John’s last letter
Background Some years ago, my family visited a car boot sale near Leominster in Herefordshire. The children went off to find dinosaurs and action figures and whatever else they were interested in at that time,…
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Review of new guide to Arras battlefields
Arras 1914-1918: a comprehesive guide to the battlefield: part 1: Arras South by Jim Smithson and Tim Wright published by Helion & Company in 2020 Paperback ISBN 978 1 912174 83 6 257 pages plus…
Review of “Thousands of heroes have arisen”
Thousands of heroes have arisen: Sikh voices of the Great War 1914-1918 by Sukwinder Singh Bassi Published by Helion & Co., 2019 Hardback ISBN 978 1 911628 98 9 390 glossy pages plus 23 pages…
Evacuation of casualties from the Somme 1916
This article is a summary of the activity of the evacuation of wounded, sick and injured casualties from the Somme sector in the period 24 June to 25 November 1916. My date range is wider…
Review of “Long before daybreak”
Long before daybreak The rediscovered WW1 memoir of an art student’s survival in the trenches by Albert Clayton edited by Micah Duckworth published independently by M J Duckworth paperback, 218 pages, illustrated, no index In…
Review of “Harry Livingstone’s forgotten men”
Harry Livingstone’s forgotten men: the Canadians and the Chinese Labour Corps in the First World War by Dan Black published by James Lorimer & Co., Toronto, 2020 paperback ISBN 978 1 459 414327 503 pages…
David Walliams’ great grandfather – the full military story
Many visitors to this site will have seen the episode of the “Who do you think you are?”series featuring David Walliams. Produced by Wall to Wall, it was first broadcast by BBC on 19 October…
Mons-en-Chaussée then and now
Mons-en-Chaussée lies east of the River Somme, on the old Roman road to Saint-Quentin. It was captured by the British during their pursuit of the German strategic withdrawal from the Somme sector to the prepared…
German mine explodes at “Auchy Left” 6 May 1916
Background On 15 December 1915, the experienced regular unit, the 1st Battalion of the Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), transferred to the newly arrived 100th Infantry Brigade of 33rd Division. Shortly afterwards, the division took…
Beuvry then and now
The photograph was taken on Rue Sadi Carnot in Beuvry, with the wagon heading southward away from the Église Saint-Martin parish church.