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2020(58) Oct.Pdf CHESTERFIELD WFA Newsletter and Magazine issue 58 Co- Patrons -Sir Hew Strachan & Prof. Peter Simkins Welcome to Issue 58 - the President - Professor Gary Sheffield October 2020 Newsletter and MA PhD FRHistS FRSA Magazine of Chesterfield WFA. Vice-Presidents Andre Colliot In view of the current public health Professor John Bourne BA PhD FRHistS pandemic engulfing the globe, your The Burgomaster of Ypres committee took the prudent The Mayor of Albert decision, before the introduction of Lt-Col Graham Parker OBE Government legislation, to cancel until Christopher Pugsley FRHistS further notice our monthly meetings. Lord Richard Dannat GCB CBE MC DL Roger Lee PhD jssc Meetings and other activities will be Dr Jack Sheldon restarted as and when the authorities Branch contacts deem it safe for us to do so. Tony Bolton (Chairman) In the interim this Newsletter / Magazine will [email protected] continue Mark Macartney (Deputy Chairman) We would urge all our members to adopt all the [email protected] Jane Lovatt (Treasurer) government`s regulations that way we can keep safe and Grant Cullen (Secretary) hopefully this crisis will be controlled, the virus defeated, [email protected] and a degree of normality restored. Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/15 Stay safe everybody – we are all – in the meantime - 7662657604082/ `Confined to Barracks` Grant Cullen – Branch Secretary - 1 - Western Front Association Chesterfield Branch – Meetings 2020 Meetings start at 7.30pm and take place at the Labour Club, Unity House, Saltergate, Chesterfield S40 1NF January 7th . AGM and Members Night – presentations by Jane Ainsworth, Ed Fordham, Judith Reece, Edwin Astill and Alan Atkinson February 4th Graham Kemp `The Impact of the economic blockage of Germany AFTER the armistice and how it led to WW2` March 3rd Peter Hart Après la Guerre Post-war blues, demobilisation and a home fit for very few. April 7th Andy Rawson Tea Pots to Tin Lids…how the factory which inspired his research (Dixons) switched from making tea services for hotels and cruise ships to making Brodie helmets in the Great War. CANCELLED May Nick Baker . The British Army has always fought a long battle with 5th the debilitations cause to its soldier’s efficiency through venereal disease, a combination of behavioural change and civilian interference resulted in an ‘epidemic’ of VD which threatened military effectiveness.CANCELLED June 2nd Rob Thompson 'The Gun Machine: A Case Study of the Industrialisation of Battle during the Flanders Campaign, 1917.CANCELLED July 6th Virtual Meeting….On Line. Tony Davies entitled `The Knutsford Lads Who Never Came Home`. Jointly with Lincoln and North Lincs WFA .Fullest details of how to participate elsewhere in this newsletter August 5th Virtual Meeting – On Line . Beth Griffiths ` The Experience of the Disabled Soldiers Returning After WWI`. Details of how to join in this meeting elsewhere in this Newsletter. Starts at 7pm September John Taylor. ‘A Prelude to War’ (An Archduke’s Visit) – a classic and true 1st tale of `what if` ? Cancelled October Virtual Meeting – On Line Peter Harris Tanks in the 100 Days. 6th Peter will present some of his researches for his Wolverhampton MA course. Details of how to join in this `meeting` elsewhere in this newsletter. Starts 7pm. November 3rd Paul Handford Women Ambulance Drivers on the Western Front 1914 – 1918. December John Beech 'Notts Battery RHA - Nottinghamshire Forgotten Gunners' 1st - 2 - Issue 58 – list of contents 2 Meetings and Speakers Calendar 3 Contents Page + Virtual Meeting details + Worksop Tank 4 Secretary`s Scribbles + Virtual Meeting Details 5 - 8 Branded Goods Update 9 – 13 Re-Dedication of War Memorial Pillar, St. Mary`s Barnsley 14 – 16 Military Ambulance Trains – part 7 17 – 26 A Disastrous Decision – The Tsar as Leader 27 – 40 Enemy Aliens in Britain in The Great War – part 3 41 Autumn News – Friends of Spital Cemetery Chesterfield NEXT WFA ZOOM MEETINGS (all Mondays) Follow these links for registering 5 October Tea Pots to Tin Lids by Andrew Rawson http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/events/online-tea-pots-to-tin-lids-by-andrew-rawson/ 12 October The Indian Labour Corps by Pratap Chhetri http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/events/online-the-indian-labour-corps-by-pratap-chhetri/ 19 October Talbot House during the Great War by Simon Louagie http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/events/online-talbot-house-during-the-great-war-by-simon- louagie/ 26 October The 48th (South Midland): A very ordinary division? By Bill Mitchinson http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/events/online-talbot-house-during-the-great-war-by-simon- louagie/ 5 - 3 - Secretary`s Scribbles Welcome to issue 58 of the WFA Chesterfield Branch Newsletter and Magazine. Well another month passes and we are now