Download or read book Accrington s Pals written by Andrew C. Jackson and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The First Battle of the Marne was one of the most pivotal battles in history. Fought outside Paris in September 1914, it turned the tide of the German invasion of France, and robbed Kaiser Wilhelm II of his best chance of winning the First World War.
Download or read book Stranger In My Heart written by Mary Monro and published by Unbound Publishing. This book was released on 2018-06-09 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stranger In My Heart is about the search for understanding oneself, answering the question “Who am I?” by seeking to understand the currents that sweep down the generations, eddy through one’s own persona and continue on – palpable but often unrecognised. My father fought at the Battle of Hong Kong in December 1941, was taken prisoner by the Japanese and then escaped in February 1942, making his way across 1200 miles of inhospitable country to reach China’s wartime capital at Chongqing. Seventy years later I retraced his steps in an effort to understand a man who had died when I was 18, leaving a lot of unanswered questions behind. My book is the quest that I undertook to explore my father’s life, in the context of the Pacific War and our relationship with China. A picture of a man of the greatest generation slowly unfolds, a leader, a 20th Century Great, but a distant father. As I delve into his story and research the unfamiliar territory of China in the Second World War, the mission to get to know the stranger I called ‘Dad’ resolves into a mission to understand how my own character was formed. As I travel across China, the traits I received from my father gradually emerge from their camouflage. The strands of the story are woven together in a flowing triple helix, with biography, travelogue and memoir punctuated with musings on context and meaning.
Download or read book Zeppelin Inferno written by Ian Castle and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2022-05-31 with total page 468 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the beginning of 1916, as the world entered the second full year of global conflict, the cities, towns and villages of Britain continued to lay vulnerable to aerial bombardment. Throughout that period German Zeppelin airships and seaplanes had come and gone at will, their most testing opposition provided by the British weather as the country’s embryonic defences struggled to come to terms with this first ever assault from the air. Britain’s civilians were now standing on the frontline — the Home Front — like the soldiers who had marched off to war. But early in 1916 responsibility for Britain’s aerial defence passed from the Admiralty to the War Office and, as German air attacks intensified, new ideas and plans made dramatic improvements to Britain’s aerial defence capability. While this new system could give early warning of approaching raiders, there was a lack of effective weaponry with which to engage them when they arrived. Behind the scenes, however, three individuals, each working independently, were striving for a solution. The results of their work were spectacular; it lifted the mood of the nation and dramatically changed the way this campaign was fought over Britain. The German air campaign against Britain in the First World War was the first sustained strategic aerial bombing campaign in history. Despite this, it has become forgotten against the enormity of the Blitz of the Second World War, although for those caught up in the tragedy of these raids, the impact was every bit as devastating. In Zeppelin Inferno Ian Castle tells the full story of the 1916 raids in unprecedented detail in what is the second book in a trilogy that will reveal the complete story of Britain’s ‘Forgotten Blitz’.
Download or read book Badges of the Regular Infantry 1914 1918 written by David Bilton and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2021-11-30 with total page 871 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Badges of the Regular Infantry, 1914-1918 is based on over thirty years research in museums, archives and collections. It is an exhaustive study of the development of the battalion, brigade and divisional signs of the twelve divisions that formed the regular army during the Great War. It also looks at the badges of those battalions left behind to guard the Empire. While the divisional signs are well known, there has been no authoritative work on the signs worn by the infantry battalions. The book will illustrate the cap and shoulder titles used, as well as cloth signs worn to provide easy recognition in the trenches. Each regular and reserve battalion of a regiment has a listing, which provides a brief history of the unit and detailed information on the badges worn. It is prodigiously illustrated and contains much information, like why a shape or color was chosen, when it was adopted, what size it was, whether it was worn on a helmet, what color the helmet was and even what colors were used on horse transport; the majority of this rich and detailed information has never been published before. What helps make the information accurate and authoritative is that much of it comes from an archive created at the time and from personal correspondence with hundreds of veterans in the 1980s, many of whom still had their badges and often had razor-sharp recollections about wearing them. The book also provides some comments from these veterans. Using the illustrations will allow many of those unidentified photos in family albums to come to life.
Download or read book Regimental Nicknames and Traditions of the British Army written by Anonymous and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2019-12-19 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 'Regimental Nicknames and Traditions of the British Army', Anonymous delves into the unique and fascinating world of British military history. This meticulously researched book explores the origins and significance of various regimental nicknames and traditions, shedding light on the diverse cultural heritage that has shaped the British Army. Written in a scholarly yet accessible style, this book is a treasure trove of information for history enthusiasts and military buffs alike. Anonymous skillfully weaves together historical anecdotes, linguistic analysis, and cultural insights to paint a vivid picture of the British Army's rich tapestry of traditions. While the identity of the author remains a mystery, their expertise in military history and passion for the subject matter shines through in every page. Anonymous's meticulous attention to detail and comprehensive knowledge make 'Regimental Nicknames and Traditions of the British Army' a must-read for anyone interested in British military history and the cultural heritage of the armed forces. I wholeheartedly recommend 'Regimental Nicknames and Traditions of the British Army' to readers who are eager to explore the colorful and diverse history of the British Army. This book is a valuable resource for scholars, historians, and anyone with a keen interest in the military traditions of the United Kingdom.
