SPEAKER UPDATE - 20 MAR 2025
The Devons on 1st July 1916: The man who predicted where he would be killed, gilded youth and all of that …'. Ross Beadle MA. This is the dramatic story of the Devonshire's attack on Mansel Copse on 1st July 1916. It exemplifies the tragedy and failure of that day. It also includes the curious tale of Capt. Duncan Martin, of 9th Devons, who before the battle made a 3D plasticene model highlighting German strongpoints. Martin Middlebrook in The First Day on the Somme called him 'the man who predicted where he would be killed'. The truth has been lost in myth and embellishment. The Devons reached their objectives that day, albeit later than hoped. And spoiler alert, Duncan Martin did not predict where he would die …
Ross is an experienced speaker, consistently in demand since joining the WFA Speakers List in 2012. With a BA in History from Hull and an MA in First World War Studies from Birmingham, he specialises in entertaining and animated talks focused mainly on battles and strategy.