Military Despatches Vol 17 November 2018 World War I Commemorative Issue

World War I Facts, figures and trivia Moth O Founder of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats

An unsung hero Eugene Bullard, the first black fighter ace Steel Monsters The tanks of World War I

Head-to-Head World War I weapons and equipment

For the military enthusiast CONTENTS November 2018

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Hipe’s Wouter de The old South African Goede interviews former Defence Force used 28’s gang boss David a mixture of English, Williams. Afrikaans, slang and World War I techno-speak that few outside the military Facts, figures and trivia could hope to under- 27 stand. Some of the terms Features Head-to-Head were humorous, some Is that a fact 38 were clever, while others 16 Some facts about World War I. Weapons & Equipment WWI were downright crude. We must remember them Short, sharp and to the point. This month we compare the Raymond Fletcher looks at the weapons and equipment of the significance of Remembrance 30 major combatants in the First Part of Hipe’s “On the Day and imagines what it must The story of Moth 0 World War. couch” series, this is an have been like to fight in the Early this year the Memorable ‘war to end all wars’. Order of Tin Hats celebrated interview with one of Quiz author Herman Charles its 90th anniversary. This is the 20 story of the man who began the 51 Bosman’s most famous Order. characters, Oom Schalk An unsung hero Many will have heard of the World War I Quiz Lourens. 32 This month we’re looking at A taxi driver was shot Hipe spent time in Tuskegee Airmen, or General The centenary of the Two- World War I. Here are 38 ques- dead in an ongoing Hanover Park, an area Benjamin O. Davis Junior. Yet plagued with gang Minute Silence tions, some easy, others not so war between rival taxi not that many will have heard easy. organisations. violence, to view first- of Eugene Bullard, the man On Monday 14 May 2018, the hand how Project who came before all of them. Noon Day Gun in Cape Town Ceasefire is dealing with fired not once, but twice. And there was a very special reason the situation. 22 for this. Hipe TV brings you videos ranging from actuality to humour and every- Silent Night thing in between. Interviews, mini-documentaries and much more. The day the guns on the West- ern Front fell silent. Check out Hipe TV and remember to like, comment, share and subscribe. 00 3 CONTENTS Page 64

Editor’s PUBLISHER Sitrep Hipe Media EDITOR Matt Tennyson

DEPUTY EDITOR o, this month it’s been Often while researching an John Verster 100 years since the sign- article you come across a pile of This month in military history ing of the Armistice to new information, and this often PHOTOGRAPHER S Regine Lord end World War I. leads to other ideas for articles. I trust that every one of our I can’t believe that next month CONTRIBUTORS Famous Figures Battlefield readers will be attending one of is Christmas. Of course most of Janine, Cassidy, Raymond the Remembrance Day Parades the big shops already started Fletcher, Regine Lord, Ryan 44 46 or, at the very least, observing putting up Christmas decora- Murphy, Matt O’Brien, Matt two minutes of silence. tions half way through October. Tennyson. Anthony Beauchamp-Proctor Dogfights Some of you will notice that I’m far more interested in see- Andrew (Anthony) Frederick For as long as warfare existed, this month, with the exception ing how much media coverage Military Despatches is pub- Weatherby Beauchamp-Proc- it was fought on land and sea. of six articles, all of the articles will be given to Remembrance lished on-line every month. tor, VC, DSO, MC and bar, In 1914, however, the skies used in this issue have previ- Day this year. The vast majority The articles used in Military DFC (4 September 1894 - 21 over Europe would become a ously appeared in the magazine. of the media, especially in this Despatches are copyrighted June 1921) was a South African new battlefield. Front Cover This is because with the ex- country, do not consider it to and may not be used without recipient of the Victoria Cross. ception of ‘This month in mili- be very newsworthy. Hey, who prior permission from the edi- He was South Africa’s leading The ghostly image of a Brit- tary history’, all of the articles knows, perhaps this year will tor. ace of World War I, credited ish soldier gazes over a field of are about World War I. be different. The views stated in this mag- with 54 aerial victories. poppies. This image was creat- You will also see that from It will also be interesting to azine do not necessary reflect ed in Adobe Photoshop using this month ‘Military Despatch- see how the other big cities the views of Hipe!, the editor, 44 three separate images. es’ has its own website. We will around the world handle the the staff, or Hipe Media. Harold Ackroyd update the website as often as event. The unassuming, bespectacled possible, so bookmark it and Now that this issue is done, I Hipe! World War I medical officer keep on checking for updates. want to get started on the De- P.O. Box 31216, Tokai, 7966 that did everything in his power I was recently chatting with cember issue. If I finish it ear- South Africa. to save the lives of others. someone and they mentioned ly enough, maybe I can take a that putting together a maga- break over Christmas and New email Forged in battle Movie Review zine like this must take a lot of Year. [email protected] work. To be honest, it does. Until next month. 52 62 Yet when you really enjoy Back Issues World War I Tanks doing something, it doesn’t feel To view any back issues of They were slow and unreliable, World War I Movies like work. And I must admit Military Despatches, go to yet the introduction of the tank This month we look at eight of that I really do enjoy putting www.militarydespatches.co.za in World War I changed the face the best World War I movies the magazine together every or click here. of warfare forever. available. month. Matt 4 5 cy known as Schrecklichkeit telegraph wires. ing units on the Western (“frightfulness”). Its pur- • Big Bertha was a 48-ton Front. pose was to terrify civilians howitzer used by the Ger- • In early 1917, British cryp- World War I in occupied areas so that mans in World War I. It was tographers deciphered a tel- they would not rebel. named after the wife of its egram from German Foreign Facts, figures and trivia • During World War I Brit- designer Gustav Krupp. It Secretary Arthur Zimmer- A few facts, figures and trivia about World War I. On 11 November it will mark 99 years since ‘The ish tanks were initially cat- could fire a 930 kg shell a mann to Germany’s minister Great War’ ended. This article was originally published in the November 2017 issue. egorized into “males” and distance of 15 km. How- in Mexico. The telegraph en- “females.” Male tanks had ever, it took a crew of 200 couraged Mexico to invade cannons, while females had men six hours or more to as- U.S. territory. The British t was called ‘The Great Smallest armed forces of (France) 75 heavy machine guns. semble. Germany had 13 of kept it a secret from the U.S. War’ and ‘The War to end World War I 3. Major William Bishop (Ca- • “Little Willie” was the first these huge guns or “wonder for more than a month. They prototype tank in World War weapons.” wanted to show it to the U.S. all Wars’. Later it became 1. Montenegro - 50,000 nadian) 72 I I. Built in 1915, it carried a • Tanks were initially called at the right time to help draw known simply as World War I. 2. Portugal - 100,000 4. Major Edward ‘Mick’ Man- crew of three and could trav- “landships.” However, in an the U.S into the war on their From 28 July 1914 to 11 No- 3. Greece - 230,000 nock (British) 68 el as fast as 4.8 km/h. attempt to disguise them as side. vember 1918 more than 70 mil- 4. Belgium - 267,000 5. Major Raymond Collishaw • Artillery barrage and mines water storage tanks rather • Woodrow Wilson’s cam- lion military personnel were 5. Serbia - 707,343 (Canadian) & Oberleutnant created immense noise. In than as weapons, the British paign slogan for his second mobilised in one of the largest 6. Romania - 750,000 Ernst Udel (Germany) 62 wars in history. 6. Major James McCudden 1917, explosives blowing decided to code name them term was “He kept us out of up beneath the German lines “tanks.” war.“ About a month after It was a war fought on a glob- Greatest military losses of (British) 57 al scale and would result in 7. Captain Anthony Beau- on Messines Ridge at Ypres • French Second Lieutenant he took office, the United the deaths of over nine million World War I champ-Proctor (South Af- in Belgium could be heard Alfred Joubaire wrote in his States declared war on Ger- 1. Germany - 1,773,700 combatants and seven million rican), Captain Donald in London, 220 km away. diary about World War I just many on April 6th 1917. 2. Russia - 1,700,000 civilians. MacLaren (Canadian) & • The Pool of Peace is a 12-m before he died that “Human- • To increase the size of the 3. France - 1,357,800 It was one of the deadliest Capitaine George Guynem- deep lake near Messines, ity is mad! It must be mad U.S. Army during World 4. Austria-Hungry - 1,200,000 conflicts in history, and paved er (France) 54 Belgium. It fills a crater to do what it is doing. What War I, Congress passed the 5. British Empire - 908,371 the way for major political made in 1917 when the Brit- a massacre. What scenes of Selective Service Act, which 6. Italy - 650,000 changes, including revolutions ish detonated a mine con- horror and carnage! I cannot was also known as the con- 7. Romania - 335,706 World War I Trivia in many of the nations involved. taining 45 tons of explosives find words to translate my scription or draft, in May 8. Turkey - 325,000 • Germans were the first to It would also contribute to the under the German lines. impressions. Hell cannot be 1917. By the end of the war, 9. USA - 116,516 use flamethrowers in WWI. start of the Second World War • The most successful fighter so terrible! Men are mad!” 2.7 million men were draft- 10. Bulgaria - 87,500 Their flamethrowers could only twenty-one years later. fire jets of flame as far as 40 pilot of the entire war was • Some Americans disagreed ed. Another 1.3 million vol- Here are some facts, figures metres. German fighter pilot Man- with the United States’ in- unteered. and trivia from World War I. Greatest merchant ship- • More than 70 million men fred Albrecht Freiherr von itial refusal to enter World • During World War I, people ping losses in World War I from 30 countries fought Richthofen (1892-1918), or War I and so they joined of German heritage were Largest armed forces of 1. UK - 2,038 ships sunk in WWI. Nearly 10 million the “Red Baron.” He shot the French Foreign Legion suspect in the U.S. Some World War I 2. Italy - 228 ships sunk died. The Allies (The En- down 80 planes, more than or the British or Canadian protests against Germans 3. France - 213 ships sunk 1. USSR - 12,000,000 tente Powers) lost about six any other World War I pi- army. A group of U.S. pilots were violent, including the 4. Germany - 188 ships sunk 2. Germany - 11,000,000 million soldiers. The Central lot. He died after being shot formed the Lafayette Es- burning of German books, 5. Denmark - 126 ships sunk 3. British Empire - 8,904,467 Powers lost about four mil- down near Amiens. France’s cadrille, which was part of the killing of German shep- 6. Sweden - 124 ships sunk 4. France - 8,410,000 lion. René Fonck (1894-1953) the French air herd dogs, and 7. Greece - 115 ships sunk 5. Austria-Hungary - 7,800,000 • Nearly two-thirds of mili- was the Allies’ most suc- force and 8. USA - 93 ships sunk 6. Italy - 5,615,000 tary deaths in World War I cessful fighter pilot, shoot- became 9. Netherlands - 74 ships sunk 7. USA - 4,355,000 were in battle. In previous ing down 75 enemy planes. one of 10. Spain - 70 ships sunk 8. Turkey - 2,850,000 conflicts, most deaths were • During World War I, dogs the top 9. Bulgaria - 1,200,000 due to disease. were used as messengers fight- 10. Japan - 800,000 Top Air Aces of World War I • In August 1914, German and carried orders to the 1. Rittmeister Manfred von troops shot and killed 150 front lines in capsules at- Richthofen (Germany) 80 civilians at Aerschot. The tached to their bodies. Dogs were also used to lay down 2. Capitaine Rene Fonck killing was part of war poli- Little Willie 6 7 even the murder of one Ger- an Arab revolt against the War, the War of the Nations, million troops during World German trenches were built 1918, gas masks with filter man-American. Turks and wrote about it in and the War to End All Wars. War I, making it the largest to last and included bunk respirators usually provided • Herbert Hoover, who would his book The Seven Pillars • World War I was fought army in the war. More than beds, furniture, cupboards, effective protection. At the become president in 1929, of Wisdom. from 1914-1918 on every three-quarters were killed, water tanks with taps, elec- end of the war, many coun- was appointed U.S. Food • Four empires collapsed after ocean and on almost every wounded, or went missing tric lights, and doorbells. tries signed treaties outlaw- Administrator. His job was World War I: Ottoman, Aus- continent. Most of the fight- in action. • France, not Germany, was ing chemical weapons. to provide food to the U.S. tro-Hungarian, German, and ing, however, took place in • The terrorist group respon- the first country to use gas • During the war, the U.S. army and its allies. He en- Russian. Europe. sible for the assassination of against enemy troops in shipped about 7.5 million couraged people to plant • While the first military sub- • World War I began on June Franz Ferdinand was called World War I. In August tons of supplies to France “Victory Gardens,” or per- marine (named the Tur- 28, 1914, when a Serbi- Black Hand, Sarajevo. 1914, they fired the first tear to support the Allied effort. sonal gardens. More than 20 tle) was first used by the an terrorist shot and killed • The United Sates joined gas grenades (xylyl bro- That included 70,000 hors- million Americans planted Continental Army during Archduke Franz Ferdinand, World War I during the final mide) against the Germans. es or mules as well as near- their own gardens, and food the American Revolution, heir to the Austro-Hungari- year and half of fighting. In January 1915, Germany ly 50,000 trucks, 27,000 consumption in the U.S de- submarines only made a an throne, and his wife. Aus- • For the span of World War I, first used tear gas against freight cars, and 1,800 loco- creased by 15%. large military impact dur- tria-Hungary declared war from 1914-1918, 274 Ger- Russian armies, but the gas motives. • The total cost of World War ing World War I when Ger- on Serbia on July 28, 1914. man U-boats sank 6,596 turned to liquid in the cold • World War I introduced the I for the U.S. was more than many launched its fleet of Russia and France sided ships. The five most success- air. In April 1915, the Ger- widespread use of the ma- $30 billion. U-boats. Its submarines with Serbia, and Germany ful U-boats were U-35 (sank mans were the first to use chine gun, a weapon Hi- • The war left thousands of mostly stayed on the sur- supported Austria-Hungary. 224 ships), U-39 (154 ships), poisonous chlorine gas. ram Maxim patented in the soldiers disfigured and dis- face and submerged only to Other countries around the U-38 (137 ships), U-34 (121 • During World War I, the U.S. in 1884. The Maxim abled. Reconstructive sur- attack ships with torpedoes. world were soon pulled into ships), and U-33 (84 ships). Germans released about weighed just over 45 kg and gery was used to repair fa- Germany’s in- the fighting. World War I of- Most of these were sunk 68,000 tons of gas, and was water cooled. It could cial damage, but masks were discriminate ficially ended 4 near the coast, particularly the British and French re- fire about 450-600 rounds also used to cover the most submarine years later on in the Eng- leased 51,000 tons. In total, per minute. Most machine horrific disfigurement. Some warfare was November 11, lish Chan- 1,200,000 soldiers on both guns used in World War I soldiers stayed in nursing a primary 1918. nel. sides were gassed, of which were based on the Maxim homes their entire lives. reason the • Russia mo- • German 91,198 died horrible deaths. design. • World War I is the sixth U.S. joined bilised 12 trenches • Approximately 30 differ- • The term “dogfight” origi- deadliest conflict in world the war. were in ent poisonous gases were nated during World War I. history. • World War stark con- used during World War I. The pilot had to turn off the • British author T.E. Lawrence I was also trast to Soldiers were told to hold a plane’s engine from time to (1888-1935), also known as known as British urine-soaked cloth over their time so it would not stall Lawrence of Arabia, worked the Great trenches. faces in an emergency. By when the plane turned quick- for Allied intelligence in the War, the Middle East. He also led World

