Last week whilst in the Sussex town of Arundel, I unexpectedly came across a very moving art installation. It is something I had heard about a few years ago and fleetingly throughout 2018 but for some reason had not expected to come across it just as I did. It is known as THERE BUT NOT… Continue reading There but not there
Tag: Lest We Forget
Amiens and The Hundred Days Offensive
This week marks the centenary of one of the pivotal but less known battle of the Western Front in WW1, Amiens and the more broadly labelled 100 Days Offensive. The Western Front is often categorised as being a static war with little or no progress made by either side despite major attempts costing too many… Continue reading Amiens and The Hundred Days Offensive
Manfred Von Richthofen – The Red Baron
April 21st 2018 sees the 100 anniversary of the death of one of the most famous names not just in the history of air-combat but aviation generally. The Red Baron was the name given to Manfred von Richthofen, a German fighter pilot who was the deadliest flying ace of World War I. Along with some… Continue reading Manfred Von Richthofen – The Red Baron
The legendary Sopwith Camel – Icon of WW1 fliers
The first really star plane of the Royal AirForce was the Sopwith Camel which was already in service for the Royal Flying Corps. The Camel grew out of the Sopwith Pup, a little fighter introduced in 1916, but which was soon outclassed by the German Albatroses and Halberstadts. Its name derived from the slight hump… Continue reading The legendary Sopwith Camel – Icon of WW1 fliers
Giving a public speech when you hate public speaking or My Remembrance Sunday Reading
People say to confront your fears and they will recede. Well I can definitely say that this is not the case. I’ve always hated flying and I’ve flown 37 times. Flight 37 was every bit as terrifying as flight 27, 17 and 7. I think everyone would agree I have given flying more than a… Continue reading Giving a public speech when you hate public speaking or My Remembrance Sunday Reading
Russia in WW1
In 1914, Russia was badly prepared for a serious war having just nine years earlier been defeated in a war with against a tiny and a definitely non-European power in Japan. There was a revolution in 1905 that had shaken the Russian Empite to its core and the Tsar was forced to concede civil rights… Continue reading Russia in WW1
Women and The Great War
When we think of The Great War, the role of women is an often forgotten element in comparison to the famous battlefields around the world. However as the German leadership quickly stated, WW1 was a total war that required the participation of each nation to win and that included women. Not only did WW1 change… Continue reading Women and The Great War
The Americans Are Coming!
When war was declared in Europe, the United States of America had no interest in joining what they labelled as the European War. American doctrine of the time was insular with regards to the old world and instead concentrated on shaping the Americas as to its own liking. Indeed a significant portion of the American… Continue reading The Americans Are Coming!
When WW1 came to East Africa
As we approach Armistice Day, it’s become something of a blog tradition for me to write some posts related to WW1. I thought this time to pick a little bit of an unusual subject and a little discussed arena in the war, East Africa. Whilst the fighting of the war concentrated in Europe, it… Continue reading When WW1 came to East Africa
Gertrude Bell – The Ketrun – Desert Queen
From time to time, I have written about iconic and pioneering women in relative recent history, well recent by British standards 🙂 I also sometimes write about the Middle-East which is actually the one area of life that I can actually claim to have some academic expertise. So I have finally taken the opportunity to… Continue reading Gertrude Bell – The Ketrun – Desert Queen
Stephen Liddell 