Innholdsfortegnelse for No.26 i History of War

“Our mandate from the Prime Minister is to destroy the Axis forces in North Africa… It can be done, and it will be done” – Field-Marshal Bernard Montgomery After the war, Churchill would reflect that “Before Alamein we never had a victory – after Alamein we never had a defeat.” Though this is debatable, what’s certain is that 1942’s showdown in the North African desert was a key turning point – and not just for Britain. The Second Battle of El Alamein was a multi-national clash. Joining the British and Germans were Free-French, New Zealander, Australian, Indian, South African, Italian and other forces lined up on either side. It was also a major turning point for an abrasive, but undeniably gifted general: one Bernard Montgomery. After drawing a line in…

“WASHINGTON’S ARMY WAS RIDDLED WITH CAMP DISEASES AND MANY MEN WERE UNABLE TO SERVE WITH THEIR REGIMENTS WHEN THE LONG-AWAITED BRITISH OFFENSIVE FINALLY BEGAN” Possession of New York was essential if the British were going to gain control over the Hudson River and implement their chosen strategy for the war. The Americans realised this as well and spent months preparing their defences, both on Manhattan (also known as York Island) and Long Island. The British commander, William Howe, had been in no hurry to open his campaign, but he finally landed forces on Long Island on 22 August 1776. Five days later, he was ready to attack. 1. THE BROOKLYN LINES The main American defensive works on Long Island comprises five forts or redoubts, with connecting trenches, strung across the…

“The memory of Glyndwr’s spirit of Celtic independence made him a national icon, which continues to the present day” Owain Glyndwr is the national hero of Wales. In the early 15th century, he led the last serious rebellion against English rule for Welsh independence, fighting a largely guerrilla war that depended on attacking castles and deliberately avoiding the English in open battle. Nonetheless, Glyndwr fought and won several pitched battles that secured his place in Welsh history. His proud defiance caused severe economic and political problems for King Henry IV that blighted most of his reign. Eventually, the revolt would be suppressed, but like William Wallace in Scotland, the memory of Glyndwr’s spirit of Celtic independence made him a national icon, which continues to the present day. War of cultures…

In 1485, Henry VII became the first Welsh king of England, but 84 years previously, his ancestors played a dramatic part in Glyndwr’s revolt. On April Fools’ Day 1401, the brothers Rhys and Gwilym ap Tudur tricked their way into Conwy Castle while the garrison was at church, disguising themselves as carpenters as they passed through the Gatehouse. They then proceeded to slaughter the guards, let in their own men and ransacked the castle and town. The brothers were among the few rebels who were later denied a pardon by the English and Rhys was brutally executed in 1412. The brothers’ youngest sibling, Maredudd, was Henry VII’s great-grandfather. Within four generations, the Tudors went from audacious insurgents to grand monarchs.…

A THE HONEST GUARD FAILURE NOT EVEN BRIBERY COULD ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL ESCAPE FROM COLDITZ Of all the methods of escape, a tunnel is perhaps the most iconic, but the inmates at Colditz had uniformly bad luck when trying to dig their way to freedom. Before he was made ‘escape officer’ for the British, Pat Reid was part of an audacious plan to tunnel out of the canteen. It was to be a mass breakout, with 12 men ready to run for it – eight Brits and four Poles. Three months of hard work and meticulous preparation saw the men poised for their attempt on the night of 29 May 1941. Paperwork, disguises and maps were manufactured for the men, but the entire plan rested on the ability to bribe…

From school-based textbooks and documentaries to exhibitions and memorial programming, World War II, like almost every war of the 20th century, has been immortalised countless times on both big and small screens alike. Images of soldiers weathering the bitter cold warfare of the Battle of the Bulge; marines rushing across the killing fields of Guam; prisoners of war starved beyond the point of recognition. The war photography of that conflict showed the real men and women behind the battles, but not every photo came with a story. Many of them, their subjects preserved in service for all time, were lost to anonymity in the decades that followed. And it’s this fascinating gap in our knowledge that has prompted military history writer David P Colley to set out in search of…

THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE IN 100 FACTS Part of the quirky and concise 100 Facts series from Amberley comes this new addition by Caroline Rance. To summarise a long process of trial and error, including eureka moments and headache-inducing blunders, the pocket-sized book chronicles notable events, discoveries and practices throughout time. Wit is where Caroline Rance triumphs, making it a great coffee table book with an extra dose of educational value, while at the same time providing a level of insight that exemplifies Rance’s knowledge and research into historical medicine. GUNS OF THE THIRD REICH: THE SMALL ARMS OF HITLER’S ARMED FORCES 1933-1945 Since its fall, the Third Reich has fascinated many, not least due to the innovative weaponry wielded by the Wehrmacht. Hitler’s Blitzkrieg was undertaken with some of…

Men of war are often given the moniker of a fearsome animal as a testament to their courage. Some don’t always live up to them. But in General Martin Davis Hardin, Huffstodt has dedicated his work to a man who certainly did. Born in 1837 to a wealthy Illinois family, Hardin ironically never wanted a military career, hoping to pursue law. However, his astute mother ensured that at the age of 17 he enrolled at West Point Military Academy. What followed were five brutal years under the guidance of future Civil War Generals, none more notorious than Robert E. Lee himself, which shaped the rest Hardin’s life. Under the watchful eye of Abraham Lincoln, a family friend, Hardin graduated and enrolled in artillery school. He did not have to wait…

Kenneth Victor John Cray My grandfather was always unknown to me, as he died in 1954 before I was born. My father died in 1962 when I was six months old, so he never got to tell me about his parents. When Grandfather’s daughter June died (my father’s sister), I inherited a large collection of photographs and documents of distant relatives, some going back to 1840. Included were pictures of my grandfather, Kenneth Victor John Cray (AKA Jack or John). The pictures were fascinating, and so was his history, which is fairly well documented through many postcards and letters, some to his family and others to his future wife, Lily Gladys, whom he married at the end of WW1. He served in the Boer War in the Imperial Yeomanry, 26th…

Gas bags As opposed to blimps, which are merely pressurised balloons, zeppelins were kept aloft by thousands of bags filled with hydrogen gas. These were made from goldbeater’s skin – which is actually the outer membrane of a cow’s intestine. Primarily used as sausage skin, so much of it was demanded by the zeppelin factories that sausage production was suspended in parts of Germany during the war. Forward control cabin This was the main flight deck where the airship commander, navigator, ruddermen, elevatormen and wireless operator would have worked. Most of the engineers were stationed in the rear gondola serving the main engines in an environment that was as noisy as it was dangerous. Engines These were housed on the gondolas. Although they varied in size and weight, a typical…

During the First World War the 51st Highland Division, called the “Ladies from Hell” by the Germans that faced the kilted regiment in the trenches, became renowned for its men’s bravery and ability in combat as they served with the British Expeditionary Forces in France. The division was raised in 1908, upon creation of the ‘Territorial Force’ as a result of reforms of the army under the Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane, and was one of 14 Divisions of the peacetime TF. It was mobilised in August 1914, and these Territorials were sent to France in April 1915. The 51st Highlanders’ actions are too numerous to mention, and at the great German offensive of 1918 they sustained enormous losses. Some of their Battle Honours included the Battle…

You are an experienced researcher, but what made you first begin to research your family history? Firstly, let me say thank you for inviting me on to this page. However, I never like calling myself an expert because there is always something more to find out and know. Family lore and overheard stories were the stuff of my childhood and my curiosity was spiked at an early age. My initial business venture as a genealogist was founded on 20 years of personal research, and many military researchers hail from that quarter, whilst others enter the arena from medal collecting. It was when I discovered the military records at the National Archives of my great grandfather and a great uncle, who both served in South Africa and Egypt, that I was…

Alongside the Chindits into Burma Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) was still in danger of attack by Japanese bombers, or even invasion, so two weeks later and with much regret it was off again. This time Bombay, and the Indian Army troop ship left a lot to be desired, coal burning and as hot as hell. On arrival they were met by buses with blacked out windows, so the locals did not see a defeated British Army. Going from Bombay by train up-country to the highlands at the foot of the Himalayas, they were treated to stunning views. It is the best tea planting region in the world, and the temperature is just like England at the height of summer. Staying in the grounds of a hotel was much better than…