8 9 ly in the air. When a pilot re- Command ordered artillery turned home with a Medal atmosphere in which war started his engine mid-air, it bombardments to start on of Honor, a promotion to was a probability. World sounded like dogs barking. Christmas Eve and carry on Sergeant, the French Croix War I broke out against a • The French had what Ger- for three days. de Guerre, and a gift of 400 background of rivalry be- man soldiers called the • Edith Cavell (1865- October acres of good farmland. tween the world’s great Devil Gun. At 75 mm, this 12 1915) was a British nurse • U.S. troops fought their first powers, including Britain, cannon was accurate up to who saved soldiers from all battle of World War I on Germany, France, Russia, almost 6,5 kilometres. The sides. When she helped 200 November 2, 1917, in the Austria-Hungry, Italy, the French military command- Allied soldiers escape from trenches at Barthelemont, Ottoman Empire, and Japan. ers claimed that its Devil German-occupied Belgium, France. The previous 40 years were Gun won the war. the Germans arrested her • The greatest single loss of characterized by increasing • During U.S. involvement and she was executed by a life in the history of the Brit- nationalism, imperialism. in World War I, more than German firing squad. Her ish army occurred during militarism, and various alli- 75,000 people gave about death helped turn global the Battle of Somme, when ances. 7.5 million four-minute pro- HOME SWEET HOME: Life in the trenches was often muddy opinion against Germany. the British suffered 60,000 • World War I helped strength- war speeches in movie thea- and miserable. • Margaretha Zelle (1876- casualties in one day. More en the power of central gov- tres and elsewhere to about 1917), also known as Mata British men were killed in ernment in the United States 314.5 million people. men often had uncontrol- per messengers. However, Hari, was a Dutch exotic that one World War I battle and Europe, which meant • “Hello Girls,” as Ameri- lable diarrhoea, couldn’t when a U.S. commander dancer accused of being a than the U.S. lost from all of that 19th-century liberalism can soldiers called them, sleep, stopped speaking, used Choctaw tribe mem- double agent. Though she its armed forces and the Na- that emphasized individu- were American women who whimpered for hours, and bers form the Oklahoma always denied being a spy, tional Guard combined. al responsibility was gone served as telephone opera- twitched uncontrollably. National Guard unit, they the French executed her in • World War I transformed forever. In fact, one of the tors for Pershing’s forces in While some soldiers recov- used an extremely complex 1917. the United Stated into the chief legacies of the war is Europe. The women were ered, others suffered for the language that the Germans • The most decorated Amer- largest military power in the the lasting power of the state fluent in French and English rest of their lives. could not translate. The ican of World War I was world. over its citizens. and were specially trained • Even though the U.S. gov- eight Choctaw men and oth- Alvin Cullum York (1887- • Although Germany may • World War I increased peo- by the American Telephone ernment didn’t grant Native ers who joined them became 1964). York led an attack have forced the hand of the ple’s suspicions of minority and Telegraph Company. In Americans citizenship until known as the Choctaw Code on a German gun nest, tak- European powers in the groups. All outsiders were 1979, the U.S. Army finally 1924, nearly 13,000 of them Talkers. ing 32 machine guns, kill- summer of 1914, it did not considered a potential threat, gave war medals and veter- served in World War I. • More than 500,000 pigeons ing 28 German soldiers, and cause war. Germany was not especially the Jews, who an benefits to the few Hello • There were over 35 million carried messages between capturing 132 more. He re- responsible for creating the were seen as sleek profiteers Girls who were still alive. civilian and soldier casual- headquarters and the front of the armaments industry. • During World War I, Amer- ties in World War I. Over 15 lines. Groups of pigeons • The Harlem Hell Fighters ican hamburgers (named million died and 20 million trained to return to the front were one of the few African after the German city of were wounded. lines were dropped into oc- American units that saw the Hamburg) were renamed • More than 200,000 African cupied areas by parachutes front lines. For their extraor- Salisbury steak. Frankfurt- Americans served in World and kept there until soldiers dinary acts of heroism, the ers, which were named after War I, but only about 11 per- had messages to send back. soldiers received the French Frankfurt, Germany, were cent of them were in combat • On Christmas Eve in 1914, Croix de Guerre, a medal called “liberty sausages,” forces. The rest were put in soldiers on both sides of the awarded to soldiers from and dachshunds became labour units, loading cargo, Western Front sung carols Allied countries for bravery “liberty dogs.” Schools building roads, and digging to each other. On Christmas in combat. However, in the stopped teaching German, ditches. They served in seg- Day troops along two-thirds U.S their deeds were largely and German-language books regated divisions (the 92nd of the Front declared a truce. ignored. were burned. and 93rd) and trained sepa- In some places the truce • During World War I, the • Millions of soldiers suf- rately. lasted a week. A year later, Turks slaughtered approx- fered “shell shock,” or post- • The Germans were skilled sentries on both sides were imately 1.5 million Arme- traumatic stress disorder, at intercepting and solving ordered to shoot anyone IN FLANDERS FIELD: No Man’s Land, the area between the nians. This act of genocide due to the horrors of trench Allied codes. Germans also who attempted a repeat per- trenches was littered with shellholes, barbed wire, and bodies. would later attract the atten- warfare. Shell-shocked captured one out of four pa- formance. The British High This was what remained of a forest in Flanders Field. tion of Hitler and was partly 10 11 responsible for sowing the its users hoped it would be Erich Maria Remarque’s All TNT, which gave them tox- seeds of the Holocaust. in World War I. Neither side Quiet on the Western Front, ic jaundice and turned their • After World War I, Brit- used it in World War II. and Wilfred Owen’s tragic skin yellow. ain’s leadership in the world • World War I helped bring poem, Anthem for Doomed • Wilfred Owen was unknown economy was gone forev- about the emancipation of Youth. at the end of the war. Wil- er. It had huge debts, high women. Women took over • World War I helped hasten fred Owen is one of the best unemployment, and slow many traditionally male jobs medical advances. Physi- know poets of the World War growth. France suffered as and showed that they could cians learned better wound I, but when he died on the well. Most of the loans it perform them just as well as management and the setting frontline, just a week before had made to czarist Russia men. In 1918, most wom- of bones. Harold Gillies, an the end of the war, he was were never repaid, inflation en over the age of 30 were English doctor, pioneered relatively unknown. At the was rampant, and large parts given the vote in the Brit- skin graft surgery. The huge time, his view of the war as of the country were ruined. ish parliamentary elections. scale of those who needed one of pity and horror was in • World War I brought a new Two years later, the 19th medical care in World War the minority. It wasn’t until era of warfare. The most amendment granted Ameri- I helped teach physicians DOGFIGHT: British SE5 fighter planes swoop down to attack a the 1960s that a literary elite significant development was can women the vote. and nurses the advantages German formation. decided this was the most air power, which brought ci- • World War I helped bring of specialization and profes- authentic view of the con- vilians in the line of fire. By about the emancipation of sional management. startling and important con- Government sought to con- flict because it chimed with 1918, it was clear that the African Americans. For ex- • World War I was the cata- sequence of World War I. trol the flow of information their own anti-war feelings. days of cavalry as a realis- ample, Henry Ford recruited lyst that transformed Russia • After World War I, Finland, from the frontline at the start This resulted in the publica- tic fighting force were over black people from the South into the Union of the Soviet Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, of the war, journalists were tion of two key war poetry with the introduction of poi- to work in his factories. The Socialist Republic (USSR). and Poland emerged as in- banned. Reporting on the anthologies which heavily sonous gas. Tanks heralded migration of African Amer- It was the creation of the dependent nations. conflict was, in the opinion featured Owen. a new era of offensive war. icans from the South to the world’s first communist state • The collapse of the Otto- of the War Office, helping Finally, the Nazi blitzkrieg North during World War I and ushered in a new phase man Empire after World the enemy. If caught, they tactic of World War II grew was one of the most signifi- in world history. Historians War I helped the Allies ex- faced the death penalty. out of the final Allied offen- cant population shifts in the note that this was the most tend their influence into the • Two million letters were sive of 1918 in which tanks, 20th century. Middle East. Syria, Jordan, delivered to the front every aircraft, artillery, and men • Post-World War I literature Iraq, and Palestine were de- week. Astonishingly, it only were carefully coordinated. includes John McCrae’s In clared “mandates” under the took two days for a letter • Because mustard gas was Flanders Fields, T.S. Eli- League of Nations. France from Britain to reach the unpredictable, it was nev- ot’s The Waste Land, Ernest essentially took control of front in France. The jour- er the war-winning weapon Hemingway’s A Fare- Syria and Britain took con- ney began at a purpose-built well to Arms, trol over the remaining three sorting depot in Regent’s GOING OVER THE TOP: At- mandates. Park before being shipped tacks on opposition trenches • The trench network of World to the trenches. By the end would normally lead to heavy War I stretched approxi- of the war, two billion letters casualties. Most men were cut mately 25,000 miles (40,200 and 114 million parcels had down before they had gone km) from the English Chan- been delivered. more than a few steps. nel to Switzerland. The area • War work turned some was known as the Western women’s skin yellow. When Front. British poet Siegfried a generation of men went Sassoon wrote, “When all is to fight the war, more than done and said, the war was a million women took their mainly a matter of holes and place in the workforce. They ditches. worked long hours, often in ACES: Manfred von Richthofen • Journalists faced execution. poor conditions and with and Rene Fonck were the top A handful of journalists dangerous chemicals. The German and Allied fighter pi- risked their lives to report on so-called ‘canaries’ were lots of World War I with 80 and the realities of war. As the women who worked with 75 kills respectively. 12 13 • Blood banks were devel- ical experience for the Brit- German territory in the east, oped during World War I. ish Tommy would have been and other territories were The British Army began the a life of boredom and regu- given to Belgium and Lith- routine use of blood trans- lar routine. uania. The treaty also trans- World War I fusion in treating wounded • Generals were banned from ferred the Hultschin area of soldiers. Blood was trans- going over the top. The ste- Upper Silesia to Czechoslo- 28 Jul 1914 – 11 Nov 1918 ferred directly from one per- reotype is that the ordinary vakia. The eastern part of son to another. A US Army soldiers of World War I were Upper Silesia was assigned doctor, Captain Oswald lions led by donkeys - the to Poland. Lower Silesia, Robertson, established the donkeys being incompetent meanwhile, was left entirely first blood bank on the West- generals who sat out the war to Germany. The key Baltic ern Front in 1917, using so- in comfort while thousands port of Danze, the industri- dium citrate to prevent the died unnecessary deaths. In al region of the Saar Basin, blood from coagulating and fact, so many of the gener- and the strategically impor- becoming unusable. Blood als wanted to be closer to tant Rhineland were also When you go home was kept on ice for up to 28 the fighting they had to be taken from Germany. Its days and then transported banned from going over the armed forces were strictly to casualty clearing stations top because they kept get- limited and its colonies were Tell them of us and say, for use in life-saving surgery ting killed. The experience made League of Nations where it was needed most. required to be a general was mandates. A 1921 Repara- • Nine out of 10 soldiers sur- too significant to lose. tions Committee decided vived the trenches. Being • The Treaty of Versailles that Germany should pay For your tomorrow in the firing line was rare stated that Germany had $33 billion in compensation for a British soldier. They started World War I. It gave to the Allies for the damage constantly moved around Alsace and Lorraine back to it caused. The Treaty left the trench system - mean- France. Poland picked up Germany humiliated and We gave our today. ing more often than not they impoverished, which left the were kept from the dangers CASUALTIES OF WAR: Brit- world vulnerable to another of enemy fire. The more typ- ish troops that have been world war. blinded by gas are led to a first aid station.

