Saxons on the Lys: The April 1918 Offensive from the German Perspective

Following on from previous lectures on the 32nd Division of the Saxon Army, this talk looks in detail at the Battle of Lenharree, which was fought by the French 5th Army and the German 3rd Army between 6th and 8th September 1914. Using the online German "Verlustlisten" and International Red Cross records, it is possible to reconstruct casualty lists not only of the dead but also of the wounded and those taken prisoner. These are used to provide a unique picture of the human cost of the battle for one battalion of the 103 Infantrie Regiment.

Our speaker, Alastair, is very well known in this branch for his regular and always popular lectures. Perhaps it is less known that he has retired from Durham University Library. A rare book specialist by profession, he has a degree in history from Newcastle University. He has worked for the Public Record Office and the British Library.