The WFA promotes an interest in the people, campaigns, events and aftermath on all fronts of the
#WW1
. Friendly and constructive discussion is encouraged.
Are you interested in the imperial and dominion forces on the Western Front during the Great War? Want to know more? The WFA is delighted to have partnered with
@UniKentHistory
to have created a new online 4 week course>
#WW1
#History
@FutureLearn
Pte Luke Leadbeater died on 22 November 1917. A single man, it would normally have been the case that few would remember him 80+ years on, however in his case In 2001 after her death, the ashes of his once upon a time girlfriend Jessie were scattered on his grave.
“Death ruled there in silence, and Nature seemed powerless to forgive mankind. The smell of the war was supreme: the smell of the dead and of decay and corrosion.” wrote Wilfred Ewart on a pilgrimage to Bourlon Wood in 1919.
In memory of Rob Thompson who died on Monday we would like to share this 2019 talk he gave on railway development in
#WW1
1914-1918. Avilable to download or view online on TheWFA YouTube channel >
It is with the deepest of regret that we must inform members of the passing of our friend and colleague Rob Thompson. Rob lost his fight for life in the early hours of Monday morning. We offer our most sincere condolences to Rob’s wife and family >
Whilst there are some within the WFA grass roots who support the VC being awarded to the unknown warrior, the WFA is not a campaigning organisation. This is not something we have ever campaigned for, and will not be doing so going forward.
Every year on this day we remember Pte Luke Leadbeater died on 22 November 1917. In 2001 the ashes of his once upon a time girlfriend Jessie were scattered on his grave >
There were many medical heroes of the
#FWW
. This is one of them - LCpl William Coltman VC, DCM and Bar, MM and Bar - and a French Croix de Guerre. Bill never fired a shot in anger - he couldn’t as he was strict Plymouth Brethren and a devout pacifist.
In 1992 Lyn Macdonald took
#WWI
Veteran Jack Wilson MM to the Ypres. While at Tyne Cot they remembered Harry Gartenfeld and Dick Piper who Jack had buried ‘in a shell hole’ out by Houthulst Forest 75 years earlier. Today we remember Lyn Macdonald 1934-2021.
African-American soldiers fought in the American Revolution, in the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War and World War One. In this insightful podcast Dr. Amanda Nagel talks us through an important part of Black History.
#FWW
#WW1
#TheGreatWar
>
It is with very great sadness that we must report the death of Jon Cooksey, the editor of the journal of The Western Front Association since 2008. Our thoughts are with his family. An appreciation will be published in due course.
Arnold Ridley aka Private Godfrey served in
#WW1
and sustained a severe head injury from the butt of a German rifle. This caused him to suffer blackouts and he was invalided out of the army in 1917. He was a successful playwright before joining the TV comedy Dad’s Army in 1968.
#WW1
Pic of the Day. A photograph made by Capt Charles Hewitt D Coy 2nd Inniskillings of his Coy in trenches near Cuinchy, April 1915. Second man is 2nd Lt John Joseph Leo Morgan, commissioned from RI Rifles and KIA at Festubert on 16 May 1915.
The Western Front Association are delighted to announce the re-dedication of the Association plaque at Riqueval Bridge commemorating the crossing of the St Quentin Canal, part of the fearsome Hindenburg Line, by the men of the 46th (North Midland) Division a century ago today.
The first day of The WFA Tour of Verdun took in Colonel Driant’s command post, the ruined village of Beaumont-en-Verdunois, the Fleury Museum, the Froidterre Ouvrage, Voie Sacrée and the Quatre Cheminees (a deep hospital shelter which was on the front line in 1916).
What got you interested in
#WW1
? It's a question that almost every guest in the podcast series 'Mentioned in Dispatches' is asked' : a book, a film, a TV series, a grandfather, a talk at school or at university, an MA or PhD, a war memorial or battlefield trip … what about you?
We remember 2nd Lieut. Terence McManus who died on this day, 23rd December 1919 - 3 years and 6 months after being severely wounded at the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916. He was 22 years old.
The surviving snapshots taken by Captain Prideaux in Ploegsteert Wood in November 1914 provide a remarkable record of front-line life in the early stages of the war, and at a time when the war was beginning to stagnate into a state of trench warfare. >
This Monday online. ‘Ypres - Holy Ground of British Arms’ with Professor Mark Connelly. 5 battles turned the city and its surroundings into a wasteland. The war over local people began to pick up their pre-war lives and visitors began to arrive.
