Podcasts about British Expeditionary Force

fWotD Episode 2947: Radar, Gun Laying, Mk. I and Mk. II Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Friday, 30 May 2025, is Radar, Gun Laying, Mk. I and Mk. II.Radar, Gun Laying, Mark I, or GL Mk. I for short, was a pre-World War II radar system developed by the British Army to provide range information to associated anti-aircraft artillery. There were two upgrades to the same basic system, GL/EF (Elevation Finder) and GL Mk. II, both of which added the ability to accurately determine bearing and elevation. The name refers to the radar's ability to direct the guns onto a target, known as gun laying.The first GL set was an elementary design developed from 1936 onward. Based on the early Chain Home radar's electronics, GL used separate transmitters and receivers located in wooden cabins mounted on gun carriages, each with its own antennas that had to be rotated to point at the target. The transmitted signal was quite wide, in a fan shape about 120 degrees across. This made it useful only for measuring slant range information; target bearing accuracy was approximately 20 degrees, and it could not provide any elevation information. Several were deployed with the British Expeditionary Force and at least one was captured by German forces during the Dunkirk evacuation. The subsequent German evaluation led them to believe that British radar was much less advanced than German radar.Plans to address these shortcomings were underway even as the first Mk. I units were reaching service in 1939, but these Mk. II units would not be available until 1940 at the earliest. An expedient solution was the GL/EF attachment, which provided bearing and elevation measurements accurate to about a degree. With these improvements, the number of rounds needed to destroy an aircraft fell to 4,100, a tenfold improvement over early-war results. About 410 of the Mk. I and slightly modified Mk. I* units had been produced when production moved to the Mk. II, which had enough accuracy to directly guide the guns. Higher accuracy and simpler operation lowered the rounds-per-kill to 2,750 with Mk. II. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, about 200 Mk. II units were supplied to the Soviets who used them under the name SON-2. By the end of the production run, 1,679 Mk. IIs had been produced.The introduction of the cavity magnetron in 1940 led to a new design effort using highly directional parabolic antennas to allow accurate ranging and bearing measurements from much smaller antennas. These GL Mk. III radar units were produced in the UK as the Mk. IIIB and a locally designed model from Canada as the Mk. IIIC. Mk. II remained in service in secondary roles as Mk. III's replaced them at the front. Both of these were replaced by the superior SCR-584 starting in 1944.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:30 UTC on Friday, 30 May 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Radar, Gun Laying, Mk. I and Mk. II on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Arthur.

During the 4 1/2 months it was fought, the Battle of the Somme took the crown as the deadliest battle of World War 1. This battle had it all, trench warfare, so many artillery pieces it created mountains of spent casings, fighter aircraft, and the introduction of the tank to the world as a weapon. The battle was the meeting of old world tactics and new world technology, never a good thing. The first day of the battle was the stuff of nightmares for the British. Once the 7 day artillery bombardment was finished, the Brits went over the top of their trench into No-Man's Land to charge what they believed to be an already decimated German front line. Unfortunately the metal storm unleashed over the German position for the last week was ineffective due to using the wrong type of artillery and also a pesky little leak of the British plans which gave the Germans a heads up to hunker down. As the shells stopped falling the Germans reoccupied the front line and waited for the British. What followed was the biggest loss of life in a single for the British in their history. And thats just the appetizer folks, tune in to get the full story. Support the show

Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! "La batalla de Inglaterra, que se desarrolló entre julio y octubre de 1940, tiene la extraordinaria condición de ser la primera gran batalla de la historia librada exclusivamente en el aire. Pero no fue la batalla que la Luftwaffe había previsto. Con la British Expeditionary Force expulsada del continente dejando atrás todo su equipo y Francia capitulada desde el 22 de junio de 1940, los alemanes esperaban que los británicos aceptaran un acuerdo de paz que respetara la independencia de su país, pero garantizara a Alemania el dominio total de Europa occidental. Sin embargo, el Gobierno liderado por Winston Churchill se comprometió a continuar la lucha y a la Wehrmacht no le quedó más remedio que invadir las islas. Con solo unas pocas divisiones británicas en condiciones de combatir, los alemanes habrían ganado la campaña terrestre con facilidad, pero para desembarcar en Inglaterra era necesario que la Luftwaffe obtuviera la supremacía aérea sobre el canal de la Mancha y el sur del país, ya que ninguna operación anfibia resultaba factible frente a una oposición naval protegida por el poder aéreo británico". James S. Corum. "Entre junio y octubre de 1940, el sur de Inglaterra y el Canal de la Mancha fueron escenario de una de las más duras batallas de la II Guerra Mundial, la Batalla de Inglaterra. Cientos de aviones ingleses y alemanes se enfrentaron en el curso de una operación en la que la Luftwaffe, comandada por Hermann Goring, quiso castigar las defensas británicas y preparar lo que hipotéticamente podría ser una invasión de las islas. El resultado fue negativo para los alemanes: la tenacidad británica, y el alto grado de sacrificio de sus pilotos, inclinó la victoria del lado de la libertad, hasta convertir Inglaterra en el punto clave de las sucesivas batallas de la Guerra". FpPucheEscucha este episodio completo y accede a todo el contenido exclusivo de Planeta Invierno. Descubre antes que nadie los nuevos episodios, y participa en la comunidad exclusiva de oyentes en https://go.ivoox.com/sq/661198

This episode includes several extracts from recordings of speeches by Churchill, so that we can enjoy listening to his actual voice – on the other hand, I apologise for the background noise on the recordings, but they sound inauthentic if I try to remove it. We also meet a number of people who will continue to have a significant role later: a man who deserves to be better-known, the brilliant theoretician and practitioner of armoured warfare (sadly on the German side), Heinz Guderian; Erwin Rommel; Charles de Gaulle; Friedrich Pauls, attending an enemy's surrender now though better known for offering his own later; and Bertram Ramsay, another man who deserves to be far better known than he now is. All this is against the background of the devastating defeat of British and French forces in France, once Germany decided to end the phoney war (which had already started to be a lot less phoney in Norway) and, using the Blitzkrieg tactics favoured by Guderian, of rapidly-advancing armoured forces backed by air support and followed by infantry, broke though the French defences and rounded on the British Expeditionary Force and French troops in Northeastern France, pinning them against the Channel coast. Those Allied troops were caught in a vice that was closing on them. It was only the extraordinary ability of the man Churchill chose to organise their evacuation from Dukirk, Admiral Bertram Ramsay, and Churchill's own leadership, that allowed Britain to save the core of its army from destruction. Illustration: Troops waiting to be taken off the beaches at Dunkirk. Photo: EPA. Music: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License

Bill's sobering police tour around defeated post-WWII Germany takes in sights and experiences of Oberhausen, Essen and Duisberg, including a poignant and memorable 1945 Christmas.  Hear the complete book, now ON THIS PODCAST, STARTS EPISODE 107. Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, by Bill Cheall. The story of one British man's second world war.  Please do subscribe or follow in your listening app as it helps me with the search rankings.  Show notes and photos: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/119-Post-war-Germany-Oberhausen-Essen-Duisberg Episode shortlist - Full episode listing for the podcast https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/about/ Buy Me a Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/fightingthrough Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FightingThrough Reviews: Please review in your usual app or on my website here: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/reviews/new/ Follow me on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FightingThroughPodcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnlqRO9MdFBUrKM6ExEOzVQ?view_as=subscriber Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulCheall "When Bill Cheall joined up in April 1939, he could not have imagined the drama, rewards and near continuous action that lay in store. First and foremost a Green Howard (a Northern regiment), as a member of the British Expeditionary Force he saw the sharp end of Hitler's May 1940 Blitzkrieg and was evacuated exhausted from Dunkirk. His next move was to North Africa, courtesy of the Queen Mary, to be part of Monty's 8th Army.  After eventual victory in Tunisia, the Sicily invasion followed. Alongside a number of other battle-hardened units, the Green Howards were then ordered back to England to form the vanguard of the Normandy Invasion. In the fierce fighting that followed the D-Day landing on GOLD Beach, he was wounded and evacuated. His comrade Sergeant Major Stan Hollis, won the only VC to be awarded on 6 June 1944. Once fit, Bill returned to the war zone and he finished the war with the East Lancs as a Regimental Policeman in devastated occupied Germany. For all this he earned seven medals and a wounded-in-action stripe. Bill experienced many adventures during those action-packed years. Unlike too many, he survived to share these with the reader. Told with humility and humour, Fighting Through From Dunkirk to Hamburg is, by any measure, a superb fighting soldier's memoir. Bill passed away peacefully in 1999 following a battle with prostate cancer."      

Chapter 22/23 Bill recovers from his wounds and gets back into training in England. He returns to the battlefront to his comrades in WW2 Germany and witnesses first hand the devastation caused by allied bombing and the uprooting of the displaced peoples of Europe, during the second world war.  Hear the complete book, now ON THIS PODCAST, STARTS EPISODE 107. Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, by Bill Cheall. The story of one British man's second world war.  Please do subscribe or follow in your listening app as it helps me with the search rankings.  Show notes and photos: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/107-Introduction-and-Dunkirk-Fighting-Through-From-Dunkirk-to-Hamburg-WW2-memoir-Book Episode shortlist - Full episode listing for the podcasthttps://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/118-Ch-22-Back-to-Duty-Bill-Chealls-complete-war-memoirs Buy Me a Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/fightingthrough Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FightingThrough Reviews: Please review in your usual app or on my website here: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/reviews/new/ Follow me on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FightingThroughPodcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnlqRO9MdFBUrKM6ExEOzVQ?view_as=subscriber Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulCheall "When Bill Cheall joined up in April 1939, he could not have imagined the drama, rewards and near continuous action that lay in store. First and foremost a Green Howard (a Northern regiment), as a member of the British Expeditionary Force he saw the sharp end of Hitler's May 1940 Blitzkrieg and was evacuated exhausted from Dunkirk. His next move was to North Africa, courtesy of the Queen Mary, to be part of Monty's 8th Army.  After eventual victory in Tunisia, the Sicily invasion followed. Alongside a number of other battle-hardened units, the Green Howards were then ordered back to England to form the vanguard of the Normandy Invasion. In the fierce fighting that followed the D-Day landing on GOLD Beach, he was wounded and evacuated. His comrade Sergeant Major Stan Hollis, won the only VC to be awarded on 6 June 1944. Once fit, Bill returned to the war zone and he finished the war with the East Lancs as a Regimental Policeman in devastated occupied Germany. For all this he earned seven medals and a wounded-in-action stripe. Bill experienced many adventures during those action-packed years. Unlike too many, he survived to share these with the reader. Told with humility and humour, Fighting Through From Dunkirk to Hamburg is, by any measure, a superb fighting soldier's memoir. Bill passed away peacefully in 1999 following a battle with prostate cancer."      

