Download or read book Chatham s Military Heritage written by Clive Holden and published by Amberley Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2018-09-15 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explore Chatham's military heritage, from Roman times to the present day, in this illustrated guide.
Download or read book York at War 1939 45 written by Craig Armstrong and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2022-05-05 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: York has often been overlooked when it comes to Britainâs wartime experience. The city was not though to have many industries of great wartime importance and it was not a part of the initial evacuation scheme. Yet this does not accurately reflect the wartime contributions of the city, as several of its large confectionary factories were converted to wartime use, while it was also a key rail hub, forming a vital link in the national network. Unbeknownst to the people of the city, York had been selected as the latest target in the Luftwaffeâs Baedeker Raids. In a short, sharp, blitz raid in the early hours of 29 April 1942, more than 3,000 houses were destroyed or damaged and almost 100 people killed while others were left seriously injured. Wartime York had a particularly close connection with the RAF as the city was surrounded by airbases. People became very used to seeing the uniforms of men and women from Bomber Command and the city was to prove very popular with airmen seeking relaxation. Places such as Bettyâs Bar became infamous as airmen of almost every Allied nationality came to blew off steam. The nearby presence of the airfields also meant that the people of York and the surrounding area were witnesses to tragedies when aircraft crashed on their return to the bases.
Download or read book The War on Hospital Ships 1914 1918 written by Stephen McGreal and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2009-04-20 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is often said The first casualty of war is the truth and there is no better example of this than the furore caused by the claims and counterclaims of the British and German Governments at the height of the First World War. Wounded allied personnel were invariably repatriated by hospital ships, which ran the gauntlet of mined waters and gambled on the humanity of the U-Boat commanders. For, contrary to the terms of the Geneva Convention, on occasions Germany had sunk the unarmed hospital ships under the pretense they carried reinforcement troops and ammunition. The press seized on these examples of Hun Barbarity, especially the drowning of noncombatant female nurses. The crisis heightened following the German Governments 1 February 1917 introduction of unrestricted naval warfare. The white painted allied hospital ships emblazoned with huge red crosses now became in German eyes legitimate targets for the U-Boats. As the war on the almost 100 strong fleet of hospital ships intensified the British threatened reprisals against Germany, in particular an Anglo-French bombing raid upon a German town. Undeterred the Germans stepped up their campaign sinking two hospital ships in swift succession. Seven hospital ships struck mines and a further eight were torpedoed. Faced with such a massacre of the innocents Britain decided her hospital ships, painted and brightly lit in accordance with the Geneva Convention, could no longer rely on this immunity. The vessels were repainted in drab colors, defensively armed and sailed as ambulance transports among protected convoys. Germany had successfully banished hospital ships from the high seas.
Download or read book Chatham in the Great War written by Stephen Wynn and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2017-01-31 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover a coastal English town’s vital role in WWI with this local history covering Royal Navy actions and the pursuit of escaped German prisoners. Home to one of the Royal Navy’s three major dockyards, Chatham played a very important part in Britain’s Great War effort. Only six weeks into the war, residents took a major blow as three vessels from the Chatham Division—HMS Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue—were sunk by a German submarine. Two months later, the battleship HMS Bulwark exploded and sunk whilst at anchor off of Sheerness on the Kent coast. It wasn’t all doom and gloom, however. Winston Churchill, as the First Lord of the Admiralty, visited Chatham early in the conflict. Two German prisoners of war, Lieutenant Otto Thelen and Lieutenant Hans Keilback, escaped from Donnington Hall in Leicestershire—only to be re-captured in Chatham four days later. By the end of the war, Chatham and the men who were stationed there had truly played their part in ensuring a historic Allied victory. This volume vividly captures the town’s service, sacrifice, and legacy.