Download or read book History of the East Lancashire Regiment in the Great War 1914 1918 written by Sir Cecil Lothian Nicholson and published by . This book was released on 1936 with total page 652 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Hart s Annual Army List Militia List and Imperial Yeomanry List written by and published by . This book was released on 1899 with total page 1000 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Gallipoli Diary 1915 written by Alec Riley and published by Little Gully Publishing. This book was released on 2021-11-11 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “We had a look around, through periscopes, at the remains of recent fighting. The dead were on top, and we, the living, were below the general ground-level. The usual order of life and death were reversed.” So wrote Alec Riley in his account of an ordinary soldier in an extraordinary conflict, the Gallipoli campaign of 1915. A signaller with the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division, Riley was well placed to serve as an eyewitness to the sharp end of the campaign, being with the infantry but not of it. His task, and that of the small unit he served with and whose story he tells, was to maintain communications between the forward trenches and senior commanders in the rear, a conduit for at times unrealistic orders one way, and all-too-real situation reports the other. During his time on the peninsula, Riley kept meticulous notes, which form the basis of this account. He also took his camera to war, the resulting photos—some of which were used in the British official history of the campaign—flesh out his detailed story of life in and behind the lines. After four months on the peninsula, suffering from jaundice, septic sores and dysentery, Riley was evacuated sick, destined first for Mudros and then Blighty. He made sure to save his diary and camera. Although Gallipoli had done for Riley, Riley was not done with Gallipoli. Even while on the peninsula, he and his comrades had looked beyond the war. “We tried to imagine what the place would be like when the armies had gone. Achi Baba would be green again, the trenches would fall in and flatten; communication-trenches, through which thousands of men had passed, would be long and shallow depressions, and frogs and tortoises the only inhabitants of gully and nullah.” Remarkably, Alec Riley returned to find out, revisiting the peninsula at least twice. In 1930, he spent ten days wandering across the now overgrown fields of battle on a lone pilgrimage, revisiting places he knew intimately 15 years before. This pilgrimage, and a subsequent second visit, was intended to form the basis of a book, again illustrated with his trusty camera. Sadly, the original manuscript has been lost. But the editors have identified two extracts that appeared in print, which they present alongside a faithful transcript of Riley’s diary and notes. Also included is an unpublished introduction by General Sir Ian Hamilton, commander of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force of which Riley had been a small part, and with whom Riley had a decade-long correspondence. The editors of the diary, Michael Crane and Bernard de Broglio, have added copious footnotes and detailed biographical notes on the officers and men who come to life in Riley’s writings, as well as an order of battle and summary of arms for the 42nd Division at Gallipoli. Fourteen maps illustrate the actions, large and small, that Riley describes, alongside 47 black and white photographs, most showing the battlefield in 1915 and 1930. Gallipoli Diary 1915 will appeal to readers of WW1 and military history, but especially to those with an interest in the Gallipoli campaign. It will be bookended by two further diaries that record Alec Riley’s mobilisation and training in Egypt, and his time in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley. Collectively they offer a unique window into the experiences of a pre-war Territorial soldier, before, during and after Gallipoli.
Download or read book British Regiments 1914 1918 written by Brigadier E. A. James and published by Andrews UK Limited. This book was released on 2012-09-06 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most used and most useful works of reference on the Great War ever published. In this marvellous volume is listed every cavalry and Yeomanry regiment, every battalion of every infantry regiment, Regular, Territorial or other - that existed during the Great War. In every case the location of the unit on 4 August 1914 is given, or the date and place of its formation if raised after the outbreak of war. Its initial disposition, subsequent moves, changes in subordination and final disposal or location on 11 November 1918 are all recorded. Thus, in a masterly and concise form, we have the war service record of 31 regular and 17 reserve cavalry regiments, 57 Yeomanry regiments and their second and third line counterparts and nearly 1,750 infantry battalions. Several appendices contain a mine of information; a table of the infantry regiments showing the number of the different types of battalions each had, regular, reserve, extra reserve, territorial, New Army, garrison etc.; how the New Army battalions were raised; the Training Reserve; list of infantry divisions; summary of battle honours, casualties and VCs of each infantry regiment. Finally, there is a good index.
Download or read book Boots on the ground Troop Density in Contingency Operations written by John J. McGrath and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2006 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper clearly shows the immediate relevancy of historical study to current events. One of the most common criticisms of the U.S. plan to invade Iraq in 2003 is that too few troops were used. The argument often fails to satisfy anyone for there is no standard against which to judge. A figure of 20 troops per 1000 of the local population is often mentioned as the standard, but as McGrath shows, that figure was arrived at with some questionable assumptions. By analyzing seven military operations from the last 100 years, he arrives at an average number of military forces per 1000 of the population that have been employed in what would generally be considered successful military campaigns. He also points out a variety of important factors affecting those numbers-from geography to local forces employed to supplement soldiers on the battlefield, to the use of contractors-among others.
