On this day, 15 September, the Guards Division launched their attack in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. Faced with terrible machine gun fire from the Quadrilateral the attack lost direction and got no further than this point

I enjoyed recording a 'Mentioned in Dispatches' podcast this morning with @kensingtons.bsky.social for the Western Front Association on my book 'The Guards 1915-17: An Elite Division at War'. It should be available in the New Year. Meanwhile, an ebook version has been released today by Helion

I received my author copies yesterday! The first book to be written about the Guards Division for 100 years. Available from Helion Books

My book 'The Guards 1915-17: An Elite Division at War' has been published today by Helion Books!

One of my favourite virtual tours - across one of my favourite #WW1 battlefields! 👇

A few of our book covers, logos and streaming graphics...

And here I am on BlueSky! Follow me for military history musings, wargames and the occasional bit of randomness.

My book on the Guards Division has just gone to the printers.....

The remarkable La Main de Massiges in Champagne. Photos taken in August 2024. Highly recommended!

A quick short message to say to all my friends, I am now posting on BlueSky when I can, and it will be a slow start. So, here goes as a first post, some of my images from this years photographic trips and at home here at RSPB Minsmere.

If you are researching the British military history of the First World War, the chances are you have already made use of Chris Baker's invaluable web site www.longlongtrail.co.uk.

Deborah, famed surivor of the Battle of Cambrai, photo taken in July 2023

If anyone tells you the generals employed the same tactics over and over again in the Great War, ask if they’ve ever heard of the battle of Cambrai, launched on this day in 1917. Innovative, technical, technological, terrifying. And still not perfect. #cambraiday

A rare December chance to see the largest collection of 1914 Princess Mary Gifts gathered in one place, hear @ProfPeterDoyle talk about the Indian Spice Tin & @Taff_Gillingham will be talking Truce! For full details and tickets, please follow this link: shorturl.at/fQh65

Now available for pre-order www.amazon.co.uk/Guards-1915-...

Coming soon.... www.helion.co.uk/military-his...

The WW1 soldiers who sewed for therapy www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Interesting news from the Hawthorn Ridge Association: First scientific study of 1916 war crater yields ‘significant’ new insights www.independent.co.uk/news/science...

The Cambridge world of Dinky Doors! There are several of these around the city. Small wonder Michael Gove wants to double the size of Cambridge. www.dinkydoors.co.uk

74,000 words now written on my Guards Book. On target for completion by late February.

Memories of last summer. Walking the Flers-Courcelette battlefield of 1916 on a very hot day. The Guards Memorial.