in (partial) lockdown (again). I think there was an assumption by many that by now the coronavirus would be becoming a bad memory, sadly not. It will be around for the foreseeable future even if/when a vaccine becomes available. Many of a certain age get the standard `flu vaccine (personally, I don`t) but it`s not 100% effective and has to be given annually. Time will tell. With `live` meetings` still way off in the future. Usually by now I am well on the way to organising the speaker programme for the next year, but currently it is a case of `wait and see`. Thanks to Jane Ainsworth in this Newsletter we have an excellent report on the Re-Dedication of the War Memorial Pillar at Barnsley St. Mary`s Church As mentioned below Peter Harris – a regular (with his good lady) at our Branch Meetings, has agreed to make his presentation – he was our scheduled speaker for the October Meeting – via the Demio virtual platform. Thanks Peter, it keeps communication and interest open with branch members and friends. Peter Harris is a consulting Civil and Structural engineer specialising in tunnelling and has been a wargamer for 50 years. His interest in family and military history led to him studying for an MA degree in the History of Britain and the First World War at Wolverhampton University which he completed in January. His dissertation was on the experiences of the BEF Tank Corps in the Hundred Days Campaign of 1918. He and his wife Caroline are members of the Chesterfield branch of the WFA. TITLE OF TALK on 6 OCTOBER 2020. The Tank Corps in the Hundred Days Campaign 1918. Here is the link to get you `into` the meeting on Tuesday https://my.demio.com/ref/sTs3L2VM4VAuF9Z7 Grant Cullen – Branch Secretary 07824628638 [email protected] Any opinions expressed in this Newsletter /Magazine are not necessarily those of the Western Front Association, Chesterfield Branch, in particular, or the Western Front Association in general - 4 - BRANDED GOODS NEWS WFA 2021 Calendars Because of the Covid 19 Situation and Government Regulations we realise that the sale of Calendars is a bit later this year and to this end as most Branches are as yet not holding meetings we will NOT be automatically sending out 10 calendars to Branches, The situation will be monitored regularly, so as it stands at the moment once the calendars are available the only purchase option will be to buy on line or phone Sarah at the Office, Calendars are now available. WFA 40th Anniversary Coaster To celebrate the WFA's 40th anniversary, we have produced a 'special edition' coaster. The coasters are 4" in diameter and made of handcrafted slate. They are individually polished, screen printed by hand and backed by a baize to avoid damage to surfaces. These are selling so well that we had to order a second batch. If you would like a new 'WFA' Anniversary Coaster, please order through Website or ring Sarah at Head Office - 5 - WFA Mousemats We have recently produced a mousemat which is currently selling so well that we've had to order a second batch. If you would like a new 'WFA' mousemat, please order through Website or ring Sarah at Head Office, Info on all Branded goods (Including those mentioned above Regarding the Covid-19 pandemic and notified members of the situation that we are doing our best to supply the service that we can within the Governments quidelines Accepted Orders are: Clothing; These are supplied direct from the Manufacturer (Check Website for Ordering Details) Orders on the following items will be accepted as normal as these can be dispatched via Royal Mail Letter Box Bookmarks Baseball Caps WFA Classic Ties Lapel Badges WFA Coasters (Special Edition) Mousemats DVD's (Individual -not sets) The following items will be dispatched on a weekly basis (Dispatched from a RoyalMail Drop off Box) WFA Mugs Messenger Bags & Shoulder Bags, - 6 - The following items will not be available until further notice: DVD (sets) Binders (Stand To and Bulletin) No Orders will be accepted on these items until the situation is improved, The current thinking is that as such this is likely to endure through to the summer. Apologies for any inconvenience - 7 - The Eshop on the Website has been updated. The link to the Website is here http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/shop/ - 8 - Rededication of the War Memorial Pillar St Mary’s Barnsley 18 September 2020 Restoration of the Memorial Pillar and two wall plaques was enabled by grants from the War Memorials Trust, South Yorkshire Community Foundation (Barnsley – Y&L Fund) & Barnsley Council, various donations and support from Friends of St Mary’s. It is wonderful for us to be able to meet in St Mary the Virgin Parish Church today for the rededication of the War Memorial Pillar, erected to honour people of Barnsley who fell during the Great War 1914 - 18. Listed amongst the names of far too many men is one woman: Dorothy Fox.
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