashed a Fokker from 7,000 feet, and brought a two-seater down damaged.

On the 19th July, 1918, near Merville, he fired 80 rounds into an Albatross two-seater, which went to the ground in flames.

On the 20th July, 1918, East of La Bassee, he attacked and crashed an enemy two-seater from a height of 10,000 feet [3,000 m].

About an hour afterwards he attacked at 8,000 feet [2,400 m] a Fokker biplane near Steenwercke and drove it down out of control, emitting smoke.

On the 22nd July, 1918, near Armentieres, he destroyed an enemy triplane from a height of 10,000 feet [3,000 m].

Major Mannock was awarded the undermentioned distinctions for his previous combats in the air in France and Flanders: —

Military Cross. Gazetted 17th September, 1917.
Bar to Military Cross. Gazetted 18th October, 1917.
Distinguished Service Order. Gazetted 16th September, 1918.
Bar to Distinguished Service Order (1st). Gazetted 16th September, 1918.
Bar to Distinguished Service Order (2nd). Gazetted 3rd August, 1918.

This highly distinguished officer, during the whole of his career in the Royal Air Force, was an outstanding example of fearless courage, remarkable skill, devotion to duty and self-sacrifice, which has never been surpassed.

The total number of machines definitely accounted for by Major Mannock up to the date of his death in France (26th July, 1918) is fifty—the total specified in the Gazette of 3rd August, 1918, was incorrectly given as 48, instead of 41.

Mannock’s Victoria Cross was presented to his father at Buckingham Palace in July 1919. Edward Mannock was also given his son’s other medals. Soon afterwards, Mannock’s medals were sold for £5. They have since been recovered and can be seen at the RAF Museum at Hendon.

I read a lot. Mostly history (which is a yawn for most people, I know), and mostly WW1 related. However, after reading my last book ‘In Flanders Fields – The 1917 Campaign’ my WW1 bookcase is dry… So here is a heart-felt plea to the 1500 or so people who read this blog every month (Thank you to all of you by the way!), to give me some inspiration for my next batch of WW1 literature…What books have you read on this part of history that you would recommend to me and to others? Let me have your top ten, top five or even top one…I will even except blatant plugs from authors and/or publishers…cos I am a nice guy like that..

To start the ball rolling, here are a few of my faves (in no particular order):

In Flanders Fields – The 1917 Campaign (Leon Wolff). A brutal, and opinionated view of the battle of Passchendaele. Wolff leaves the reader in no doubt who he think is to blame for this (in his view) un-necessary part of the war. It is very bias, certainly no sitting on the fence here!

Somme Mud (E P F Lynch).  Lynch was an Australian, fighting with the 45th Battalion AIF from late 1916 to the end of the war. This is his memoirs. It may not be the best written book in the world, but it picks you up by the throat and throws you into the trenches like no other book I have read. It will make you laugh out loud as well as shed a tear. A brilliant, brilliant book.

Any book by Lyn MacDonald. Lyn MacDonald is probably the best writer/author on the First World War ever. That is just the way it is. Her books (including 1914, Somme, They Called it Passchendaele) tell the tale of the war through the eyes (and voices) of the soldiers that were there. For each book she has interviewed hundreds of soldiers, of all ranks and regiments and weaves in sharp historic facts with their personal, intimate story. The First World War was about individuals. Unassuming men who were working in shops or offices one minute and fighting for their lives in the trenches the next. MacDonald’s books ensures their voices are heard.

The First Day on The Somme (Martin Middlebrook) The finest account of the blackest day in British military history. immensely detailed, it is an epic book that has been meticulously researched..an absolute classic.

Tommy: The British Soldier on the Western Front (Richard Holmes). Want to know what it was really like in the Trenches on the Western Front? Then this is the book for you. This war was about the people, which is why this book is so important. It doesn’t explain grandiose battle plans or military strategy and it doesn’t spit out endless statistics on every aspect of everything. This book is about the men. The people who actually did the fighting. What was it like to live in the front line trenches, what did they eat, how did they clean themselves and their kit, what did the private soldiers think of the officer ranks? Taken from thousands of first hand accounts, this is a great piece of work.

