There can be no denying it. The battles of Menin Road, Polygon Wood and Broodseinde were successful. The German army were taking a hammering, were demoralised and there was even talk of tactical withdrawal. Haig sensed the panic in the German ranks and urged Plumer to renew the offensive, he was convinced the Passchendaele Ridge [...]

Today is the anniversary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Widely regarded as the blackest day in British military history, approximately 60,000 British soldiers were killed, wounded or missing as Kitchener’s New Army was blooded – quite literally – on the battlefields of France. That’s sixty thousand men…twenty thousand of them [...]

This was the most common star awarded for any overseas service during 1939-45 although airmen/aircrew who took part in the Battle of Britain also were awarded this star. This star was authorised during the war, so personnel are often pictured wearing the ribbon whilst still engaged in the war. It’s ribbon has three equal stripes [...]

Roger Day proudly wore ‘his’ medals at last years remembrance parade in Bedworth, Warwickshire. He is an unassuming gentlemen, however his medal bar was anything but! Seventeen medals (count them!), including what looks like from the photos (and I may be mistaken so pls forgive me) a Distinguished Service Order and Bar, a Military Cross, [...]

Today I was at the ‘Find Your Roots’ family history fair in Exeter. The show was bustling with people itching to discover more about their family history, for me it was a particularly busy day as a large number of the visitors seemed to make a bee-line for my stand to discuss their military ancestors. [...]

Five burial pits, thought to contain the bodies of between 250-400 British and Australian soldiers have been found in Northern France, seemingly buried behind enemy lines after the Battle of Fromelles  in July 1916. A stark reminder that, even 90 plus years on, we can not and should not forget the sacrifice, heroism, and folly [...]