Download or read book Into the Maelstrom written by Colin Brittain and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2014-09-22 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On 29 October 1914 the hospital ship Rohilla left Queensferry with 234 people on board bound for Dunkirk. Just after 4 a.m. on 30 October there was a tremendous impact as the ship ran onto rocks at Saltwick Nab, a mile south of Whitby. Mortally wounded only 600 yards from shore, she was 'so close to land yet so far from safety'. It was impossible to launch the Whitby No. 1 lifeboat to aid those stranded on the ship, instead the No. 2 boat, John Fielden, was lifted over the sea wall and hauled over the rock Scar to opposite the Rohilla. Despite being holed, the lifeboat reached the wreck after great difficulty and rescued five nurses and twelve men. A further eighteen men were saved in a second trip, but damage to the lifeboat barred any further rescues. This book unfolds the heroic events that transpired as members of the public and lifeboatmen struggled to reach those stranded on the wreck. The final fifty souls were saved in an impressive rescue from a motor lifeboat that had travelled over 40 miles in perilous conditions to reach them. Of the 234 people on board the Rohilla eighty-nine were lost. Such was the effort involved that the RNLI bestowed some of its highest medals on several of those involved in the rescue. The loss of the Rohilla is still regarded as one of the worst tragedies to have occurred amongst the annals of the RNLI.
Download or read book Darlington Teesdale at War 1939 45 written by Craig Armstrong and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2022-11-30 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the Second World War, Darlington had a number of industries that were important to the war effort. With its historic links to the railway industry, the town possessed several engineering firms, as well as a number of companies that produced iron and steel products, and many of these companies switched some or all of their production over to wartime demands. The town also had an extensive rural hinterland and the farmers of Teesdale were faced with a barrage of new demands and regulations governing their vital work. Many residents of the area served as members of the armed forces and losses were grievous: the number of Darlington men killed while serving with the RAF was particularly high, with the impact of these losses spreading throughout the community. Despite many setbacks, Darlington was very efficient in bring its Air Raid Precautions and civil defence services up to full strength. With Britain facing invasion in 1940, many older men in the area, along with those younger men who were in reserved occupations, volunteered to serve in the Local Defence Volunteers (later the Home Guard) and one man was still serving at the age of 89. Thankfully, Darlington did not see the heavy bombing that many other communities in the North East of England suffered. However, there were still a large number of accidents in the area caused by the blackout, resulting in a number of fatalities. Locals also had to deal with rationing and not all were willing to pull together, seeing the wartime conditions, instead, as an opportunity to make illegal profits.
Download or read book Enfield in the Great War written by Stephen Wynn and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2019-11-19 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A historic profile of the London borough of Enfield during World War I and the conflict’s effect on the region and its people. The Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield was famous for producing the Lee Enfield .303 Rifle, the standard issued rifle provided to all infantry soldiers in the British Army during the First World War. The factory was so prestigious that King George V visited it in April, 1915. By the end of the war, its workforce of more than 9,000 had produced more than 2 million rifles. Their gun helped play a big part in winning the war. On July 7, 1917, the town was hit by a German air raid. Local anti-aircraft batteries did their best to thwart the enemy. Sadly, falling shrapnel from British anti-aircraft gunfire killed one woman, making her Enfield’s only resident to be killed in the town throughout the course of the war. A nearby young boy was also struck by some falling shrapnel but survived. After the incident, members of the Government Workers’ Union held a meeting to complain about the lack of a warning about the attack. Meanwhile, that month also saw a baker appear at Enfield Magistrates Court, charged under the Bread Order for selling loaves of bread that were over the permitted weight. For his heinous war time offence, he was fined the princely sum of ten shillings. Through researching local newspapers of the day, along with letters, diaries, photographs, parish magazines, trade journals, contemporary printed pamphlets, and more, author Stephen Wynn details the stories of Enfield during this dramatic era.
