"The Journey's End Battalion - The 9th East Surrey's at Lens, 1918" by Sean Cripps
03 May

Whilst much has been written about the Pals battalions drawn from the northern parts of the United Kingdom, relatively little is known about Service Battalions raised in the south.

This talk will focus on one such unit, the 9th (Service) Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment. The first part will provide an overview of the formation and experiences of the 9th during the earlier part of the war, up to the German Spring Offensive of 1918. After a short break, the talk will focus on the events of the autumn of 1918, as the battalion faced beleaguered German forces on the outskirts of Lens.

Essex-based Sean studied History at the University of London, and then taught in secondary schools for fourteen years before joining the guiding team at Anglia Tours in 2003.

During the last nineteen years he has led over 420 school tours to the Western Front, Berlin and Auschwitz & Krakow. He now combines the role of tour guide with the position of Health & Safety Officer / Product Executive with Anglia’s parent company, the Next Generation Travel Group.

With a passion for travel, photography and history, he and his wife Laura have visited over 80 countries, but he is drawn back to the Western Front time and time again. In 2014, Sean drove his much-loved motorhome Lottie as a support vehicle as seven friends and colleagues from Anglia Tours cycled the length of the Western Front for charity and to mark the beginning of the Great War centenary.

 

Great Stukeley Village Hall, Ermine Street, Great Stukeley, Huntingdon, PE28 4AQ
03 May 2023 19:30