14 15 On the other side was the trench was covered with planks Central Powers that consisted called ‘duck boards’. Some- We must remember them of Germany, Austria-Hungary times the mud would be so At 11.00 am on November 11 most countries in the world will observe two minutes of and the Ottoman Empire. deep and thick that if someone silence. looks at the significance of Remembrance Day and imag- There were a number of things stepped off the duck board they Raymond Fletcher that I learnt about World War I would disappear into the mud ines what it must have been like to fight in the ‘war to end all wars’. Originally pub- that left me amazed, shocked never to be seen again. lished in the October 2017 issue. and sad. The treatment of soldiers was One of the things that did often barbaric. If, for example, f there was one subject that I could ever work out was the But he will be best remem- amaze me was the fact that the you were on guard duty at night really didn’t enjoy it would badge that our history teacher bered as the man that started the majority of the British Empire and fell asleep, an officer had Ihave to be history. I’ve al- always wore on the lapel of his Moths. It was after he had seen soldiers were volunteers. They the right to shoot you. If he ways been far more interested jacket. It was a small soldier’s a drawing in a newspaper (pic- THE TIN HAT: The symbol of were not forced to go and fight, found you sleeping he could in what’s happening now, not helmet. During one lesson we tured on page 17) that he made the Memorable Order of Tin they did so willingly. take out his pistol and shoot what happened centuries before asked him about it. a decision that those that fell in Hats (MOTH). Often an entire class from you dead without even bother- I was born. He told us that he was a Moth. battle should never be forgot- a university would go to a re- ing to wake you up. Then last year a strange thing We all had a good laugh and had ten. our own Border War. cruitment office and sign up. Attacks on the enemy would happened. We got a new history no idea of what he was talking We asked our teacher how he He then asked us how much Very few of them ever returned always result in massive casu- teacher at my school and his about. Then he explained. could be a Moth because sure- we knew about World War I and to complete their studies. alties. The object would be to whole approach to history was The word MOTH stands for ly he couldn’t have fought in most of us, myself included, Officially you had to be at capture a section of the enemies just so different. He puts things Memorable Order of Tin Hats. World War I. He laughed and knew very little about it. least 18 years of age to sign up trench. The normal procedure into context and makes history It’s an organisation that was told us that after Word War II, I’ve watched a lot of movies as a soldier and go off to fight in would be to bomb the opposi- come alive. started after World War I to those that had fought could also about World War II and Viet- the war. Yet as losses mounted tion trench with artillery for up Since he arrived history has honour the memory of all the join the Moths. nam, but I can’t recall ever hav- and replacements were desper- to three days. Then the artil- gone from being one of my soldiers that died during that Since then membership has ing seen anything about World ately needed the recruitment lery would stop and the infantry worst subjects to my favourite, war. been extended to anyone who War I. All I knew is that it was a teams began to turn a blind eye would launch an attack. along with English. Charles Alfred Evenden was fought in other wars such as long time ago. to the age requirement. This was known as ‘go- One of the things none of us a soldier, cartoonist and author. Korea, the Gulf War, and even I was right. It was a long I’m 16 years old and I know ing over the top’. The infantry time ago and it began on July that there were many boys my would climb out of their trench- 28, 1914 and ended just over age that fought in World War I. es and advance at a steady walk four years later on November Many were even younger than towards the enemy. The only 11, 1918. By the time it ended that. It is a documented fact that problem with this was that the an estimated 20 million people the youngest person to fight as enemy were normally waiting had lost their lives. a British soldier in World War I for them. The war was a true global was only 12 years old. conflict that took part in Eu- The war on land quickly de- rope, Africa, the Middle East, veloped into a stalemate that the Pacific Islands, China and became known as trench war- off the coast of South and North fare. America. The war was fought These trenches stretched from on land, sea and in the air. the coast to the Swiss border, It was mainly fought between right across Europe. Sometimes the Allied Powers, which con- the trenches were less that 100 sisted of France, the British metres apart. The area between Empire (including Australia, In- the trenches was called ‘no- dia, Canada and South Africa), man’s land’. Russia and Italy. The Ameri- By all accounts life in the cans joined the Allied Powers trenches was horrific at the best in 1917 when they declared war of times. Rain would turn them on Germany. into mud pits. The floor of the 16 17 only move very slowly, would Powers at 11.00 am on Novem- At 11.00 am on November often break down, and were ber 11, 1918. 11 most of the world will ob- used in very limited numbers. It became known as ‘The serve two minutes silence for Another first was the use of Great War’ and ‘the war to end all those that fell in World War aircraft. The Wright brothers all wars’. Yet a mere 21 years I and other wars. had only taken the first pow- later they would be at it again This year I will be one of ered flight 11 years earlier on in another war that would result those that stands to attention December 17, 1903. Yet the in even more deaths. The Great and observes two minutes of si- aircraft would soon play a vital War was renamed World War I. lence. It is the least I can do. It role in war. I wonder if I would have had is vital that we remember them. Most World War I pilots the courage to go over the top. At the eleventh hour of the would have as little as 10 hours Or climb into an aircraft with eleventh day of the eleventh flying time before being sent only 10 hours training, know- month, we will remember them. FOR KING AND COUNTRY: At the start of the war men of all into combat. The average life ing that in less than two weeks I I would like to end this article ages flocked to the recruiting office to sign up. Many would go expectancy of a pilot was 11 would probably be dead. with the Moth credo which my into “Pals Battalions” and fight alongside their friends. days. Would I have lied about my history teacher told me about. I During April 1917, known age to get into the army? Would think it is very fitting. The enemy would have sat in first day of the battle. This was as ‘Bloody April’, the life ex- RECRUITMENT DRIVE: Re- I have volunteered, knowing their bunkers dug into the side the most casualties the British pectancy of a new pilot was 20 cruiting posters would often full well that there was a strong They shall not grow old, as we of the trench during the artil- had ever taken in a single day. minutes. be patriotic or make war seem possibility that I would die? who are left to grow old. lery fire and few of them would By the end of it they would Although the parachute had glamorous and an adventure. While you can hate war and Age shall not weary them. nor have been killed or injured. suffer a staggering 623,907 ca- been invented (they were is- Those that did join up found all it stands for, you cannot but the years condemn. As soon as the artillery sualties. sued to balloon observers) they the reality a lot different to admire the courage of those that At the going down of the sun, stopped they knew the infantry The war also saw many new were not issued to pilots. It was what the posters said. fought, many of them paying and in the morning, would be on their way. innovations and weapons be- thought that pilots would then the ultimate sacrifice. We will remember them. They would set up machine ing used. The French were the be too quick to bail out of a guns covering no-man’s land first to use chemical weapons in damaged aircraft rather than try Useful links and wait for the attack. The 1914. and return it to its base. advancing infantry would usu- They used tear gas against Because the planes were made Every month we will be featuring a few useful links to military websites, newsletters and on- ally be mown down before they the Germans, but it was largely mostly from wood and canvas line magazines. Stuff that we think our readers will appreciate. had advanced more than a few ineffective. A few months later one of the greatest dangers was Here are two of our favourites. The first one is Nongqai, the unofficial police newsletter for steps. the Germans retaliated by using from the aircraft catching fire. veterans of the former South African Police Force and for those interested in Police History. The Even if an attack did man- chlorine gas. A pilot in an aircraft that was second is Jimmy’s Own, the official newsletter of the South African Signals Association. Click age to succeed and a section of In 1917 the Germans intro- on fire had three choices. The on the magazine covers to go to the respective websites. the enemy trench was captured, duced the far more deadly mus- first was to bail out and fall to both sides had a second, third tard gas. his death. The second was to and forth line of trenches. They The tank was developed and stay with the aircraft and burn would launch a counter attack first used during World War to death. Nearly every pilot car- and normally recapture the lost I. It was originally called the ried a revolver with him. His territory very quickly. ‘land battleship’ and were sent third choice was to shoot him- Yet even though these tactics to France in crates that were self, which most of them did. proved fruitless time after time, stamped ‘tank’ on the outside. It is estimated that more than the generals and war planners This was so that people would 14 000 Allied pilots were killed on both sides persisted with think they were water tanks. during World War I. The fig- them. No matter how many The name stuck and everyone ures for the Axis powers is not died. called them tanks. known but it is estimated that it Take the Somme offensive for The tank was first used during was even higher than those of example. It lasted from July 1 to the Battle of Flers-Courcelette the Allies. November 18, 1916. The Allies on 15 September 15, 1916. It World War I ended with the took 60,000 casualties on the had limited success. They could official surrender of the Central 18 19 ron was equipped with Nie- had two children. He bought a uport and Spad VII aircraft that bar named “Le Grand Duc” on An unsung hero displayed a flying duck as the the north side of Paris. squadron insignia. He took part In the late 1930s, prior to the Many will have heard of the Tuskegee Airmen, or General Benjamin O. Davis Junior. in over twenty air combat mis- outbreak of World War II, he Yet not that many will have heard of Eugene Bullard, the man who came before all of sions, and he is sometimes cred- was recruited by French intel- them. Originally published in the December 2017 issue. ited with shooting down one or ligence to spy on the Germans two German aircraft. However, who come by his bar. He re- uring World War II the Creek Indians. The idea of being part of a the French authorities could not mained very devoted to France the pilots of the 332nd While still in his teens Eu- unit with crack troops appealed confirm Bullard’s victories. His and tried to join the French Fighter Group and the gene had left Columbus and to Bullard, so he put in his re- Spad had an insignia lettered army but was considered too D “All blood runs red” and his old. In 1940, he managed to 477th Bombardment Group moved to Atlanta by himself. quest to join the regiment. In had one thing in common - they He had been told that the way February 1916, his requested nickname became the “Black find a way out of German occu- were all African-Americans. to escape racial prejudice was was granted just as the 170th Swallow of Death. pied France, biked all the way They were better known as the to head for Europe. His father Infantry was sent to Verdun, When the United States en- down to Portugal and returned Tuskegee Airmen. had also pointed out that Bull- one of the largest and longest tered the war, the United States to the United States on a Red Benjamin Oliver Davis Ju- ard was a French surname and battles of the First World War Army Air Service convened a Cross ship. He settled in New nior was the commander of the that at least one of his ancestors on the Western Front between medical board to recruit Ameri- York City. Tuskegee Airmen. He would go had come from France. the German and French armies. cans serving in the Lafayette In 1954, along with two other on to become the first African- He stowed away on a ship The battle took place on the hills Eugene Bullard Flying Corps for the Air Service French veterans, he was invit- American general officer in the bound for Scotland and after ar- north of Verdun-sur-Meuse in 9 Oct 1898 - 12 Oct 1961 of the American Expeditionary ed by French Pres. Charles de United States Airforce. riving in Aberdeen he made his north-eastern France. Forces. Bullard went through Gaulle to light the flame of the On December 9, 1998, he was way south to Glasgow. From It was during this battle that a few more months, but it was the medical examination, but he Unknown Soldier at the Arc de promoted to four-star general there he went to Paris. Bullard was severely wounded inevitably given Bullard’s per- was not accepted, as only white Triomphe in Paris. by President Bill Clinton. He like what he saw and the on March 5, 1916 and sent to a sistence that it would pay off. pilots were allowed to serve. Eugene Bullard received fif- He was not the first in his way he was treated, so he de- Parisian hospital where he spent Bullard earned his pilot’s li- Sometime later, on a short teen decorations from the gov- family to break racial barriers. cided to settle in France. He the next six months recuperat- cense and then Dickerson faith- break from duty in Paris, Bul- ernment of France. He was His father, Benjamin O. Davis became a fairly good boxer and ing. During convalescence, he fully paid the $2,000. It was a lard allegedly got into an argu- made a Knight of the Legion of Senior, was the first African- also worked in a music hall. was cited for acts of valour at considerable sum at the time, ment with a French commis- Honor, France’s most coveted American general in the United When World War I broke out the orders of the regiment on especially for a gentleman’s sioned officer and was punished award. He also was awarded States Army. in August 1914, Bullard had no July 3, 1917 and was awarded bet. Dixon admitted that he hat- by being transferred to the ser- the Medaille militaire, another Yet while the history of the hesitation in enlisting to fight the Croix de Guerre. ed to lose the money, but was vice battalion of to the 170th in- top military distinction. Tuskegee Airmen has been for his new country. While convalescing in Paris, delighted that at least Bullard fantry Regiment of the French He died in New York City of well recorded, this has not been At that stage he was not a Bullard and his friend Jeff Da- was from Dixie. army. He was discharged in stomach cancer on October 12, the case with Eugene James French citizen and had to join vis Dixon had a bet. Dixon bet The result of the bet was to October 1919 and returned to 1961 at the age of 66 with his “Jacques” Bullard. the French Foreign Legion. He $2,000 that Bullard would not launch Eugene Bullard into Paris. achievements all but forgotten. Who, you may well ask, was was assigned to the 3rd March- be able to get into the French history as a first ever African- After the war he married and Eugene Bullard? He was the ing Regiment of the 1st Foreign Air Force. American aviator. first black fighter pilot. Regiment as a machine gunner, On 5 October, 1916, Bull- After qualifying as a pilot he Bullard was born in Colum- he saw combat near the Somme ard arrived at the French aerial joined 269 American aviators at bus, Georgia on 9 October, River. gunnery school at Cazaux. It the Lafayette Flying Corps on 1895. He was one of ten chil- It was during this time when was there that he met fellow November 15, 1916. American dren born to William Bullard, he learned Americans and other American Edmond Genet, who volunteers flew with French a black man from Martinique, volunteers were now allowed to told Bullard about the Lafayette pilots in different pursuit and and Josephine Thomas, a Creek transfer to Metropolitan French Escadrille and suggested Bull- bomber/reconnaissance aero Indian. Army units, including the 170th ard become a pilot rather than squadrons on the Western Front. His father had fled from Haiti French Infantry Regiment – a gunner. On August 27, he was as- Bullard’s Spad 7 during the Haitian Revolution nicknamed “Les Hirondelles de In Mid-October he transferred signed to the Escadrille N.93 and, after reaching the United la Mort,” or “The Swallows of to the flight school at Tours for based at Beauzee-sur-Aire States, had taken refuge with Death.” pilot training. The training took south of Verdun. The squad- 20 21 t was called the ‘Great land’ between them. December watched with a mixture of War’ or ‘The War to end all 1914 would also see the first confusion and more than a The First World War had been IWars’. It had begun in April Christmas of the war. little suspicion. raging for nine months and 1914 and by the time it ended A few months earlier Pope Then the Germans began Silent countless lives had already in November 1918 more than Benedict XV had begged to sing Stille Nacht. While 10 million lives would be lost. the warring governments to the words may have been un- been lost. Yet on 24 December Yet in 1939, a mere 21 years declare a truce for Christ- familiar the British troops 1914 the guns along the West- later, the world was at war once mas, “that the guns may fall could recognise the tune of ern Front fell silent. It was the again. This new conflict would silent at least upon the Silent Night. The British troops first Christmas of the war and become known as World War II night the angels sang.” The responded by singing English Night and the ‘Great War’ of 1914-18 Germans gave it serious carols. the opposing soldiers were de- would be renamed World War I. consideration but the British The two sides began shouting termined to celebrate the fact. By December 1914 the war had angrily denounced the Pope. Christmas greetings to each Originally published in the De- become static. An elaborate On 24 December 1914, Christ- other. Many of the Germans cember 2017 issue. trench system had been con- mas Eve, German troops in the had worked or studied in Brit- structed by both the Germans region of Ypres, Belgium, be- ain and could speak English and the Allies. In some places gan decorating the area around fluently. troops faced each other with their trenches by placing can- There were calls for the two less than 100m of ‘no-man’s dles on trees. The British troops

22 23 describing “the most memorable Christmas I’ve ever spent”.

