London’s Biggest Explosion. Silvertown 1917

Tomorrow will see the 105th anniversary of the biggest explosion that London has ever seen and considering all of the industry, terrorism and world wars then that is saying something. However as is often the way with these things, to a great extent it was an entirely avoidable disaster albeit with the mitigating circumstances of… Continue reading London’s Biggest Explosion. Silvertown 1917

My first Remembrance Service at Bushey Memorial

Due to Covid, Sunday was the first opportunity I have have had to attend the local Remembrance Sunday ceremony at 11am as it didn’t run last year so despite having moved almost 2 years ago, this was the first time I got to witness it in person. I’d been to the memorial last summer and… Continue reading My first Remembrance Service at Bushey Memorial

A swan-song moment of glory for Tilbury Fortress

I thought I would finish my little run of Tilbury Fort related posts but recalling its last great moments and some might say greatest of all, the night it shot down a Zeppelin in WW1. The Zeppelin was invented by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin. It was a rigid dirigible and he patented his idea in… Continue reading A swan-song moment of glory for Tilbury Fortress

My offering of Christmas goodies! Books and Video Tours

I must be the most useless blogger the world has ever seen at least when it comes to self-publicity.  Here I am with a new book that came out at the end of August and I’ve never even mentioned it AND it is an official #1 best seller. If I ever had motivation or ambition… Continue reading My offering of Christmas goodies! Books and Video Tours

My WW1 history book ‘Lest We Forget’ is currently available free on Kindle by the Publishers

I know it’s quite a common thing for some writer to make their books available free or heavily discounted  for a short period of time.  It’s never something I’ve agreed with or indeed done. Whilst checking on some on something else I found out my WW1 history book Lest We Forget which was published by… Continue reading My WW1 history book ‘Lest We Forget’ is currently available free on Kindle by the Publishers

Visiting WW1 trenches in the heart of England

As someone with a keen interest in WW1 or The Great War, I’ve written before on my visits to the Western Front in France and Belgium. Not many people know that there are still trenches in England and conveniently only about 15 miles from where I live. I’ve wanted to visit them since the 1990’s… Continue reading Visiting WW1 trenches in the heart of England

VE Day Remembered in Photos – This Is Your Victory!

The 8th May 1945 was V.E. Day or Victory in Europe Day over the Axis Powers of Germany and Italy and for much of the world, an end to WW2.  Many Western European nations have an annual WW2 national holiday based on Victory or Liberation Day.  The U.K. never has as ironically Churchill did not… Continue reading VE Day Remembered in Photos – This Is Your Victory!

A 1915 piece of fake news… with good intentions

When German Naval Airship Zeppelin L9 appeared over Blyth on the evening of 14 April 1915, it was only the second time bombs had been dropped on England. Although nobody was killed, it marked the beginning of a series of raids on the North-East which would kill many dozens of people. The Zeppelin L9, on… Continue reading A 1915 piece of fake news… with good intentions

The Armistice – The end of The Great War, WW1.

The Great War ended much differently than the never-say- die desperation of the Nazis in WW2. In 1918, there was no likely imminent collapse of Germany though the deprivation and starvation of many in the country was startling. Even though there were mutinies in the ranks of the French, order was generally maintained and despite… Continue reading The Armistice – The end of The Great War, WW1.

Flora Sandes, the only British woman to fight in WW1

As we approach Armistice Day in 2018 and the centenary of the end of WW1, I thought I would write a post or to related to the subject as I have done for the last four years.  Whilst I have written a lot on WW1 and indeed on women in WW1 and figures such as… Continue reading Flora Sandes, the only British woman to fight in WW1