D-Day plus 1 to D plus 30. The Green Howards fight through France the next few weeks after the invasion.  Hear the complete book, now ON THIS PODCAST, STARTS EPISODE 107. Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, by Bill Cheall. The story of one British man's second world war.  Please do subscribe or follow in your listening app as it helps me with the search rankings.  Show notes and photos: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/117-Ch-20-D-Day-contd-Bill-Cheall-WW2-memoirs Episode shortlist - Full episode listing for the podcast https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/about/ Buy Me a Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/fightingthrough Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FightingThrough Reviews: Please review in your usual app or on my website here: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/reviews/new/ Follow me on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FightingThroughPodcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnlqRO9MdFBUrKM6ExEOzVQ?view_as=subscriber Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulCheall "When Bill Cheall joined up in April 1939, he could not have imagined the drama, rewards and near continuous action that lay in store. First and foremost a Green Howard (a Northern regiment), as a member of the British Expeditionary Force he saw the sharp end of Hitler's May 1940 Blitzkrieg and was evacuated exhausted from Dunkirk. His next move was to North Africa, courtesy of the Queen Mary, to be part of Monty's 8th Army.  After eventual victory in Tunisia, the Sicily invasion followed. Alongside a number of other battle-hardened units, the Green Howards were then ordered back to England to form the vanguard of the Normandy Invasion. In the fierce fighting that followed the D-Day landing on GOLD Beach, he was wounded and evacuated. His comrade Sergeant Major Stan Hollis, won the only VC to be awarded on 6 June 1944. Once fit, Bill returned to the war zone and he finished the war with the East Lancs as a Regimental Policeman in devastated occupied Germany. For all this he earned seven medals and a wounded-in-action stripe. Bill experienced many adventures during those action-packed years. Unlike too many, he survived to share these with the reader. Told with humility and humour, Fighting Through From Dunkirk to Hamburg is, by any measure, a superb fighting soldier's memoir. Bill passed away peacefully in 1999 following a battle with prostate cancer."      

D -1 to D-Day. Bill and his comrades cool their heels on board ship whilst the invasion is postponed. They land under horrific fire with the first wave of troops on Gold beach. Hear the complete book, now ON THIS PODCAST, STARTS EPISODE 107. Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, by Bill Cheall. The story of one British man's second world war.  Please do subscribe or follow in your listening app as it helps me with the search rankings.  Show notes: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/116-D-Day-Bill-Chealls-WWI-memoirs Episode shortlist - Full episode listing for the podcast https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/about/ Buy Me a Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/fightingthrough Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FightingThrough Reviews: Please review in your usual app or on my website here: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/reviews/new/ Follow me on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FightingThroughPodcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnlqRO9MdFBUrKM6ExEOzVQ?view_as=subscriber Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulCheall "When Bill Cheall joined up in April 1939, he could not have imagined the drama, rewards and near continuous action that lay in store. First and foremost a Green Howard (a Northern regiment), as a member of the British Expeditionary Force he saw the sharp end of Hitler's May 1940 Blitzkrieg and was evacuated exhausted from Dunkirk. His next move was to North Africa, courtesy of the Queen Mary, to be part of Monty's 8th Army.  After eventual victory in Tunisia, the Sicily invasion followed. Alongside a number of other battle-hardened units, the Green Howards were then ordered back to England to form the vanguard of the Normandy Invasion. In the fierce fighting that followed the D-Day landing on GOLD Beach, he was wounded and evacuated. His comrade Sergeant Major Stan Hollis, won the only VC to be awarded on 6 June 1944. Once fit, Bill returned to the war zone and he finished the war with the East Lancs as a Regimental Policeman in devastated occupied Germany. For all this he earned seven medals and a wounded-in-action stripe. Bill experienced many adventures during those action-packed years. Unlike too many, he survived to share these with the reader. Told with humility and humour, Fighting Through From Dunkirk to Hamburg is, by any measure, a superb fighting soldier's memoir. Bill passed away peacefully in 1999 following a battle with prostate cancer."      

Hear the complete book, now ON THIS PODCAST, STARTS EPISODE 107. Bill returns home via bombed-out Liverpool.  He trains hard and prepares for D-Day, witnessing some awful happenings in England before the invasion even begins. Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, by Bill Cheall. The story of one British man's second world war.  Please do subscribe or follow in your listening app as it helps me with the search rankings.  Show notes and photos: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/115-Chapters-15-16-17-England-Scotland-Preparing-for-D-Day Episode shortlist - Full episode listing for the podcast https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/about/ Buy Me a Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/fightingthrough Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FightingThrough Reviews: Please review in your usual app or on my website here: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/reviews/new/ Follow me on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FightingThroughPodcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnlqRO9MdFBUrKM6ExEOzVQ?view_as=subscriber Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulCheall "When Bill Cheall joined up in April 1939, he could not have imagined the drama, rewards and near continuous action that lay in store. First and foremost a Green Howard (a Northern regiment), as a member of the British Expeditionary Force he saw the sharp end of Hitler's May 1940 Blitzkrieg and was evacuated exhausted from Dunkirk. His next move was to North Africa, courtesy of the Queen Mary, to be part of Monty's 8th Army.  After eventual victory in Tunisia, the Sicily invasion followed. Alongside a number of other battle-hardened units, the Green Howards were then ordered back to England to form the vanguard of the Normandy Invasion. In the fierce fighting that followed the D-Day landing on GOLD Beach, he was wounded and evacuated. His comrade Sergeant Major Stan Hollis, won the only VC to be awarded on 6 June 1944. Once fit, Bill returned to the war zone and he finished the war with the East Lancs as a Regimental Policeman in devastated occupied Germany. For all this he earned seven medals and a wounded-in-action stripe. Bill experienced many adventures during those action-packed years. Unlike too many, he survived to share these with the reader. Told with humility and humour, Fighting Through From Dunkirk to Hamburg is, by any measure, a superb fighting soldier's memoir. Bill passed away peacefully in 1999 following a battle with prostate cancer."

Introduction & Dunkirk Prologue. Hear the complete book, now ON THIS PODCAST, STARTS EPISODE 107. Bill joins the territorial reserve army and fights in Dunkirk, living to escape and fight another day. He experiences the wonderful spirit and hospitality of the people of Cardiff, Wales. Hear the complete book, now ON THIS PODCAST - Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, by Bill Cheall. The story of one British man's second world war. STARTS EPISODE 107. "When Bill Cheall joined up in April 1939, he could not have imagined the drama, rewards and near continuous action that lay in store. First and foremost a Green Howard (a Northern regiment), as a member of the British Expeditionary Force he saw the sharp end of Hitler's May 1940 Blitzkrieg and was evacuated exhausted from Dunkirk. His next move was to North Africa, courtesy of the Queen Mary, to be part of Monty's 8th Army.  After eventual victory in Tunisia, the Sicily invasion followed. Alongside a number of other battle-hardened units, the Green Howards were then ordered back to England to form the vanguard of the Normandy Invasion. In the fierce fighting that followed the D-Day landing on GOLD Beach, he was wounded and evacuated. His comrade Sergeant Major Stan Hollis, won the only VC to be awarded on 6 June 1944. Once fit, Bill returned to the war zone and he finished the war with the East Lancs as a Regimental Policeman in devastated occupied Germany. For all this he earned seven medals and a wounded-in-action stripe. Bill experienced many adventures during those action-packed years. Unlike too many, he survived to share these with the reader. Told with humility and humour, Fighting Through From Dunkirk to Hamburg is, by any measure, a superb fighting soldier's memoir. Bill passed away peacefully in 1999 following a battle with prostate cancer." Please do subscribe or follow in your listening app as it helps me with the search rankings.  Show notes and photos: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/107-Introduction-and-Dunkirk-Fighting-Through-From-Dunkirk-to-Hamburg-WW2-memoir-Book Episode shortlist - Full episode listing for the podcast https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/about/ Buy Me a Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/fightingthrough Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FightingThrough Reviews: Please review in your usual app or on my website here: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/reviews/new/ Follow me on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FightingThroughPodcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnlqRO9MdFBUrKM6ExEOzVQ?view_as=subscriber Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulCheall      

Hear the complete book, now - Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, by Bill Cheall. The story of one British man's second world war. Chapter 1, The Beginning - The Territorial Army – 1939. Chapter 2, Call-Up "When Bill Cheall joined up in April 1939, he could not have imagined the drama, rewards and near continuous action that lay in store. First and foremost a Green Howard (a Northern regiment), as a member of the British Expeditionary Force he saw the sharp end of Hitler's May 1940 Blitzkrieg and was evacuated exhausted from Dunkirk. His next move was to North Africa, courtesy of the Queen Mary, to be part of Monty's 8th Army.  After eventual victory in Tunisia, the Sicily invasion followed. Alongside a number of other battle-hardened units, the Green Howards were then ordered back to England to form the vanguard of the Normandy Invasion. In the fierce fighting that followed the D-Day landing on GOLD Beach, he was wounded and evacuated. His comrade Sergeant Major Stan Hollis, won the only VC to be awarded on 6 June 1944. Once fit, Bill returned to the war zone and he finished the war with the East Lancs as a Regimental Policeman in devastated occupied Germany. For all this he earned seven medals and a wounded-in-action stripe. Bill experienced many adventures during those action-packed years. Unlike too many, he survived to share these with the reader. Told with humility and humour, Fighting Through From Dunkirk to Hamburg is, by any measure, a superb fighting soldier's memoir. Bill passed away peacefully in 1999 following a battle with prostate cancer." Please do subscribe or follow in your listening app as it helps me with the search rankings.  Show notes and photos: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/107-Introduction-and-Dunkirk-Fighting-Through-From-Dunkirk-to-Hamburg-WW2-memoir-Book Episode shortlist - Full episode listing for the podcast https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/about/ Buy Me a Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/fightingthrough Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FightingThrough Reviews: Please review in your usual app or on my website here: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/reviews/new/ Follow me on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FightingThroughPodcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnlqRO9MdFBUrKM6ExEOzVQ?view_as=subscriber Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulCheall        

Chapter 3, We Join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and fight in France 1940. Hear the complete book, now - Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, by Bill Cheall. The story of one British man's second world war. "When Bill Cheall joined up in April 1939, he could not have imagined the drama, rewards and near continuous action that lay in store. First and foremost a Green Howard (a Northern regiment), as a member of the British Expeditionary Force he saw the sharp end of Hitler's May 1940 Blitzkrieg and was evacuated exhausted from Dunkirk. His next move was to North Africa, courtesy of the Queen Mary, to be part of Monty's 8th Army.  After eventual victory in Tunisia, the Sicily invasion followed. Alongside a number of other battle-hardened units, the Green Howards were then ordered back to England to form the vanguard of the Normandy Invasion. In the fierce fighting that followed the D-Day landing on GOLD Beach, he was wounded and evacuated. His comrade Sergeant Major Stan Hollis, won the only VC to be awarded on 6 June 1944. Once fit, Bill returned to the war zone and he finished the war with the East Lancs as a Regimental Policeman in devastated occupied Germany. For all this he earned seven medals and a wounded-in-action stripe. Bill experienced many adventures during those action-packed years. Unlike too many, he survived to share these with the reader. Told with humility and humour, Fighting Through From Dunkirk to Hamburg is, by any measure, a superb fighting soldier's memoir. Bill passed away peacefully in 1999 following a battle with prostate cancer." Please do subscribe or follow in your listening app as it helps me with the search rankings.  Show notes and photos: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/109-Chapter-3-We-Join-the-British-Expeditionary-Force-BEF Episode shortlist - Full episode listing for the podcast https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/about/ Buy Me a Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/fightingthrough Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FightingThrough Reviews: Please review in your usual app or on my website here: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/reviews/new/ Follow me on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FightingThroughPodcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnlqRO9MdFBUrKM6ExEOzVQ?view_as=subscriber Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulCheall        