The letter begins:

This will be the most memo- rable Christmas I’ve ever spent or likely to spend: since about tea time yesterday I don’t think there’s been a shot fired on ei- ther side up to now. Last night turned a very clear frost moon- light night, so soon after dusk we had some decent fires going and had a few carols and songs. The Germans commenced by placing lights all along the edge of their trenches and coming over to us-wishing us a Happy THANK YOU FRITZ: British and German soldiers met in no- Christmas etc. man’s land, exchanged greetings and gifts, and in some sec- They also gave us a few songs tors even organised a game of soccer. etc. so we had quite a social party. Several of them can FIRE: British guns fire at a German position. During the Battle of the Somme 1,738,000 shells were fired at the Germans. During this battle the British took over 60,000 casualties on the first Celebrated and retold half years of war.” speak English very well so we day of the battle. The Christmas truce of During the final episode had a few conversations. Some 1914 has been celebrated Blackadder tries to fake insan- of our chaps went to over to sides to meet in no-man’s land. and, for the rest of the night, an break, the higher commands on and retold in songs (such ity to get himself sent back to their lines. I think they’ve all Tentatively, in ones and twos, eerie silence fell over the West- both sides, especially the Brit- as Christmas 1914 by Mike England. It doesn’t work. come back bar one from ‘E’ Co. troops began leaving the trench- ern Front. ish, were furious. They ordered Harding; Christmas in the As they are about to go over They no doubt kept him as a es on both sides. Normally if the artillery to open fire and Trenches by John McCutch- the top, Private Baldrick tells souvenir. In spite of our fires you showed the slightest part Mourning the dead gave orders for attacks to take eon; Belleau Wood by Garth Blackadder he has a plan to get etc. it was terribly cold and a of your body above a trench it Early on Christmas morning place. After all, this was a war. Brooks; Pipes of Peace by Paul them out. job to sleep between look out would be hit by a bullet with- troops began meeting in no- British commanders Sir McCartney) film (Joyeux Noel “At the signal, company will duties, which are two hours in in seconds. Now people were man’s land again. Both sides John French and Sir Hor- and Oh What a Lovely War) and advance! Well, I’m afraid it’ll every six. climbing out of trenches, ex- took the opportunity to bury the ace Smith-Dorrien vowed has also been the subject of a have to wait,” Blackadder says. First thing this morn- posing themselves to the other many dead that lay in no-man’s that no such truce would be number of books. “Whatever it was, I’m sure ing it was very foggy. So side. land. Proper burials were held allowed again, although both In the final episode of Black- it was better than my plan to we stood to arms a little It must have been a strange and in many instances soldiers had left command before adder Goes Forth, the protago- get out of this by pretending longer than usual. A few of us feeling for those involved. Ear- from both sides mourned the Christmas 1915. In all of the nists discuss events of the past to be mad. I mean, who would that were lucky could go to Holy lier that day they had been try- dead together and paid their re- following years of the war, that led them to their current sit- have noticed another madman Communion early this morning. ing to kill each other, as they spects. artillery bombardments were uation, including the Christmas around here? Good luck, every- It was celebrated in a ruined had for the past nine months. In more than one sector infor- ordered on Christmas Eve to Truce. Captain Edmund Black- one. Charge!!!” farm about 500 yds behind us. Now they were standing face mal football matches were ar- ensure that there were no fur- adder (Rowan Atkinson) was On 7 November 2006, Irish I unfortunately couldn’t go. to face with the enemy, shak- ranged in no-man’s land. ther lulls in the combat. apparently still sore over being singer Chris de Burgh paid There must be something in ing hands and greeting one In many sectors, the truce Troops were also rotated ruled offside during a football £14,400 at Bonham’s auc- the spirit of Christmas as another. Troops began to lasted through Christmas night, through various sectors of the game with the Germans. He tion house for an original 10 to day we are all on top of exchange small gifts such as but in some areas, it continued front to prevent them from be- also cynically muses that “Both page letter from an unknown our trenches running about. whisky, jam, cigarettes, cigars until New Year’s Day. coming overly familiar with the sides advanced further dur- British soldier that records Whereas other days we have and chocolate. The artillery in While the troops at the front enemy. ing one Christmas piss-up than events and incidents with to keep our heads well down. the region fell silent that night may have been enjoying the they did in the next two-and-a the Germans on that night We had breakfast about 8.0 24 25 On 21 November eral Germans: a party of them 2005, the last came 1/2 way over to us so sev- Is that a fact? remaining Allied eral of us went out to them. I Some facts about World War I. Short, sharp and to the point. Originally published in the March exchanged one of my balaclavas 2018 issue. veteran of the truce, for a hat. I’ve also got a button Alfred Anderson, died off one of their tunics. We also ater this year, at 11h00 A bit of Beethoven along the way. in Newtyle, Scotland at exchanged smokes etc. and had on 11 November, it will Most readers will know that Then, in 1915, he applied to the age of 109. a decent chat. They say they be 100 years since the after the Japanese attack on join the Imperial Air Service. won’t fire tomorrow if we don’t L Armistice was signed, bringing Pearl Harbour during World He became a legend and was which went down alright so I suppose we shall get a bit World War I to and end. War II, America declared war both respected and feared by especially some cocoa we made. of a holiday-perhaps. After ex- Once again at the eleventh on Japan. Between 110,000 and the Allies. We also had some of the post this changing autographs and them hours on the eleventh day of 120,000 Japanese Americans In April 1918 he was shot morning. wishing us a Happy New Year the eleventh month, we will re- were incarcerated in internment down and he crash landed be- I had a parcel from B. G’s we departed and came back and member those that paid the ulti- camps. hind Allied lines where he was Lace Dept containing a sweater, had our dinner. mate sacrifice. The ironic thing is that the found dead at the controls. The smokes, under clothes etc. We We can hardly believe that With this in mind, we will be US 442nd Infantry Regiment, British and Australians buried also had a card from the Queen, we’ve been firing at them for the HELLO: Descendants of looking at a number of articles comprising most of Japanese him with full military honours. which I am sending back to you to last week or two-it all seems so Great War veterans, in con- on World War I this year. American volunteers, became You can read a comprehen- temporary uniform, shake look after please. After breakfast strange. At present its freezing To begin with, let’s look at a the most decorated unit in U.S. sive account of Manfred von we had a game of football at the hard and everything is covered hands at the 2008 unveiling of few facts about the Great War. Richthofen in the November is- a memorial to the truce. military history. back of our trenches! We’ve had with ice… What some readers may not sue of Military Despatches. a few Germans over to see us this There are plenty of huge shell Counting the cost A good chance of surviving know was that this was not the morning. They also sent a party holes in front of our trenches, Nearly 8.5 million sol- So you’re in the army now. first time it happened. Child Soldiers over to bury a sniper we shot in also pieces of shrapnel to be diers lost their lives dur- Hope your last will and testa- During World War I there During World War I many sol- the week. He was about a 100 found. I never expected to shake ing World War I. Germany ment is up to date. There’s a were more than 250,000 Ger- diers, on both sides, lied about yds from our trench. A few of our hands with Germans between suffered the highest loss with horde of nasty Huns sitting just mans living in the USA who their age in order to enlist. fellows went out and helped to the firing lines on Christmas Day 1,773,700 followed by Rus- across no-man’s land from you, were forced to register at a post Sidney Lewis was the young- bury him. and I don’t suppose you thought sia with 1,700,000. France suf- just waiting to ventilate your office and then carry a registra- est British soldier. He was just About 10.30 we had a short of us doing so. So after a fashion fered 1,357,800 casualties and hide. Your chances of surviv- tion card with them at all times. 12 years old when he joined church parade the morning ser- we’ve enjoyed? our Christmas. the British Empire, which in- al don’t look that good, right. Of these, over 2,000 Germans the British Army. Naturally the vice etc. held in the trench. How Hoping you spend a happy time cluded Australia, Canada, In- Wrong! were arrested and put in intern- recruiting sergeant must have we did sing. ‘O come all ye faith- also George Boy as well. How dia, New Zealand and South It was rare for a British soldier ment camps. been myopic when Sidney ful. And While shepherds watched we thought of England during Africa, suffered 908,371. The to be in the firing line for long. Many of the interned were the claimed that he was 18 years their flocks by night’ were the the day. Kind regards to all the United States of America, who Unless they were involved in a musicians from orchestras, and old. hymns we had. At present we are neighbours. entered the war in 1916, lost battle, a unit would only spend in one camp they were able to And Sidney was not the only cooking our Christmas Dinner! 116,516 men. about 10 days a month in the perform a piece of Beethoven. one to lie about his age. Thou- so will finish this letter later. With much love from Boy. During World War II the ca- trenches. And of those, only sands of underage boys lied Dinner is over! and well we sualty figures were even higher. about three days were spent The Red Signaller about their age to fight at the enjoyed it. Our dinner party On 11 November 2008, the first More than 30 million soldiers right up on the front line. Manfred von Richthofen, bet- front. started off with fried bacon and official Truce memorial was un- died, as did millions of civil- It was not uncommon for ter known as the Red Baron, Many of them were moti- dip-bread: followed by hot Xmas veiled in Frelinghein, France, ians. The Russians alone lost soldiers to be rotated out of was the top scoring fighter ace vated by patriotism, wanting to Pudding. I had a mascot in my the site of a Christmas Truce more than 13 million troops. the trench line for as long as a of World War I with 80 kills. fight for their country. For oth- piece. Next item on the menu was football game in 1914. Let us remember the spirit of month at a time. Yet he started off the war as a ers though, it was the only es- muscatels and almonds, oranges, On 21 November 2005, the last the Christmas Truce and pray The fact is that nine out of lancer in a cavalry unit. When cape from the poverty of their bananas, chocolate etc fol- remaining Allied veteran of the that our generation and gen- 10 British soldiers survived this unit was disbanded, he was daily lives. lowed by cocoa and smokes. truce, Alfred Anderson died in erations to come never have to the trenches. Out of the ap- transferred to the Signal Corps. You can guess we thought Newtyle, Scotland at the age of experience a war and that we proximately six million British For over a year he spent his No doing the dirty of the dinners at home. Just 109. never have to calculate the cost soldiers mobilised, just over days stringing telegraph wires Come on, let’s get real. Most before dinner I had the plea- of World War III. 700,000 were killed. Most of along the western front, even young men have one thing on sure of shaking hands with sev- them during battles. earning himself an Iron Cross their minds - the opposite sex 26 27 officers just before an attack. time after time. “Remember lads, I’ll be right An attack would normally be- behind you. About 100 miles gin with an artillery barrage on behind you.” the opposing trenches. These It was claimed that generals would often last for two or three never went over the top with days. their troops. The fact was that Once the barrage had ended standing orders stated that Gen- the troops would then ‘go over erals were not allowed to go the top’, climbing out of their over the top as they were too trenches and advancing across valuable to lose. no-man’s land towards the en- Still, this didn’t stop more emy. than 200 generals being killed, The problem was that the bar- wounded or captured. Most rage let the enemy know that an Generals visited the front lines attack was coming. They would every day. In battle, they were sit in the relative safety of bun- BIG BANG: Actual footage of the explosion at Hawthorn Rdige RED BARON: A replica of the Red Baron’s Fokker Dr-1 considerably closer to the ac- kers dug into the side of the Redoubt during the Battle of the Somme. Click on the play but- ton to view. tion than their counterparts are trenches and wait for the barrage (with a strong emphasis on Fake news is nothing new today. to end. Miners from both sides would ings across the trenches. On the sex part). And just because When America entered World As soon as it had ended the build tunnels towards enemy Christmas morning some of you’ve put them in a military War I in April 1917, the war Non sexist tanks troops would emerge from their trenches. Once under an enemy them began emerging from the uniform is not going to change had already been going on more The tank was a weapon that bunkers, take up their positions, trench, the tunnel could be filled trenches into no-man’s land. this. than three years. changed the face of warfare. set up machine guns, and wait for with explosives and detonated. Greetings and gifts were ex- National servicemen in the In those three years while When the tank first made its ap- the enemy to advance. On the first day of the Battle changed and the opportunity old South African Defence America was not involved, Brit- pearance on the battlefield they The advancing enemy were of the Somme, the British deto- was taken to bury the dead that Force (SADF) would often talk ish agents were planting stories came in two models - male and normally mown down before nated 19 mines under the Ger- had fallen in no-man’s land. about the importance of the in US newspapers, stirring up female. they even managed to get half- man positions. In one sector they even ar- three Ps - Post, Pass and P***y. anger against innocent German The male version of the tank way across no-man’s land. The mine beneath Hawthorn ranged a football match. The The Allied powers during civilians living in the USA. was armed with cannons. The The Battle of the Somme start- Ridge Redoubt was detonated truce lasted the entire day and World War I knew that there And here you thought that female was armed only with ed with an artillery bombardment at 07h20, ten minutes before in some sectors continued to was no ways they were going fake news was all new and In- machine guns. that lasted for a week. 1,738,000 Zero Hour. The area beneath the New Year. to stop their troops from getting ternet-generation based. Just By the end of the war tank shells were fired at the Germans. Germans had been packed with Naturally the top brass were frisky with the local females. look at the Bible (New Living technology had developed, es- In the brilliant television series 18,000 kg of Ammonal and the not impressed with this. Didn’t Condoms were standard issue Translation). Ecclesiastes 1:9 - pecially in British tanks. It was Blackadder Goes Forth, which is resulting explosion was heard in the soldiers realise that the en- to all Allied troops in order to “History merely repeats itself. decided that tanks would be set during World War I, Captain London, 225 km away. The ex- tire purpose of war was to kill keep them protected. It has all been done before. armed with both a cannon and Edmund Blackadder (Rowan plosion was filmed by Geoffrey each other. Did I say all? Well, with the Nothing under the sun is truly machine guns. This practice Attkinson) is talking to Lieu- Malins. There are also reports of exception of the United States. new.” continues to this day, so there is tenant The Honourable George smaller truces in 1915 and even They were the only Allied pow- not longer a need for tanks to be Colthurst St. Barleigh (Hugh Truce 1916. In some trenches, the er during World War I that did Donkeys and Lions designated male or female. Laurie) and the dim witted Pri- There was never any official soldiers adopted a “live and let not provide its soldiers with There is an old saying that the vate Baldrick (Tony Robinson). truce during World War I. That live” policy, trying not to open condoms. Not that it stopped British soldiers in World War I Big Bang “Yes, but Jerry is safe under- is not to say that they didn’t fire on the enemy so they would the troops. were lions led by donkeys. One of the things that both ground in concrete bunkers,” he happen. not fire on them. More than 204,000 Ameri- The brave soldiers (lions) sides learnt during World War tells them. “We’ve shot off over The most famous one was the To counter this the command- can troops were wounded dur- were led by incompetent gener- I was that launching infantry a million cannon shells and Christmas Truce of 1914 (See ers would rotate their soldiers ing World War I. Yet more than als (donkeys) who lived miles attack across no-man’s land what’s the result? One dachs- the article ‘Silent Night’ in the all over the front line to stop 400,00 US soldiers were infect- behind the front in luxury and was generally a waste of time, hund with a slight limp” December 2017 issue of Mili- them from becoming to famil- ed by STDs (Sexually Trans- out of touch with reality. and a waste of lives. Not that it Both sides came to the con- tary Despatches). iar with the troops in the trench- mitted Diseases), with many of There is an old joke about a stopped the generals from plan- clusion that if going over the top On Christmas Eve troops be- es across from them. them be rendered unfit for duty. British general addressing his ning the same type of attacks didn’t work, why not go under? gan shouting Christmas greet- 28 29 on ‘remembrance’. tues that war According to the Diction- brings forth The Story of Moth O ary, “The cartoon showed a tin - were wel- helmet surmounted by a burn- comed and Early this year the Memorable Order of Tin Hats celebrated its 90th anniversary. This is the story ing candle. Around the flames made at home of the man who began the Order. This story was originally published in the September 2017 issue. of the candle were six words in shell holes - True Comradeship - Mutual with colour- harles Alfred Evenden gan to study them. He began men die and over 261,000 be- Help - Sound Memory”. ful and mean- was a soldier, cartoon- attending drawing classes and ing wounded. However, the official MOTH ingful names Cist, and author. Yet he on one occasion he sent a car- During this campaign he was website carries a cartoon cap- of war-time will be best remembered as the toon to the Daily Express. They badly shell-shocked and evacu- tioned Forgetfulness and this memories and founder of the Memorable Or- complimented him on his car- ated to Malta. From there he led to the founding of the Order. occasions. der of Tin Hats, the Moths. toon and the psychological ef- was sent back to England where This is confirmed by the The shell- Charles Evenden was born to fect of this act was to influence he was hospitalised. At the end Eastern Province Herald which holes spread John Charles Evenden of Kent his whole life. of the war he returned to a farm- describes the cartoon as fol- to the United and his wife Elizabeth Gregory At the outbreak of World War ing life in Australia. lows: “a bullet- and shrapnel- Kingdom, in London on October 1, 1894. I he joined the Australian Army His farming efforts proved to riddled Allied helmet awash in Australia, He was the eldest of 13 chil- and was posted to Egypt. As a be financially unsuccessful. He the ocean. In the background a New Zealand dren. member of the Australian and thus took up newspaper work in steamship passes over the ho- and to Rho- He was educated at Hag- New Zealand Army Corps he Melbourne. After a brief period, rizon, leaving the forgotten, desia (Zimba- gerston Road School in the took part in the disastrous Galli- he decided to try newspaper life ghostly form of a veteran for- bwe). Mem- London Borough of Hackney poli campaign - a campaign that in South Africa. In 1923 he ar- lornly wading through the wa- bership was where, even at an early age, he would see more than 130,000 rived in Durban where he joined ter.” extended to showed great promise. At the the staff of The Natal Mercury The concepts of True Com- those who had INSPIRATION: The cartoon age of twelve he was top of the as its cartoonist under the nom- radeship, Mutual Help and participated in the South Afri- that was to become the inspi- school and remained there for de-plume of EVO. He remained Sound Memory were to become can Border War. ration behind the formation of two years. with this paper from 1924 until the inspiration of a remarkable The MOTH national head- the Memorable Order of Tin His academic achievements 1953. organisation of ex-front line quarters is situated in Warriors Hats. earned him two scholarships With the startling simplic- soldiers, of all ranks, known Gate, Durban, which is mod- to the prestigious Charterhouse ity of his ideas he soon made a as the Memorable Order of Tin elled on a Norman design from Queen Elizabeth, the Queen School. His parents, however, name for himself. To emphasise Hats (MOTH). a photograph given to EVO by Mother, at Clarence House. On could not afford to send him his attitude towards politicians Charles, as the founder of the Admiral Evans-of-the-Broke. 