Forgotten Voices of the Great War (Max Arthur). I love the Forgotten Voices…series of books, again because it allows the ordinary man and woman to have their say. Using the War museums oral history archive this is a remarkable compilation of memories and anecdotes of the men and women who were actually there. Including front line soldiers, school children, objectors, and factory workers…

1914-1918: The History of the First World War (David Stevenson). Quite simply a staggering accomplishment. To coherently describe the events of such a complex and wide-ranging event is an enormous task. But Stevenson has done it brilliantly. Relatively easy to read (although it is 600 pages of small ish font), engaging and genuinely interesting – this is the book to read for a ‘soup-to-nuts’ overview of this war.

Right, there you go, that’s my 2 penneth, and I resisted the urge to blatantly push my own book! Now it is over to you. What are your favourites? Help fill my book shelf. Pleeaase!

A project to trace hundreds of children who were displaced by the Holocaust has been launched by am American museum.

The campaign, run by the U.S Holocaust Memorial Museum is calling for information about more than 1100 children, depicted in a series of photographs which can be seen online. The photos were taken at refuge camps and children’s homes across Europe at the end of the Second World War. Each photo shows the child holding a placard with their name on, there is also an index of all the children which can be searched by surname.

The hope is to track as many of these children down and capture their memories and testimonies before they fade away. The number of people who witnessed this tragic era of history first hand are rapidly diminishing, and it is important to capture as many memories as possible, before it is too late. So future generations can learn from humanity’s past mistakes.

Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae (November 30, 1872 – January 28, 1918) was a Canadian poet, physician, author, artist and soldier during World War I and a surgeon during the Second Battle of Ypres. He is best known for writing the famous war memorial poem “In Flanders Fields”.

Born in Guelph, Ontario, on November 30, 1872, John McCrae was the second son of Lieutenant-Colonel David McCrae and Janet Simpson Eckford McCrae. He had a sister, Geills, and a brother, Tom. John studied medicine at university, graduating in 1898 from University of Toronto Medical School.

John McCrae

With encouragement from his father, John always had a keen interest in the military, and when the South African War broke out in 1899, he felt a duty to fight. He sailed to Africa in December that year with the Canadian Field Artillery. He resigned in 1904 after being made Major and would not be involved in military dealings until 1914.

Within three weeks of the outbreak of the First World War , almost 50,000 Canadians had rushed to volunteer, including McCrae who was appointed brigade-surgeon to the First Brigade of the Canadian Field Artillery with the rank of Major and second-in-command. Just before his departure, he wrote to a friend:

It is a terrible state of affairs, and I am going because I think every bachelor, especially if he has experience of war, ought to go. I am really rather afraid, but more afraid to stay at home with my conscience. (Prescott. In Flanders Fields: The Story of John McCrae, p. 77)

It is thought that McCrae began the draft for his famous poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ on the evening of the 2nd May, 1915 in the second week of fighting during the Second Battle of Ypres.  Earlier that day, his good friend, Lt Alexis Helmer was killed by shell fire and McCrae asked to conduct the burial service owing to the chaplain being called away on duty elsewhere. It is believed that after the service, during the evening of the 2nd May, 1915 he sat down and began the draft of one of the most iconic war poems ever.

In Flanders Fields was first published in England’s Punch magazine in December 1915. Within months, this poem came to symbolize the sacrifices of all who were fighting in the First World War. Today, the poem continues to be a part of Remembrance Day ceremonies in Canada, Britain and other countries throughout the world.

In Flanders Fields (John McCrae, 1915)

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

On January 28, 1918, while still commanding No 3 Canadian General Hospital (McGill) at Boulogne, McCrae died of pneumonia. He was buried the following day in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission section of Wimereux Cemetery, just a couple of kilometres up the coast from Boulogne, with full military honours. McCrae’s gravestone is placed flat, as are all the others in the section, because of the unstable sandy soil.