Download or read book The Mystery of Operation Alphabet written by Elaine Merrikin Trimlett Glover and published by Austin Macauley Publishers. This book was released on 2022-11-30 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For many years my knowledge of my grandfather, John Thomas Merrikin, was very limited. All I knew of him was that he came from Amber Hill, Lincolnshire, and was for many years a police officer in Leicester. At the beginning of WW2, my grandfather was called up into the Naval Reserve first of all on HMS Devonshire, and then Stoker First Class on HMS Acasta. 8th June 1940, grandad John Thomas Merrikin died in the Norwegian fjords after the Scharnhorst, and Gneisenau blew up HMS Acasta, and as they sank into the cruel freezing cold sea Nick Carter launched a torpedo at the Scharnhorst and damaged her quite badly. It wasn’t until I joined the GLARAC (Glorious, Ardent, Acasta) Association in 2008 that I realised that HMS Ardent, and HMS Aircraft Carrier Glorious, were also bombed by the two German battleships – both the pride of Nazi Germany. The two British destroyers were accompanying HMS Glorious on convoy. I also became aware of a huge conspiracy as to why 1531 servicemen were killed, and only 43 servicemen survived without Admiralty intervention. During the lockdown of 2020-2021, I decided to do some of my own research on the worst British naval catastrophe of WW2, and I began to write The Mystery Of Operation Alphabet to bring to life 8th June 1940. I did this by putting photographs on as many names of the war dead and survivors as possible to bring them to life too. I also wrote down stories from books and articles of what happened to the war dead and survivors in their own words, and also of their loved ones, rather than writing using my own words, as I wanted the servicemen to have their own voice. The Mystery of Operation Alphabet has endless photos of the different ships, lists of the war dead, and also I have written down as many explanations and conspiracy theories as possible as to why the three ships were blown up and 1531 men were killed. I did this by bringing to light the opinions and theories of Admiralty, naval historians, government officials, and members of the GLARAC Association so you can make up your own minds as to what happened. One of my main aims is to bring to light the bravery of commanders Barker and Glasfurd of HMS Ardent, and HMS Acasta, plus Nick Carter, leading seaman of HMS Acasta, the man who shot the Scharnhorst, to hopefully get the government to give these men military honour and recognition for what they did on 8th June 1940. Amazingly, even the commanders of the German battleships saluted the British ships HMS Glorious, HMS Ardent and especially HMS Acasta as they sunk in the Norwegian fjords to honour their bravery. Last but not least, I would like to uncover why the government has kept the ships’ records under lock and key since 1940, and why they aren’t going to be made public until 2040/41. So why not read this interesting and intriguing book to find out more? Elaine Merrikin Trimlett Glover.
Download or read book More Than Just A Name written by Frank Bull, Chris Bonnett, Steve Adamson and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2015-10-21 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As its title suggests this is not just a list of names and dates but a serious research into the people behind the names on the various WW2 memorials in Bridlington including all the old boys of Bridlington School who died in WW2. The book begins with a detailed look at where the memorials are, when they were made and the names that appear on them. This is followed by the roll of honour itself, an alphabetical listing which gives a full page to each person named on the memorials. The Authors have used 'typical' family history resources in order to give as much biographical detail as possible, who they were, their parents, husbands / wives and children, where and how they died and what they did before enlistment. Some died in well-known land battles, some went down with their ships, while others were in aircraft that failed to return home. Not all were in the armed forces and these met their deaths through bombing raids and accidents of war. This is their story.
Download or read book St Nazaire Raid 1942 written by Stephen Wynn and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2022-04-21 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The raid on St Nazaire has gone down in history as one of the most daring commando raids of all time. Given the code name of Operation Chariot, it took place in the early hours of Saturday, 28 March 1942, and was a joint undertaking by the Royal Navy and British Commando units. The port at St Nazaire, which sits on the Loire estuary and the Atlantic Ocean, has a dry dock that was capable of accommodating some of Germany’s biggest naval vessels, such as the Bismarck, or the Tirpitz. By putting the port out of action, any repairs or maintenance work that needed to be carried out would instead have to be undertaken back home at the German port of Bremerhaven. To do this, the German vessels would either have to navigate the waters of the English Channel or the North Sea, with both journeys potentially bringing them to the attention of the Home Fleet of the Royal Navy. A raiding force of 612 officers and men were assembled and dispatched from Falmouth to carry out the raid, sailing on board the obsolete British destroyer HMS Campbeltown, along with 18 Motor Launches. The idea was to ram the destroyer in to the outer gates of the dry dock at St Nazaire and put it out of action for as long as possible. The raid was a success, but came at a price: of those who set out, 169 were killed whilst a further 215 were captured. Only 3 Motor Launches and 228 men escaped and made the return journey back to the UK. Many brave men gave it their all during the action at St Nazaire, to such an extent that 89 of those who took part in the raid were awarded decorations for bravery, including 5 who were awarded the Victoria Cross.