11 November 1955 the free- to Charterhouse and he was and bureaucrats he created two movement and its guiding in- In 1948 EVO opened Mount dom of the city of Durban was forced to leave school and en- characters ‘Dr Mug’ and ‘Mr spiration was given the title of Memory - a monument to the conferred on him, at a parade ter the workforce. His par- Wump’. His brand of Cockney ‘Moth O’ - a position he held missing and dead of the Second of 14,000 Moths, by the then ents found him a job humour had a special appeal for until his death. He was also World War, in the foothills of Mayor, Councillor Vernon Es- in a factory where the newspaper’s readers. known as Moth EVO. the Drakensberg mountains. sery. he earned a mere According to the The membership of the He married Reenie Carlos Charles Alfred Evenden, Moth half-a-crown Dictionary of MOTH movement, under and had a son, Barrie, and a O, answered the Sunset Call in (about 30 cents) a South African EVO’s vigorous direction and daughter. Barrie was posted as Entabeni Hospital in Durban on week. To supple- Biography, one leadership, grew into thou- missing in action when his ship April 1, 1961. He was 66 years ment his income night in 1927 sands. was torpedoed by a U-boat in old. EVO was cremated, and his he started selling after he and the Men and women of two world the Mediterranean Sea. ashes were scattered over the newspapers. editor of The Na- wars, of the Second Anglo Boer He wrote the story of how the Durban bay. One of the tal Mercury, RJ War (1899-1902) and even MOTH organisation was creat- For more information about things that Kingston Rus- those of former enemy forces ed in his book Old soldiers nev- the Moths you can visit their offi- Charles really sell, had seen a streamed into its ranks. All who er die (Durban, 1952). He was cial website at www.moth.org.za enjoyed was the war film, Charles were prepared to keep alive the also the author of Like a little or by clicking here. newspaper car- was persuaded to memories of comradeship and candle (Durban, 1959) toons and he be- draw a cartoon self-sacrifice - the finer- vir In 1955 he was received by 30 31 Centenary of the MOTH CREEDO: Dave Rev- ell, Provincial Old Bill of the Two-Minute Silence Cape Western Dugout, recites On Monday 14 May 2018, the Noon Day Gun in Cape Town fired not once, but twice. And the MOTH Creedo. there was a very special reason for this. Article and photographs byRegine Lord. Originally “They shall not grow old, published in the June 2017 issue. As we who are left grow old, n Monday, 14 May expressed their sympathy to the fallen and acknowledge their Age shall not weary them, 2018, the Noon Gun Mayor and his wife, one of the ultimate sacrifice, and to give Nor the years condemn them, At the going down of the sun, of Cape Town fired not councillors, Mr Robert Ruther- thanks for those who had re- O And in the morning, just once, but twice, with a brief ford Brydone, approached the turned alive, wounded and car- We will remember them.” pause between the two thunder- Mayor in his office at the City rying the scars of the terrible ous booms. Hall. On hearing the boom of fighting they had endured. The reason for this unusual the Noon Gun, and the West- Thus, on 14 May 1918, as soon occurrence was that a special minster Chimes coming from as the Noon Gun was fired, all tradition was being commemo- the clock tower, they stood up, residents of Cape Town stopped rated that day: the Centenary of united in their grief, to observe what they were doing, traffic the Two-Minute Silence, which the traditional Angelus pause and trams came to a halt, and was first introduced right here in that was common practice in the all stood in silent prayer, heads Cape Town on 14 May 1918. Anglican Church they both at- bowed, thinking of their loved In 1918, news of the terri- tended. ones who had given their lives MC: Commander Leon Steyn ble battles being fought on the Councillor Brydone then sug- and those who were still fight- of the South African Naval Western Front in France, and gested that the observance of a ing on the battlefields of WW1. Museum in Simon’s Town was of the many soldiers killed and brief period of silence be intro- A bugler on a balcony of the the Master of Ceremonies for wounded, had been reaching duced in the city centre, in re- Fletcher and Cartwright build- the day. their families in Cape Town. membrance of all those who had ing on the corner of Adderley When lists of casualties were fallen in World War I. Mayor and Darling Streets, played the read out during church services, Hands was taken by this idea, Last Post and then the Reveille parishioners were asked to par- and after some discussion, it to signal the end of the silence. ticipate in brief moments of si- was implemented. In Cape Town, this midday lence in honour of the fallen. The daily public ritual was pause continued daily until 17 Cape Town Mayor Sir Harry synchronised with January 1919; it was revived Hands was grief-stricken on re- the firing of the once more during the Second ceiving the news of the death Noon Gun on World War. of his eldest son, Captain Regi- Signal Hill, to A year after the signing of nald Harry Myburgh remember the the Armistice had ended the Hands. After days Great War on 11 November of continued fight- 1918, an annual Armistice Day Lion ing and being re- service was being introduced by WAITING FOR NOON: Battery, on Signal Hill, is peatedly exposed then King George V. It was to where the Noon Day Gun is to mustard gas, Cap- be held throughout the UK and situated. It was also the scene tain Hands had died the Commonwealth at the 11th for the Centenary Celebration during a poison-gas bombard- hour of the 11th day of the 11th of the Two-Minute Silence. ment on 20 April 1918, while month every year, marking the off-duty and seemingly safe be- time and day on which WW1 hind Allied lines. – ostensibly the War to end all After a special City Council Wars – finally ended. meeting, at which those present South African author and 32 33 political figure Sir Percy Fitz- a time-ball – at the South Afri- patrick, who had personally can Astronomical Observatory experienced the impact of the at 12pm. As this manual method two-minute silence in Cape proved unreliable, the SA Navy Town in 1918, wrote to King apparently began to use the George V, suggesting that it be clock of the City Hall in Dar- adopted for the Armistice Day ling Street on the Grand Parade service. The King was so taken to trigger the firing. According by this proposal, that he imme- to CPO Malgas, however, they diately approved it and gave soon realised that, while the instructions for its adoption Noon Gun was using the City throughout the British Empire. Hall clock to determine the cor- And thus, this simple yet pro- rect time, the City Hall clock foundly stirring ritual spread was in turn using the Noon Gun throughout the United King- to reset their clock! dom, the Commonwealth and Nowadays, the gun is fired beyond. RECALLING HISTORY: Councillor Dave Bryant addressing THIS IS HOW IT’S DONE: Chief Petty Officer Dudley Malgas remotely. The Astronomical the gathering. explains how the cannon is fired. The special commemoration Observatory (which has an ex- ceremony at the Noon Gun on Navy Chaplain Smith said a ways aware of the sacrifice so the MOTHs stood to attention, Street and the railway line. A tremely accurate atomic clock) 14 May 2018 brought together prayer and spoke a few words many people made to help cre- echoing the promise, “We will few years later, they were relo- sends an electrical signal down the SA Navy, the City of Cape that lent solemnity and gravity ate the free and open society we remember them.” cated to the newly constructed the wires a few milliseconds Town, the Department of Cul- to the occasion. have today.” Thereafter, Chief Petty Of- Lion Battery on Signal Hill on 4 before noon, thus igniting the tural Affairs and Sports, the Councillor Dave Bryant said Before the new plaque to ficer Dudley Malgas took the August 1902, no doubt because firing cap on the cannon and MOTHs of the Western Cape that the Noon Gun had become mark the occasion was unveiled microphone, and shared some they were so deafeningly loud. sparking the gunpowder. At the and other key stakeholders. an integral part of the history of by the Western Cape Minister of the history of the Noon Gun The custom of firing the gun Centenary celebrations, though, Commander Leon Steyn of the city, remarking that, when of Cultural Affairs and Sports, and his own experience of fir- at noon actually only started in the guns were fired manually. the SA Naval Museum, acting it was fired at 12h00 every Minister Anroux Marais, she ing it every day for many years. 1903, the year in which Standard CPO Malgas demonstrated as the Master of Ceremonies, day, many Capetonians could declared: There are in fact two guns, both Time was introduced in South charging and loading the gun, welcomed the invited guests, not help checking their watch- “We raise awareness of our of which are loaded, in case Africa. The gun was originally inserting a small white bag of explained the historic signifi- es, while the unexpected loud historical heritage and honour one fails. Designed by Captain fired as soon as the artillery- black powder into the barrel cance of the event and intro- boom tended to startle visitors. and remember those who have Thomas Blomefield and cast by man on Signal Hill saw a signal and pushing it down with a long duced the various speakers. He added that, “We were not al- gone before us while shaping Walker and Co., London, these flare – and later the dropping of wooden ramrod. the world we live in today. To- original 18-pounder smooth- day, we pay respect to all those bore muzzle-loading guns date who lost their lives for a greater back to 1794, making them 224 cause, regardless of culture or years old this year. They had ar- creed. … Let us take this oppor- rived at the Cape of Good Hope tunity to be mindful of those who in 1795, during the first British died in many conflicts and wars occupation. They weigh more that have claimed a number of than two tons each, and are load- fellow South African lives. Let ed with 1.5 kg of black powder. us reflect on their causes and They are the oldest working legacies and how each one of us cannons in the world. have and will continue to play Originally located at the Im- an active role in the progress of hoff Battery, on the seaward side Cape Town and its people.” of the Castle of Good Hope, the Dave Revell, Provincial Old two large guns were temporari- Bill of the Cape Western Pro- ly moved to the Castle when the RAISING AWARENESS: Western Cape Minister of Cultural Af- vincial Dugout, delivered the Imhoff Battery was demolished CENTENARY: The new plaque to commemorate the centenary fairs and Sport, Minister Anroux Marais. MOTH Credo and Prayer, as in 1896 to make way for Strand of the Two-Minute Silence. 34 35 name was Robert Gilray Bry- done; he served as a medic and survived World War I. Maj Walter Brydon (who was not the Councillor’s son), was a South African, whose parents were Jenny Hay Brydon of Lon- don and the late William Walter Brydon of Belfast. Maj Walter Brydon served as gunner on the Western Front, in both the 71st and the 73rd Siege Batter- ies, until he was appointed as the Commanding Officer of the 73rd Siege Battery South Af- SALUTE: Members of the Cannon Association of South Africa firing three quarter-pounder saluting guns. rican Heavy Artillery. He was wounded three times and then gassed, before being killed in FIRE: The Noon Day Gun fires, exactly 100 years after it was first fired to commemorate two Sparrow). A long-time support- Silent Pause of Remembrance”. action on 12 April 1918. Coin- minutes of silence during the Great War. er of the military, she has de- In it, she clears up the confusion cidentally, both Captain Regi- veloped a very close bond with, around the origins of the silent nald Hands and Major Nugent As he took his place next to down and the clouds of smoke cluded with the playing of the in particular, the South African pause. Most online sources sug- Fitzpatrick (the son of Sir Percy a nearby box housing the re- billowed and dissipated. All that SA National Anthem by the SA paratroopers. gest that the Councillor Robert Fitzpatrick) served in ‘Brydon’s mote triggering mechanism, the could be heard was the flags and Navy Band, conducted by Band- Although the Two-Minute Si- Rutherford Brydon (without Battery’ when they were killed. sentries at the memorial stood banners fluttering in the gentle master WO2 Llewellyn Arnold. lence is no longer a daily ritual, an ‘e’) had lost his son Major No doubt adding to the confu- ready to lower the SA national breeze and the distant sound of Among the guests at the com- as it was for some time during Walter Brydon in World War sion of Brydon/Brydone is the flag, and the MOTHs banners traffic in the city below. memoration service were: Mr World War I and World War I, and that this prompted him fact that the plaque, which was nearby were called to attention Suddenly, the second gun Ken Hands, who is one of Mayor II, it is still regularly used at to propose the introduction of unveiled at the Noon Gun in by Sgt Major Leon Robertson. fired – BOOM! As the smoke Harry Hands’ great-grandsons, military parades, annual com- the Two-Minute Silence of Re- 2008, spells the Councillor’s The Last Post was stirringly drifted away into the blue sky, British Consul General Edward memoration services, and other membrance. The Councillor’s name as ‘Brydon’. performed by young bugler the Bugler began to play the Roman, Gunner Kevin Ashton public events, with a bugler first surname was in fact spelt with Zubair Abader, smartly attired Reveille, signalling the end of of the Gunners Association, Mr playing the Last Post and then an ‘e’ – Brydone, and his son’s in his school’s Marching Band the two-minute silence. WP van Zyl of the Bishops Old signalling the end of the two- uniform. He is a learner from the The spectators’ attention then Diocesan Union, and represen- minute silence by playing the South African Colleges Schools shifted to the Cannon Asso- tatives of the City of Cape Town, Reveille. (SACS), which is the oldest ciation of South Africa, whose of the SA Museum and the SA For Capetonians, the firing of school in South Africa, having members had set up three quar- Naval Museum, as well as mili- the Noon Gun at 12h00, serves been founded in 1829. To this ter-pounder saluting guns on tary veterans and visitors. Royal as a daily reminder of this day, SACS continues the tradi- the hillside overlooking the har- Navy Captain Matt Syrett and hauntingly beautiful ceremony tion of sounding the Last Post bour. Under the instruction of a group of fellow officers from of giving thanks to those who at the end of each school day, Master Gunner Martin Venter the HMS Protector, the Royal survived the horrors of war and in front of the honours boards Snr, they fired a ten-gun salute, Navy’s ice patrol ship, which is honouring those who had given that list the names of past pupils at precise one-minute intervals – currently in Cape Town harbour their lives and never returned who died on military service each shot representing 10 years. for maintenance after a long de- home to their families. during the 20th century. As the These small yet surprisingly ployment in the South Atlantic, We will remember them. last notes died away, the first loud guns are locally cast rep- also attended the ceremony. gun fired a thunderous report, licas of original saluting guns, And a special visitor had trav- P.S. I would like to thank Mrs setting off car alarms nearby. which would have been placed elled all the way from Bloem- Joan Abrahams (Tannie Mossie) Everyone, military and civilian on the gunwales of ships, dating fontein to attend: Mrs Joan for the information she provid- TANNIE MOSSIE: Mrs J.C. Abrahams (Tannie Mossie) with alike, stood quietly and solemn- back to pre-1400. C. Abrahams, affectionately ed in her draft manuscript, “The ly, as the noise of the alarms died The commemoration con- known as “Tannie Mossie” (Ma paratroopers Jim Harwood and Pat Loftus. 36 37 head to head head to head French Army bayonets, knives and stabbing C -Lebel M1886. Weapons & Equipment: WW I During the early months of weapons. They were crude stab- D - Pistolet Automatique “Ruby”. This month we compare the weapons and equipment of the major combatants in the the war the French still wore bing spikes made by adding a E - F1 grenade. point to a steel stake which had F - Lebel Bayonet. First World War. blue coats and red pants. This, however, was soon changed. its rearmost section heated and G - ‘French Nail’ trench knife. British Army Up until conscription was in- were useful for this type of com- They adopted a uniform that bent into a crude handle. Three H - Ars Gas mask and case. French Nail’s could be made I - Canteen. The British Army during troduced in January 1916, Brit- bat. Some trench knives incor- was a light grey/blue. from a single Lebel bayonet. J - Mess kit. World War I fought the largest ish soldiers were volunteers. porated a ‘knuckle duster’. The standard infantry weap- The early M2 gas mask was K - Ammo bandolier. and most costly war in its long The standard uniform had on was the Lebel M1886 bolt- not very effective and these L - Backpack. history. changed since the lessons learnt Infantry Equipment action rifle. Some troops would were later replaced by the Ars At the outbreak of the war in during the Anglo Boer Wars. No A - Combat boots. also use sidearms such as the gas mask. August 1914, the British regular longer did they wear the tradi- B - Brodie helmet. Ruby M1914. tional ‘red coat’, but rather a C -Lee–Enfield Mk I. One of the unique weapons army was a small professional Infantry Equipment force. It consisted of 247,432 khaki uniform. D - Webley Mk IV. used by the French was the A - Combat boots. regular troops organised in four Most troops were armed with E - Mills bomb. ‘French Nail’. These were lo- B - M15 Casque Adrian helmet. regiments of Guards (Grena- bolt-action rifles, such as the F - Lee-Enfield Bayonet. cally fabricated and converted dier, with three Battalions; Lee-Enfield. G - Trench knife. With the introduction of gas H - Gas mask and case. Coldstream, with three Battal- US Army rator was standard issue to US tion. ions; Scots, with two Battal- to the battlefield, gas masks be- I - Canteen. U.S. service members in troops. ions; Irish with one Battalion), came vital items. J - Trenching tool. World War I came to be dubbed Like the British, the Ameri- Infantry Equipment 68 regiments of the line and the Another unique weapon was K - Mess kit. doughboys - the term most typi- cans favoured a trench knife A - Combat boots. Rifle Brigade (despite its name, the trench knife. If troops man- L - Puttee. cally was used to refer to troops that was also a ‘knuckle dust- B - Steel helmet. this was an infantry regiment), aged to breach an enemy trench, M - Ammo bandolier. deployed to Europe as part of er’. It was effective for mêlée C - Springfield M1903. 31 cavalry regiments, artillery the fighting would be at close N - Backpack. the American Expeditionary combat. D - Colt M1911. and other support arms. quarters, and knives and clubs Forces. Like the British and the E - Mk 1 Grenade. The standard infantry weap- French, US troops wore put- F - Springfield M1903 Bayonet. German Army The gas mask was also a vi- E - M1915 Stielhandgranate. ons was the bolt-action Spring- tee., a name adapted from the G - Trench knife. The Deutsches Heer (German tal component of equipment for F - Gewehr 98 Bayonet. field M1903. Hindi paṭṭī (bandage). The con- H - Gas mask and case. Imperial Army) was the name German troops. G - Trench knife. The most popular sidearm sisted of a long narrow piece of I - Canteen. given to the combined land and The trenching tool was not H - Gas mask and case. was the Colt M1911, a pistol cloth wound tightly and spirally J - Trenching tool. air forces of the German Em- only used to dig holes. It was I - Canteen. that remained in service for round the leg from the ankle to K - Mess kit. pire. also useful for mêlée combat. J - Trenching tool. many years. the knee. They served to pro- L - Ammo bandolier. The Germans wore a field Some troops would even sharp- K - Mess kit. The AEF gas mask and respi- vide both support and protec- N - Backpack. grey uniform. At the start of the en the edges of the shovel. L - Ammo bandolier. war most troops still wore the While the standard hand N - Backpack. pickelhaube, a spiked helmet. grenade was the M1915 Stiel- This was later replaced by the handgranate, the M1917 Eier- Pickelhaube distinctive stahlhelm (steel hel- handgranate was also popular met). because it was smaller and eas- The Germans used a number ier to throw. of bolt-action rifles during the war, with the Gewehr 98 be- Infantry Equipment come the standard issue. A - Combat boots. Many troops would make use B - Stahlhelm (Steel helmet). of a sidearm and a trench knife C -Gewehr 98. for mêlée combat. D - Mauser C96. 38 39 A

