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Category Archives: WW1
Reflections of a Rifleman – Part 4
“A Chiel’s amang you takin’ notes and, faith, he’ll prent it.” – Burns Our trek ended some few miles beyond the Belgian frontier at a camp of crude, draughty huts. The whole district for miles around was full of such … Continue reading
Reflections of a Rifleman – Part 3
Our Division being at length relieved, we retraced our steps across the immortal battlefields that compose the desolate wastes of the Somme, and after a brief halt at Albert we joined the battalion at the little French village of Francevilliers. … Continue reading
Reflections of a Rifleman – Part 2
Albert in peace times, I should think, was a fairly prosperous town. Now it is merely a heap of ruins, the railway station being about the best preserved structure. The most remarkable feature is the modern red cathedral, nearly battered … Continue reading
Posted in WW1
Tagged Albert, Fowler, High Wood, London Irish, Mametz Wood, Memoir, Somme
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Reflections of a Rifleman – Part 1
Whilst trawling the local paper for information about Carshalton in the First World War, I came across an article published in March 1918 titled ‘Reflections of a Rifleman.’ It was written by Lance Corporal Joseph Fowler, C Company, 1/18th London … Continue reading
‘A Typical English Sportsman’ – Frank Brock and the Zeebrugge Raid
Today marks the 96th anniversary of the Zeebrugge raid, a daring but near-suicidal attempt by the British to block the canal entrance at the German-held port of Zeebrugge, to stop German U-Boats entering and exiting the canal into the north … Continue reading
Posted in 1918, Gallantry, Navy, WW1
Tagged Cheam war memorial, Frank Arthur Brock, RNAS, Vindictive, Zeebrugge
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Lives of the First World War – First Impressions
Over the past few days I have been trying out the beta of the Lives of the First World War database. This ambitious idea, being led by the IWM, is one of the flagship projects of the centenary. It will … Continue reading
Posted in Centenary, Research, WW1
Tagged Centenary, IWM, lives of the first world war, WW1
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2014: Dawn of the Centenary
So here we are in 2014, a year that will see the start of over four years of events to commemorate the centenary of the First World War. One hundred years since a conflict that affected most households in the … Continue reading
Posted in Centenary, WW1
Tagged Centenary, imperial war museum, lives of the first world war
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Christmas Day casualties
Earlier this year I accompanied a school group on their trip to Ypres, led by Steve Garnett of Gesta. The first stop on the salient was Essex Farm Cemetery, where John McCrae wrote his famous poem ‘In Flanders Fields’. After … Continue reading
Posted in 1916, Battlefield tours, Research, WW1, Ypres
Tagged 17th KRRC, 1916, Christmas Day casualties, Essex Farm, KRRC
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A Great War Sniper
This photograph from my collection shows a Sergeant from The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Helpfully it is signed by the soldier ‘Yours truly Sgt. J. Wyeth’. However on searching the First World War service records and medal index cards … Continue reading
‘This officer served his machine gun…until he had been shot five times’ – Jack Dimmer VC
A few years ago I worked for the London Borough of Merton. Based at the Civic Centre in Morden, for nearly two years every day I walked past a small plaque in the foyer to Lieutenant Colonel John Dimmer, VC. … Continue reading
Posted in First Ypres, Gallantry, WW1
Tagged Dimmer, First Ypres, Jack Dimmer VC, King's Royal Rifle Corps, KRRC, Merton, VC, Victoria Cross, Wimbledon, Ypres
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