Download or read book Cockleshell Raid written by Paul Oldfield and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2013-01-19 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Operation Frankton is a story of how a handful of determined and resourceful men, using flimsy canoes, achieved what thousands could not by conventional means. The volunteers had enlisted for Hostilities Only and, except for their leader, none had been in a canoe before. However, with a few months training they carried out what one German officer described as, the outstanding commando raid of the war. They became known as the Cockleshell Heroes, having been immortalized in a film and a book of that name in the 1950s. This book covers the whole of the Frankton story including the development of the Royal Marines Boom Patrol Detachment, the planning and preparation for the raid, its aftermath and an account of the horrific war crimes inflicted on those who were captured. It also includes the epic escape by Haslar and Corporal Bill Sparks across occupied France into Spain.
Download or read book Gravesend in the Great War written by Stephen Wynn and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2016-10-31 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gravesend was like most other towns in the UK during the course of the First World War. When the call came to serve King and Country, local men enlisted in their thousands, but sadly not all of them returned.This book gives an insight into the Tilbury to Gravesend Pontoon Bridge, which allowed the rapid deployment of troops in the event of a German invasion along the East Coast. It provided a quicker route to get troops, equipment and supplies from Essex into Kent for transportation across to France. It looks at the role both New Tavern and Shornemead Fort, part of the London Defence system, played in preventing the German Navy from carrying out direct attacks on London.There is an account of the Gravesend riots, in which groups of local people burnt and looted premises they believed belonged to German aliens who were residents in the town, and the unique story of Captain Robert Campbell, taken as a prisoner by the Germans early in the war. He was allowed home by the Kaiser to see his dying mother one last time, and voluntarily returned to captivity in Germany, on his word of honour to do so.The story of Sir Gilbert Parker, the wartime MP for Gravesend, is also told. He was instrumental in convincing America to join the war as a British Allie, which was no easy task, as the United States Justice Department estimated there were some 480,000 Germans living in America at the time.The book also tells the individual stories of Gravesend's men who fought in the war, some who survived and returned to their loved ones, and others who were not so fortunate. It documents the triumphs and tragedies of Gravesend's people as they sought to find normality amongst a reality far removed from anything they had ever known before.
Download or read book City of London in the Great War written by Stephen Wynn and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2016-07-31 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout the First World War, London played a major part in Great Britain's war effort, both at home and abroad. A far as Germany was concerned, the city was their ultimate goal the ultimate target that would bring them the sought-after victory they so desired. With the British Royal Family at Buckingham Palace, the heart of British Government at the Houses of Parliament and one of Europe's major financial centres, situated at the Bank of England, London was a major prize that would either be protected or lost to the enemy. With a real belief amongst the British public that there would be an invasion at some time during the war, the security of the countries capital was paramount not only for survival of the nation, but also to ensure that public morale remained high.The capital was a central hub for recruitment with centres popping up all over the city, at places such as Scotland Yard and the Tower of London. There was a regiment for everybody, catering for all elements of society from the labourer, to the landed gentry, for the more affluent, as well as those less well off, and from the professional sportsman, to the city banker; everybody wanted to do their bit for King and Country.The book looks at many different aspects of wartime London: the Members of Parliament who left their comfortable lifestyles, who fought and died for their country, the Silvertown munitions factory explosion, the twelve German spies who were shot at the Tower of London, and the hundreds of military hospitals that were spread across London. Part of St Thomas's Hospital, for example, treated the wounds of 11,396 military personnel between 1915-19.City of London in the Great War records yet another chapter in the history of the nation's capital, during the four-year period of time, which will live in the memory of the city forever more.