With the sad but inevitable news that Claude Choules, the last surviving veteran from WW1 passed away earlier this week, I guess the press will be full of articles about their lives, television programmes dedicated to their memory and a renewed interest, for a while, in the “Great War”.

That we remember those who fought and died, or who survived is of course only right and proper but as I read about Claude Choules passing I did start to wonder if we aren’t in danger of losing those from World War II before we know it.

If you think back over the last 5 or 6 years, the last dozen or so surviving Tommie’s from WW1 had almost reached celebrity status… Men such as Harry Patch and Henry Allingham were inundated with historians, television crews, radio pundits etc. all wanting to squeeze every last drop of memory out of them before it was too late. Numerous books and documentaries detailed their stories and revelled in the horrors that they had witnessed firsthand.

I wonder though, as we have read with awe, and listened intently to the stories of these undoubtedly brave and remarkable men, have we failed to notice that those soldiers who fought in WW2 are also leaving us. Another brave and heroic generation are slowly fading away right in front of us and it will not be long before we repeat the circus act that has surrounded the last WW1 soldiers in recent years.

I wonder how many veterans of Dunkirk are left? And what about El Alamain? River Plate?  Tobruk? How many people are left that can actually tell us firsthand what it was like at Monte Cassino, or trying to cross the Rhine in Operation Market Garden.
The simple fact is that World War II ended 66 years ago and so any survivor from that conflict must now be in their 80s. Of course, they could go on for another 20 even 30 years but sadly many of them won’t and as they do leave us so their story will fade too. That’s part of the cycle of life of course, their passing really is inevitable, but as they become fewer and fewer so I am struck again by the social responsibility we all have to ensure they memories, stories and experiences live on, because one day there just won’t be any one left—after that there really is no going back.

WW2 Veterans

So, if you know someone in your family who fought in WW2, then see if you can talk to them about it, do some research on where they fought and what they experienced. It is likely they have artefacts such as letters or medals or uniform that will bring these stories to life. Very soon this will all we will have left of these heroes, so let us all ensure we do our bit to keep the memories and stories alive. We owe it to our kids and future generations.

The blog post I did a while back: 9 Little Known Facts of WW1 has been very popular, so I thought I would add a few more bite sized nuggets…so here we go:  Little Known WW1 facts, Chapter 2…

When the British mines laid under the Messines Ridge near Ypres were exploded on 7th June 1917, they not only changed the landscape, but could also be heard as far away as Dublin, Ireland. About 10,000 German soldiers died instantly in the blast.

Officers carried revolvers, not rifles, as a result they were easy for the enemy to spot and targetted specifically by the enemy.

From July to December 1917 (commonly referred to as the Battle of Passchendaele) 1 British officer was killed for every 19 men. In the German army during the same period, It was 1 German officer for every 38 men.

The first reported use of gas was by the Germans on the eastern front on 3rd Jan 1915. It was a tearing agent dispersed by artillery shell. The first use on the western front came several months later on 22nd Apr 1915 at the village of Langemarck near Ypres. At 1700 hours the Germans released a 5 mile wide cloud of chlorine gas from some 520 cylinders (168 tons of the chemical). The greenish-yellow cloud drifted over and into the French and Algerian trenches where it caused wide spread panic and death. The age of chemical warfare had begun.

One of the most famous big guns of the Great War is the infamous Paris Gun. Also known as Lange Max, or Big Bertha. In this case size was not everything, although the gun could fire a shell 70 miles in 170 seconds, it didnt have a great deal of explosives and accuracy was non existent.. it was used for propaganda rather than serving any real military tactical advantage.

The youngest casualty of WW1 was  6322 Pte John Condon of the 2nd Royal Irish Regiment who was just 14 when he was reported missing, presumed dead on 24th May 1915.

The first use of tanks (or land ships as they were originally known) on the battlefield was the use of 49 British MK I tanks during the Battle of the Somme on 15th September 1916

634 Victoria Crosses were issued during WW1.

Horses were the main means of transportation for all sides in the War. As such, almost 8 million horses were killed during the conflict with another 2.5 million wounded.

The first German air raid on London took place on 28th November 1916. The Germans hoped that by making raids on London and the South East, the British Air Force would be forced into protecting the home front rather than attacking the German air force.

