After the success of their previous seminar, an exciting full-day seminar is again being held by the Milton Keynes branch of the Western Front Association. ‘The Great War Miscellany’ on Saturday 19th October will welcome four expert speakers who specialise in varied, unusual, and fascinating aspects of the Great War.
Featuring an excellent line up of speakers on a wide variety of topics:
Nigel Crompton – ‘Women’s Police Service in the Great War’
This little known but fascinating story tells of the massive growth in the number of female police officers required to guard munition factories in 1916, the forming of the service, the founder members who sometimes had very colourful backgrounds in the Suffragette movement. Using photographs, the presentation includes the pay, conditions of service, training and where they were stationed, and how the WPS evolved after 1918. A very different story from the Great War!
Helen Frost – ‘When the Land Ships came to Town’
Landships were another name for the tanks of the First World War, but some tanks didn’t just fight on the Western Front. This illustrated talk brings to life the fascinating story of the ‘Tank Banks’ Ole Bill, Nelson Drake, Egbert and Iron Ration that travelled the country during the Great War, whipping up excitement and funds for the war effort. The atmosphere of 'tank fever' will be recreated with the assistance of vivid contemporary accounts and music.
Jerry Porter - 'Good night darling – God bless you – Heaps of love, Mother’
Jerry will tell the story of a mother (the speaker’s great grandmother) who lost a son, his and his brother’s time in the trenches, her own experience of coming under enemy attack, and her visits to France in the early 1920s to visit her son’s grave. An intensely personal account, it nevertheless gives universal insights into war, family, and loss.
Alan Wakefield - 'Twisting the Dragon's Tail - The Zeebrugge Raid'
This is about the incredibly heroic and famous 1918 naval raid to block the enemy held port of Zeebrugge, which included old ships being rammed into the harbour entrance, and where 200 medals were won by the British attackers in a single hour.
An added bonus will be four short talks by The Great War Society - early and late German infantrymen, British Tommy, and British tank crewman, who will also be bringing displays of their equipment.
There will be lots to see, on hand are militaria and branch displays, British Legion and CWGC stalls, a raffle, and second-hand specialist book stall (cash please).
Excellent buffet lunch included, plus tea, coffee, and biscuits throughout the day.
The Western Front Association is a charity that is dedicated to research, education and remembrance of the First World War.
The venue is The Old Bath House, Wolverton, 205 Stratford Rd, MK12 5RL (Free car park, 4 minute’s walk from station.)
The seminar starts at 9.30am and finishes at 4.30pm.
Tickets (£30) available by emailing wfa.miltonkeynes@gmail.com
Please order your tickets in advance as numbers are limited and the organisers would hate people to be disappointed.
For further information visit http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/ and search Milton Keynes in Branches, or contact wfa.miltonkeynes@gmail.com