Download or read book Castle Point in the Great War written by Ken Porter and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2015-03-14 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prior to the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, the Castle Point District was madeup of four very quaint, peaceful little parishes: Canvey Island, South Benfleet,Hadleigh and Thundersley. The initial enthusiasm shown by the young men of thisarea, who were enthusiastic to be part of an adventure that was to be over byChristmas, was mirrored by thousands of other courageous young men aroundBritain. Most understood that it was their sworn duty to stand up for their king andcountry. They didnt stop to think or even fully appreciate the hardship and fear theywould leave behind on the home front.This book tells of the memories and recollections of some of these brave men whowere fortunate enough to return home to their friends and families. For the ones whowerent so lucky, we hear from the people who endured the pain of a love lost forevermore.Included throughout are a collection of invaluable wartime newspaper reports thatrecount daily life, telling of the sacrifices that those left behind had to endure whilstreading about the war dead, their numbers increasing on an almost daily basis.From the extraordinary role of women during the war, the conscientious objectorsand those exempt from the fighting, to the aftermath of war when the districtcelebrated victory while dealing with the painful loss of 189 men, all aspects ofwartime Castle Point are covered in this remarkable account, interspersed with anumber of wartime poems that further explain in verse what life was like during thesedark days.
Download or read book Clacton on Sea and the Surrounding Coastline in the Great War written by Ken Porter and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2017-11-30 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Clacton-on-Sea and the surrounding coastline is part of the Sunshine Coast, an area of sandy beaches and low-level cliffs facing the North Sea. This book gives a brief history of the major nearby villages Brightlingsea, St Oysths, Clacton on Sea, Holland on Sea, Frinton and Walton on the Naze as they developed from agricultural areas, to seaside resorts in the mid to late 1800s, and then into heavily defended hives of activity. They were considered by the authorities to be convenient spots for foreign invasion and, as a result, mock invasion exercises at Clacton had taken place since the early 1900s. Being close to the sea, many of the inhabitants were heavily involved with yachting and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, so it's not surprising that a great number joined the Royal or Merchant Navy.Brightlingsea became a major naval port and the Australian and New Zealander's Engineers trained there for four years. Clacton itself saw over a 1,000 men sign up, and it also had a number of Military and Convalescent Homes that treated injured men. Middlesex Hospital, for one, treated over 9,000 men. The local villages produced a considerable number of men who were awarded the Military Medal/Cross, and Walton on the Naze produced one VC in Herbert Columbine.The tremendous efforts of others are also covered, in particular those of the local women folk. A number of appropriate poems, many written at the time, are included throughout the book, as well as rarely seen photographs and insightful reports from the local papers of that period.
Download or read book City of London at War 1939 45 written by Stephen Wynn and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2020-03-30 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The City of London was always going to be an obvious target for German bombers during the Second World War. What better way for Nazi Germany to spread fear and panic amongst the British people than by attacking their capital city?Although not vastly populated in the same way that a bigger city or larger town would be, there were still enough people working there during the day for attacks on it to take their toll. The city’s ancient and iconic buildings also bore the brunt of the German bombs, including churches designed by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire in 1666. The book looks at the effects of war on the City of London, including the damage caused by the 8 months of the Blitz between September 1940 and May 1941\. The most devastating of the raids took place on 29 December 1940, with both incendiary and explosive bombs causing a firestorm so intense it was known as the Second Great Fire of London. It also looks at the bravery of the staff at St Bart's Hospital, which was one of the medical facilities that remained open during the course of the war. Other stories include the sterling work carried out by the City’s civilian population and the different voluntary roles that they performed to help keep the city safe, including the Home Guard and the Fire Watchers, who spent their nights on the city’s rooftops looking out for incendiary devices dropped by the German Luftwaffe. Despite the damage to its buildings and its population, by the end of the war the City of London was able to rise, like a phoenix, from the flames of destruction, ready to become the vibrant and flourishing borough that it is today.
Download or read book Menin Gate North written by Paul Chapman and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2016-11-30 with total page 940 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a comprehensive and highly emotive volume, borne of years of intensive research and many trips to the battlefields of the Great War. It seeks to humanize the Menin Gate Memorial (North), to offer the reader a chance to engage with the personal stories of the soldiers whose names have been chiseled there in stone. Poignant stories of camaraderie, tragic twists of fate and noble sacrifice have been collated in an attempt to bring home the reality of war and the true extent of its tragic cost. It is hoped that visitors to the battlefields, whether their relatives are listed within or not, will find their experience enriched by having access to this treasure trove of stories.