Here is another ‘hero of the line’. This is a series of researched officers and men who were killed during the First World War and whose gravestone we photographed during our ‘cycling the line‘ trip in 2009.

Today’s hero is Lt. Col. Randle Barnett Barker, DSO & Bar. Royal Fusiliers.

Record of Service:

• Born London, 19/6/1891
• A career soldier, he gained his first commission to 2/Lt on 17/1/1891
• Served in India from 11/11/1892 until 10/8/1895
• Promoted to Lt on 22/7/1893
• Returned to India on 2/12/1896 and stayed until 30/12/1896
• Married Elinor Gertrude on 2/6/1897
• Appointed Adjutant, 1^st Royal Fusiliers on 1/10/1898
• Promoted to Captain on 19/7/1899
• After 15 years service, Barnett Barker retired from the Royal Welsh Fusiliers on 5/5/1906
• Appointed Captain in the Reserve of Officers 21/8/1915
• Embarked for the Western Front 11/12/1915

Barnett Barker was appointed as a Captain in the Reserve of Officers on 21/8/1915 and had a prodigious war, being Mentioned in Dispatches 5 times and being awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and Bar. He gained the DSO during fighting at Delville Wood in late July/early August 1916, and the Bar to the DSO for leadership and bravery at Arras in 1917.

During the War, he was present during the following actions: Vimy Ridge (1916), Delville Wood (1916), Beaumont Hamel (1916), The Ancre advance and Miramont Battle (1917) and Arras (1917). As well as the second Battle of the Somme (1918).

• Assumed command of 99^th Infantry Brigade on 24/1/1918

Lt. Col. Barnett Barker fell in action at Guendecourt during the second Battle of the Somme on 24/3/1918, when he was commanding 99^th Infantry Brigade. The Brigade HQ diary records the day as such:

Shells began to fall in and around Guendecourt at 5.45pm. Brigadier General R. Barnett Barker, DSO and Captain E. I. Bell, MC (staff Captain) were killed by a shell.

This shell fire was part of a German offensive that started on 21^st March 1918. The diary summarises:

The German offensive began at 4.45am and the events of the following days are summarised in the Narrative of Operations (Appendix VI). Special record must however be made of the serious losses sustained by the Brigade during the fighting. Foremost amongst these were Brigadier General R. Barnett Barker. General Barker had served in the Brigade continuously since it came out to France, except for 3 months when he commanded the 3^rd Infantry Brigade in Flanders. As Commanding Officer if the 22^nd Royal Fusiliers he had won the respect and affection of everyone in the Brigade and when he succeeded Brigade General R .O Kellett in Command of the Brigade it was with the happiest auguries for the future. (WO95/1370).

He is buried in Albert Communal Cemetery Extension.

Gravestone of Lt Col R Barnett Barker DSO & Bar

WW1 Medal Entitlement:

• Distinguish Service Order (LG: 20/10/1916)
• Bar to the Distinguished Service Order (LG: 14/7/1917)
• Mentioned in Dispatches: 22/5/1917, 4/1/1917, 15/5/1917, 11/12/1917, 20/5/1918.
• 1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

 

DSO Citation – 20^th October 1916

Capt. (temp. Lt-Col.) Randle Barnett Barker, R. Fus.

For conspicuous gallantry during operations. He took over and organised the defences of a wood with great skill, after making a personal reconnaissance of the whole wood under shell and machine gun fire. He has done other fine work and has displayed great personal bravery.

During the fighting that raged in and around Delville Wood during 24^th July and 6^th August, 1916 Barnett Barker’s regiment (22^nd Royal Fusiliers) suffered 267 casualties, killed and wounded.

Bar Citation – 24^th July 1917

Capt. And Bt. Maj. (Temp. Lt. Col.) Randle Barnett Barker, DSO., R. Fus.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During an assault his battalion was compelled to withdraw from its objective owing to heavy casualties and to its flank being unsupported. At this most critical moment he reorganised and rallied all the men of his brigade who were within reach, and by his promptitude and fine leadership won back most of the objective, and maintained it until relieved.