“Like many young men of the time, during World War Two Stanley William Rolph enlisted to do his duty ‘For King and Country’. At Blackpool, September 1941, aged just 18, Stan joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve. In the coming years he would train and fly missions against Germany, from these shores and much, much further away. In a letter home, dated the 2nd of August 1943, Stan writes of having a ‘really marvellous time’ with sun every day. He tells of visiting Tripoli and of being terribly homesick. Yes, Stan is in the Middle East. Other letters tell of visiting Cairo and the pyramids, of temperatures being 97 degrees in the shade, and of how the desert transforms and comes alive at night. January 1944 sees Flight Sergeant Stanley Rolph…

TOM GARNER This month Tom has had nightmares of wandering through an endless desert, and being chased by a huge, red dragon. Clearly he’s been working too hard on his features: El Alamein and the Welsh Braveheart! (pages 28 and 40). DAVID SMITH David has settled into his comfort zone this issue, tackling the American War of Independence for the Frontline section (page 14). He also takes you for a tour of Oflag IV-C – Colditz – and the stories of the men who cracked it (page 48). MIGUEL MIRANDA Never one to shy away from dissecting the murky roots of a modern conflict, Miguel has turned to Yemen for this issue’s Briefing. He looks at how this often overlooked yet chaotic state has shaped events in the history of…

“In 1403, at the age of 16, Prince Henry was appointed as his father’s royal deputy in Wales” The future warrior king spent his teenage years engaged in suppressing Glyndwr’s revolt. He was Welsh-born himself and during his childhood was known as ‘Henry of Monmouth’ but his relative obscurity ended when his father usurped Richard II and became Henry IV. At the king’s coronation, young Henry was quickly proclaimed as prince of Wales. The usurpation was an important factor that fuelled the revolt’s momentum as many Welshmen could not accept the son of a usurper as their prince and preferred the native lineage of Glyndwr. In 1403, at the age of 16, Prince Henry was appointed as his father’s royal deputy in Wales and was in charge of suppressing the…

THIS BLOODY CLASH HAD A DIRECT BEARING ON THE COURSE OF GLYNDWR’S REVOLT In 1403, a civil war briefly broke out in England. To keep his usurped throne, Henry IV heavily relied on the powerful Percy family who owned vast swathes of northern England. Sir Henry ‘Hotspur’ Percy fought several campaigns against Glyndwr between 1401-02. However when the king failed to pay him for his services, Hotspur changed sides and plotted to overthrow King Henry IV with the aid of Glyndwr and Sir Edmund Mortimer. Hotspur assembled an army in Cheshire and planned to march towards Shrewsbury to link up with the Welsh and other rebels and then advance on London. However, Henry IV blocked his path outside Shrewsbury before the linkup could take place, and what followed was a…

“THE GERMANS HAD TO RUN THE RISK OF ALLOWING THEM TO USE THE LARGER EXERCISE AREA OUTSIDE THE CASTLE. THE PRISONERS REPAID THIS KINDNESS IN PREDICTABLE FASHION – BY TRYING TO ESCAPE AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY” ‘COLDITZ COCK’ The most imaginative escape plan of all sadly never reached fruition – the two-seat glider known as the ‘Colditz Cock’ was assembled above the Chapel with the help of a book, Aircraft Design, from the Colditz library. Colditz was liberated by the Americans before the glider was ready to fly. INNER COURTYARD Unless they were escorted to the exterior exercise areas, this was where the prisoners got the bulk of their physical activity and it could be a chaotic place with hundreds of prisoners engaged in various games. It was also the site…

“TO BE A YEMENI IS TO BE AN ARAB FROM THE SOUTHERN COASTS. IT ALSO MEANS BEING A CITIZEN OF A FRACTIOUS SOCIETY” It was a land of many names where frankincense and myrrh flowed to the greater world. Eight centuries after the death of Christ and hardly 200 years since the Prophet Muhammad and his followers embarked on the hegira, a learned man travelled to the southern part of Arabia where no empire held sway. Since time immemorial, this vast domain of breathtaking mountain valleys and perilous heights ruled by petty sheikhs was a lure for caravans, traders, pilgrims, slaves… and conquering armies. Egyptian, Persian, Hellenic, Roman, Abyssinian, Islamic, Mamluk, Ottoman, British – these agglomerated nations all realised their economies were dependent on trade from the Indian Ocean. But…