Chapter 4, Dunkirk. Bill's horrific experience in France continues. Hear the complete book, now - Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, by Bill Cheall. The story of one British man's second world war. Chapter 0 - Introduction & Prologue. Fighting Through From Dunkirk to Hamburg "When Bill Cheall joined up in April 1939, he could not have imagined the drama, rewards and near continuous action that lay in store. First and foremost a Green Howard (a Northern regiment), as a member of the British Expeditionary Force he saw the sharp end of Hitler's May 1940 Blitzkrieg and was evacuated exhausted from Dunkirk. His next move was to North Africa, courtesy of the Queen Mary, to be part of Monty's 8th Army.  After eventual victory in Tunisia, the Sicily invasion followed. Alongside a number of other battle-hardened units, the Green Howards were then ordered back to England to form the vanguard of the Normandy Invasion. In the fierce fighting that followed the D-Day landing on GOLD Beach, he was wounded and evacuated. His comrade Sergeant Major Stan Hollis, won the only VC to be awarded on 6 June 1944. Once fit, Bill returned to the war zone and he finished the war with the East Lancs as a Regimental Policeman in devastated occupied Germany. For all this he earned seven medals and a wounded-in-action stripe. Bill experienced many adventures during those action-packed years. Unlike too many, he survived to share these with the reader. Told with humility and humour, Fighting Through From Dunkirk to Hamburg is, by any measure, a superb fighting soldier's memoir. Bill passed away peacefully in 1999 following a battle with prostate cancer." Please do subscribe or follow in your listening app as it helps me with the search rankings.  Show notes and photos: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/110-Chapter-4-Dunkirk Episode shortlist - Full episode listing for the podcast https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/about/ Buy Me a Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/fightingthrough Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FightingThrough Reviews: Please review in your usual app or on my website here: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/reviews/new/ Follow me on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FightingThroughPodcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnlqRO9MdFBUrKM6ExEOzVQ?view_as=subscriber Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulCheall        

Chapters 5,6,7, The Aftermath,  Reorganisation, Training. Bill recovers from Dunkirk and the Green Howards re-equip and reorganise for war. Hear the complete book, now - Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, by Bill Cheall. The story of one British man's second world war. "When Bill Cheall joined up in April 1939, he could not have imagined the drama, rewards and near continuous action that lay in store. First and foremost a Green Howard (a Northern regiment), as a member of the British Expeditionary Force he saw the sharp end of Hitler's May 1940 Blitzkrieg and was evacuated exhausted from Dunkirk. His next move was to North Africa, courtesy of the Queen Mary, to be part of Monty's 8th Army.  After eventual victory in Tunisia, the Sicily invasion followed. Alongside a number of other battle-hardened units, the Green Howards were then ordered back to England to form the vanguard of the Normandy Invasion. In the fierce fighting that followed the D-Day landing on GOLD Beach, he was wounded and evacuated. His comrade Sergeant Major Stan Hollis, won the only VC to be awarded on 6 June 1944. Once fit, Bill returned to the war zone and he finished the war with the East Lancs as a Regimental Policeman in devastated occupied Germany. For all this he earned seven medals and a wounded-in-action stripe. Bill experienced many adventures during those action-packed years. Unlike too many, he survived to share these with the reader. Told with humility and humour, Fighting Through From Dunkirk to Hamburg is, by any measure, a superb fighting soldier's memoir. Bill passed away peacefully in 1999 following a battle with prostate cancer." Please do subscribe or follow in your listening app as it helps me with the search rankings.  Show notes and photos: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/111-Chapters-5-6-7-The-Aftermath-Reorganisation-Training-for-WW2 Episode shortlist - Full episode listing for the podcast https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/about/ Buy Me a Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/fightingthrough Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FightingThrough Reviews: Please review in your usual app or on my website here: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/reviews/new/ Follow me on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FightingThroughPodcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnlqRO9MdFBUrKM6ExEOzVQ?view_as=subscriber Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulCheall        

Chapters 8/9 - I Am Posted. Bill cools his heels in Britain before finding out he's going to do some travelling - on the Queen Mary ship - to the Middle East. Hear the complete book, now - Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, by Bill Cheall. The story of one British man's second world war. "When Bill Cheall joined up in April 1939, he could not have imagined the drama, rewards and near continuous action that lay in store. First and foremost a Green Howard (a Northern regiment), as a member of the British Expeditionary Force he saw the sharp end of Hitler's May 1940 Blitzkrieg and was evacuated exhausted from Dunkirk. His next move was to North Africa, courtesy of the Queen Mary, to be part of Monty's 8th Army.  After eventual victory in Tunisia, the Sicily invasion followed. Alongside a number of other battle-hardened units, the Green Howards were then ordered back to England to form the vanguard of the Normandy Invasion. In the fierce fighting that followed the D-Day landing on GOLD Beach, he was wounded and evacuated. His comrade Sergeant Major Stan Hollis, won the only VC to be awarded on 6 June 1944. Once fit, Bill returned to the war zone and he finished the war with the East Lancs as a Regimental Policeman in devastated occupied Germany. For all this he earned seven medals and a wounded-in-action stripe. Bill experienced many adventures during those action-packed years. Unlike too many, he survived to share these with the reader. Told with humility and humour, Fighting Through From Dunkirk to Hamburg is, by any measure, a superb fighting soldier's memoir. Bill passed away peacefully in 1999 following a battle with prostate cancer." Please do subscribe or follow in your listening app as it helps me with the search rankings.  Show notes and photos:https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/112-Chapters-8-9-I-Am-Posted-Queen-Mary-voyage Episode shortlist - Full episode listing for the podcast https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/about/ Buy Me a Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/fightingthrough Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FightingThrough Reviews: Please review in your usual app or on my website here: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/reviews/new/ Follow me on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FightingThroughPodcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnlqRO9MdFBUrKM6ExEOzVQ?view_as=subscriber Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulCheall          

Chapters 10 The Desert (Egypt), 11 Back to the Green Howards, 12 Wadi Akarit, Into Battle WW2. Hear the complete book, now - Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, by Bill Cheall. The story of one British man's second world war. Please do subscribe or follow in your listening app as it helps me with the search rankings.  Show notes and photos:https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/113-Chapters-10-11-12-Egypt-Wadi-Akarit-Into-Battle-WWII Episode shortlist - Full episode listing for the podcast https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/about/ Buy Me a Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/fightingthrough Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FightingThrough Reviews: Please review in your usual app or on my website here: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/reviews/new/ Follow me on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FightingThroughPodcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnlqRO9MdFBUrKM6ExEOzVQ?view_as=subscriber Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulCheall "When Bill Cheall joined up in April 1939, he could not have imagined the drama, rewards and near continuous action that lay in store. First and foremost a Green Howard (a Northern regiment), as a member of the British Expeditionary Force he saw the sharp end of Hitler's May 1940 Blitzkrieg and was evacuated exhausted from Dunkirk. His next move was to North Africa, courtesy of the Queen Mary, to be part of Monty's 8th Army.  After eventual victory in Tunisia, the Sicily invasion followed. Alongside a number of other battle-hardened units, the Green Howards were then ordered back to England to form the vanguard of the Normandy Invasion. In the fierce fighting that followed the D-Day landing on GOLD Beach, he was wounded and evacuated. His comrade Sergeant Major Stan Hollis, won the only VC to be awarded on 6 June 1944. Once fit, Bill returned to the war zone and he finished the war with the East Lancs as a Regimental Policeman in devastated occupied Germany. For all this he earned seven medals and a wounded-in-action stripe. Bill experienced many adventures during those action-packed years. Unlike too many, he survived to share these with the reader. Told with humility and humour, Fighting Through From Dunkirk to Hamburg is, by any measure, a superb fighting soldier's memoir. Bill passed away peacefully in 1999 following a battle with prostate cancer."        

Bill trains in the desert heat before invading Sicily, experiencing bombardment and action around the Primasole bridge and Catania airport, before cooking a meal for Generals Eisenhower and Montgomery! Hear the complete book, now - Fighting Through from Dunkirk to Hamburg, by Bill Cheall. The story of one British man's second world war. Please do subscribe or follow in your listening app as it helps me with the search rankings.  Show notes and photos:https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/114-Chapters-13-14-Sicily-WW2-history Episode shortlist - Full episode listing for the podcast https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/about/ Buy Me a Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/fightingthrough Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FightingThrough Reviews: Please review in your usual app or on my website here: https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/reviews/new/ Follow me on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FightingThroughPodcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnlqRO9MdFBUrKM6ExEOzVQ?view_as=subscriber Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulCheall "When Bill Cheall joined up in April 1939, he could not have imagined the drama, rewards and near continuous action that lay in store. First and foremost a Green Howard (a Northern regiment), as a member of the British Expeditionary Force he saw the sharp end of Hitler's May 1940 Blitzkrieg and was evacuated exhausted from Dunkirk. His next move was to North Africa, courtesy of the Queen Mary, to be part of Monty's 8th Army.  After eventual victory in Tunisia, the Sicily invasion followed. Alongside a number of other battle-hardened units, the Green Howards were then ordered back to England to form the vanguard of the Normandy Invasion. In the fierce fighting that followed the D-Day landing on GOLD Beach, he was wounded and evacuated. His comrade Sergeant Major Stan Hollis, won the only VC to be awarded on 6 June 1944. Once fit, Bill returned to the war zone and he finished the war with the East Lancs as a Regimental Policeman in devastated occupied Germany. For all this he earned seven medals and a wounded-in-action stripe. Bill experienced many adventures during those action-packed years. Unlike too many, he survived to share these with the reader. Told with humility and humour, Fighting Through From Dunkirk to Hamburg is, by any measure, a superb fighting soldier's memoir. Bill passed away peacefully in 1999 following a battle with prostate cancer."      

This week on Crime Wave: Michael Cooper joins me to talk about WAGES OF EMPIRE, a spellbinding WWI adventure. In the summer of 1914, Evan Sinclair is sixteen, living in Utah, and determined to join the war effort as a member of the British Expeditionary Force. He sneaks away from his family and makes it all the way to France, where he sees firsthand the horrors of war. But this is not merely Evan's coming-of-age story; WAGES OF EMPIRE is a panoramic view of the opening days of WWI, weaving in scenes of real historical figures and the issues they encounter—chief among them Kaiser Wilhelm and the struggle for control of Palestine. Although WAGES OF EMPIRE focuses on events in the Holy Land a hundred years ago, it is eerily relevant to our time. #podcast #author #interview #authors #CrimeWavePodcast #authorsontheair #podcast #podcaster #authors #authorsofig #authorsofinstagram #authorinterview #writingcommunity #suspensebooks #authorssupportingauthors #thrillerbooks #suspense #wip #writers #writersinspiration #bookrecommendations #bookaddict #bookaddicted #bookaddiction #bibliophile #read #amreading #lovetoread #BonnarSpring #BonnarSpringBooks #bookouture #thrillers #MichaelCooper #WagesofEmpire

This week on Crime Wave: Michael Cooper joins me to talk about WAGES OF EMPIRE, a spellbinding WWI adventure. In the summer of 1914, Evan Sinclair is sixteen, living in Utah, and determined to join the war effort as a member of the British Expeditionary Force. He sneaks away from his family and makes it all the way to France, where he sees firsthand the horrors of war. But this is not merely Evan's coming-of-age story; WAGES OF EMPIRE is a panoramic view of the opening days of WWI, weaving in scenes of real historical figures and the issues they encounter—chief among them Kaiser Wilhelm and the struggle for control of Palestine. Although WAGES OF EMPIRE focuses on events in the Holy Land a hundred years ago, it is eerily relevant to our time. #podcast #author #interview #authors #CrimeWavePodcast #authorsontheair #podcast #podcaster #authors #authorsofig #authorsofinstagram #authorinterview #writingcommunity #suspensebooks #authorssupportingauthors #thrillerbooks #suspense #wip #writers #writersinspiration #bookrecommendations #bookaddict #bookaddicted #bookaddiction #bibliophile #read #amreading #lovetoread #BonnarSpring #BonnarSpringBooks #bookouture #thrillers #MichaelCooper #WagesofEmpire