To celebrate and remember the Allied landings on the Normandy beaches, here are a few interesting facts about this most historic and heroic day.

• The codename given by the Allies for the overall  invasion was ‘Operation Overlord’.

• The invasion took place over 61miles of beaches. The beaches were split into 5 sectors and given the following code names: Omaha, Sword, Juno, Gold and Utah.

• In total 156,115 Allied troops landed in Normandy (83,115 of these were British and Canadian troops)

• Operation Neptune was the code name given to the channel crossing phase of the invasion.  Operation Neptune consisted of  6939 vessels and 195,700 personnel.

• By the end of 11th June (D + 5), 326,547 troops, 54,186 vehicles and 104,428 tons of supplies had been landed on the beaches.

• It is estimated that about 17 million maps supported the mission.

• At 0537, a group of German E-boats made the only ‘Kriegsmarine’ attack on D-Day when they moved in as close to the allied convey as they dared and unleashed a volley of torpedoes. The only ship that was hit was a Norwegian Destroyer called Svenner, which sunk.

• When the D-Day forces landed, Hitler was asleep. None of his generals dared order re-enforcements without his permission, and no-one dared wake him. Crucial hours were lost in the battle to hold on to Normandy.

• Having been given his top-secret mission to attack the Merville battery on D-Day, Terence Otway had to be certain his men wouldn’t spill the beans ahead of 6 June 1944. He sent 30 of the prettiest members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, in civilian clothes, into village pubs near where his soldiers were training. They were asked to do all they could to discover the men’s mission. None of the men gave anything away.

• One of the greatest feats of military engineering was Operation PLUTO (Pipeline Under The Ocean) which was an ambitious joint project between British scientists, oil companies and the armed forces to lay an undersea oil pipeline from England to France to enable the invasion force to be fueled. It fed the force with over a million gallons oil daily.

 

These are just a few snippets, but there are hundreds of facts and interesting stories about D-Day and the Normandy invasion, if you have a factoid or story, why not add it here?

As I was taking part in the annual event that is clearing out my garage yesterday, I came across one box of my book  – For Conspicuous Gallantry…Winners of the Military Cross During The Great War (Volume 1: 2 Bars and 3 Bars). As well as possibly having the longest book title in the world, it consists of military biographies of all officers who won 2 or 3 Bars to the MC.

More than just a list of winners, this book looks in detail at the men behind the medals and provides a unique insight into the military careers of these gallant men, who up until now have been largely overlooked.

If you want to have a look at some content then you can see an example of Major H W F B Farrer MC and 2 Bars here

I had actually thought that all copies were sold, and I was surprised to see the little box of books stashed in the corner, buried beneath a heap of toys, tents and bikes…so the world has another opportunity to grab a distinctly average book, by an average chap, at a non-average price. Cover price for these beauties is £20, but for this last box (about 20 of them I think) the price will be £9.99 with free UK postage.

This book will not be re-printed, so this is it, the last opportunity to own a book that works wonderfully as a leveller for a table or chair with a wonky leg. Once they are gone….they are, er…gone.

 

So, if you want to take advantage of the £9.99 special offer then either email me at scott.addington@kofax.com, or twit me @military_search and I will reserve you one.

The Somme offensive was the main Allied attack along the Western Front in 1916. Launched on July 1^st along a 19 mile front line north of the River Somme between Amiens and Péronne, it eventually ended on 18^th November due to bad weather.

Originally intended to be an offensive dominated by French forces, with the British in support, it’s primary objective would be to smash the German army and deplete their manpower reserves. This was never going to be a nimble, clever campaign. Oh No. Just brute strength and attrition please waiter.

As it was their show, the decision to launch the offensive in the Somme region was down to the French high command, and it was down to the location of available manpower and resource rather than any grand strategy or plan. Haig preferred an attack in the north of Belgium to check the growing U-boat problem emanating from the Belgian ports but the politics of the situation forced him to comply. So everything was agreed. Hands were shook, backs were patted and cigars lit. The ‘big push’ was pencilled in for August 1916.