Recently many attempts have been made to determine the geographic origins of the Sea Peoples, but not one has been widely adopted. What we know for sure is that they were particularly active during the period 1430-1000 BCE, being involved as pirates or mercenaries in many of the major conflicts fought in the Mediterranean world. ‘Sea Peoples’ is a term frequently used to refer to the following groups: Denyen, Ekwesh, Lukka, Peleset, Shekelesh, Sherden, Teresh, Tjeker and Weshesh. Because of their number and their violence, these tribes were referred to as ‘Nine Bows’ by the Egyptians. During the Late Bronze Age they invaded Syria, Canaan and Cyprus and these repeated incursions contributed to the fall of the Hittite, Mycenaean and Mitanni kingdoms. Before being defeated in battle by the Egyptians,…

While Inferno In Chechnya name checks the despicable acts perpetrated by the Tepsurkaev brothers at the Boston Marathon Bombings in 2013, the acts of these two radicalised young Chechen-American men forms only a small part of this tale. Their road to terrorism forms the primer to the far darker and more palpable story of their homeland – a history of war, upheaval and genocide. Even after the wake of the bombings, the historical context of Chechnya and its age-old war with Russia remained unclear; such was the many religious and socio-political aspects that had forced the former mountain people of the Caucasus into exile and near extinction. Williams, a professor of Islamic history at the University of Massachusetts, attempts to provide a clearer picture of this centuries long struggle, and…

Arguably one of the most tragic effects of Hitler’s march across the Meuse was the extinguishing of the city of light: Paris. In just under 500 pages Moore journeys through the darkened streets and safe houses of a fallen city, recounting the efforts of General Charles de Gaulle (exiled in London) and various resistance movements to ignite the flames of rebellion, a fire that the collaborationist Vichy government was keen to put out. From the euphoria of the D-Day landings to the monumental decision by Eisenhower to send General Leclerc’s French 2nd Armoured Division into the capital, Paris ’44 is an enthralling literary race, culminating in de Gaulle’s famous victory march along the Champs Elysees on 26 August. It is staggering to think that only three days before Tiger tanks…

A Roll of Honour is a list of people whose deeds or achievements are recorded, or who have died in battle, especially those from a particular locality or organisation. Usually, with military records, they detail those killed. The first secret that the successful researcher will learn is that there are more of these rolls than they might ever have imagined, from all walks of life. Some commemorate just a handful of servicemen, others hundreds of thousands. Just a few of those held here at Forces War Records headquarters are the ‘National Union of Teachers War Record, 1914-1919’, ‘List of Etonians who fought in the Great War MCMXIV MCMXIX’ (and a twin volume for World War Two), ‘Roll of Honour 7th Battalion (Territorial Force) Hampshire Regiment 1914-1919’, ‘Royal Navy Roll of…

1404: BEAUMARIS Edward I’s mighty fortress on Anglesey falls to the Welsh in August. It is retaken in June 1405 when English ships sent from Dublin attack the island. The rebels escape to Snowdonia. 1403: CAERNARFON The seat of English authority in North Wales holds out for months against two sustained attacks by Welsh forces with a garrison of just 37 archers. 1404: CRICCIETH Criccieth is captured and nearly razed to the ground except for its Gatehouse and sections of the wall. The efforts of the burning remain visible today. 1401: CONWY On 1 April the brothers Rhys and Gwilym ap Tudur capture Conwy by disguising themselves as carpenters and killing the watchmen. They hold the castle for three months before negotiating terms of surrender. 1409: HARLECH Glyndwr’s final castle…

“IT WAS A COMPLEX WARREN OF STAIRCASES, CORRIDORS AND ROOMS, WHICH OFFERED HUGE SCOPE FOR THE INMATES TO MOVE AROUND UNDETECTED, PROBING FOR WEAK SPOTS” The men who found themselves at Colditz Castle, or Oflag IV-C, came from varied backgrounds and had vastly different experiences of the war, but they all had at least one thing in common: the Germans viewed them as troublemakers. This may have been because of (often repeated) escape attempts from other prison camps, or political views that classified them as Deutschfeindlich (anti-German). Whatever the reason, they were sent to Colditz, a sonderlager, or high-security prison, where it was assumed that their war would be over. There was one other factor linking the prisoners of Colditz: they were all officers. Under the terms of the 1929…

