Norfolk

04/3/25 Phil Watson: ‘The 12th Lancers – Moy 28th August 1914 ‘How to get it right first time!’

The talk will examine the cavalry action at Moy de L'Aisne of the 12th Lancers on 28th August 1914, when they acted as the rearguard for Haig's I Corps. The action demonstrates the effectiveness of peacetime training and that, in open warfare, the British cavalry was still an effective arm of service. It's an example of how to get things right the first time! This will also be our Annual General Meeting which commences at 7.15PM and will hopefully last only 15 minutes.

01/4/25 Daryl Long ‘Wills and probate of Soldiers from Norwich in WW1’

More than 15,000 Norfolk men died in the First World War.  What happened to their estate after their death?  A soldier’s pay book allowed last wishes and bequests to be recorded and, for some, just the name of next of kin was sufficient to ensure any valuables and a soldier’s pay could find its way home.  However, of those 15,000, just over 200 made wills that were proved in the Norwich Probate Court and these records are held at the Norfolk Record Office.  Ongoing research explores the story behind these wills.  Who were these men? What is their back story and what was the impact on those they left behind?

06/5/25 Dr Peter Hodgkinson: 'The BEF Infantry COs of August 1914'

The British Army officer of the Edwardian era has been the subject of much criticism. But who were the men who took the battalions of the BEF to France and Flanders in 1914? What was their experience? How able were they? Are the criticisms fair?

03/6/25 John Chester 'German Atrocities in Belgium 1914'

During the war a great deal was printed in the media of the day and on recruiting posters about the horrendous atrocities committed by the Germans during their advance through Belgium. These so-called atrocities were so outrageous that many said it was just propaganda and many refuted most of the events. After the war, and even up until quite recently arguments were made that the Germans did NOT commit such acts. The king, in 1915, commissioned an official inquiry into the events of autumn 1914, particularly as many Americans, and others, found the claims hard to believe. The report denied many claims but confirmed others. Questions though, are still asked, and many still believe it was all a propaganda exercise to encourage recruitment. This talk is a different look at the German advance through Belgium and what actually did happen.

01/07/25 Jonathan Dutton. ‘1^st World War Art’

Jonathan is one of those individuals whose depth of knowledge on any subject he presents is quite simply astounding. In this presentation he will provide a journey through the eclectic work produced during the period of World War One.

05/08/25 Andy Stuart “Armistice Day 1918: Where the guns didn’t stop”.

This talk, which is based upon; The Allied Intervention - Northern Russia 1918-1920, covers the following aspects of this campaign:

• The 1917 Russian Revolution and its consequences for the Western Front.
• The Allied Intervention in the North of Russia in 1918.
• Why, and who was involved?
• Churchill’s North Russian Relief Force in 1919.
• Why did WW1 veterans volunteer?
• Dyer’s Battalion, ‘Intelligent disobedience’ and other mutinies.
• The ‘Whites’ collapse and Allied withdrawal.

02/09/25 Simon Shephard ‘Gunners definitely, but not necessarily Arsenal fans’:

The Field Artillery Brigades of the Four London Territorial Force (TF) Divisions

1914-1918’

As war broke out in 1914 several of the artillery bridges of the London TF Divisions were on their way to their annual summer training camps, borrowing horses and guns as they went.  Many were undermanned but several had men with prior war experience to lead them. London provided four TF divisions, drawn from across the city. Simplistically, this should be the story of some sixteen field artillery brigades. However, it is far more complex. This presentation will seek to follow the histories of the field artillery brigades of the London TF Division’s as they mobilised, trained, learnt to fight, reorganise, and then to win on the Western Front, in Salonika, and in Palestine. It will also seek to assess whether during the First World War the British Army developed an effective method of linking their tactical battles and strategic aims via what is now considered to be Operational Art.

07/10/25 Vernon Creek ‘Observation Balloons over the Western Front – an Overview’

Many groups of combatants could claim to be the unsung heroes of the Great War. But the men flying observation balloons must have a particularly strong claim. Operating at 1200-1800 meters above the front lines, the crew had nothing between their feet and the ground but a centimetre or two of wicker basket. The crews (or 'balloonatics' as they were known) were much in demand for reconnaissance missions. They could easily watch, far below, enemy movement on the battlefield. Tonight’s talk aims to demonstrate the role and purpose of kite balloons on the Western Front, illustrating this with first-hand accounts and a wide range of photographs, and giving you a clear impression of how formidable and effective these aircraft were at carrying out their allotted task.

04/11/25 Nik Chapman CBE ‘Imperial War Graves Commission - Revolution and Challenges in Commemoration’

Nik Chapman enlisted into the Army as an Infantry soldier from School and spent 36 years in uniform.  His military career took him to all but one continent serving in a wide range of appointments.  He deployed on operation into conflict zones throughput his service and was fortunate to be recognised by Her Majesty on a number of occasions including being appointed Commander of the Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2013 for service in Afghanistan as Head of Plans and Operations with the US Marines in Helmand province.

The CWGC is now a well-respected organisation born out of necessity. The general public in Britain struggled to comprehend the nature and scale of death during the Great War. Even the authorities were not prepared for the practicalities of dealing with the dead: there was no formal process of ordering or recording burials, resulting in many isolated graves and small makeshift cemeteries with temporary markers. Furthermore, at the outset of the war no official organisation oversaw burials or the search for missing men and women. This talk is an introduction to the establishment of the Imperial War Graves Commission in 1917 and the key characters involved.  It will make the argument that this was a revolutionary approach to commemoration.  It was not without considerable controversy. It will also point to the significant logistical, technical, financial and social challenges that it faced.  It will also include some stories of the Fallen to remind us all that each headstone and each name on a memorial had a story to tell and deserves to be remembered for who they were.

02/12/25 Peter Hart Subject to be confirmed