But, being the party poopers they are, the Germans messed up all the plans when they launched their own offensive at Verdun at the beginning of 1916. Suddenly France was the one being ‘bled white’ and within a few months it was clear that France would not be in any fit state to lead a major offensive. In fact it was touch and go as to whether they would survive as a fighting unit. They needed help from Britain to relieve the pressure at Verdun, and they needed it fast.

So, the date of the attack was brought forward to the beginning of July, and it was now a large scale British diversionary attack, with only minimal French support. Planning passed to Haig, and it was game on.

The plan was simple: Mass more guns than have ever been massed before to fire more shells than had ever been fired before, for longer than had ever been done before. This would completely smash the German defences, cut their wire to smithereens and shatter the resolve and morale of the enemy soldiers. Then, the infantry, some 750,000 men (of which a large portion were made up from Kitchener’s new Pals Battalions), would advance and consolidate the positions, with cavalry at the ready in order to attempt a complete breakthrough if the opportunity arose.

Despite a monster 8 day bombardment, a mixture of poor quality ammunition and world class underground German bunkers resulted in failure. Wire was not cut, morale had not been broken, defences were still intact and when the infantry attacked the German positions at 7.30am the German machine gunners and artillery were ready and waiting.

Soldiers waiting to go over the top - Somme 1916

The result was carnage. The British Army suffered almost 58,000 casualties on this one day. A third of these were killed. To this day it stands out as the blackest moment in the Army’s illustrious history. Apart from the odd isolated success the large bulk of the British infantry were either cut down in No Man’s Land or forced back to their own lines. Ironically it was the French, that made the best progress towards the south of the front.

Despite everything, Haig persisted with the offensive in the following days.  Advances were made, but these were limited and often ultimately repulsed.  On the 11^th July the first line of German trenches were secured.  On that day German troops were transferred from Verdun to contribute to the German defence, doubling the number of men available for the defence.

Like punch drunk boxers, both sides thought they were one decisive blow away from total victory, so they kept smashing each other in the face, time and again. There were minor successes such as the Australian capture of Poziers on July 23^rd, but these were isolated victories and could not be capitalised upon.

On the 15th September, the British attacked again in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. It was here that the tank made its operational debut, and although it scared the hell out of the enemy, these early ‘land ships’ failed to make a great impact and the advance only gained a few kilometres.

The sparring carried on until the November snow forced the final suspension of operations. Allied forces had gained a slither of tortured landscape 12km across at the deepest point.

Over a million men became casualties during this bitter struggle, with Britain and her Empire suffering to the tune of 419,654 men, wounded and killed. However, the Germans suffered terribly too (around 500,000 casualties), and they were forced to stop attacking Verdun allowing the French army to dust itself down and regroup. So while the tactics of Haig remain controversial even to this day, the offensive achieved the desired effect: Relieve the pressure on the French at Verdun, and inflict huge casualties on the Germans. So from a purely military point of view, he could be excused for saying ‘job done’.

After the Boer War, Richard Haldane, the War Minister, spearheaded a reform of the British Army. Hindered by a nation obsessed with its Navy, and a political system opposed to conscription, the opportunity to grow the army was limited, so instead Haldane concentrated on modernisation and training, with the aim of building an elite force of 6 infantry divisions and 1 cavalry division, all available for rapid mobilisation as a British Expedition Force (BEF) in mainland Europe. Backed, if needed, by a reserve of 14 Territorial divisions of volunteers.

The overseas portion of the British Army – specifically those armies in India, Egypt, South Africa and the Middle East lost out big time in this re-structure and overhaul. Despite the fact that over half of the total strength of the army was stationed overseas, these forces were often starved of men, equipment and resources in order to bolster the BEF.

At the outbreak of war in August 1914 the BEF was about 120,000 strong and ready to go. They had seen the European heavyweights poke each other in the eye and were ready to get stuck in. Unfortunately, whilst they were expertly trained – especially in the use of the rifle, in which they were probably the best in the world, they were trained for a mobile war, and did not have huge numbers of artillery, machine guns, mortars or grenades.