PIERRE MAIRESSE LEBRUN THE GALLANT CAVALRYMAN Lebrun had wasted no time on the outbreak of war, volunteering for dangerous missions and earning medals, including the Croix de Guerre, before his capture. As well as these noteworthy credentials, he also had an aristocratic air and was recognised as the smartest man in Colditz. Lebrun made a big impression during his limited time at the castle – his elegance and cavalry-officer bearing made him an obvious leader among the French contingent. He had made a personal pledge that he would not remain captive for more than a year and he had already made one escape attempt (getting as far as the train station at Grossbothen before his luck ran out) when he hit on the idea of simply vaulting over the fence…

Charles Davis Lucas is a forgotten name today, but his extreme bravery in an obscure battle during the Crimean War helped to set a precedence that would culminate in the creation of Britain’s highest decoration for courage: the Victoria Cross. The Crimean War of 1853-56 is a conflict chiefly remembered for successive military blunders in what was largely seen, then and now, as an unnecessary conflict fought by vain imperial powers. The memory of the Charge of the Light Brigade and the nursing services of Mary Seacole and Florence Nightingale loom large in the British national story. However, the war was also a time of innovations that would change the way war was conducted and presented to the public. It was the first war to be widely photographed and utilise…

For all the countless books, films and TV programs covering World War II, few have chosen to highlight the contribution the Indian and the British Raj made towards the Allied war effort. And fewer still have managed to capture the war from the eyes of the Indian soldiers themselves, recounting the political, economic and social factors of being forced to fight war for a distant master. Srinath Raghavan, a university fellow at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi and author of 1971: A Global History Of The Creation Of Bangladesh (published by Harvard University Press), aims to fill that gap with his detailed recounting of Indian military mobilisation and the reality of fighting a war on a global stage. We not only get to see the Indian contribution…

“IN WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN A FEAT OF ENDURANCE AT TIMES, HILARY AND JOHN TRAVIS, KEEN HISTORIANS OF ROME, HAVE CREATED THE ULTIMATE BOOK FOR ROMAN SHIELD ENTHUSIASTS” The fearsome legions of Rome would not have laid claim to the lands just beyond their own city, let alone the Empire they would conquer, without cutting edge military equipment. None would prove more important than the shields they carried into battle. In what must have been a feat of endurance at times, Hilary and John Travis, keen historians of Rome, have created the ultimate book for Roman shield enthusiasts. From the elongated ‘Doncaster’ shields of the early Imperial period through to the beautifully woven rawhide shields used in the later years of Roman domination, the Travis’s record the development of this…

Thanks again for all your stories for last month’s Special Edition of Forces War Records Magazine, we loved finding out more about your family research projects! We’re back to our usual format for February, and to help you blast through those brick walls we’ll be giving you a chance to learn about a potentially bountiful and often untapped genealogy resource, the Roll of Honour. Also in this issue, ever wondered why anyone found airships, those slow and bumbling giants of the sky, remotely frightening during the Great War? Find out just how daunting they could be. If you’re after a rollicking read, be sure to check out our ‘Treasures’ section to discover a periodical that trumpets the fun, accomplishments and sheer bravado of the 51st Highland Division in World War…

Picture this… a night that’s blacker than black, since no light of any sort is permitted to shine out of the windows and disturb the darkness. Despite hearing no approaching engine, and having no assailant in sight, the skin starts to prickle on the back of your neck as you instinctively feel that something is up there, watching, waiting. Then, without warning, the bombs start to fall. For the most part that would be all anyone was aware of… the fire, the chaos, and the knowledge that something truly terrible hung above Britain, hidden in the shadows. On the rare occasions, though, when the spotlights managed to catch a Zeppelin in their glare, its real power would be revealed. A ghostly mass, perhaps 700 feet long, hovering like a grotesque…

Q Lots of people have probably never heard of the Fleet Air Arm. Could you very briefly summarise its history, and what it does? The Admiralty and Royal Navy have been interested in getting airborne from ships since before 1909, primarily for the purpose of observation and reconnaissance at sea. At this stage it was through the use of man-lifting kites, kite balloons and airships, but in 1910 the navy began experimenting with aeroplanes. From that point the RNAS (Royal Naval Air Service) was formed. At the end of WW1 the RNAS amalgamated with the RFC (Royal Flying Corps) to become the RAF (Royal Air Force). This was the situation until the late 1930s when the Admiralty and Air Ministry agreed that the navy needed to be in control of…