David Murrin discusses his system of forecasting global geopolitics and market trends, which takes into account the stages of empire and imperial decline. There is a rhythm and drumbeat to war which has a bigger cycle of 112 years. We're looking at a struggle between maritime (lateral) democratic governance and landpower (hierarchical) autocratic governance. Democracy is weaker than its ever been. America entered the fifth stage of decline with 9/11. Western leadership is blind and driving the world to war, we're over the brink. WWIII started with the invasion of Ukraine, the Middle East is now on fire, and the last piece of the puzzle is when China chooses to go to war. Decline (e.g. USA) means the fracturing of systems and less to go around. We will continue to see de-dollarization, high inflation, and higher oil and gold prices. Bitcoin, blockchains, and crypto are temporary safe havens that will eventually collapse. We shouldn't worry about Davos Man. Watch on BitChute / Brighteon / Rokfin / Rumble / Substack Geopolitics & Empire · David Murrin: Western Leadership Blind & Driving World to War #426 *Support Geopolitics & Empire! Become a Member https://geopoliticsandempire.substack.comDonate https://geopoliticsandempire.com/donationsConsult https://geopoliticsandempire.com/consultation **Visit Our Affiliates & Sponsors! Above Phone https://abovephone.com/?above=geopoliticseasyDNS (use code GEOPOLITICS for 15% off!) https://easydns.comEscape The Technocracy course (15% discount using link) https://escapethetechnocracy.com/geopoliticsPassVult https://passvult.comSociatates Civis (CitizenHR, CitizenIT, CitizenPL) https://societates-civis.comWise Wolf Gold https://www.wolfpack.gold/?ref=geopolitics Websites David Murrin Website https://www.davidmurrin.co.uk X https://twitter.com/GlobalForecastr About David Murrin David has been described as a polymath who started his career as a geophysicist, and who then entered finance at JP Morgan where he worked for seven years. Since then for more than two and a half decades he has been running his own hedge fund. During his financial career, his main focus has been on finding and understanding collective human behavioral patterns that comprise the study of human systems behavior. Including deep-seated ‘patterns' in history and then using them to predict the future for geopolitics and markets in today's turbulent times. He has a remarkable track record. David has written four books. Breaking the Code of History recognizes that post 9/11, the world changed in an instant. Using his theory's of human social structures he was able to successfully predict back in 2007 the key process in human social structures that have impacted today's changing world, including the decline of America and the West and the rise of China, and the reality of climate change. His second book released in 2018 is Lions Led By Lions which examines Britain's misunderstood involvement in the First World War and the achieved learning curve of its Army's leadership that resulted in a war-winning British Expeditionary Force rolling back the German Army in 1918. The story provides clear lessons that should be applied by today's leaders concerning the deterrence of global conflict. David's third book is a call to arms, in which his Now or Never UK Defense Review highlights the clear and present threats faced by Britain in the years and decade ahead from Russia and especially China, and the urgency for the need for large scale rearmament to secure the future peace. David's latest book Red Lightning which integrates fact and fiction and describes from a future perspective how China wins WW3 in 2025. It is a sober warning to the leaders of the Western World, that peace will only be maintained by a hard-won deterrence of aggression. *Podcast intro music is from the song "The Queens Jig" by "Musicke & Mirth" from their album "Music for Two Lyra Viols": ...

What Historical and Contemporary Factors Lead Nations to War? What Catalysts Have Historically Driven Humanity to Form New Social Systems? How Does David Murrin Anticipate the Near Future Will Unfold in Terms of Global Dynamics and Societal Changes?   David has been described as a polymath who started his career as a geophysicist, and who then entered finance at JP Morgan where he worked for seven years. Since then for more than two and a half decades he has been running his own hedge fund.   During his financial career, his main focus has been on finding and understanding collective human behavioral patterns that comprise the study of human systems behavior. Including deep-seated ‘patterns' in history and then using them to predict the future for geopolitics and markets in today's turbulent times.   He has a remarkable track record. David has written four books. Breaking the Code of History recognizes that post 9/11, the world changed in an instant. Using his theory's of human social structures he was able to successfully predict back in 2007 the key process in human social structures that have impacted today's changing world, including the decline of America and the West and the rise of China, and the reality of climate change.   His second book released in 2018 is Lions Led By Lions which examines Britain's misunderstood involvement in the First World War and the achieved learning curve of its Army's leadership that resulted in a war-winning British Expeditionary Force rolling back the German Army in 1918. The story provides clear lessons that should be applied by today's leaders concerning the deterrence of global conflict.   David's third book is a call to arms, in which his Now or Never UK Defense Review highlights the clear and present threats faced by Britain in the years and decade ahead from Russia and especially China, and the urgency for the need for large scale rearmament to secure the future peace.   David's latest book Red Lightning which integrates fact and fiction and describes from a future perspective how China wins WW3 in 2025. It is a sober warning to the leaders of the Western World, that peace will only be maintained by a hard-won deterrence of aggression.   Enjoy!

La vera forza dell'armata germanica si scatena sui soldati francesi nelle colline della Lorena e nella foresta delle Ardenne. Una spietata combinazione di tiro d'artiglieria e sapiente uso dei trinceramenti e delle mitragliatrici causa un vero massacro per l'esercito francese. Il 22 agosto passerà alla storia forse come il giorno più sanguinoso dell'intera storia militare della République. Seguimi su Instagram: laguerragrande_podcast Scritto e condotto da Andrea Basso Montaggio e audio: Andrea Basso Con la partecipazione di Zeno Du Ban, Alberto Pisano, Matteo Ribolli e Andrea Scalise Fonti dell'episodio: Ardenne, Enciclopedia Treccani Jean-Jacques Becker, 1914: L'anno che ha cambiato il mondo, Lindau, 2007 Jacques Didier, Des moissons tachées de sang, Sarpenoise, 2010 Peter Hart, La grande storia della Prima Guerra Mondiale, Newton & Compton, 2013 Holger Herwig, The Marne, 1914: The Opening of World War I and the Battle that Changed the World, Random House, 2009 Chantal Kesteloot, Brussels, 1914-1918 Online Barbara Tuchman, The Guns of August, 1962 Peter Simkins, British Expeditionary Force, 1914-1918 Online H. P. Willmott, La Prima Guerra Mondiale, DK, 2006 In copertina: la famosa “croce di Sarrebourg”, una croce campestre nei pressi della cittadina dove avvenne uno dei principali scontri nel corso della battaglia di Lorena. Una scheggia provocata dall'esplosione di una granata d'artiglieria vicino alla croce tranciò di netto la parte lignea del crocifisso, lasciando la statua di Gesù Cristo, miracolosamente intatta, in una posizione che molti credenti videro come non casuale. La foto della croce di Sarrebourg fece il giro del mondo dopo la battaglia, divenendo un simbolo della sofferenza dei soldati francesi e tedeschi che si affrontarono in Lorena.

Germany brings the big guns to Belgium, sacks Louvain and follows the doctrine of terrorizing civilians. The British Expeditionary Force whose commander's name is French, joins France for some battles. A war of maneuver ends with a non-breakthrough on the Marne and the race to the coast. 1914 ends with no winner, and no one's … Continue reading "World War Civ 27: Western front 1914 from Belgium to the Marne"

In August 1914, as the British Expeditionary Force conducted a fighting retreat from the Germans following the Battle of Mons, a strange story began to circulate.Outnumbered and in danger of being overrun by the Kaiser's army, the British were saved by a supernatural army that descended on the advancing Germans.Some said this army consisted of English bowmen from Agincourt, others claimed that it was winged angels led by St. George or the Archangel Michael.But what was the truth?This is the story of the Angels of Mons.Support the show

As the first light of dawn caressed the quaint Belgian town of Mons on August 23, 1914, few could have imagined that this serene landscape was on the brink of a violent transformation. Nestled between the winding curves of the Haine River and a cluster of old coal mines, the town bore the peaceful slumber of an ordinary Sunday. But, unbeknownst to the inhabitants, it was about to become the scene of the first significant clash between the British and German forces in World War I.  This encounter, soon to be known as the Battle of Mons, was not the largest battle of the Great War, nor the deadliest, but its significance cannot be understated. It was here, among the cobblestone streets and modest homes of Mons, that the British Expeditionary Force made their valiant stand against the German First Army, setting the stage for the grueling conflict to come. This story takes you on a journey back to those fateful days leading up to and during the Battle of Mons. It unearths the strategies and blunders, courage and despair, leaders and soldiers who were thrust into this dramatic chapter of history. Our narrative delves into the prelude to war, the powerful personalities on both sides, the tense clash of arms, the decisions that changed the course of the battle, and the profound impact it left on the broader canvas of World War I. As we traverse this historical landscape, we explore not just the events, but their enduring legacy and the lessons they impart to this day. Prepare to step back in time to those early days of August 1914, where amidst the echoes of gunfire and the whispers of 'angels,' we begin our exploration of the Battle of Mons.

The first main clash of the First World War was on the borders of France and Germany and in Belgium. The Belgians put up more resistance than the Germans expect. However, the Battle of the Frontiers, on the Franco-German border, from 7 August to 6 September 1914 was a disaster for the French army, who suffered very heavy casualties. Meanwhile, the British Expeditionary Force were making their way to the front.The war was set on a grim path of attritional fighting, and with both sides able to draw on millions more men it became virtually impossible to secure an easy victory. As stalemate was reached, the dreadful realisation set in that the combatants would be in this for the long haul.www.patreon.com/historyeuropewww.historyeurope.netMusic composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff (Preludes, Op. 32, Lento, in B minor)Picture - French Bayonet ChargeTheme tune for the podcast by Nico Vettese, www.wetalkofdreams.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9-JUNE-1928. While serving as a despatch rider as part of the 4th Division Signals Company during the First World War, Sergeant Charles Edward Kingsford Smith sought a greater adrenaline rush and joined the Australian Flying Corps. Later serving in the Royal Flying Corps; British Expeditionary Force, he shot down four German aircraft before he was shot down and grounded due to injury. Not to be stopped, "Smithy" after the war became an aviation pioneer and held the record for having the most aviation records including being the only person at the time to cross the Pacific Ocean from the USA to Australia in both directions and the first person to complete a cross-equator circumnavigation of the globe. IWODMJ Discord Server member AyoshiStar requested this episode and is guest director. TwentyFiveFour Coffee website For Show Notes, transcripts and photos check out the I Was Only Doing My Job Website at www.thedocnetwork.net. Access to the Discord Server Visit here Find the Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,MastodonYouTube --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/iwasonlydoingmyjob/message

Join Mike and I this week as we discuss Germany's 1940 invasion of Belgium and the Western Front. We follow the British Expeditionary Force and their Allies' numerous counteroffensives against the Wehrmacht in the Battle of Boulogne and the Siege of Calais. Tune in and learn about the failed Allied counteroffensives before the evacuation at Dunkirk. You can find the Hardtack Community on all of our socials via our linktree. If you have any feedback on our episodes or suggestions for future episodes, please send us an email: hardtackpod@gmail.com Don't forget to rate us and smash that subscribe button! Make your Own Hardtack! Hardtack Recipe (Survival Bread) - Bread Dad Civil War Recipe: Hardtack (1861) – The American Table Sources: Belgian American Educational Foundation (1941), The Belgian Campaign and the Surrender of the Belgian Army, 10–28 May 1940 (Third ed.), University of Michigan "Deep Defences, Belgian Fortifications, May 1940". www.niehorster.org. Retrieved 2020-07-08. Grehan, John. Dunkirk: Nine Days That Saved an Army: A Day-By-Day Account of the Greatest Evacuation, Pen & Sword Books Limited, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uql/detail.action?docID=5434866. Keegan, John (2005), The Second World War, New York: Penguin Books, ISBN 978-0-14-303573-2 https://totallyhistory.com/battle-of-belgium/ https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1940-the-finest-hour/we-shall-fight-on-the-beaches/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hardtackpod/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hardtackpod/support

The evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk in 1940 is one of the iconic moments of the Second World War. The miracle of the 'little ships' plucking soldiers off the beaches is regularly played out in the popular media, including the 1958 and 2017 films 'Dunkirk'. But, this is very much the British narrative. What if we turn the tables to look at the fighting from the German perspective? Joining me once more is Robert Kershaw. Robert was last with us to discuss D-Day and the landings at Omaha beach (in episode 92). He has a new book, 'Dünkirchen 1940: The German View of Dunkirk'. Patreonpatreon.com/ww2podcast

CONTENT On this podcast we discuss one of the lesser known rear guard actions on the retreat to Dunkirk that allowed so many troops to get to the beaches and their subsequent evacuation back to England.   This is the Battle of Hondeghem which took place on the 27 May 1940 when K Battery Royal Horse Artillery engaged lead elements of 6 Panzer Division halting them at the village in vicious street fighting and firing their 18 pounder guns at ranges of under 100 yards. The battery suffered heavy losses, with 'F' Troop alone losing 45 men out of 63. However, they were rewarded with Major Hoare winning the DSO, Captain Teacher the MC, Battery Sergeant Major Millard the DCM, and Gunner Kavanagh was honoured with the MM. In addition three men were Mentioned In Despatches.  In recognition of their gallantry the unit was awarded the honour title Hondeghem and K (Hondeghem) Battery is still on the order of battle in the Royal Artillery today. GUEST Our guest is Mark Martin who served as a Regular soldier and officer in the Royal Artillery from 1983 to 2018. Mark enlisted as a Private soldier, known in the Artillery as a Gunner, serving in every rank up to Warrant Officer Class One. His non-commissioned final appointment was the Regimental Sergeant Major of a regular MLRS and UAV Regiment.  Mark commissioned from the ranks as a Late Entry Captain in 2003 and commanded K (Hondeghem) Battery on two operational tours of Afghanistan.  He promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 2015.  Mark's grandfather was a member of the Royal Artillery as part of the British Expeditionary Force who fought at Dunkirk.  He was severely wounded during the fighting but was evacuated back to the UK. DESERT ISLAND DITS On Desert Island dits Marks's book choice is SAS Survival Handbook by John "Lofty" Wiseman. His film choice is Cockleshell Heroes.  The teams book choice this episode is Mussolini His Part In My Downfall by Spike Milligan and the TV series Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. SOCIAL MEDIA Follow us on social media and don't forget to like, share and leave a review. Instagram @the_unconventional_soldier_pod. Facebook @lateo82.  Twitter @TheUCS473. Download on other platforms via Link Tree. Email us: unconventionalsoldier@gmail.com.  This episode brought to you in association with ISARR a veteran owned company.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Innovation, Stagnation, and Paratrooper Operations, published by Davis Kingsley on May 6, 2022 on LessWrong. I recently came across a very interesting book: "When Failure Thrives: Institutions and the Evolution of Postwar Airborne Forces", by Dr. Marc DeVore. The short version of this book's thesis is that airborne parachute assaults have generally not been historically all that effective in warfare (with perhaps limited windows of effectiveness at various times), but that institutional politics and biases have led to them often being maintained in military training and doctrine despite this ineffectiveness.This strikes me as an especially interesting case study in "civilizational inadequacy" type models, what structures can support (or stifle!) innovation, evaluations of what levels of play the military is operating on, and so on. Let's jump into it! Military Obsolescence DeVore opens by discussing how organizational inertia leads to military establishments being attached to specific tactics or technologies well after the time where those methods have become obsolete, leading to bad performance against opponents who have better adapted to new developments. One particularly striking case of this that I'm familiar with from previous study is that several European armies still fielded cuirassiers -- horsemen equipped with metal breastplates and swords -- at the advent of World War One, far after such were obsolete! One might be surprised to learn that this photograph was taken in Paris in the year 1914! DeVore later points out that in the military, obsolete tactics and technologies often exist much longer than in many other areas of human endeavor. Part of this is due to simple lack of test data to draw from, which allows biased conclusions to run rampant: Why then do obsolescent tactics and technologies persist within military organization? The equivalent of such holdovers in the commercial sector—such as a large firm refusing to use container ships or the internet—is virtually unknown and would swiftly lead to bankruptcy. One reason for greater inertia in military organizations lies in the incomplete and intermittent nature of how military organizations are tested. Indeed, there is no certain method to ascertain how effective armed forces are short of forcing them to conduct a wide-range of military operations against a wide variety of live opponents. Moreover, even the so-called lessons of recent wars are notoriously difficult to interpret because wars are comparatively rare and the nature of the opponents and geography encountered in the last conflict are unlikely to provide adequate proxies for the challenges that will characterize the next one...It is, therefore, almost always possible for military organizations to ignore unpleasant truths by arguing that the circumstances of future wars will be more favorable to their preferred tactics and technologies. For example, in one particularly brash example of a military professional drawing biased conclusions from contemporary conflicts, British General John French summarily dismissed the need for reevaluating the cavalry's role after their poor performance in the Boer War. To this end, French wrote, “It passes comprehension that some critics in England should gravely assure us that the war in South Africa should be our chief source of inspiration and guidance...we should be very foolish if we did not recognise at this late hour that very few of the conditions of South Africa are likely to recur.” However, as commander of the British Expeditionary Force at the outbreak of the First World War, French soon learned to his chagrin that the Boer War was a more accurate reflection of modern warfare than he anticipated. (emphasis mine) These biases make it very difficult to evaluate military developments properly. Further, in...

Link to original articleWelcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Innovation, Stagnation, and Paratrooper Operations, published by Davis Kingsley on May 6, 2022 on LessWrong. I recently came across a very interesting book: "When Failure Thrives: Institutions and the Evolution of Postwar Airborne Forces", by Dr. Marc DeVore. The short version of this book's thesis is that airborne parachute assaults have generally not been historically all that effective in warfare (with perhaps limited windows of effectiveness at various times), but that institutional politics and biases have led to them often being maintained in military training and doctrine despite this ineffectiveness.This strikes me as an especially interesting case study in "civilizational inadequacy" type models, what structures can support (or stifle!) innovation, evaluations of what levels of play the military is operating on, and so on. Let's jump into it! Military Obsolescence DeVore opens by discussing how organizational inertia leads to military establishments being attached to specific tactics or technologies well after the time where those methods have become obsolete, leading to bad performance against opponents who have better adapted to new developments. One particularly striking case of this that I'm familiar with from previous study is that several European armies still fielded cuirassiers -- horsemen equipped with metal breastplates and swords -- at the advent of World War One, far after such were obsolete! One might be surprised to learn that this photograph was taken in Paris in the year 1914! DeVore later points out that in the military, obsolete tactics and technologies often exist much longer than in many other areas of human endeavor. Part of this is due to simple lack of test data to draw from, which allows biased conclusions to run rampant: Why then do obsolescent tactics and technologies persist within military organization? The equivalent of such holdovers in the commercial sector—such as a large firm refusing to use container ships or the internet—is virtually unknown and would swiftly lead to bankruptcy. One reason for greater inertia in military organizations lies in the incomplete and intermittent nature of how military organizations are tested. Indeed, there is no certain method to ascertain how effective armed forces are short of forcing them to conduct a wide-range of military operations against a wide variety of live opponents. Moreover, even the so-called lessons of recent wars are notoriously difficult to interpret because wars are comparatively rare and the nature of the opponents and geography encountered in the last conflict are unlikely to provide adequate proxies for the challenges that will characterize the next one...It is, therefore, almost always possible for military organizations to ignore unpleasant truths by arguing that the circumstances of future wars will be more favorable to their preferred tactics and technologies. For example, in one particularly brash example of a military professional drawing biased conclusions from contemporary conflicts, British General John French summarily dismissed the need for reevaluating the cavalry's role after their poor performance in the Boer War. To this end, French wrote, “It passes comprehension that some critics in England should gravely assure us that the war in South Africa should be our chief source of inspiration and guidance...we should be very foolish if we did not recognise at this late hour that very few of the conditions of South Africa are likely to recur.” However, as commander of the British Expeditionary Force at the outbreak of the First World War, French soon learned to his chagrin that the Boer War was a more accurate reflection of modern warfare than he anticipated. (emphasis mine) These biases make it very difficult to evaluate military developments properly. Further, in...

Historian and author Professor Robin Prior, talks about the Great War career of British general Sir Henry Rawlinson who served in the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front. Rawlinson held a number of command roles including commander of IV Corps, 4th Army and 5th Army. He planned a number of operations including Nerve Chappelle […]

On the 26th of May 1940, the Royal Navy launched Operation Dynamo. Headquartered in the tunnels running under Dover Castle, the aim of the operation was to evacuate the standard British Expeditionary Force from the beaches of Dunkirk in France. The British, French and Belgian forces had been locked in a protracted struggle against the advancing lines of German tanks and troops that made their way through the Netherlands and Luxembourg, cutting through wide swathes of territory and forcing the Allies into a hasty and confused retreat. On the 20th of May, the decision was made to order all British troops to Dunkirk from where they would be evacuated to safety. The operation went on to gain notoriety as the greatest military evacuation in history and was dubbed the Miracle of Dunkirk. Join us this week as we take a closer look at this fascinating story. 

We visit the small village of Soupir on the Aisne where men of the British Expeditionary Force, known as The Old Contemptibles, fought in September 1914. We visit the British graves here and walk the battlefield to the Aisne heights where some of the first trenches were dug in the Great War.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/oldfrontline)

On 28 May 1940, in the early days of the Second World War, Major Akbar Khan marched at the head of 299 soldiers along a beach in northern France. They were the only Indians in the British Expeditionary Force at Dunkirk.  What journey had brought these men to Europe? What became of them and their comrades captured by the Germans? In this episode of BIC Talks, author and historian Ghee Bowman talks to writer and journalist Vaibhav Vats about his book, ‘The Indian Contingent: The Forgotten Muslim Soldiers of the Battle of Dunkirk' while examining the larger British narrative and place in history, details his research and tells an important although obscure and astonishing story of the Indian contingent – the Muslim soldiers who fought in the pivotal Battle of Dunkirk – from their arrival in France on 26 December 1939 to their return to an India on the verge of Partition.

Rerelease ahead of new series on The Battle of the Somme 1 July 1916 after New Year. A new story to tell... Synopsis: How did what friendly chats between British and French generals since 1905 turn into a commitment to send a small British Expeditionary Force to France at the start of a war with Germany? A commitment that had not been agreed by Cabinet, Parliament or the Navy?

