Artillery Conquers, Infantry Occupies

This talk examines the conduct of the artillery duel at Army, Corps and Divisional level. It uses the battles of Pilckem Road Ridge, Menin Road Ridge and Second Passchendaele to illustrate the changing nature of the artillery battle whilst highlighting the conditions the gunners were required to operate in.

Lt-Col Simon Shephard retired from the Army in February 2025 having completed 42-years' service, 35-years as a Regular career and a further seven years in the Army Reserve. During his service career Simon had become an accomplished presenter. In 2020 he completed an MA in 'Britain and the First World War' at Wolverhampton University. His dissertation, 'Artillery Conquers: Infantry Occupies: A Study in the Performance of the British Artillery at the Third Battle of Ypres', appears as a chapter in Dr Spencer Jones' 2022 book 'The Darkest Year: The British Army on the Western Front 1917'. Simon has also written extensively on other aspects of War.