Military History
We have recently received talks about the Peninsular War including the battle of Salamanca in 1812, the development and use of railways in the First World War (inspired by a visit to the engine sheds during the 10 anniversary celebrations), the Dickin medal and animals in war and Captain Charles Upham the only man to win the VC twice in WW2). We also examined and talked about a WW1 medal collection owned by a newcomer to the group.
At the December meeting we talked about the impact of technology on future wars, the aftermath of the battle of Vittoria, George Peachment VC and the first Anglo Boer war.
At the January meeting we discussed Agincourt, Owen Glendower, Boer War and whether or not WW1 was the first war of its type
At the February meeting we discussed William Wallace, Albert Jacka VC, letter from Arnhem, Siege of San Sebastian, Naseby and HMS Dreadnought
At the May meeting we discussed shell shock in WW1, John Francis Young VC. PC Navy, Indian and African/American soldiers in WW1 and WW2 and the Parachute Regiment in WW2
June meeting - Battle of the Atlantic, Guy Gibson VC, Battle of Sorauren 1813, Eustace Jothan VC, and Jack Counter VC
July - reminisences of RAFin India in World Wr 2, douglas Bader,World War 1 facts,battle of the Somme,2 siege of San Sebastian 1813, Bamsie, Leakey VC Afghanistan 2013.
August - Operation Open Door - Norway 1945, Paradogs, William Speakman VC, Korea, crossing the Bidassoa and siege of Pamplona
October - Battles of River Nive and St. Pierre,December 1813, Major Walford MC*, Lt. Leefe-Robinson VC, HMS Falmouth at Battle of Jutland 1916. Battle of Ia Drang, Vietnam War, Battle of Dien Bien Phu 1954.
December - Czech uprising 1944, celebrities in war including A.A. Milne, Tolkien, David Niven, Arnold Ripley, Tom Finney and Michael Caine, Korean War and what happened to the Dambusters
January - Inchon landing, Korea, Home Guard, Joseph Watt VC (fighting fisheman), Battle of toulouse 1814
February - only 3 members present.- discussed Walcheren 1944, James Ashworth VC Afghanistan, Home Guard in Worcestershire
April- we discussed West Country militia in Napoleonic times, 1/4 King's Own - Givemchy 1918, Charles Robson at Rorke's Drift, British Army 1660 - 1700 and Major Walmsley in Afghanistan, Boer War, WW1 and Afghanistan 1919.
May - World War 1 in East Africa, Commonwealth war Graves centenary, United Nations and British Army 1700 - 1750
July - Passchendaele 1917. George Ellison (last man killed in WW1) Coronel and Falklands 1914
August - the film 'Theirs is the Glory' a re-enactment of Arnhem 1944
September - Brighton Pavilion as a hospital in WW1, Warrior - the original war horse, Vietnam 1967, French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
October - Henry Johnson - black hero WW!, Home Guard training, Civil Defence in Cold War, Harold Ackroyd VC
November - British Army 1800-1850, attacks on Tirpitz, Home Guard, Maj.Gen. Carton de Wiart VC, Siam and other in WW1
December - RAF ground crew WW2, Thomas Lawrence - Boer War Kidderminster VC, WW! German SW Africa and Angola 1914, British Army 1850 - 1900 (to be contd)
January 2018 sinking of the Scharnhorst, SS Richard Montgomery, Flu pandemic 1917 - 1919 British Army 1850 - 1900
February 2018 - Home Front food rationing, the murky past of 5 VC winners, French resistance and the Jews.
We also discussed the display that we are planning to put together for the November meeting
November 2018 - now that the WW1 meeting is over the discussions opened up and we discussed Force Benedict, the Knox family from Nuneaton in ww1 and the Irish civil war 1920-1922
January 2019 - Captain Fogarty Fegen VC, San Demetrio, London, use of gas in ww1, Hitler and the atomic bomb, causes of ww2
February 2019 - use of gas in ww1, heavy water and the atom bomb, use of falcons in ww1, maake up of Allied army in Burma, 30 Assault Commando, Advanced Air Striking force, 82 Squadron
March 2019 - Lt.Gen Freyberg VC, Sgt Coltman VC - most decorated NCO in WW1,Norway campaign 1940, mapping ww1, 1795 capture of Cape Colony
April 2019 - Fairty Battle, Caporetto 1917, France and Belgium 1940, NW Europe 1940 - 44
May 2019 - Red Baron WW!, Ortona Dec. 1943, NW Europe 1944 - 45, rationing and Marrow Jam
July 2019 WW1 tank - Fray Bentos, Battle of the Atlantic ww2, Sqd. Ld. Scarfe VC. 1941, Disinformation D Day
August 2019 - Lt. Com, Roope VC - ww2,Capt. Kilby VC -ww1, Cyril Barton VC -ww2
October 2019 - Sanddringham Company, 5 Norfold Regiment, Gallipoli 1915, Russian hoax ww1, Robert Boschdek and Ansti the war dog ww2, DHalifax explosion 1917, Serbia ww1, Operation Pedestal, ww2
November 2019 - Hawker Typhoon, Blue Cross and animals in ww1, Bombing of Newbury 1943, the sausage war -Russo-Finnish war 1939, make up and use of Infantry Division, Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Iraq and Iraq War 1941
December 2019 - Eva Toguri (Tokyo Rose), Lord Haw Haw, October 1917 10 Australian Battalion at Celtic Wood, September 1940 - Heinkel 111 shot down near Studley Head and air raids on Filton, Adrian Warburton WW2 pilot
January 2020 - Gunther Pluschow - only German to escape from UK back to Germany in WW1, Herbert Schultzbach Served in German Army in WW1 and British Army in WW2, Battle of Midway, Peleliu 1944, Duke of Marlborough
February 2020 - Women's football in WW1 and WW2, First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, Admiral Sir Walter Cowan, Murder of an Australian soldier in Wiltshire in WW1, DH Mosquito
March 2020 - the group is not meeting at present due to the Covid - 19 problem. We continue to present articles and research using e mails. This month we read e mails relating to George Dorrell VC,. Colonel Souter in ww1. strangling Japanese trade in ww2