So, with big smiles and a sense of adventure, the BEF boarded trains and headed off to Belgium. The sentiment of the time was that it would ‘be all over by Christmas’ and it will all be a jolly good escapade. However they marched straight towards an enemy that had already forced the armies of Belgium and France to run and hide. Germany was hugely superior in numbers, had more artillery, more bombs, and more shells, she also knew how to ‘dig in’ and form strong defensive positions.

However despite the odds, the BEF put up a huge fight and frustrated the on rushing German army. This can be seen clearly in the famous “Order of the Day” given by the Kaiser, Wilhelm II, on the 19th August, 1914:-

“It is my Royal and Imperial Command that you concentrate your energies,
for the immediate present upon one single purpose,
and that is that you address all your skill and all the valour of my soldiers,
to exterminate first, the treacherous English,
walk over General French’s contemptible little Army.”

With typical British humour, the BEF gladly embraced being called contemptible, and from that day on they would be forever known as ‘The Old Contemptibles’.

The BEF fought heroically, In an after-action report, one Prussian officer estimated that the British had at least 28 machine guns per battalion. In reality, they had only TWO machine guns per battalion. All that firepower came from bolt-action rifles in the hands of men well-trained in their use.

Despite lacking men, guns and ammunition, the BEF  managed to halt the German Army and put a very large British spanner in the wheel that was the Schlieffen Plan. The German advance had been stopped. Paris had been saved. It came at a cost though. By the end of 1914, the original BEF had been practically wiped out.

The survivors of The Old Contemptibles were rightly proud of what they had achieved between August 5th and November 22nd 1914. In 1925, Captain John Patrick Danny, RFA, founded the Old Contemptibles Association for veterans of the BEF. At its height it had 178 UK branches and 14 overseas and produced its own magazine.

Exploring, through forensic archaeology, the human story of the Battle of Messines

The Plugstreet Project is a non profit project lead by No Man’s Land Archaeology Group, a multinational team of volunteers specialising in the study of the First World War though archaeological excavations, historical research, map work and aerial photography. Working with academic departments, local and international partners, cutting edge techniques are being employed to gain a greater understanding of life in the trenches and the effect of the war on the local population.

The Great War of 1914-1918 took place barely a century ago, at the start of the Plugstreet Project, men who had taken part in these battles were still alive and the memories of numerous others live on in their letters, memoirs and in some cases oral history recordings. Across the world archives hold thousands upon thousands of documents, maps and photographs. What could we possibly learn from excavating the landscape upon which such well documented events took place? The Plugstreet Project is the first attempt in any period of archaeology to follow a military unit from formation through training, to a baptism of fire, in an attempt to establish whether their training had indeed been successful. In addition it aims to examine the ongoing effect of the conflict, over a lifetime ago, on the residents of the area and also the families of over half a million men who fought in these fields. By combining the findings on site with documentary evidence, academic and scientific investigation, the team set out to discover the story of the Battle of Messines, one of the least know but perhaps one of the most decisive battles of the Great War.

This website tells that story and provides an opportunity for the families of those who lived and died in these fields, to share their own little slice of history, so helping to build the true picture of this landscape and the lives it has touched.

Go and check out their website, buy their books and watch their videos! http://www.plugstreet-archaeology.com

At 19:00 CET today, a ceremony will be held at the Commission’s newest cemetery at Fromelles in northern France, to dedicate the newly erected headstones of 14 Australian soldiers who died 95 years ago, during the Battle of Fromelles.

