People all around the world have heard of the elite SAS and countless bad people are no longer around because of them. The SAS though are the special forces for the Army; less well known is the SBS which are the special forces for the Royal Navy and the men are drawn from the Royal… Continue reading All About the SBS: The Special Boat Service
Tag: Military
Original hand-drawn battle plans by Admiral Lord Nelson for the Battle of Trafalgar are discovered.
Incredible a hand-drawn sketch by Admiral Lord Nelson himself showing his plan for victory at Trafalgar has been discovered tucked inside the pages of a scrapbook after nearly 200 years. They were discovered by historian Martyn Downer in a scrap book book from the 1830s which was recently sold at auction. It shows his plan… Continue reading Original hand-drawn battle plans by Admiral Lord Nelson for the Battle of Trafalgar are discovered.
The Battle of Verdun 100 years on.
France and its military have something of poor reputation amongst many. Centuries of rivalry with Britain where it increasingly came off second best, its requirement to be rescued in WW1 and quick capitulation in WW2 coupled with decisions to stay out of recent major wars mean that we all forget that there were many events… Continue reading The Battle of Verdun 100 years on.
Shot at dawn – Remembering those who bravely died as cowards
November 11th is Armistice Day and I thought I would write about an aspect of WW1 which is often forgotten, the sad stories of those who were shot by their own side. Over 300 Commonwealth soldiers were shot at dawn, a euphamism for being executed by their own side with 291 of them being British, 25… Continue reading Shot at dawn – Remembering those who bravely died as cowards
The incredible true tale of Job Maseko – The man who sunk a ship whilst a prisoner.
As today is Remembrance Sunday, I thought I would share a short account of someone who is rarely spoken of outside his homeland but whom I have been a fan of for many years. For most people when they are taken prisoner, their war is pretty much at the end, which is often a good… Continue reading The incredible true tale of Job Maseko – The man who sunk a ship whilst a prisoner.
The Battle of Agincourt & Why It Still Matters Today!
Today marks the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt, one of countless historical battles one has to remember if you are interested in English or British history. This one though has gained something of a mythical status. In its own way the Battle of Agincourt made England; as surely as Magna Carta, the Book… Continue reading The Battle of Agincourt & Why It Still Matters Today!
Edith Cavell – Patriotism Is Not Enough
Many of us are familiar with the phrase “Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel”, a quote that remains as true today as it was when it was first coined and is still evident by many politicians in particular around the world. Not so many people though are familiar with the equally if not… Continue reading Edith Cavell – Patriotism Is Not Enough
I Salute You – The History of Saluting
Saluting is primarily but not exclusively a military sign of respect with a very long history. This week it hit the news that some senior officers have become upset as recruits are not showing them the respect they are due and recently none other than President Obama have been criticised for taking saluting seriously and… Continue reading I Salute You – The History of Saluting
At the going down of the sun and in morning, we will remember them
So yesterday was the big day, the 100th anniversary of the start of The Great War – The war to end all wars until of course WW2 at least. Like many other people I spent much of the day watching the live ceremonies from around the country and in France and Belgium. Reading extraordinary accounts… Continue reading At the going down of the sun and in morning, we will remember them
Our village (Leavesden Green) gets a new WW1 memorial
Like many others have done as the 100th anniversary of WW1 or The Great War looms ever closer over for us, our village has been busy working on a new war memorial which is situated at the end of my street. One of the most popular of my blog posts is that of Armistice Day… Continue reading Our village (Leavesden Green) gets a new WW1 memorial
Stephen Liddell 