A Germany United Kingdom B B

C C E E D D

F F G G

I

H H I J L J K K M

N L M

40 41 A A B B

France United States

C C

E E D D

F F

G J G I

H I

J H

L

K K L

42 43 Famous figures in military history Famous figures in military history

Albatros D.Vs. Anthony Beauchamp-Proctor By the 31st, his roll had climbed to 21 victims -16 fight- Andrew (Anthony) Frederick Weatherby Beauchamp-Proctor, VC, DSO, MC and bar, DFC (4 ers and five observation aircraft. September 1894 - 21 June 1921) was a South African recipient of the Victoria Cross. He was The next day marked a change South Africa’s leading ace of World War I, credited with 54 aerial victories. Originally pub- of focus for him; he shot down lished in October 2017 edition. an observation balloon. For the remainder of his career, he eauchamp-Proctor was tered to accommodate him; his with almost triple the number would choose to blind the en- born on 4 September seat was raised so he had a bet- of successes of the second lead- emy, choosing to concentrate B1894 in Mossel Bay, ter view from the cockpit and so ing ace. He was not particularly on shooting down kite balloons Cape Province, the second son he could reach controls. Blocks esteemed as a flier, but was a and observation aircraft. of a school teacher. He was of wood were also fastened on deadly shot. Also notable is the drop in his attending the University of his rudder bar so he could reach Beauchamp-Proctor’s pilot- “out of control” victories; from Cape Town studying engineer- it. ing skills can be judged by the here on out, the record shows ing when the European war On 10 June 1917, he soloed, fact he had three landing acci- destruction after destruction of broke out. He took leave from when he had just over five hours dents before he ever shot down KNIGHTS OF THE AIR: Beauchamp-Proctor flew an SE5 dur- the enemy. his studies to join the Duke of flying time. He crashed upon an enemy plane. ing his career with the RFC/RAF. Pictured above is an SE5a, His June string would only Edinburgh’s Own Rifles (The landing, wiping out the landing Beauchamp-Proctor contin- an upgrade of the standard SE5. run to the 13th, but in that time, Dukes). He served as a signal- gear. Nevertheless, he contin- ued to fly the SE5 with modifi- he would destroy four balloons, man in the German South-West ued to fly solo. He was passed cations to the aircraft’s seat and Boudwin, who stood only two scribe a pilot who had brought an observation two-seater and Africa campaign. on to a bomber squadron, Num- controls, something his Phila- inches taller, also had to use. down at least five enemy -air a fighter. Only one fighter went In August 1915 he was de- ber 84, with a little under ten delphia-born American squad- The alterations to relatively craft. The first-ever reference down out of control. mobilised with an honorable hours flying experience. ron mate, Joseph “Child Yank” primitive controls could have in print to an air ‘ace’ appeared On the 22nd, he was awarded discharge. He promptly went When he joined 84 Squadron contributed to Beauchamp- in an article in The Times of the Military Cross. July would to work with the South African in July 1917, it was reforming Proctor’s poor airmanship. 14 September 1917, which de- pass without incident. On Au- Field Telegraph and re-enrolled as a fighter squadron. His initial confirmed victory scribed Raoul Lafayette as ‘the gust 3, he was granted one of in university. He managed to did not come until the turn of “ace” of the American Lafayette the first ever Distinguished Fly- complete his third year of col- France 1917-18 the year. On 3 January 1918, Flying Squadron.” The German ing Crosses. lege before reenlisting, this time On 23 September 1917, he sent a German two seater equivalent was Oberkanone, The break in his victory string into the Royal Flying Corps the unit went to France fly- ‘down out of control’. He then which means ‘top gun’. lasted almost a month, as he (RFC), in March 1917. ing SE5s. Under the com- claimed victories four more Although the definition var- went on home leave and helped He was accepted as an Air mand of Major William times in February, becoming an ied from country to country and a recruitment drive for the RAF. Mechanic Third Class. From Sholto Douglas the unit ace on its final day. Only one of was never officially approved, On 8 August, he returned there he passed on to pilot train- became one of the most his first five victories resulted it was used during both World and resumed with tally number ing at the School of Military effective scout squadrons in the destruction of an enemy; Wars, with aces universally 29, another balloon. On Au- Aeronautics at Oxford in Eng- in the RFC/RAF during the other four were planes sent hailed as heroes. gust 9 Beauchamp-Proctor was land, where he was also com- 1918. down as ‘out of control’. In April Beauchamp-Proctor leading No. 84 Squadron on a missioned. The squadron would March brought him four more claimed only one kill. Among patrol over their base at Ber- Learning to fly presented a be credited with a victories; three of them were his 11 victories for the month of tangles, with Boudwin and six- slight problem for Beauchamp- victory total of scored within five minutes on May were five on 19 May. On foot-four tall Hugh Saunders as Proctor - he stood only five feet 323, and would the 17th. With five kills to his that morning, he knocked an wingmen, and got involved in a two inches tall. This meant he produce 25 name Beauchamp-Proctor was enemy observation plane out of heated engagement at 2:00 pm, was unable to see out of the aces. However, now regarded as an ‘ace’. the battle; fifteen minutes later, that involved the threesome in cockpit and his feet couldn’t Beauchamp- The term ‘ace’ - or, more pre- he destroyed an Albatross D.V combat against Fokker D.VII reach the rudder bars. Proctor would cisely ‘fighter ace’ - was first scout. That evening, at about fighters of JG I, led that day by His aircraft seating was al- be pre-eminent, used during World War I to de- 6:35 PM, he downed three more the future Nazi Reichsmarschall 44 45 Hermann Göring. list ran to a total of 54; two (and turned to South Africa where he Distinguished Service Order burnt a hostile balloon; on Oc- He would claim an additional one shared) captured enemy was given a state funeral. “A fighting pilot of great tober 5, the third hostile balloon 14 victories, and end the month aircraft, 13 (and three shared) There still exists confusion skill, and a splendid leader. He near Bohain. with his claims list extended to balloons destroyed, 15 (and over Beauchamp-Proctor’s giv- rendered brilliant service on the On October 8, 1918, while 43. one shared) aircraft destroyed, en name. For decades he was 22nd August, when his Flight flying home at a low altitude, One memorable day was the and 15 (and one shared) aircraft listed as “Anthony” but more was detailed to neutralise hos- after destroying an enemy two- 22nd; he attacked a line of six ‘out of control’. recent scholarship indicates tile balloons. Having shot down seater near Maretz, he was enemy balloon over the British His 16 balloons downed made “Andrew”, which apparently is one balloon in flames, he at- painfully wounded in the arm 3rd Corps front. He set the first him the leading British Empire the name on his tombstone. tacked the occupants of five by machine-gun fire, but, con- one afire with his machine guns balloon buster. others in succession with ma- tinuing, he landed safely at his- and forced the other five to the On 2 November, he had been Citations chine-gun fire, compelling the aerodrome, and after making ground, the observers taking to awarded a Distinguished Ser- Military Cross occupants in each case to take his report was admitted to hos- their parachutes. vice Order, crowned by the Vic- “For conspicuous gallantry to parachutes. pital. His 15 ‘kills’ for August toria Cross later in the month, and devotion to duty. While on He then drove down another In all he has proved himself would include five balloons, all on the 30th. offensive patrol he observed balloon to within fifty feet of conqueror over fifty-four foes, destroyed, and two more two- an enemy two-seater plane at- the ground, when it burst into destroying twenty-two enemy seater planes. He was now up to Post war tempting to cross our lines. He flames. In all he has accounted machines, sixteen enemy kite 43 victories. September claims He was discharged from hos- engaged it and opened fire, with for thirty-three enemy machines balloons, and driving down six- would be all balloons - four of pital in March 1919 and em- the result that it fell over on its and seven balloons.” teen enemy aircraft completely them. barked on a four month long side and crashed to earth. DSO citation, out of control. In the first few days of Oc- lecture tour of the USA, before On a later occasion, when on Supplement to the Captain Beauchamp-Proc- tober, he would destroy three returning to England and quali- patrol, he observed three en- The final resting place of London Gazette, tor’s work in attacking enemy more balloons and three Fokker fying as a seaplane pilot with emy scouts attacking one of our Captain Beauchamp-Proctor. 2 November 1918 troops on the ground and in re- D.VII fighters, one of which a permanent commission as a bombing machines. He was one of only 19 pilots connaissance during the with- burned. Another D.VII spun Flight Lieutenant in the RAF. He attacked one of these, and that were awarded the Victoria Victoria Cross drawal following on the Battle down out of control. After his VC investiture at after firing 100 rounds in it, it Cross during World War I. “Between August 8, 1918, of St. Quentin from March 21, On 8 October he was hit by Buckingham Palace in No- fell over on its back and was and October 8, 1918, this of- 1918, and during the victorious ground fire and wounded in the vember 1919 he was awarded seen to descend in that posi- tor, M.C. A brilliant and fearless ficer proved himself victor in advance of our Armies com- arm, ending his front line ser- a year’s leave, and this enabled tion from 5,000 feet. He then leader of our offensive patrols. twenty-six decisive combats, mencing on August 8, has been vice. him finish his BSc degree in attacked another group of hos- His formation has destroyed destroying twelve enemy kite almost unsurpassed in its Bril- Up until the end of May, he Engineering. tile scouts, one of which he shot thirteen enemy machines and balloons, ten enemy aircraft, liancy, and. as such has made an destroyed six enemy planes down completely out of con- brought down thirteen more out and driving down four other en- impression on those serving in single-handed, and shared the Death trol, and another crumpled up of control in a period of a few emy aircraft completely out of his squadron and those around destruction of two others. He He was killed on the 21 June and crashed to earth. months. control. him that will not be easily for- drove ten down out of control, 1921 in a training accident fly- In addition to these, he has On a recent morning his pa- Between October 1, 1918, gotten. and shared in another ‘out of ing a Sopwith Snipe, in prepa- destroyed another hostile ma- trol of five aeroplanes attacked and October 5, 1918, he de- Capt. Beauchamp-Proctor control’ victory. Two of his vic- ration for an air show at the chine, and shot down three an enemy formation of thirty stroyed two enemy scouts, burnt was awarded Military Cross on tims were captured. RAF Hendon. completely out of control. He machines and was successful three enemy kite balloons, and 22 June 1918; D.F. Cross on 2 Certainly a creditable record, His aircraft went into a vi- has at all times displayed the in destroying two of them. In drove down one enemy scout July 1918; Bar to M.C. on 16 and like many other aces, with cious spin after performing a utmost dash and initiative, and the evening he again attacked completely out of control. On September 1918; and Distin- no conquests over balloons. slow loop, and he was killed in is a patrol leader of great merit an enemy formation with great October 1, 1918, in a general guished Service Order on 2 No- Balloons, with all the anti-air- the ensuing crash. At least one and resource.” dash, destroying one machine engagement with about twenty- vember 1918.” craft artillery guarding them, observer remarked that the loss MC citation, and forcing two others to col- eight machines, he crashed one VC citation, and patrolling fighter airplanes of control and subsequent crash Supplement to the lide, resulting in their destruc- Fokker biplane near Fontaine Supplement to the ready to intercede for them, of the aircraft could have been London Gazette, tion.” and a second near Ramicourt; London Gazette, were very dangerous targets. linked to Proctor’s diminutive 22 June 1918 DFC citation, on October 2 he burnt a hostile 30 November 1918 Commonly they were hunted size. Supplement to the balloon near Selvjgny; on Oc- by co-ordinated packs of at- He was originally buried Distinguished Flying Cross London Gazette, tober 3 he drove down, com- tacking fighters. at Upavon, Wiltshire, but in “Lt. (T./Capt.) Andrew 3 August 1918 pletely out of control, an enemy Beauchamp-Proctor’s victory August 1921 his body was re- Weatherby Beauchamp-Proc- scout near Mont d’Origny, and 46 47 Famous figures in military history Famous figures in military history

