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Author Archives: ww1geek
February battlefield trip – part 1
I have recently returned from a three day trip to the battlefields of the Ypres salient and the Somme with Steve Garnett of Battlefront Exploration (www.battlefrontexploration.co.uk ; @bfXsteve on Twitter). I hope to post a couple of blog articles with … Continue reading
2012 in review
Below is a short WordPress report on my blog’s stats in 2012. Given that I only started it in May I have been amazed by the number of views it has had. Due to other commitments I haven’t been able … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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The 1st Queen’s At Gheluvelt
“October 31st and November 1st will remain for ever memorable in the history of our country, for, during those two days, no more than one thin and straggling line of tired-out British soldiers stood between the Empire and its practical … Continue reading
‘Thomas Hardy’ of Festubert
Whilst searching for biographies of officers of The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment in The Times, I came across a story that grabbed my attention entitled ‘Thomas Hardy of Festubert’. The story begins with an incongruous entry in the London … Continue reading
Posted in Festubert, Surrey Regiments, WW1
Tagged 1915, festubert, Queens, Surrey, WW1
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The Battle of Loos
Today marks the 97th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Loos, the British ‘big push’ of 1915. The battle was the first time some of Kitchener’s volunteers saw action – for many it would also be the last. … Continue reading
Posted in Gas, Loos, WW1
Tagged 1915, East Surrey, Gas, Loos, Propaganda, Queens, Surrey, WW1
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Armistice Day in Ypres
Last November I travelled to Belgium with Leger Holidays on their ‘Armistice Day in Ypres’ tour. The reason for this was primarily to visit Tyne Cot for the first time, where my Great Great Uncle, William MacDuff, is commemorated. However … Continue reading
Colonel HC Wylly
In carrying out research I am always looking for new sources to draw upon. The internet is a fantastic resource, and with websites such as Ancestry and the Great War Forum, a large amount of research can be done from … Continue reading
May you sleep well in the earth of beautiful France
Corporal William Stuart Barnett, KIA 7.9.14 William Stuart Barnett was born in Sutton, Surrey, in 1892. His father, a jeweller and silversmith, died when he was just three years old. After leaving school William worked as a Pawnbroker’s assistant and … Continue reading
The Youngest Lieutenant Colonel
Eric Gordon Bowden was killed on 22nd July 1918. At the time of his death he was Lieutenant Colonel of the 11th Battalion The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), aged just 24. His Commonwealth War Graves Commission entry reads “Lt. … Continue reading
Posted in WW1
Tagged Bowden, Hardyman, Queens, Remembrance, Surrey, Youngest Lieutenant Colonel
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Preparing for the Centenary
In a recent, rather rambling article for the Daily Mail, Max Hastings criticised the government’s apparent lack of interest (read: funding) in the centenary. However, I think that his assertion that “the British government is so eager to wash its … Continue reading
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