This week our guest is musician, producer and writer Justin Lockey. He simply has too many credits to list here, but he is probably best known for being in Editors, Minor Victories, Mastersystem and Yourcodenameis:milo. We first met Justin in the early days of Erased Tapes Records when he was in British Expeditionary Force, we were still finding our feet as a band and were lucky enough to have Justin produce our first album. He's a very talented, interesting and nice guy. The best of Justin Lockey playlist, as compiled by Codes In The Clouds.The Paper Crane PlaylistWhat playlist suggestions do you have?Get in touch with the show: @codesclouds on twitter and Instagram.Email us info@codesintheclouds.net Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Laurence Binyon, CH (10 August 1869 – 10 March 1943) was an English poet, dramatist and art scholar. Born in Lancaster, England, his parents were Frederick Binyon, a clergyman, and Mary Dockray. He studied at St Paul's School, London and at Trinity College, Oxford, where he won the Newdigate Prize for poetry in 1891. He worked for the British Museum from 1893 until his retirement in 1933. In 1904 he married the historian Cicely Margaret Powell, with whom he had three daughters, including the artist Nicolete Gray.Moved by the casualties of the British Expeditionary Force in 1914, Binyon wrote his most famous work "For the Fallen", which is often recited at Remembrance Sunday services in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In 1915, he volunteered as a hospital orderly in France and afterwards worked in England, helping to take care of the wounded of the Battle of Verdun. He wrote about these experiences in For Dauntless France. After the war, he continued his career at the British Museum, writing numerous books on art.He was appointed Norton Professor of Poetry at Harvard University in 1933. Between 1933 and his death in 1943, he published his translation of Dante's Divine Comedy. His war poetry includes a poem about the London Blitz, "The Burning of the Leaves", regarded by many as his masterpiece.Bio via Wikipedia. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In 1800, Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, erected the first known Christmas tree at Windsor Castle. She hosted a party for the children of Windsor families. According to Dr. John Watkins, who wrote a biography of Queen Charlotte, the large yew tree stood in a tub in the middle of the drawing room at Queen's Lodge. The branches were decorated with “bunches of sweetmeats, almonds, and raisins in papers, fruits and toys, most tastefully arranged, and the whole illuminated by small wax candles.” Prince Albert popularized the Christmas tree. As he and Queen Victoria shared their family tradition of gathering around the tree at Windsor Castle with popular publications of the day, the tradition caught on with families throughout the country. With the support (and possibly encouragement) of the royal family, Illustrated London News, Cassell's Magazine, and The Graphic shared images of the royal Christmas at Windsor with details about the royal trees.After Victoria, in the early 20th century, the royals began celebrating Christmas at Sandringham. Edward VII decided to start holding family Christmas celebrations there in 1864. George V continued the tradition of the royal family Christmas at Sandringham. In 1932, King George V delivered the first royal Christmas broadcast live from Sandringham House. George VI, who succeeded his brother, gave his first Christmas broadcast in 1937. In 1939, George VI spoke on the first Christmas of World War II. He sadly reflected on the loss of peace during the Christmas season and praised the Royal Navy, British Expeditionary Force, and armies of the Empire. As the war ended and new challenges arose, George VI spoke of the unity and steadfastness of the Commonwealth and the Empire.Her Majesty the Queen gave her first Christmas message from the same desk and chair that her father and grandfather had used. She pledged to carry on the tradition of Christmas broadcasts and thanked people for their loyalty and affection. She has delivered broadcasts from Sandringham, New Zealand, Buckingham Palace, and Windsor Castle. As technology progressed, she moved the broadcast from radio to television and then to HD, and often incorporates additional footing.This year, the Queen's annual Christmas message will be delivered from Windsor Castle—which is the same location as her two previous addresses of 2020. Last year, in 2019, the Queen said it is “the small steps, not the giant leaps” that bring about lasting change in the world. This was a reference to the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission and our own roles in doing good in the world. As always, her message is both timely and utterly timeless.

On this day in 1940, the British Expeditionary Force and other Allied troops were evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk, to save them from the rapidly approaching German forces who had just launched their lightning invasion of northern Europe. It was one of the most challenging and significant amphibious operations and evacuations in history. The planners of Operation Dynamo first estimated that 45,000 men might be rescued; but between 26 May and 4 June 338,226 men were returned to England by a vast armada of disparate vessels including destroyers, minesweepers, fishing vessels and the famous fleet of 'Little Ships' - all privately owned and requisitioned for the rescue. Today Dr Sam Willis speaks with Dr Philip Weir, author of Dunkirk and the Little Ships. Philip Weir is a historian who specialises in the Royal Navy in the early twentieth century. He has written for the Navy Records Society, History Today and Time and has contributed to television and radio programmes, including the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are. Philip is also a Titan in the world of maritime and naval history on Social Media and can be followed on Twitter @navalhistorian See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The legacy of Richard, Viscount Haldane can be seen across modern Britain. But why has modern Britain forgotten the many and wide-ranging accomplishments of this philosopher-statesman?The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome John Campbell, author of Haldane: The Forgotten Statesman Who Shaped Modern Britain, and Sir Anthony Seldon, historian and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham, to discuss his life and legacy.Richard Haldane created the Territorial Army and the British Expeditionary Force and was a key player in the formation of MI5, MI6, and the RAF. In academia, he played a big part in founding and developing the LSE, Imperial College, the ‘redbrick' universities, and the Medical Research Council. His work in science and research with the University Grants Committee was catalytic in British university life, and his name is still frequently invoked in the "Haldane principle" – that the aims of research should be separate from government direction – although the principle and indeed the attribution to him are still hotly debated. A formidable lawyer and philosopher, who rose to be Lord Chancellor, he was the first incumbent of that office to advocate an independent Supreme Court.In a conversation chaired by Bronwen Maddox, the Director of the Institute for Government, John Campbell and Sir Anthony Seldon discussed Haldane's influence on the past and present. John Campbell, who describes himself as a lifelong admirer of Haldane, is also co-founder and chair of Campbell Lutyens, an international private equity and infrastructure advisory house.#IfGHaldaneprinciple See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The legacy of Richard, Viscount Haldane can be seen across modern Britain. But why has modern Britain forgotten the many and wide-ranging accomplishments of this philosopher-statesman? The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome John Campbell, author of Haldane: The Forgotten Statesman Who Shaped Modern Britain, and Sir Anthony Seldon, historian and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham, to discuss his life and legacy. Richard Haldane created the Territorial Army and the British Expeditionary Force and was a key player in the formation of MI5, MI6, and the RAF. In academia, he played a big part in founding and developing the LSE, Imperial College, the ‘redbrick’ universities, and the Medical Research Council. His work in science and research with the University Grants Committee was catalytic in British university life, and his name is still frequently invoked in the "Haldane principle" – that the aims of research should be separate from government direction – although the principle and indeed the attribution to him are still hotly debated. A formidable lawyer and philosopher, who rose to be Lord Chancellor, he was the first incumbent of that office to advocate an independent Supreme Court. In a conversation chaired by Bronwen Maddox, the Director of the Institute for Government, John Campbell and Sir Anthony Seldon discussed Haldane's influence on the past and present. John Campbell, who describes himself as a lifelong admirer of Haldane, is also co-founder and chair of Campbell Lutyens, an international private equity and infrastructure advisory house.

In this episode, I explain how the Great War began in August 1914 before looking at how the British Expeditionary Force deployed to France. I go on to talk about the battles for Mons and Le Cateau before following the retreat to the Marne. I close with the advance to the Aisne, where trench warfare began. 

It is arguably the most important year in modern history. With the British Expeditionary Force trapped at Dunkirk, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain replaced by the maverick Winston Churchill and France collapsing under the force of invasion, the world watched and waited to see which way the axis of power would tilt. James Holland, leading historian of the period, joins his brother Tom and Dominic Sandbrook to discuss the events of 1940.A Goalhanger Films & Left Peg Media productionProduced by Jack DavenportExec Producer Tony PastorTwitter:@TheRestHistory@holland_tom@dcsandbrookEmail: restishistorypod@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Taster for #19 - How did what friendly chats between British and French generals since 1905 turn into a commitment to send a small British Expeditionary Force to France at the start of a war with Germany? A commitment that had not been agreed by Cabinet, Parliament or the Navy?

In this episode, I discuss why the Germans were able to assemble a huge number of troops on the Western Front. Then we see how the British Expeditionary Force tried to prepare for the onslaught, while having to reduce the size of its divisions, while taking over more trenches. I then talk about the barrage the German barrage used and the tactics the infantry used.

In this episode, I start by looking at the small attacks in August 1917, which followed the opening day of the attack east of Ypres. Then we see how the British Expeditionary Force carried out three offensives in quick succession between 20 September and 4 October; repeatedly driving the Germans back towards the Passchendaele ridge.

In this episode, I describe the difficulties faced by the troops as they struggled to survive in the trenches, over the winter of 1916-17. The I look at the German plans to shorten their line, by withdrawing to a new defensive position many miles to the east. Finally, we see how the British Expeditionary Force followed up the withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line.

In this episode, I discuss the development of the tank. Then I look at its first battle on the 15 September 1916, on the Somme. We see the advantages and problems poised by adding this new weapon to the British Expeditionary Force's arsenal. I close by looking at the fragmented fighting which followed the tanks attack.

In this episode, I talk about the British Expeditionary Force's worst day in the Great War; 1 July 1916 on the Somme. I start by explaining how the artillery protected the infantry as they advanced. Then I move along the line, looking at the fate of each corps and division. I discuss the failures and successes and suggest why events turned out as they did.

In this episode, I discuss the planning for the British Expeditionary Force's first attack involving chlorine gas. I then look at the offensive, which began on 25 September 1915, dealing with each division in time.The second and third days of the battle and the protracted fighting around Hohenzollern Redoubt are covered in a separate podcast.

In this episode, I discuss the British Expeditionary Force's transfer from the Aisne to Flanders, in what was called the Race to the Sea. Then we see how it had to fight for its life around Ypres, with the German attacks becoming bigger every day. I conclude with the attack around Gheluvelt and Messines on 31 October. The November fighting is covered in another episode.

In this episode, I talk about the end of First Battle of Ypres, looking at the fighting over the first days of November. It culminates with the last big attack, which nearly broke the British Expeditionary Force's line on 11 November. I then summarise the BEF's precarious situation as the winter weather set in. It was short of men, guns and ammunition, as the survivors dug in and tried to protect themselves from the winter weather.

In this episode, I talk about the battle of Neuve Chapelle, which began on 10 March 1915. I look at how the British Expeditionary Force fared in its first trench warfare attack of the Great War. Then we see how communication and reinforcement problems brought the advance to a standstill, and how the Germans reacted to the breakthrough on their front.

In this episode, I talk about the British Expeditionary Force's long march south to the River Marne at the end of August and into the first week of September 1914. Then we see how it turned around and headed north, in pursuit of the Germans, Then I explain how the advance ended on the north bank of the River Aisne. I close with a description of the early days of trench warfare on the Chemin des Dames, the ridge north of the river.

In this episode, I talk about the British Expeditionary Force's first two battles, at Mons and Le Cateau in August 1914. We also see how the soldiers learnt to fight against superior numbers before marching away, so they could fight another day.

In this episode, I talk about two sorts of Auxiliary services which supported the soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force, both behind the front line and across Great Britain.The first type are the religious organizations which gave spiritual guidance to the troops, either through services, entertainment or moral support. The second type are the many Women's organizations which gave support to the troops, in many cases caring for the welfare of the wounded and soldiers on leave.

In this episode, I describe the sort of fighting experienced by the British Expeditionary Force during the opening weeks of the war. We see how the infantry, cavalry and artillery performed during the battles of Mons and Le Cateau, and a few other minor engagements. I also explain how they managed to escape the clutches of the larger German Army during the long retreat south to the Marne. Then see how the BEF fared during the advance north to the Aisne, which ended in trench warfare.