Download or read book Nobody s Heroes written by Stephen Barker and published by History Publishing Group. This book was released on 2008-09 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the Great War began in 1914, it demanded the mobilisation of the entire population and the recruitment of a citizen army. The 8th (Service) Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment was in many ways a unit typical of the British Expeditionary Force. Yet, in recent years, military historians have tended to concentrate on recording the stories of the major Pals units raised by corporations and towns, meaning many of the unknown, but no less important battalions of the New Armies have been largely ignored. Stephen Barker and Christopher Boardman have constructed a very readable and fascinating account of this little-known battalion, have trawled local and national sources, examining personal letters, newspaper obituaries and a varied selection of photographs, many of which have never before been published. The soldiers' every-day lives are described and the actions in which they fought are forensically examined, making a contribution to the current debate about the extent to which the British Army was on a 'learning curve' during 1916-18. The story leads the reader from the initial euphoria of recruitment into Kitchener's Army, through the initiation into trench warfare, to the battles of the Somme, Arras and Passchendaele. It is an account of fortitude, endeavour and duty.
Download or read book 1st Battalion The East Lancashire Regiment written by Capt E.C. Hopkinson and published by Andrews UK Limited. This book was released on 2011-12-15 with total page 87 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the story of a regular battalion from mobilization to the end of the Battle of the Aisne in September 1914. When war broke out 1st E Lancs, a regular battalion, was stationed in Colchester, part of 11th Brigade, 4th Division. The battalion arrived in France on 22nd August 1914 and we are given the list of officers who embarked with the battalion. This account of the battalion's experiences in just three weeks includes the Battle of Le Cateau, the retreat to the Marne, the Battle of the Marne and the Aisne crossing. Among the officers killed was the CO, Lt Col Le Marchant It concludes on 10th October when the Battalion entrained for Flanders and we are given the nominal roll of officers who went with it. There is an interesing table showing daily distances marched during the retreat to the Marne (thirty miles on 27th August, the day after Le Cateau) and in the week following the end of the retreat and the advance across the Aisne (22 miles on 12th September). This is a graphic account of those first weeks of the war.
Download or read book Spectamur Agendo written by Edward Campbell Hopkinson and published by . This book was released on 1926 with total page 73 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Hart s Annual Army List Special Reserve List and Territorial Force List written by and published by . This book was released on 1883 with total page 822 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Dunkirk written by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 752 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Using new material from British, French, Belgian, German, Russian and Czechoslovakian archives, and interviews with the last surviving witnesses of the Dunkirk campaign, Hugh Sebag-Montefiore can at last tell the true story of how the British Army was evacuated from Dunkirk and from France in 1940."--BOOK JACKET.
Download or read book Diary of an Old Contemptible written by Peter Downham and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2005-04-19 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “First class . . . a book that helps the reader to understand just what the ordinary soldier thought about his lot in the Great War.” —The Western Front Association This is a most unusual chronicle of the events of one man during the Great War. A professional soldier at the outbreak, Edward Roe was one of the first to cross over to France in 1914 and as such fought in the early battles of the war and took part in the Retreat from Mons. He was there for the crossing of the Marne and Aisne, the dreadful fighting at Ploegsteert and for the extraordinary events during the first Christmas. Remarkably he witnessed the debacle at Gallipoli and was part of the rear-guard of the Army during the re-embarkation and evacuation of the Peninsula. Thereafter the scene shifts to Mesopotamia and the Tigris Corps in the attempt to relieve General Townshend at Kut. Wounded he returned for the final campaign that captured Baghdad. “The author of these unique and extraordinarily moving diaries, which are supported by excellent maps and footnotes, was Edward Roe, an Irishman who had already served nine years with the British Army by the outbreak of the first world war.” —The Times
Download or read book Slaughter on the Somme 1 July 1916 written by Martin Mace and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2013-08-19 with total page 604 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At 07.30 hours on 1 July 1916, the devastating cacophony of the Allied artillery fell silent along the front on the Somme. The ear-splitting explosions were replaced by the shrill sound of hundreds of whistles being blown. At that moment, tens of thousands of British soldiers climbed out from the trenches on their part of the Western Front, and began to make their way steadily towards the German lines opposite. It was the first day of the Battle of the Somme.By the end of the day, a number of the regiments involved had met with some degree of success; others had suffered heavy losses for no gain, whilst a few quite literally ceased to exist. That day, the old infantry tactics of the British Army clashed head-on with the reality of modern warfare. On what is generally accepted as the worst day in the British Armys history, there were more than 60,000 casualties a third of them fatal.In this publication, the authors have drawn together, for the first time ever, all the War Diary entries for 171 British Regiments that went over the top that day a day that even now still touches so many families both in the United Kingdom and around the world. The result will be a vital work of reference to the events of 1 July 1916, a valuable information source for not only for those interested in military history, but genealogists and historians alike.