Gloucestershire and North Bristol Soldiers on the Somme
Gloucestershire and North Bristol Soldiers on the Somme

Author: Nick Thornicroft

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2007-06-01

Total Pages: 177

ISBN-13: 0750962550

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When war broke out in 1914 there was a widespread sense of optimism among the British public. Fired by patriotic fervour and pride in their nation, many were convinced that &‘it would all be over by Christmas' and young men rushed to join the army and share in the &‘honour and glory' of war. These illusions were swiftly lost as a war of attrition developed; advances on both sides were small and casualties high. Even with this background, the slaughter on 1 July 1916 of thousands of British soldiers, who went over the top to their deaths on the Somme, shocked a world increasingly conditioned to the realities of armed conflict. Nick Thornicroft delves into the heart of the British Army on the blackest day in its history and gives a vivid portrayal of Gloucestershire soldiers in the heat of battle; these ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances, fighting with incredible bravery for their country's future.Through assiduous research and compassion for his subject, Nick Thornicroft has woven the experiences of Gloucestershire and North Bristol's soldiers into the wider military story, and in doing so brings a human aspect to one of the most inhuman battles in history. The author has also written about the Somme experiences of other men from the South West in his book Cornwall's Fallen: The Road to the Somme, also available from The History Press (ISBN 978 0 7524 4528 1).

Gloucestershire and North Bristol Soldiers on the Somme
Gloucestershire and North Bristol Soldiers on the Somme

Author: Nick Thornicroft

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2007-06-01

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 0750962550

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When war broke out in 1914 there was a widespread sense of optimism among the British public. Fired by patriotic fervour and pride in their nation, many were convinced that 'it would all be over by Christmas' and young men rushed to join the army and share in the 'honour and glory' of war. These illusions were swiftly lost as a war of attrition developed; advances on both sides were small and casualties high. Even with this background, the slaughter on 1 July 1916 of thousands of British soldiers, who went over the top to their deaths on the Somme, shocked a world increasingly conditioned to the realities of armed conflict. Nick Thornicroft delves into the heart of the British Army on the blackest day in its history and gives a vivid portrayal of Gloucestershire soldiers in the heat of battle; these ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances, fighting with incredible bravery for their country's future. Through assiduous research and compassion for his subject, Nick Thornicroft has woven the experiences of Gloucestershire and North Bristol's soldiers into the wider military story, and in doing so brings a human aspect to one of the most inhuman battles in history.

Soldiers of Gloucestrshre and North Bristo
Soldiers of Gloucestrshre and North Bristo

Author: Nick Thornicroft

Publisher:

Published: 2007-06

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 9780752443256

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When war broke out in 1914 there was a widespread sense of optimism among the British public. Fired by patriotic fervour and pride in their nation, many were convinced that 'it would all be over by Christmas' and young men rushed to join the army and share in the 'honour and glory' of war. These illusions were swiftly lost as a war of attrition developed; advances on both sides were small and casualties high. Even with this background, the slaughter on 1 July 1916 of thousands of British soldiers, who went over the top to their deaths on the Somme, shocked a world increasingly conditioned to the realities of armed conflict. Nick Thornicroft delves into the heart of the British Army on the blackest day in its history and gives a vivid portrayal of Gloucestershire soldiers in the heat of battle; these ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances, fighting with incredible bravery for their country's future.Through assiduous research and compassion for his subject, Nick Thornicroft has woven the experiences of Gloucestershire and North Bristol's soldiers into the wider military story, and in doing so brings a human aspect to one of the most inhuman battles in history. The author has also written about the Somme experiences of other men from the South West in his book Cornwall's Fallen: The Road to the Somme, also available from The History Press (ISBN 978 0 7524 4528 1).

A Bristol Soldier in the Second World War
A Bristol Soldier in the Second World War

Author: Ian Haddrell

Publisher: History Press

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 164

ISBN-13:

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Herbert Haddrell's son has weaved together his father's and fellow soldiers' diary extracts and letters to provide a unique, personal account of the fighting in the Second World War.

Bristol in the Great War
Bristol in the Great War

Author: Jacqueline Wadsworth

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2014-09-02

Total Pages: 269

ISBN-13: 1473838665

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When war was declared in 1914 the people of Bristol erupted in patriotic excitement - but what was it like when the cheering died down?This book tells the city's unique story during those grinding years, when women risked their lives filling shells with mustard gas, factories turned out chocolate and cigarettes for the troops, Shirehampton's fields were full of war horses, and Filton's nascent aeroplane industry took off. Also described are the lives of the women who waited at home for news of their men at the Front, the long shop queues and blackouts, the bone-shaking military vehicles that rumbled past their homes, and the kindness shown to the traumatized refugees from Belgium.Jacqueline Wadsworth's extensive research brings Bristol's story to life using contemporary accounts and high-quality photographs, many of which have never been published before.As seen in The Bristol Post, Western Daily Press and Gazette Series.

Letters from the Trenches
Letters from the Trenches

Author: Jacqueline Wadsworth

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2014-11-30

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 1781592845

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A history of the First World War told through the letters exchanged by ordinary British soldiers and their families.??Letters from the Trenches reveals how people really thought and felt during the conflict and covers all social classes and groups Ð from officers to conscripts and women at home to conscientious objectors.??Voices within the book include Sergeant John Adams, 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers, who wrote in May 1917:'For the day we get our letter from home is a red Letter day in the history of the soldier out here. It is the only way we can hear what is going on. The slender thread between us and the homeland.'??Private Stanley Goodhead, who served with one of the Manchester Pals battalion, wrote home in 1916: 'I came out of the trenches last night after being in 4 days. You have no idea what 4 days in the trenches means...The whole time I was in I had only about 2 hours sleep and that was in snatches on the firing step. What dugouts there are, are flooded with mud and water up to the knees and the rats hold swimming galas in them...We are literally caked with brown mud and it is in all?our food, tea etc.'??Jacqueline Wadsworth skilfully uses these letters to tell the human story of the First World War Ð what mattered to Britain's servicemen and their feelings about the war; how the conflict changed people; and how life continued on the Home Front.

Gloucester's Military Legacy
Gloucester's Military Legacy

Author: Christine Jordan

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2017-07-03

Total Pages: 189

ISBN-13: 1526707721

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From the establishment of Gloucester as a Roman colonia, a colony of retired military veterans, the city has held a strategic position, being close to the easiest crossing over the River Severn and into Wales. The Romans began building the city's defences, including the city walls and bastions, which were further enhanced by the great warrior Aethelflaed and which would become invaluable in the Siege of Gloucester during the Civil War in 1643. These walls would be destroyed by Charles II as a punishment for the city's role in the conflict. In the twelfth century, Gloucester's first motte and bailey castle were built and used by a number of kings as a garrison to prepare attacks against the Welsh and the Irish. The formation of what would become known as 'The Glorious Glosters', in 1782, led to a number of notable military campaigns, including the battles of Alexandria, Quatre Bras, the Second Boer War, including the Siege of Ladysmith, both World Wars and the Korean War. Christine's book will take you on an historic journey, uncovering on the way the city's military legacy.