British soldiers of the London Rifle Brigade meeting German troops of the 104th or 106th Saxon Infantry Regiments, in no man’s land, Christmas Day 1914. (IWM Q 11718)
To mark the 100th Anniversary of the interment of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey on 11 November 1920 we are asking school students to write ‘a letter to the unknown warrior’. Details here >
Remembered mostly for his long-standing portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, Basil Rathbone was awarded the Military Cross during
#WW1
- on one occasion going out on reconnaissance disguised as a tree. An established as a Shakespearean actor before the war he went on to Hollywood fame.
Battery Sergeant Major Ernest Harlock VC drowned 10 miles off the Egyptian coast 30 December 1917 when RMS Aragon was torpedoed. A carter from Sussex he had enlisted in the Artillery in 1911. For actions in September 1914 he was decorated with the VC by King George V.
During
#WW1
Nurse Katy Beaufoy (Matron) travelled 60,000 miles on various hospital ships and had 30,000 patients temporarily under her care. She drowned soon after 4:00am
#OTD
26 Feb 18 when HMHS Glenart Castle was torpedoed
Five Poilus identified. The remains of 14 French soldiers from the First World War were unearthed in the summer of 2019 at Châtelet-sur-Retourne (north east of Reims). Five of them could be identified, including one officer, Captain Etienne d'Hotelans.
Remembered mostly for his long-standing portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, Basil Rathbone was awarded the Military Cross during
#WW1
- on one occasion going out on reconnaissance disguised as a tree. Established as a Shakespearean actor before the war he went on to Hollywood fame.
The late Rob Thompson was, in his own words, an “accidental military historian” though to others, he was "a true scholar... an off-the-wall character with rock star charisma". This conference celebrates his lifetime achievements. Details and how to book>
At 11:00am representatives and guests of The Western Front Association will lay wreaths at the Cenotaph as part of our service of commemoration for the fallen of
#WW1
. The event will be livestream on the WFA Facebook page and WFA YouTube Channel from 10:30am
The President, Trustees and Members of The Western Front Association express their sincere condolences to the Royal Family on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
When 18 year old Alexander H Snedden died of his wounds on 14 January 1916 having fought with the 27th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division, the nurse tending him sent a letter home containing a lock of the boy’s hair.
Praised universally as an important work of literature yet condemned as the personification of militarism. While many have found Jünger's philosophy disturbing, few have doubted the power or the skill of his writing
The WFA review >
Just after 2am on 28 April 1916, the Germans detonated a number of mines under the front line. Pte Edwin Clark of the 6th Seaforth Highlanders was killed. Born in 1895, Edwin had been a painter before
#WW1
#WeRememberThem
War widows were invited to the ceremonies at Westminster Abbey and the Cenotaph for the Unveiling of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior on 11 November 1920. In this webinar 11/11/20 at 8:00pm Andrea Hetherington looks back at the day.
#LestWeForget
>
It is with deep regret we have learned that Lt Col (Retd) Graham Parker, OBE has passed away. Graham was one of The Western Front Association's vice-presidents >
We remember Stephen Sowden who saw active service on the Gallipoli peninsula where he was severely wounded - his spine was fractured. He was evacuated to Mudros 18 December 1915. He died, age 18, while in transit to England and is buried in North Front Cemetery, Gibraltar.
John Huskisson from
#Bridgetown
,
#Barbados
enlisted in 1915, sailed for England, trained with the 1st Battalion, London Regiment and was sent to France. He was killed during a bombing raid on a German trenches. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.
#WW1
Remembering Messines 7 June 1917
#OTD
use this interactive Google map to explore the mines of Messines, from the overall arc of the detonations, to close up on the craters that remain today. We have articles, videos and book reviews to share >
Due to Covid-19 restrictions the ceremony to mark the return of Unknown Warrior to London at Victoria Station will be a muted affair this year. Just six people from the London branch of The Western Front Association will be in attendance on Platform No.8.
#FWW
#WW1
#TheGreatWar
'Flesh and Steel', is ‘a highly readable book backed up by case studies and statistics’. Author and former French Marines Colonel
@Michel_Goya
, explains how the French army was transformed during
#WW1
. Read Andy Grainger’s full review for Stand To! here >
The Battle of Arras commenced early on 9 April 1917. This, the 106th anniversary, also marks the 15th anniversary of the opening of the Wellington Tunnels Museum and the inauguration of the 'Faces of War' exhibition by Belgian artist Jan Fieuw >
The remains of Alexander McKenzie were discovered in a mass grave at Pheasant Wood in 2008. Born in South Australia he served in Gallipoli and then France. He was identified through a combination of anthropological, historical and DNA information. He now lies in a marked grave.
It’s 100 years ago today since the death of Lt Colonel John McCrae MD, Commanding Officer of No.3 Canadian General Hospital at Boulogne, but best known for writing the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’.
