Monthly Archives: December 2013

A British Tommy recalls Christmas Truce of 1914

Posted on December 24, 2013 by DH

Sergeant Alfred Anderson is believed to have been the last survivor of the Christmas Truce. He was aged 18 on 24 December 1914 and serving as a private in the Black Watch on the Western Front. Some 90 years later … Continue reading →

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An editorial in British news periodical The Economist draws uncomfortable parallels between the world of today and that of 100 years ago. As the Centenary of World War I approaches, the newspaper suggests that as 1913 came to a close … Continue reading →

Posted on December 21, 2013 by DH | 1 Comment

Hobbit author JRR Tolkien’s WW1 revolver on show

Posted on December 19, 2013 by DH

A revolver owned by scholar and writer JRR Tolkien during his World War I service has gone on show at Imperial War Museum North, in Manchester, as part of the preliminaries of its commemoration of the Centenary. Tolkien served as … Continue reading →

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Ypres painting on show at IWM North to mark Centenary

Posted on December 17, 2013 by DH

A painting depicting wounded soldiers at Ypres during World War I has gone on show for the first time in almost a century. Ypres, 1915 by Gilbert Rogers is now on show at IWM North, part of Imperial War Museums, … Continue reading →

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Book tells tale of World War I Hull gunners in Africa

Posted on December 16, 2013 by DH

A new book tells the tale of a unit of the Hull Pals who served as artillerymen in Africa during World War I, reports the Hull Daily Mail. Rupert Drake, whose grandfather Jack was one of those soldiers, has written a … Continue reading →

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Canadian War Museum secures VC medal of sergeant Herman Good

Posted on December 14, 2013 by DH

The Canadian War Museum has acquired a Victoria Cross awarded to sergeant Herman James Good on 8 August 1918. He was one of four Canadian soldiers to be awarded the VC on the first day of the Amiens Offensive, a … Continue reading →

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World War I German U Boat visible in Kent

Posted on December 13, 2013 by DH

The remains of a German World War I U boat are visible on a mudflat next to the River Medway in Kent. The BBC reports that experts believe it is UB122, which was one of more that 100 U boats … Continue reading →

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Heroic World War I women remembered at Etaples

Posted on December 10, 2013 by DH

The CWGC has installed new visitor information panels (VIP) at Etaples Military Cemetery in France. The smartphone technology embedded within this panel reveals the contribution made by women during World War I and features the stories of 32-year-old Nursing Sister Dorothea … Continue reading →

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Premier League to finance football pitch in Ypres

Posted on December 8, 2013 by DH

The Premier League is to build an all-weather football pitch in Belgium as part of World War I Centenary commemorations. The Daily Mirror reports that a high-tech ‘3G’ pitch will be opened in Ypres and will be the venue for … Continue reading →

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Lost Diggers of Vignacourt at Australian National War Memorial

Posted on December 6, 2013 by DH

Remember Me; the Lost Diggers of Vignacourt is one of the exhibitions currently on show at the Australian National War Memorial. Vignacourt was a small French village in a rear area of the Allied forces that served as a staging … Continue reading →

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