In the second part to this series CQMS Carl Mitchley tells us about boots and puttees. Read More
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The WW1 British Uniform
Our own CQMS Carl Mitchley has started a video tutorial guide covering all aspects of the WW1 period. Here is part one explaining the British Uniform. Read More
From the archives – CVHF
A few years ago, we did a show at the Chalke Valley History Festival where we invited the public to experience life on the front line. Unfortunately this year the festival has been cancelled but James Holland has been searching through the archives for their online festival. So on Day 1, the 10th Essex make Read More
Trench life
In this film meet Chris Barker from the 10th Essex and other living historians, who are living in a WW1 trench in Belgium for the centenary of the 1914 Christmas Truce. Read More
Tatical Change During The First World War
One of our members, Keiran Hazzard, has recorded his lecture on the development of British infantry tactics during WW1. We hope that you will enjoy this and please do leave any comments. Read More
WW1 Scout Equipment
So to add to Carl Mitchley‘s brilliant kit tutorials on what Tommy would have worn throughout the Great War. Another of our member Kieran has supplemented it with what a typical WW1 British Army Scout would have worn. So here is the additional equipment carried or loaned out to scouts for their duties on the Read More
The WW1 Tommy – Kit Lesson 5 (1918)
So here is the last tutorial in the series depicting the equipment and uniforms used by the British army during the Great War. We shall now look at 1918 and in particular the equipment typically used by a Lewis Light Machine Gunner of the 20th (Service) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry. By 1918 20 DLI were Read More
The WW1 Tommy – Kit Lesson 4 (1917)
It is now time for lesson 4 looking at the British Soldier, we are now in the year 1917. After the horror of the Somme still ringing in their ears, 1917 was to be another testing year for Tommy Atkins. In the early summer men, weapons and ammunition were marched up to the Ypres salient Read More
The WW1 Tommy – Kit Lesson 3 (1916)
Today is day three looking at the kit and equipment of Tommy Atkins and we will now be looking at the civilian volunteers who signed up in the initial rush as war was declared in 1914, The New army , The Kitchener volunteers. By mid 1916 most battalions of volunteers had already served 9-12 months Read More
The WW1 Tommy – Kit Lesson 2 (1915)
For the second of our mini tutorials showing the equipment of the British Tommy during ww1, we shall be looking at some of the equipment used by a soldier of the 1/5th Durham Light Infantry during 1915. The 1/5th DLI, a battalion of the Territorial Force were sent to France in April 1915 and became Read More