1 OTD 1918 was the eve of the Battle of Amiens. Arguably the outcome was not just a “Dominion” success, but a BEF one requiring the effort of the whole BEF from ports to front line. That the most important element of the battle occurred before it began. (Thread first of 19)
The remains of Pte. Alexander McKenzie were discovered in a mass grave at Pheasant Wood in 2008. Born in South Australia he served in
#Gallipoli
and France. He was identified through a combination of anthropological, historical and DNA information. He now lies in a marked grave.
#WW1
Pic of the Day. The interior of an aid post on the Menin Road. A doctor stands by a table covered in medical supplies with a British soldier lying on a stretcher with two German POWs, an Indian soldier, a British soldier and two men of the Chinese Labour Corps to one side.
Tommy Egdell died
#OTD
24 September 1917. He was one of four brothers who died during
#WW1
. Edward died during the Battle of the Somme in 1916; John died during the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917 while James died on the Somme in 1918.
#LestWeForget
This familiar
#WW1
photograph is not a screenshot from Paul McCartney’s ‘Wonderful Christmastime’, but British soldiers of the London Rifle Brigade meeting German troops of the 104th or 106th Saxon Infantry Regiments, in no man’s land, Christmas Day 1914. (IWM Q 11718)
Writing home to his wife in February 1916, Major Lumsden wrote “It is simply hell on earth; I had no idea of what it was. God only knows if I shall ever see home again ; I doubt it very much ; yet I have done my duty, and will do it to the end.” He died 7 March.
20 year old Richard Wain was 20 years old, a section commander and acting captain in A Battalion, Tank Corps, when his tank took a direct hit at Marcoing, during the battle of Cambrai on 20 November 1917. He was posthumously awarded a Victoria Cross for his actions on that day.
TrenchMapper launched with a modest collection of maps and photographs. Now, thanks to the efforts of over 40 WFA volunteers, we have over 6,500 maps and photographs online covering the Home front, Gallipoli and the Western front . Come and take a look
John Berry, an 18 year old butcher’s assistant, enlisted in Morecombe and was drafted in May 1915. A bullet wound in the neck proved to be a Blighty One, but he was back in France soon after turning 21 towards the end of 1917. He was fatally wounded and died on 18 December 1917.
In an exciting development we can announce the launch of Purnell's History of the First World War. This was a hugely successful weekly partwork published in the period 1969-1971. All 128 issues are now available to members via your Member Login.
1 On 18th October 1918 the most decorated Military Chaplain of First World War died at Rouen, France. Not only was The Reverend Father Theodore Bayley Hardy, CF, VC, DSO, MC the most decorated padre, he was one of the oldest to serve on the Western Front.
Why is the US not interested in WWI?
Its short duration?
Vietnam digs deeper in the American Psyche?
Low loss of life in WW1?
Did WW2 leave a bigger impression?
Ambiguous political benefits?
Americans dream of the future, not of the past?
This familiar
#WW1
'pic of the day' is not a screenshot from Paul McCartney’s ‘Wonderful Christmastime’, but British soldiers of the London Rifle Brigade meeting German troops of the 104th or 106th Saxon Infantry Regiments, in no man’s land, Christmas Day 1914. (IWM Q 11718)
#WW1
pic of the day. The Cenotaph, Whitehall, 1921. Built to commemorate the 1.1 million British and Empire dead from the
#WW1
. With Official policy forbidding the repatriation of bodies the Cenotaph became a national symbolic tomb for the absent dead.
Crystal McCord, born sept: 1897, trained as a nurse in Michigan, USA. She sailed for France summer 1918 and 1st Evac Hospital, US Army. She died of Influenza
#OTD
16 Dec 1918. She was buried in France where she remains.
#LestWeForget
#WW1
Tommy Egdell was one of four brothers who died during
#WW1
- he died
#OTD
24 September 1917; Edward died during the Battle of the Somme in 1916; John died during the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917 and James also died on the Somme in 1918.
#LestWeForget
The Muslim Burial Ground, Horsell Common, Woking, Surrey, 1917. Also known as the Mohammedian Cemetery, the burial ground was designed to provide a site where Muslim soldiers killed in action could be buried according to their religion.
One of 8 surviving children of whom 3 were boys. All 3 boys served during
#WW1
and all died. Older brother John died 14 September 1917 and younger brother James died 4 October 1917. Acting Corporal Peter Aitken, KIA
#OTD
22 March 1918.
#WeRememberThem
We’re excited to announce that
@TheWFA
is partnering with the team at
@BattleguideVT
to present a series of 'interactive Battlefield Tours' exclusively for WFA members.
The popular view of
#WW1
remains that of 'Blackadder': incompetent generals sending brave soldiers to their deaths. Webinar. Monday 1st March 8:00pm. Register now for Gordon Corrigan's witty presentation : >
The latest
#DispatchesPodcast
is out now! This week features one of the people behind the superb
@GreatWarHuts
project; historian
@Taff_Gillingham
talks about he British soldier in 1918. This talk was given at the WFA’s York Conference on 7th July 2018.