This public event forms the latest chapter in the Fromelles story, which has seen the discovery of 250 Australian and British soldiers, who were killed on 19 July 1916.

arial view of Fromelles cemetery

Exactly one year ago, the last of those 250 soldiers was buried in a ceremony to dedicate Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery. Over the past 12 months, evidence to help identify more of those buried at Fromelles has been successfully gathered, enabling the Australian and British governments to name 14 more Australian soldiers in April 2011, adding to those 96 Australian soldiers already identified by name.  This painstaking work has been possible by using a combination of DNA testing and the careful analysis of historical, archaeological and forensic information

Tonight’s ceremony will see family members of many of the 14 newly identified soldiers being given the chance to pay their respects to their loved ones.  Also in attendance will be various dignitaries and the people of Fromelles, who have shown tremendous support over the past few years, to enable the project to reach such a successful conclusion

However, this is not the end of the Fromelles story, as any new evidence pertaining to any of those soldiers not yet identified will be examined at a yearly Board of Identification, which will be held once every year until 2014.  More information can be found at www.fromelles.org  (This text was taken directly from CWGC).

Want to know a bit more about the Attack at Fromelles? Well, today is your lucky day..

 

Fromelles – The worst 24 hours in Australia’s entire history

An attack in and around the villages of Fleurbaix and Fromelles was initially pencilled in as part of a widening of the Somme offensive. However, the successes on the Somme were not forthcoming and the relevance of an attack around Fromelles was dismissed by the Army’s High Command on July 16^th. However, Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Haking (GOC XI Corps), the local commander of the area was still keen to press ahead with the operation, despite no clear objective or plan.

The rough idea, hastily modified from the original plan, was to stop the Germans moving troops from this sector, south to re-enforce the Somme area. This attack would also be the first to involve the Australians. Their 5^th Division had landed in France just days before, and would be thrown in right at the deep end. Assisted by the British 61^st Division.

The attack would centre around a salient – nick named ‘Sugar Loaf’ due to its size and shape. Sugar Loaf was relatively small but commanded all the high ground in the area and had unrestricted views on all sides. Sugar Loaf was held by the 6^th Bavarian Reserve Division, and they had built a very solid and intricate defensive position. Taking the Loaf would not be easy, and would need some clever tactics, perhaps a surprise attack under darkness using a small number of elite troops.

After careful consideration, the clever chaps of the Army High Command decided that a huge artillery bombardment, followed by a full frontal mass infantry attack in broad daylight, would be the best way to go. The artillery bombardment would definitely smash the defenders to little pieces, and the infantry would be able to amble up the hill, cigars on the go, and take the positions.

Sound familiar? Unfortunately it seems that the lessons of July 1^st were not fully heeded.

For seven odd hours before zero, the German lines were shelled to bits. The problem was, the maps that the British Officers had that showed the position of the German lines were out of date. The German had actually pulled back a few hundred yards to a new defensive line. Those shells, all 200,000 of them, fell on empty earth and reduced the landscape to a muddy bog, devoid of cover – which would prove disastrous.

Men of the 53rd Battalion, AIF waiting to 'go over the top' at Fromelles 19 July 1916 (Courtesy AWM).

After the bombardment the Australian and British troops advanced. Some elements of the Australian contingent actually made it to their first objective; however there were no Germans there, just mud and more mud. From their new positions the Germans made easy work of the attackers. With no cover, they didn’t stand a chance.

The British and Australian troops who advanced on the right flank of the attack didn’t even have the chance to reach their objective – they were literally cut to pieces by machine guns as they crossed No Man’s Land.

Later in the evening, the British asked the Australian 15^th Brigade to join up with a renewed assault on the German lines at 9pm. However, this attack was cancelled, but someone forgot to tell the Australians, who advanced again, alone, and suffered terribly.

During a German counter attack the Australian forces were split into two, each side becoming increasingly isolated and vulnerable to complete encirclement. The order to retreat at daybreak was given, however by the time the retreat had begun; those Germans had set up even more machine gun posts and inflicted devastating casualties on the retreating Australian troops.

It was not a good introduction to battle for the Australians. After a little over 24 hours of fighting, they had suffered 5,533 casualties (killed, wounded or prisoners). The British had fared slightly better, but still, 1,547 casualties were not insignificant. Not one inch of ground had been one. It was a complete disaster.

The Australian War Memorial describes the battle as “the worst 24 hours in Australia’s entire history.”

 

For more information, why not visit these dedicated websites on the Attack at  Fromelles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fromelles#cite_note-3

http://www.fromelles.org

http://www.cwgc.org/fromelles/?page=english/homepage