In this episode, I discuss logistics by looking at the work of the Army Ordnance Corps and the Army Service Corps. We see how huge amounts of ammunition, food and equipment were delivered to France. Then I explain how the huge stacks of supplies were organised as they were moved from the ports by train to the railheads. Then they were taken by lorries to the refilling points and brigade dumps before wagons took the supplies to the trenches. Finally, we see how the men carried everything they needed into the front line by hand.I also discuss the huge quantities of petrol, coal and rations required by the British Expeditionary Force. I finish with a look at how large numbers of items were salvaged for repair, so they could be mended and recycled for reissue.

In this episode, I explain how the British Expeditionary Force was divided into Armies and Corps. I show how the number of armies increased, to accommodate the large numbers of divisions moving to France and Flanders. I then look at the different roles of the armies and corps, when they were just holding the line and when they were attacking. Next we see how the different staff officers dealt with the artillery, engineering, communications, supplies, transport, ordnance and casualties. I close with a brief look at the various support services required by the corps.

In this episode I look at how the Royal Engineer company was organised and outline the many different types of company. I then look at the main projects they worked on, such as railways, both standard and narrow gauge, roads and tracks. I also talk about the labour battalions, formed to carry out the manual work under the supervision of the skilled engineers. I finish by looking at the large numbers of foreign labourers employed by the British Expeditionary Force.

In this episode, I explain how the General Headquarters was organised to control the British Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders. I look at the two commanders-in-chief, Field Marshals Sir John French and Sir Douglas Haig. I also explain the roles of the general staff officers who supported them; the Chief of the General Staff, the Major-General Royal Artillery, the Engineer-in-Chief, the Quartermaster-General, the Inspector General of Communications and the Adjutant-General. I look at how GHQ controlled spying and how it assessed intelligence gained, to help it plan operations. Finally, we see how the Experimental Section tested a wide range of weapons.

In 1800, Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, erected the first known Christmas tree at Windsor Castle. She hosted a party for the children of Windsor families. According to Dr. John Watkins, who wrote a biography of Queen Charlotte, the large yew tree stood in a tub in the middle of the drawing room at Queen’s Lodge. The branches were decorated with “bunches of sweetmeats, almonds, and raisins in papers, fruits and toys, most tastefully arranged, and the whole illuminated by small wax candles.” Prince Albert popularized the Christmas tree. As he and Queen Victoria shared their family tradition of gathering around the tree at Windsor Castle with popular publications of the day, the tradition caught on with families throughout the country. With the support (and possibly encouragement) of the royal family, Illustrated London News, Cassell’s Magazine, and The Graphic shared images of the royal Christmas at Windsor with details about the royal trees.After Victoria, in the early 20th century, the royals began celebrating Christmas at Sandringham. Edward VII decided to start holding family Christmas celebrations there in 1864. George V continued the tradition of the royal family Christmas at Sandringham. In 1932, King George V delivered the first royal Christmas broadcast live from Sandringham House. George VI, who succeeded his brother, gave his first Christmas broadcast in 1937. In 1939, George VI spoke on the first Christmas of World War II. He sadly reflected on the loss of peace during the Christmas season and praised the Royal Navy, British Expeditionary Force, and armies of the Empire. As the war ended and new challenges arose, George VI spoke of the unity and steadfastness of the Commonwealth and the Empire.Her Majesty the Queen gave her first Christmas message from the same desk and chair that her father and grandfather had used. She pledged to carry on the tradition of Christmas broadcasts and thanked people for their loyalty and affection. She has delivered broadcasts from Sandringham, New Zealand, Buckingham Palace, and Windsor Castle. As technology progressed, she moved the broadcast from radio to television and then to HD, and often incorporates additional footing.This year, the Queen’s annual Christmas message will be delivered from Windsor Castle—which is the same location as her two previous addresses of 2020. Last year, in 2019, the Queen said it is “the small steps, not the giant leaps” that bring about lasting change in the world. This was a reference to the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission and our own roles in doing good in the world. As always, her message is both timely and utterly timeless.

In the latest Trench Chat, we talk to historian and battlefield guide Andrew Thornton about his research on the men of the British Expeditionary Force in 1914, the 'Old Contemptibles'. Who were they, and what is the history behind the Old Contemptibles Association. We also discuss the death of John Parr at Mons in 1914, the soldier believed to be the first killed on the Western Front in 1914. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/oldfrontline)

On this episode of Battles & Banter, Avery, Codie & Tony discuss one of the most dramatic events of the Second World War: the "Miracle at Dunkirk". Taking place between May 26-June 4, 1940, the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from the European mainland (codenamed Operation Dynamo) was one of the most successful military undertakings in world history. However, it came on grim tidings as France began to fall to Nazi Germany at the same time. By July 1940, Great Britain would stand alone against the Axis Powers. The guys discuss the significance of Dunkirk, while also comparing it to Christopher Nolan's 2017 film of the same name. Also, Tony possibly gets abducted by Harry Styles of One Direction, Codie sings a song that Jonathan Groff would either love or hate, and Avery effectively butchers various European accents with the help of IPAs. Enjoy!

How did what friendly chats between British and French generals since 1905 turn into a commitment to send a small British Expeditionary Force to France at the start of a war with Germany? A commitment that had not been agreed by Cabinet, Parliament or the Navy?

It's December 1808 as we join the British army after their small but impressive victory at the Battle of Sahagun. With the might of Napoleon's Grande Armee streaming towards him, Sir John Moore is forced to retreat through northern Spain to the coast. Will the British Expeditionary Force be caught and destroyed in the snow? Will discipline break down? Or, can Sir John Moore steer them to one final victory before they escape? This month's episode is a long, hard look at one of the most famous campaigns in British military history. So, take off your pack, place your musket by your side and pour yourself a stiff drink - you are going to need it. 

This week we count the costs of the war and follow some of those involved as they begin the long process of recovery. First, the cost. There is still debate about some of the statistics as there always is after a war. However the general consensus is that more than 100,000 men, women and children died between 1899 and 1902. At first glance it appears to be insignificant compared to – The Somme, for example during the first world war, where on one day 40 000 British casualties were recorded – or Stalingrad where 44 000 civilians were killed in an air raid on one day in September 1942. What you have to remember is that the total population of South Africa in 1899 was around 4 million. Britain lost 22 000 - 5 774 killed by enemy action, the rest died of disease. The Boers lost around 14 000 men killed. More than two thousand of these were foreigners, Italians, Americans, Dutch, German, French, Swede, Norwegian, Russian who were fighting against the British. However it was the non-combatants who dominated the death roll with at least 26 000 Boer women and children estimated to have died. Some say this figure is closer to 30 000. Then the total number of black South Africans who died in the Concentration camps and in war-related conditions topped 30 000 although the latest research suggests more like 36 000. In the case of the Boers, the number of women and children who died in Concentration Camps amounted to almost 10 percent of the population of the Republic of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. These deaths are particularly bitter in the memories even to this day. tale of the father who comes home from St Helena seeking his wife and children in Bloemfontein only to be told that all died in the concentration camps. The British servicemen returning home by the end of the war are treated as heroes, but there were many in Britain who questioned the civilian deaths and the veterans were very sensitive about criticism – which veterans always are. Awaiting many of these men is the horror of trench warfare as they became part of the British Expeditionary Force or BEF in Flanders and France fighting and dying in the Great War of 1914-18. The Uitlanders in South Africa were incredulous at the terms of peace. The Boers would pay no reparations, in fact, it was the British who would fund rebuilding of the country to the tune of 3 million pounds. They supported Lord Milner's view that Boers should be crushed and a whole new population be brought in to run the country.

Historian Ghee Bowman, author of The Indian Contingent, tells the stories of a group of Muslims in the British Expeditionary Force who were part of the famous evacuation from the beaches of France in 1940. Historyextra.com/podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

1808 - In the latest installment of The Redcoat History Podcast we meet Sir John Moore and follow the British Expeditionary Force as it advances into Spain to challenge the mighty Napoleon himself. We charge at the battle of Sahagun alongside the 15th Hussars in what the historian Charles Oman considered the greatest cavalry action of the Peninsular War. Will Moore prove himself a great General or will the army be defeated and embarrassed once more? By the way, for those of you like my podcasts about the Anglo-Zulu War, you will be pleased to discover that my new book is now available on Amazon as a Kindle download. Here is the link: https://amzn.to/3elkI7X

80 years ago, ships were gathering in Kent to begin the rescue of the British Expeditionary Force. Britain faced the prospect of the worst defeat in British military history and the loss of her entire military forces in Western Europe. Churchill called it "a colossal military disaster", admitting "the whole root and core and brain of the British Army" seemed to perish. The subsequent evacuation is one of the most famous stories to emerge from the Second World War. Joshua Levine worked as the Historical Advisor for Christopher Nolan’s epic adventure movie set during the Dunkirk evacuation, and he joined me on the podcast to explain what really happened at the "Miracle of Dunkirk". Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles. It's the ultimate history package. Just go to historyhit.tv to subscribe. Use code 'pod1' at checkout for your first month free and the following month for just £/€/$1. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