Where to begin? At the Swiss end? From the sea? Or somewhere in the middle? What do you do about accommodation? And if you’re with someone who has little interest in
#WW1
what's the plan? Have you done it yet? Do you plan to?
The youngest son of President Theodore Roosevelt, the 20 year old Quentin Roosevelt died in a dog-fight over German lines
#OTD
in 1918. He is the only child of a US President to die in combat.
#FWW
#WW1
#POTUS
#USAF
This Officer’s Service Dress Tunic belonged to 2nd Lieutenant Laurence Reeves, 1/1st Hertfordshire Regiment, who died of wounds on this day 25th August 1918.
Men of the 16th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles of the 36th (Ulster) Division moving to the front line 20 November 1917. The Battle of Cambrai, November-december 1917 IWM Q6291
As it’s lunchtime, we thought we’d share this...
103 years ago, a soldier called Jack came home on leave and decided it was time for a change of cutlery!
“Jack’s Fork -
Had with him since August 1914, Brought home from France July 11th 1915”🍴
Born 1892, Fred Baldwyn was one of five boys living on his father’s farm in Finchampstead. He enlisted in September 1914 and was sent with the 1/4th Bn Hampshire Regt to Mesopotamia. He was KIA 21 Jan 1916 during the siege of Kut al Amara
One of the largest bunker systems of
#WW1
has been uncovered by archaeologists in
@Wijtschate
. It is likely that many German soldiers were entombed here when the British launched their attack during the Battle of Messines in 1917.
#werememberthem
#FWW
#WW1
Pic of the Day. Photographed 14 January 1916. ‘Mother’ negotiating her first trench in Poppleton's Field, Lincoln. Trials took place at Lincoln in January 1916. A total of 250 Marks 1, 2 and 3 were built.
Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Wilmot Rickman commanded the ‘Accrington Pals’, the 11th Battalion East Lancashire Regiment, as a ‘dug-out’. This article looks at Rickman, his command of the Accrington Pals up until 1 July 1916 and the meaning of ‘dug-out’.
A 20 year old gardener from Nuneaton, Simeon Sharratt, went to the assistance of a fellow soldier who had been shot by a sniper and was shot himself. He died two days later of his wounds on 26 January 1915. His brother served and survived
#WW1
#LestWeForget
On 2 Sept 1918, Canadian nurse Gertrude Gilbert, with Ambulance Train No. 4, “loaded … a very badly wounded lot - mostly Canadians who had just come down from Arras that day. The worst load I’ve had yet.”
Over 2,800 Canadian nurses served at CCSs and hospitals during the war.
20 year old Richard Wain was 20 years old, a section commander and acting captain in A Battalion, Tank Corps, when his tank took a direct hit at Marcoing, during the battle of Cambrai on 20 November 1917. He was posthumously awarded a Victoria Cross for his actions on that day.
Between 1915 and 1919 Ivan Bawtree motorbiked across the Western Front taking photographs. He left behind a huge collection of negatives, diaries and letters which form the basis of ‘Photographing the Fallen’ by Jeremy Gordon Smith. Our review >
Awarded VC. Killed in action
#OTD
in 1917 at Hill 70 near Lens, 43 year old Sgt Hobson, recovered a buried Lewis gun and trained it on the attacking enemy. A Boer War veteran and Canadian émigré
#Vimy1917
#WW1
#CanadaRemembers
#LestWeForget
Charles Stonehouse played amateur football for Blackburn Crosshill FC and enlisted in September 1914 as a Private. By June 1915 he was a Lieutenant. He was KIA 1July 1916 on the Somme. His unidentifiable body was recovered in November 1917 and buried in Serre Road Nr.3 Cemetery.
Now available! TrenchMapper from
@TheWFA
+
@I_W_M
is an innovative portal that gives access to 1000s of
#WW1
trench maps, aerial images and more. This groundbreaking technology is available to all with some exclusivity for WFA members >
Harold Thompson, a builder, enlisted in Feb: 1915. He served at
#Gallipoli
, became an officer, and died of wounds received in action north of Hangard Wood, south of Villers-Bretonneux. He is remembered on a roadside 'headstone' memorial.
#WW1
>
Walter Tull was the first black outfield player of African descent in the top division of English football and the first to be commissioned as an infantry officer in the British Army.
@BhmUK
#WW1
Listen to the original BBC with Clarke Carlisle here >
Though cavalry in the
#WW1
was rarely used, at least in its traditional mounted role there was a famous exception to this in the mounted attack by the Indian Cavalry towards High Wood on the Somme in 1916. >