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

There but not there

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

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

The lonely Isle of Islay and the doomed American soldiers who died there in 1918 in 2 naval disasters.

The Scottish Isle of of Islay is best known these days for its world famous peaty single malt whisky but a century ago, this normally tranquil place which sits on the western coast of the U.K and facing the fierce north Atlantic was for just a few short months at least, anything other than tranquil.… Continue reading The lonely Isle of Islay and the doomed American soldiers who died there in 1918 in 2 naval disasters.

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

Christmas Book and Ebook ideas!

Dear readers, Christmas is almost upon us and I hope you’ll permit me to entice you (did someone say flog you??? the cheek of some people!!) with a choice selection from my growing list of books. There is something for just about everyone with fiction and non-fiction titles to choose from.  A historical trilogy, a… Continue reading Christmas Book and Ebook ideas!

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

The Russian Revolution

Today marks the centeneary of the famous October or Russian Revolution of 1917 which was one of the most explosive political events of the twentieth century. The violent revolution marked the end of the Romanov dynasty and centuries of Russian Imperial rule. During the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks, led by leftist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, seized… Continue reading The Russian Revolution

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