Despatch Rider on the Western Front, 1915-1918

Despatch Rider on the Western Front, 1915-1918
Author: David Venner
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2015
Genre:
ISBN:

Annotation Sergeant Albert Simpkin MM s Great War diary is of unusual scope and exceptional interest. Albert was a First World War motorcycle dispatch rider attached to the Headquarters 37th Division throughout the war which he was so fortunate to survive. His wide-ranging role enabled him to witness much more than his fellow men who were restricted to the trenches. One day he would be dodging shell holes and ammunition limbers to take his dispatches to the front, the next commenting on the quaint but often courageous lives of the local populace. As a result his diary entries, and some longer descriptions of the main actions of the Division, provide a graphic record of the war on the Western Front; Fortunately Albert was a gifted observer of the scene and a fluent writer. The fact he was awarded the Military Medal is testimony to his bravery. Throughout the diary are colorful and amusing anecdotes about his fellow soldiers, and critical comments on the strategies and tactics employed by the officers. Dairy of a Despatch Rider offers a unique opportunity for readers to immerse themselves in a well written and objective firsthand account of life and death on the Western Front."

Despatch Rider on the Western Front 1915-18

Despatch Rider on the Western Front 1915-18
Author: Albert Simpkin
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2015-04-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 147382740X

The book is skilfully abridged version of the diary of a First World War motorcycle despatch rider, Sergeant Albert Simpkin, who was attached to the HQ 37th Division. The diary entries, and some longer descriptions of the main actions of the Division, provide a fascinating record of the life of a despatch rider on the Western Front; one day dodging shell holes and ammunition limbers to take his despatches to the front, the next observing the quaint but often courageous lives of the local populace. Throughout the diary are colourful and amusing anecdotes about his fellow soldiers, and critical comments on the strategies and tactics employed by the officers.

Triumph on the Western Front

Triumph on the Western Front
Author: Oswald Harcourt Davis
Publisher: Firestep
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016-06-15
Genre: World War, 1914-1918
ISBN: 9781908487568

Oswald Harcourt Davis was a despatch motorcycle rider during World War 1. This item contains his own words written as a diary during his years on the Western Front. Oswald joined the Royal Engineers in 1916 and arrived in Abbeville, Somme, France, in July that year. He was attached to the ANZACs and rode a Triumph motorcycle to carry pigeons at a time when communications were limited and risky.

Triumph on the Western Front

Triumph on the Western Front
Author: Oswald Harcourt Davis
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016
Genre: World War, 1914-1918
ISBN: 9780473386849

Oswald Harcourt Davis was a despatch motorcycle rider during World War 1. This item contains his own words written as a diary during his years on the Western Front. Oswald joined the Royal Engineers in 1916 and arrived in Abbeville, Somme, France, in July that year. He was attached to the ANZACs and rode a Triumph motorcycle to carry pigeons at a time when communications were limited and risky.

The Road Past Monchy

The Road Past Monchy
Author: Terence Loveridge
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Total Pages: 482
Release: 2024-03-05
Genre: History
ISBN: 0253068614

Terence Loveridge offers a unique look at the land and air operations around the strategic village of Monchy-le-Preux at the center of the western front during World War I. The story of the Great War is usually one of condemnation or rehabilitation of strategists and consecration of the common soldier, while the story of those who planned, directed, and led operations on the ground has generally been overlooked. Loveridge uses experiences of junior leaders fighting around the key terrain of Monchy-le-Preux to challenge the currently accepted views and reveal that the Great War, despite subsequent impression, was a surprisingly dynamic effort conducted in an arena of constantly evolving practices, techniques, and technology. Less well known than its contemporary campaigns at the Somme, Verdun, or Passchendaele, Monchy also carries less preconceived baggage and thus offers a prime opportunity to reevaluate the accepted wisdom of the events, personalities, and understandings of the Great War. The Road Past Monchy offers readers a unique chance to uncover the "lost" perspective of junior war leaders in a theater of war that saw almost continuous operations from 1914 through to 1918.

Tales of a Gaspipe Officer

Tales of a Gaspipe Officer
Author: W H L Watson
Publisher: Leonaur Limited
Total Pages: 104
Release: 2021-05-19
Genre:
ISBN: 9781782829980

The two wheeled infantrymen of the British Army Those interested in the First World War on the Western Front and the adventures of the motorcycle despatch riders of the British Army may be familiar with the writing of W. H. L. Watson. The author has also left us a riveting account of tank warfare, which is available in a Leonaur edition. Watson's war was indisputably varied, and in this rare and fascinating first-hand account, which was originally serialised in 'Blackwood's Magazine', he describes his time serving with British mounted infantry who rode into battle propelled by pedal-power. Although the text ends abruptly as though there may have been an intention to continued it, we assure readers that it is complete and is here supported by images which did not appear in the original edition. Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

Call to Arms

Call to Arms
Author: Charles Messenger
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Total Pages: 350
Release: 2015-04-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 1780227590

This is a comprehensive account of how the British Army coped with and adapted to the enormous challenges and pressures of the First World War -- the first major continental war that the army had had to fight for almost a hundred years. Following the course of the War, both on the Western Front and in other theatres, Charles Messenger tells how the British Army managed the challenges of command, training, technology and new weapons of war. He examines officer selection, medicine, discipline, the manpower crisis of 1918, the integration of women into the forces and many other topics. Based on years of original research, this will become the standard work of reference on the organization and administration of the biggest army Britain has ever put into the field.