(United Kingdom) under Sir perable but Ackroyd, bespecta- Harold Ackroyd Henry Rawlinson. cled and stooping, was so cool The unassuming, bespectacled World War I medical officer that did everything in his power On 1 July the British launched and purposeful and methodical to save the lives of others. Originally published in April 2018 edition. what was to become known as that he cleared the whole wood the Battle of the Somme. By of wounded British and Bosh as nstituted on 29 January ited a sizable fortune from his Guy’s Hospital, London. It was the end of the first advance, the well.” 1856 by Queen Victoria to mother`s family in 1878 and here that he was appointed as a division had covered 2,743 me- Harold rescued many of the honour acts of valour dur- became Chairman of the South- House Officer. tres on a 2,286 metre front and wounded from the 1st Infan- I had seized Montauban Ridge try Brigade (South Africa) and ing the Crimean War, the Vic- port and Cheshire Lines Ex- He then went on to hospital toria Cross (VC) is the highest tension Railway, a change in appointments at the Birming- on the west end of Montauban there is a memorial to him in the village. Six hundred and ninety room commemorating Delville award of the United Kingdom fortune which made a private ham General Hospital and the Hertfordshire where their third honours system. It is awarded education possible. David Lewis Northern Hospi- five prisoners had been taken Wood at Fort Beaufort Histori- child, Anthony, was born in but the division suffered 3,307 cal Museum, South Africa. He for gallantry “in the presence of Schooled at Mintholme Col- tal, Liverpool. 1914. the enemy” to members of the lege and Shrewsbury School, In 1908 he secured a British casualties. left the battalion on 11 August British armed forces. It may be Harold then gained entry to Medical Association scholar- Delville Wood became the 1916 to return to England on Military Career grave of the 53rd Brigade. It sick leave. awarded posthumously. Gonville and Caius College, ship and became a Research Britain entered World War I A total of 1,358 Victoria Cambridge. Scholar at Downing College, was here during fierce fighting Harold had been wounded at on 4 August 1914. Harold was for the possession of the wood Delville Wood, although the na- Crosses have been awarded He completed his Bachelor in the Pharmacological Labora- very patriotic and, despite be- since 1856 and only three peo- of Arts degree in 1899 and con- tory and then in the Institute for on 19 July 1916 that Harold ture and extent of his wound is ing deeply involved in scien- Ackroyd acted with such brav- not known. He was granted six ple have been awarded a bar tinued his medical studies at the study of Animal Nutrition, tific research at Cambridge, to the Victoria Cross. In other Department of Agriculture, ery that he was recommended weeks sick leave. he decided to join the army in eleven times for the award of After only a week back home, words, they were awarded the Cambridge. early 1915. medal twice. Harold worked with Sir Fred- the Victoria Cross. He was Harold decided that he wanted He was commissioned Tem- eventually awarded the Mili- to return to the front. The greatest number of Vic- erick Gowland Hopkins, Pro- porary Lieutenant in the Royal toria Crosses won in a single fessor of Biochemistry and tary Cross for this action. He stated in a letter to his Army Medical Corps on 15 Part of the citation for his brother Edward, dated 4 Sep- conflict was World War I, when published three papers on Pu- February 1915 and was at- 628 were awarded. rine metabolism. medal read: tember, “I am now quite well tached as Medical Officer to “For conspicuous gallantry and fit to return to duty”. Without doubt, to be recom- While at Cambridge, Harold the 6th Battalion of the Royal mended for a VC the nominee met Mabel Robina Smythe, the and devotion to duty during He could not understand why Berkshire Regiment. operations. He attended the he had been given so much sick would have had to have dem- matron of Strangeways Hos- They formed part of the 53rd onstrated exceptional gallantry. pital. On 1 August 1908 they wounded under heavy fire, and leave and called the Army Med- Infantry Brigade in the 18th finally, when he had seen that ical Board “a bunch of old fos- Harold Ackroyd was recom- married and lived in Great Division. and sailed for France mended for the VC not once, Shelford where their children all our wounded from behind sils.” on 25 July 1915. They were the line had been got in, he He also said ″I would hate not twice, but a remarkable 34 Ursual (1909) and Stephen posted to the Somme front tak- times. (1912) were born. went out beyond the front line the Battalion to go into action ing over a portion of the front and brought in both our own without me″. He was passed fit They moved line held by the 5th Division on Medical Career to Royston, and enemy wounded, although for service on 3 October and on 22 August. By the end of 1915 continually sniped at.” 20 October was awarded the Born in Southport, the 18th Division had suffered Lancashire on 18 Harold was described as a Military Cross for his actions in 1,247 casualties, the quietest heroic figure during those two Delville Wood. He rejoined the July 1877, Har- four months in its history! old Ackroyd days of July. In his book “The regiment in November 1916. was the young- 18th Division in the Great War” The Somme Captain G H F Nicholls writes, Ypres est son of Ed- Harold was promoted to tem- ward Ackroyd. “The fighting was so confused During July 1917 preparation porary captain on 15 February and the wood so hard to search was being made for the Ypres Harold’s fa- 1916. The 18th Division was ther had inher- that the difficulties in evacuat- Offensive, the third Battle of now part of the Fourth Army ing the wounded seemed insu- Ypres that became known as 48 49 the Battle of Passchendaele. to the supreme heights that day. son Stephen received both the The battle commenced on 31 He seemed to be everywhere; Victoria Cross and the Military quiz July 1917. The role of the 18th he tended and bandaged scores Cross from King George V. Division was to leapfrog the of men for to him fell the rush Part of the citation for his 30th Division (United King- of cases around Clapham Junc- medal reads: World War I Quiz dom) after they had taken what tion and towards Hooge. But no “For most conspicuous brav- his month we’re looking at World War I. Here are 38 questions, some easy, others not so easy. became known as “the Black wounded man was treated hur- ery. During recent operations How many of these can you answer? Answers of page 76. Line” through Glencorse Wood. riedly or unskilfully. Ackroyd Capt. Ackroyd displayed the T Disaster struck and by a trag- worked as stoically as if he greatest gallantry and devotion ic mistake the 30th Division were in the quiet of an operat- to duty. Utterly regardless of 1. By what name was German infantry wheeled to their left ing theatre. Complete absorp- danger, he worked continuously 14. Who was the most decorated name applied to the battle of World War I flying ace Man- and assaulted Chateau Wood tion in his work was probably for many hours up and down American of World War I? Verdun? fred von Richthoffen better instead of Glencorse Wood. his secret. When it was all over and in front of the line tend- 15. During which battle did the 28. According to the legend, known as? The misleading information there were 23 separate recom- ing the wounded and saving the British suffer more than how did the soldiers of the 2. Who was South Africa’s that Glencorse Wood was in Brit- mendations of his name for the lives of officers and men. In so 60,000 casualties in one Paris garrison reach the bat- leading air ace during World ish hands caused the 53rd Bri- Victoria Cross.” doing he had to move across the day? tle of the Marne in Septem- War I? gade to plunge into a fatal gap. Harold came through 31 July open under heavy machine-gun, 16. Where was the armistice ber 1914? 3. What was the first prototype During 31 July and 1 August unscathed but died eleven days rifle and shell fire. He carried signed after the end of the 29. Which German commander tank in World War I named? the 53rd Brigade fought against later on 11 August in Jargon a wounded officer to a place war? was the last to surrender? 4. Who wrote the book, The a fully prepared enemy for Trench on the western edge of of safety under very heavy fire. 17. Who commanded the British 30. Which statesman signed the Seven Pillars of Wisdom? ground which the 30th Division Glencorse Wood, shot in the On another occasion he went fleet at the Battle of Jutland? Treaty of Versailles on be- 5. The United States joined should have taken. This fate- head by a sniper. He was 40 some way in front of our ad- 18. Which French hero of World half of France? World War I after what ship ful error caused the offensive years old. Harold`s body was vanced line and brought in a War I was tried for treason 31. Where did the Italian army was sunk by a German sub- in Glencorse Wood to be held evacuated and buried in Birr wounded man under continu- after World War II? suffer a disastrous defeat in marine? up for several days with fierce Cross Roads Cemetery, Zil- ous sniping and machine-gun 19. Where was the German fleet the autumn of 1917? 6. The assassination of Arch- fighting throughout this period. lebecke near Ypres. His head- fire. His heroism was the means scuttled in 1919? 32. Who did General Luden- duke Franz Ferdinand and Captain Nicholls in his histo- stone reads “Believed to be bur- of saving many lives, and pro- 20. At which battle was poison dorff and Field Marshal Paul his wife on June 28, 1914 ry of the 18th Division records ied in this cemetery.” vided a magnificent example of gas first used? von Hindenburg replace as is said to be the catalyst of ″in all that hellish turmoil, there Harold’s Victoria Cross was courage, cheerfulness, and de- 21. When was Archduke Fer- the supreme command of WWI. What was unusual had been one quiet figure, most gazetted on 6 September 1917. termination to the fighting men dinand assassinated? When the German army? about the licence plate of the heroic, most wonderful of all. A medal investiture was held in whose midst he was carrying did the USA join World War 33. On which part of the Turk- vehicle they were assassi- Dr Ackroyd, the 6th Berks Med- outside Buckingham Palace on out his splendid work. This gal- I? ish coast did allied troops nated in? ical Officer, a stooping, grey 26 September 1917. His widow lant officer has since been killed 22. Who led Germany to victory land on 25 April 1915? 7. Who was the most success- haired, bespectacled man rose Mabel and their five-year-old in action.” over Russia at Tannenburg 34. In which Belgian town did ful Allied pilot in World War in 1914? the British Expeditionary I? 23. Which Russian general Force start and end the war 8. Who was the German 48- committed suicide after suf- for Britain? ton howitzer ‘Big Bertha’ fering defeat at the battle of 35. Where did the only large- named after? Tannenburg? scale clash of the British and 9. By what name were tanks 24. What does the acronym An- German fleets take place? originally known as? zac stand for? 36. What rank did Adolf Hitler 10. By what names was World 25. Which general led the Amer- reach in World War I? War I also known as? ican Expeditionary Force on 37. Was Hitler ever decorated 11. Who shot and killed Arch- the western front? for bravery in World War I? duke Franz Ferdinand? 26. Which German cruiser 38. How many times as Cap- 12. Which was the first country caused havoc in the Indian tain Harold Ackroyd rec- to use gas during World War and Pacific Oceans before ommended for the Victoria I? finally being sunk by HMAS Cross? 13. By what name was Margare- Sydney? tha Zelle better known? 27. What was the grim nick-