80 years ago, ships were gathering in Kent to begin the rescue of the British Expeditionary Force. Britain faced the prospect of the worst defeat in British military history and the loss of her entire military forces in Western Europe. Churchill called it "a colossal military disaster", admitting "the whole root and core and brain of the British Army" seemed to perish. The subsequent evacuation is one of the most famous stories to emerge from the Second World War. Joshua Levine worked as the Historical Advisor for Christopher Nolan’s epic adventure movie set during the Dunkirk evacuation, and he joined me on the podcast to explain what really happened at the "Miracle of Dunkirk". Subscribe to History Hit and you'll get access to hundreds of history documentaries, as well as every single episode of this podcast from the beginning (400 extra episodes). We're running live podcasts on Zoom, we've got weekly quizzes where you can win prizes, and exclusive subscriber only articles. It's the ultimate history package. Just go to historyhit.tv to subscribe. Use code 'pod1' at checkout for your first month free and the following month for just £/€/$1. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Luke 2:10-14 (ESV Strong's) And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”   Ever since those words were spoken, and also long before, mankind has searched for peace. At Christmas, people always speak about peace, yet according to the NY Times, in the past 3,400 years, humans have been entirely at peace for only 268 of them, or just 8 percent of recorded history. Today, as people around the world speak of peace, 828 armed conflicts are currently raging in 69 countries around the world, almost all of them driven by a religion calling itself peace!   So this Christmas Day, I want to remind you that real peace, forever peace, peace that passes all understanding is possible, but you will never find it in mankind’s government, or the media’s latest philosophy, or the good intentions of men.   That first Christmas the angel promised peace on earth, not to all men, but to all men with whom God is pleased, that is those who know Him and honour Him.   Yet sometimes, in an ocean of conflict, madness and destruction God shines a tiny candle of peace that speaks of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. So today I want to share the story with you of one such ray of hope in the midst of a world of nan made death and destruction.     It’s December 1914, and the Great War has been raging for 8 months. In that time the German army swept through Belgium, and drove on towards Paris, but were repelled by a combined French army and British Expeditionary Force in the battle of Aisne. At that point in northern France and Belgium the war deteriorated into a static war, with trenches stretching from Belgium to Switzerland.   The men from both sides who had earlier joined up and marched to war so  confident of victory and being home by Christmas now faced a Christmas in the waterlogged, freezing trenches, gazing fearfully across no man’s land at the enemy.   They were shelled, machine gunned and fought not only the enemy, but also the cold and the lice and rats. They were lonely, afraid, freezing, miserable… what kind of Christmas is this?   In the Ypres sector of the Western front in Belgium, British forces from the Northumberland Hussars 7th Division stood guard on the parapet overlooking no man’s land. And as the sound of guns and artillery faded away that Christmas Day, it was replaced by this sound coming from the German lines beyond the wire ….   Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht Alles schläft; einsam wacht Nur das traute hochheilige Paar. Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar, Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh! Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh   A few British soldiers raised their heads above the parapet, listening to a language they did not understand but a tune they did recognise, hearing an enemy they had been told were devils intent on conquering the world, sing praises to the same Saviour they worshipped.  They noticed that the Germans had set candles on the top of their trenches, and in a few makeshift Christmas trees they had fashioned from a few battered branches left after shelling.   And something broke in their spirit. A longing rose up in their hearts that on this of all days, they might find a moment of peace in a mad world of carnage. Both sides began to shout Christmas greeting to each other, and they stood at their posts, cold, wet and tense, wondering what would come next.   Further down the line in the French sector the experience was similar.   As the guns and shelling began to fall silent, as the French soldiers stood damp and miserable in their trenches, they too heard the sound of Christmas carols and hymns drifting across no man’s land from the German trenches.   Then one lone French voice began its refrain…   Douce nuit, sainte nuit ! Dans les cieux ! L'astre luit.   Then one by one others took up the refrain…   Le mystère / annoncé / s'accomplit Cet enfant sur la paille/ endormi, C'est l'amour infini ! C'est l'amour infini !   Then a German soldier quietly, fearfully, climbed to the top of the trench, waving is arms to show he had no weapon, and he called out to the French men.   Others join him on the top of the trench, and French soldiers climbed from their trench, and both sides began to take terrifying steps into no man’s land, calling   Frohe Weihnachten Franzose And Joyeux Noël, Fritz!   Back in Ypres, the British soldiers also cautiously made their way to the middle of the shell torn, blood soaked quagmire between the trenches. The Germans got out of their trenches, both sides fearful that the magic of this fragile moment would be shattered by the sound of a bullet or shell. They met met in the middle. They began to speak to each other, although they could not understand properly. But with hand gestures and impromptu presents of cigarettes and chocolate and alcohol, they laughed and sang hymns together.   As some soldiers buried the many dead, others talked quietly and smoked, and then one produced a football, and they started to play. Reports suggest that the Germans beat the British 3-2.   All along the line, men swapped stories, showed photographs of their families, and shared cigarettes and Christmas cheer. The men, as the Generals later described it, “fraternised with the enemy”.   But for a moment or two in the midst of horror, death and war, a ray of hope and peace shone through as together enemies celebrated the birth of the Saviour.   And the British soldiers, having heard their enemy sing glory to God in the highest, began to lift their voices and sing too…   Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright 'Round yon virgin Mother and Child Holy Infant so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace.   The following year this scene would not be repeated. The generals did not want the soldiers seeing each other as human beings, with families and children and a sense of humour. They issued orders against such friendliness, and tried to demonise the enemy.   But for that first year of war, peace reigned for a few moments.  Then, as that most extraordinary day drew to a close, the men reluctantly returned to their trenches, and the mud, and the lice and the wet and the war.   In the midst of the hatred of the Great War, the significance of that tiny baby born in Bethlehem, of that wonderful gift so freely given by God to win back the souls of men and women, was truly felt.   Those men experienced peace for a day, and this Christmas 105 years later Jesus is offering you true, inner peace, a peace that lasts not only for a day but for eternity. That little baby was God Almighty, come to earth, humbling Himself and opening the door for you to experience peace with God, with each other and peace in every area of your life.   And that’s His gift to you this Christmas. Our world is a mess, standards and behaviour in our society are falling apart, your family might be tense or self destructing, but today God is offering you the peace that passes all understanding.   Remember the verse we started with, where the angel says,   “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”   That’s the formula for peace. It starts with giving glory to God in the highest. You may have ignored Him, neglected Him, even been angry at Him all year, or even years, but on this day of all days, maybe you need to start giving Him the glory and honour He deserves.   Then the next step towards that peace the angels promised is to become one of those, with whom He is well pleased.   And what would please Him most is you for to accept Jesus right now as your Lord and Saviour. Your sin has you destined for hell, but Jesus came as a baby that first Christmas, He grew into a man, and then chose to lay His life down for you, to die in your place and give you the peace you’ve dreamed of.   I don’t want you to leave this place without the peace God offers you.   The Bible says,   John 3:16-17 (ESV Strong's) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.   He loves you so much, so what’s stopping you opening your heart and receiving His Christmas gift to you this morning?   It’s time to trust in Jesus.   Jesus loves me   Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright. Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child. Holy infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace   Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight. Glories stream from heaven afar Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia, Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born   Silent night, holy night! Son of God love's pure light. Radiant beams from Thy holy face With dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus Lord, at Thy birth Jesus Lord, at Thy birth

On this episode of Battles & Banter, Codie & Tony are absent, busy with their holiday going-ons while Avery attempts to throw in a few more episodes before the year (AND decade) ends. He's joined by the World Champion of Frederick, Maryland himself, Patrick McGuire of "History Things with Pat", to discuss one of the most appalling battles of World War I: Passchendaele. Known for it's thick rains and death-dealing mud, the battlefield of Passchendaele was one of the most heart-wrenching and horrific settings for the British Expeditionary Force during the First World War, especially for the Canadian and ANZAC forces that also participated in the battle. Avery & Pat also discuss the upcoming war film "1917" and speculate how Passchendaele could tie into it, considering that the battle took place that year. Enjoy & Happy Holidays!

Welcome to THE STORY OF THE SOMME podcast series, which tells the story of the Somme Offensive in the words of those fighting on the Western Front and their families back home. The series was commissioned by the DEPARTMENT FOR DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT and developed in partnership with the FIRST WORLD WAR CENTENARY BATTLEFIELD TOURS PROGRAMME and CHROMERADIO. It was first released to accompany the SOMME100 VIGIL at Westminster Abbey, held through the night of 30 June/1 July 2016 to mark the centenary of the opening of the Battle of the Somme. In this podcast, SAPPER GEORGE COWARD recalls the night before the infantry attack on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. George Coward was a professional soldier in the Royal Engineers at the outbreak of war. He was one of the first servicemen to leave for France in 1914 with the British Expeditionary Force and saw action on the Somme in July 1916. PRODUCTION | ChromeRadio for the DEPARTMENT FOR DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT | Producer - Catriona Oliphant | Narrator - Nicholas Rowe | Reader - Charles Pitt | The Last Post played by LSgt Stuart Laing, Welsh Guards on a First World War bugle.

An unflinching look at one of the bloodiest battles in world history The Battle of the Somme. As much as WW1 was the first modern war in terms of weaponry, tactics and strategy were still limited by battlefield communications. We break down mobility and counter mobility and the role of the Combat Engineer. We also look at British General Haig and his life and experience to try to understand the massive sacrifice of the men of the British Expeditionary Force in this months long battle that eventually lead to an allied victory at Verdun. Featured Report:Air Command and Staff College Student Report: Douglas Haig and the Battle of the Somme – Major Harold M. Jensen JrFeatured Song: Fuck and Fight – Soda Jerk Theme Song “Red Horse Rising” by X-Proph3t: http://www.reverbnation.com/xproph3tStigmata Studios Comic Books and Graphic Novels: www.stigmatastudios.comSign up for the newsletter for exclusive content! http://eepurl.com/YIbLf Additional Production by Daniel Foytik and Nelson Pyles· Incidental Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/· Incidental Music (royalty free) by Ross BugdenEmail Jon: Towers113@gmail.com Visit: www.stigmatastudios.comFind Jon on Twitter: @jonnyaxx https://twitter.com/JonnyAxx Find Jon on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/stigmatastudiosFind Jon On Instagram: http://instagram.com/stigmatastudios

Following the military disaster of the fall of France and the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from France, Churchill waited for Hitler's next move and hoped for assistance from the USA See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A series of disastrous miscalculations led the French Army and the British Expeditionary Force to fall into the German Army's trap in 1940. The fall of France was Hitler's greatest military triumph but was in large part the result of allied mistakes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In April 1940 John went to France with the British Expeditionary Force as a sapper in the Royal Engineers.   And he took his weapons of choice with him - gun, pencil and paper!  Poignant poetry of loyalty and comradeship, crafted during the London Blitz bombing!   More great unpublished history - of the Second World War.   Links - Not supported by all podcast players: Facebook page Link to full episode show notes here, including show transcript and many photos and other details which will enhance your listening experience.   Please link to rate or review on iTunes - Thank you very much.   Please note that photos below may or may not display depending on which listening platform you’re using     Facebook page Best podcast for World War 2 history and the second world war

With a huge number of British Expeditionary Force troops stranded in one location, a massive evacuation operation was undertaken. While it was considered a success, the costs to the Allies were high. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Retellings of the Dunkirk rescue often leave out how the Allied forces got into such a predicament, with a huge part of the British Expeditionary Force stranded. Today, we'll talk about the lead-up to WWII and its relentless progression into France. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

In this second part of The Stahlhelm, the Casque Adrian, and the Tin Hat, we take a look at the British soldiers preparing themselves for the Battle of the Somme. The British Expeditionary Force of 1916 was vastly different from the Old Contemptibles who had come across the Channel in 1914, and this was a very different army from its German adversary and even its French ally.    Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com or the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook. We're also on Twitter! Follow us at @WW1podcast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com.   Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen.

The Germans attack at Verdun and wreak havoc on the Franco-British plans for the Somme offensive. As the Mill on the Meuse pulls ever more French soldiers into the fire, the British Expeditionary Force takes on a larger role in the coming battle. By the end of May GEN Sir Douglas Haig confirms the BEF will lead the Somme attack on 1 July 1916.   The weeks go by and while stating their goals remain the same, the British and French leadership each plan different operations for the same battle. One army looks to carry out a battle of attrition. The other army plans to break through the German trench line and restart the war of movement.

The British came to France to help their allies against the German invasion. After landing at the channel ports they march to Mons in Belgium where they will get their first taste of combat. The little British force, given the uninspiring name of British Expeditionary Force, is about to run into the full force of the German First Army. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introductory Lecture of the series by Tom Scotland, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Emeritus on; 'Casualties sustained by the British Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders, 1914-1918' The lecture is preceded by both a short introduction given by Miles Stephenson the Director of Alumni and Donor Relations for the university and a short history of the 3rd West Riding Field Ambulance given by Derek Cullen.

Dr Peter Pederson. Much has been written, particularly in recent years, about the costly attack at Fromelles on 19 July 1916. If some have called it the forgotten battle, an epithet which was never really merited, they can hardly do so now. This talk will analyse various facets of the planning and execution of the attack and set them within the context of the tactical doctrine that guided the operations of the British Expeditionary Force at the time. 

A British soldier tells us of one extraordinary day on the beaches of 1940 Dunkirk during World War II. We hear of how he managed to work his way through the chaos and constant danger, and escape to England. Photo: Soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force lie on their backs on the beach at Dunkirk to shoot with their rifles at enemy aircraft, which are bombing the transport ships that have arrived to evacuate them, 20th June 1940:) (Credit: Fox Photos/Getty Images)

A British soldier tells us of one extraordinary day on the beaches of 1940 Dunkirk during World War II. We hear of how he managed to work his way through the chaos and constant danger, and escape to England. Photo: Soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force lie on their backs on the beach at Dunkirk to shoot with their rifles at enemy aircraft, which are bombing the transport ships that have arrived to evacuate them, 20th June 1940:) (Credit: Fox Photos/Getty Images)

Charlie Burns's ship sails to Dunkirk with critically needed petrol for the British Expeditionary Force. He finds himself stranded on the beaches with thousands of soldiers. The fate of Britain hangs in the balance.