50 51 Forged in kers, often made of concrete. normally have taken heavy times, with siege engines which Once the bombardment casualties doing so. were able to provide protection battle stopped, those on the receiving Front line trenches were usu- for troops moving up against end knew that the attack was ally backed up with a second, stone walls or other fortifica- about to be launched. third, or more lines of trench- tions. They would climb from their es. A counter-attack would be Research took place in both WW I Tanks bunkers, take up their positions launched and the status-qua Great Britain and France, with in the trench, and set up the ma- would be restored. Germany only belatedly fol- They were slow and unreliable, yet the introduction of the tank in World War I changed the face chine guns. The alarmingly heavy casu- lowing the Allies’ lead. of warfare forever. Normally all the artillery alties were becoming unaccept- In Great Britain, an initial ve- bombardment would achieve able Some weapon or tactic had hicle, nicknamed Little Willie, y August 1915 the and advance, bayonets fixed, Those on the receiving end of would be to churn up ‘No- to be developed to address the was constructed at William Fos- ‘Great War’ had been at a slow pace towards the en- the bombardment would sit in man’s Land’, the situation. ter & Co., during August and Braging for more than a emy lines. The procedure was their bunkers dug into the side The advancing troops would Although vehicles that in- September 1915.The prototype year. A stalemate existed along known as “going over the top.” of the trenches and merely wait be cut down. Usually before corporated the basic principles of a new design that became the entire Western Front. There was, however, a few for the bombardment to end. they had advanced more than a of the tank (armour, firepower, the Mark I tank was demon- The routine would usually be problems with this tactic. First This was particularly true of few dozen paces. and all-terrain mobility) had strated to the British Army on the same for both sides. An at- of all the artillery bombard- the Germans Even if the attackers did been projected in the decade February 2 1916. Although in- tack would be planned against a ments would cause relatively who had well manage to capture a section of or so before the War, it was the itially termed “Landships” by section of enemy trench. few casualties to constructed bun- trench, they would alarmingly heavy casualties of the Landship Committee, pro- The attack itself would be the other the start of its trench warfare duction vehicles were named preceded by an artillery bom- side. that stimulated development. “tanks”, to preserve secrecy. bardment that would sometimes The conceptual roots The term was chosen when it last for up to three days. Tons of the tank go became known that the factory of high explosive shells back to an- workers at William Foster re- were dropped onto cient ferred to the first prototype as the enemy’s po- “the tank” because of its resem- sition. blance to a steel water tank. Once the ar- The French fielded their first tillery ceased, tanks in April 1917 and ulti- troops would mately produced far more climb out of tanks than all other com- their trenches

52 53 batants combined. Driver’s cab The Germans, on the other Exhaust silencer Driver’s visor hand, began development only Semaphore in response to the appearance of signalling equipment Steering levers Allied tanks on the battlefield. Whilst the Allies manufactured Port-side sponson several thousand tanks during the War, Germany deployed Exhaust pipe only 20 of her own. The Landships Commit- Rear machine tee was created by Winston gun Churchill in February 1915. A requirement was formulated for an armoured vehicle capable of 6 km/h, climbing a 1.5 m high parapet, crossing a 2.4 metre PROTOTYPE: ‘Little Willie’ was the first tank to be designed by wide gap, and armed with ma- the British. chine guns and a light artillery Six-pounder gun piece. finally accepted as its official practice, their speed on broken William Foster & Co. Ltd designation. From then on, the ground could be as little as 1,6 Starboard-side sponson were awarded a contract in July term “tank” was established km/h. 1915. Their brief was to pro- among British and also German The first use of tanks on the duce a proof-of-concept vehi- soldiers. battlefield was the use of Brit- Ricardo 150 RP 6 cylinder cle with two tracks, based on While in German Tank spe- ish Mark I tanks at the Battle Gas tank gasoline engine a lengthened Bullock tractor cifically refers to the World of Flers-Courcelette (part of Starting handle British Mk V tank - 1918 chassis. Construction work be- War I type (as opposed to mod- the Battle of the Somme) on 15 gan three weeks later. ern Panzer), in English, Rus- September 1916, with mixed They built the 14 ton “Little sian and other languages the results; many broke down, but employment of small numbers barbed wire. tures inside could reach 50°C. Willie”, which first ran on 8 name even for contemporary nearly a third succeeded in of tanks at this battle. They felt It was still common for them Entire crews lost consciousness September. Powered by a 105 armoured vehicles is still based breaking through. the British had sacrificed the se- to get stuck, especially in larg- inside the tanks, or collapsed hp (78 kW) Daimler engine, the on the word tank. Of the forty-nine tanks crecy of the weapon while em- er bomb craters, but overall the when again exposed to fresh air. three metre armoured box was The first 50 tanks were deliv- shipped to the Somme, only ploying it in numbers too small rhomboid shape allowed for ex- Crews learned how to create initially fitted with a low Bull- ered to France by 30 August. thirty-two were able to begin to be decisive. treme terrain mobility. and leave behind supply dumps ock caterpillar. Tanks were classified as either the first attack in which they Considering that the Brit- Most World War I tanks could of fuel, motor oil, and tread The Landships Committee ‘male’ or ‘female’. were used and only nine made ish attack was part of an An- travel only at about a walking grease, and converted obsolete looked for an appropriate code The male tank was armed it across “no man’s land” to the glo-French offensive while the pace at best. Their steel armour models into supply vehicles for term for the vehicles. Facto- with two 6-pounder cannon and German lines. Russians were also attacking could stop small arms fire and newer ones. ry workers assembling the three Hotchkiss machine guns, The tanks had been rushed at the same time, Haig felt jus- fragments from high-explosive To counter the danger of bullet vehicles had been told they while the female tank had four into combat before the design tified in making a maximum artillery shells. However they splash or fragments knocked off were producing “mobile wa- Vickers machine guns and one was mature enough (against effort, regardless of the limita- were vulnerable to a direct hit the inside of the hull, the crew ter tanks” for desert warfare in Hotchkiss. Churchill’s and Ernest Swin- tions of the tank force. from artillery and mortar shells. wore helmets with goggles and Mesopotamia. Water Container They carried a crew of eight, ton’s wishes)and the number The Mark I tanks were capa- The environment inside was chainmail masks. Fragments was therefore considered but four of whom were needed to was small but their use gave ble of performing on the real extremely unpleasant; as ven- were not as dangerous as fire, rejected because the committee handle the steering and drive important feedback on how to battlefield of World War I, one tilation was inadequate the at- because of explosive fumes and would inevitably be known as gears. The tanks were capable design newer tanks, the sound- of the most difficult battlefield mosphere was heavy with poi- the large amount of fuel aboard; the WC Committee (WC mean- of, at best, 6 km/h, matching ness of the concept, and their terrains ever. They did have sonous carbon monoxide from smoking was prohibited inside ing water closet was a common the speed of marching infantry potential to affect the course of reliability problems, but when the engine and firing the weap- and within 18 metres outside British term for a toilet). with whom they were to be in- the war. they were working they could ons, fuel and oil vapours from tanks. The term tank, as in water tegrated to aid in the destruc- On the other hand, the French cross trenches or craters of 2.7 the engine and cordite fumes Gas masks were also stand- tank, was in December 1915 tion of enemy machine guns. In Army was critical of the British metres and drive right through from the weapons. Tempera- ard issue, as they were to all 54 55 soldiers at this point in the war they were unable to cross the enough to defeat the standard tanks to battle in that year. due to the use of chemical war- first line of German trenches. German armour-piercing bullet. Finally, in a preview of later fare. The side armour of 8 mm Germany concentrated more The continued need for four developments, the British de- initially made them largely im- on the development of anti-tank men to drive the tank was veloped the Whippet. This tank mune to small arms fire, but weapons than on development solved with the Mark V which was specifically designed to could be penetrated by the re- of tanks themselves. They only used Wilson’s epicyclic gear- exploit breaches in the enemy cently developed armour-pierc- developed one type of tank ing in 1918. Also in 1918 the front with its relatively high- ing K bullets. which saw combat in the war. French produced the Renault er speed (around 12.8 km/h vs There was also the danger of The A7V Sturmpanzerwagen FT, the result of a co-operation 4-6 km/h for the British heavy being overrun by infantry and was designed in 1917 and was between Estienne and Louis tanks). attacked with grenades. The used in battle from March 1918. Renault. As mentioned before, The Whippet was faster than next generation had thicker ar- It was manned by a crew of 18, it had the innovative turret po- most other tanks, although it mour, making them nearly im- and had eight machine guns and sition, and was operated by two carried only machine gun arma- mune to the K bullets. a 57mm cannon. Only 20 A7Vs men. At just 8 tons it was half ment, meaning it was not suited In response, the Germans de- were produced during the war. the weight of the Medium A to combat with armoured vehi- veloped a larger purpose-made The first battle in which tanks Whippet but the version with cles but instead with infantry. anti-tank rifle, the 3.7 cm TAK made a great impact was the the cannon had more firepower. Postwar tank designs reflected 1918 anti-tank gun, and also a PROTECTION: Splash mask used by tank crews in World War Battle of Cambrai in 1917. Brit- It was conceived for mass pro- this trend towards greater tacti- Geballte Ladung (“Bunched I as protection against shell splinters. ish Colonel J.F.C. Fuller, chief duction, and the FT became the cal mobility. Charge”) - several regular stick of staff of the Tank Corps, was most produced tank of World It must have been terrifying grenades bundled together for a combined with a hull that over- the first tank to incorporate a responsible for the tanks’ role War I by a wide margin, with for the first German troops that much bigger explosion. hung front and rear. It was un- top-mounted turret with a full in the battle. They made an un- over 3,000 delivered to the encountered tanks on the bat- France at the same time de- reliable as well; a maximum of 360° traverse capability. In fact precedented breakthrough but, French Army. Large numbers tlefield. Watching these steel veloped its own tracked AFVs, only about 130 of the 400 built the FT was in many respects the as ever on the Western front, were used by the Americans monsters lumbering towards but the situation there was very were ever operational at the first truly ‘modern’ tank having the opportunity was not exploit- and several were also lent to the them and impervious to their different. In Britain a single same time. a layout that has been followed ed. Ironically, it was the soon- British. bullets. committee had coordinated de- Then industrial rivalry be- by almost all designs ever since: to-be-supplanted horse cavalry In July 1918, the French While early tanks were slow sign, and had to overcome the gan to play a detrimental role: driver at the front; main arma- that had been assigned the task used 480 tanks (mostly FTs) and unreliable, there is little initial resistance of the Army, it created the heavy Char St ment in a fully rotating turret on of following up the motorised at the Battle of Soissons, and doubt that the introduction of while the major industries re- Chamond, a parallel develop- top; engine at the rear. tank attack. there were even larger assaults the tank changed the face of mained passive. ment not ordered by the Army French production at first Tanks became more effective planned for the next year. warfare. Almost all production effort but approved by government lagged behind the British. After as the lesson of the early tanks In Plan 1919, the Entente While Germany may not was thus concentrated into the through industrial lobby, which August 1916 however, British was absorbed. The British pro- hoped to commit over 30,000 have paid much heed to the Mark I and its direct successors, mounted much more impres- tank manufacture was tempo- duced the Mark IV in 1917. tank in World War I, the lessons all very similar in shape. In sive weaponry - its 75 mm was rarily halted to wait for better Similar to the early Marks in ap- had not gone unnoticed. This France, on the other hand, there the most powerful gun field- designs, allowing the French to pearance, its construction was was something that the world were multiple and conflicting ed by any operational tank up overtake their allies in numbers. considered to produce a more would realise when 21 years lines of development which till 1941 - but also combined When the French used tanks reliable machine, the later, on 1 September 1939, the were badly integrated, resulting many of the Schneider CA’s for the first time on 16 April long-barrelled naval first panzer columns rolled into in three major and quite dispa- faults with an even larger over- 1917, during the Nivelle Offen- guns were short- Poland. rate production types. hanging body. Its innovative sive, they had four times more ened (the barrels The first French tanks were petro-electrical transmission, tanks available. But that did not of the earlier, poorly designed with respect to while allowing for easy steer- last long as the offensive was longer guns the need to cross trenches and ing, was insufficiently devel- a major failure; the Schneiders were prone to did not take the sponson-mount- oped and led to a large number were badly deployed and suf- digging in the ing route of the British tanks. of breakdowns fered 50% losses from German mud when ne- The first, the Char Schneider It was Renault’s excellent long-range artillery. gotiating ob- CA equipped with a short 75 small tank design, the FT, in- The Saint-Chamond tanks, stacles) and mm howitzer, had poor mobil- corporating a proper climbing first deployed on 5 May, proved armour was Renault FT ity due to a short track length face for the tracks, that was to be so badly designed that increased just 56 57 For as long as warfare existed, it was fought on land happened over Rheims, France. and sea. In 1914, however, the skies over Europe would become a new battlefield. Machine guns battlefield Once machine guns were mounted to the plane, either on a flexible mounting or higher About 10 years after the Wright broth- tres. We had better get accustomed to on the wings of early biplanes, ers made the first powered flight, there this idea, and prepare ourselves.” the era of air combat began. was still much to be improved upon. Be- – Giulio Douhet The biggest problem was cause of limitations of the engine power (Italian staff officer), 1909. mounting a machine gun onto of the time, the effective payload of air- The word “fighter” did not become an aircraft so that it could be craft was extremely limited. the official English term for such- air fired forward, through the pro- They were made mostly of hardwood craft until after World War I. In Great peller, and aimed by pointing (braced with steel wires) and linen fab- Britain’s Royal Flying Corps – later the the nose of the aircraft directly ric doped with flammable liquid to give Royal Air Force – these aircraft contin- at the enemy. them the stiffness required to form a ued to be referred to as “scouts” into the Roland Garros solved this problem by mounting steel de- wing surface. early 1920s. RED BARON: A DR-1 Fokker Triplane similar to the one flown Aside from these primitive ma- The U.S. Army called their fighters by Baron Manfred von Richthofen - the famed ‘Red Baron’. His flector wedges to the propeller D terials, the rudimentary “pursuit” aircraft (reflected by their Jasta (squadron) all flew brightly coloured aircraft and were of a Morane Saulnier mono- aviation engi- designation in the “P” series) from 1916 known as ‘Von Richthofen’s Flying Circus’. Von Richthofen was plane. He achieved three kills, until the late 1940s. In the French, Por- the top ace of World War I, downing a total of 80 allied aircraft. but was shot down behind en- o tuguese and German languages the term Von Richthofen was shot down and killed near Amiens on 21 emy lines, and captured before used (and still in use) for fight- April 1918. He was 25 years old. he could destroy his plane by g ers literally means burning it. “hunter”. ern day usage of the word comes The wreckage was brought Knights of the air to Anthony Fokker, a Dutch This lead has from Fly Papers, by A. E. Il- Enemy pilots at first simply been followed lingworth, in 1919, “The bat- designer who built aircraft for f exchanged waves, or shook the Germans. Fokker decided in most other tle develops into a ‘dog-fight’, their fists at each other. Due to languages, an small groups of machines en- that the wedges were much too weight restrictions, only small risky, and improved the design i gaging each other in a fight to weapons could be carried on the death.” by connecting the trigger of an board. MG 08 Maxim machine gun to Dogfighting first emerged in Intrepid pilots decided to in- g neer- World War I. Ever since “heav- the timing of the engine. ing of the terfere with enemy reconnais- ier than air” flight became a re- sance by improvised means, time meant most aircraft ex- ality in 1903, people had been Air superiority h were structurally fragile by later stand- including throwing bricks, The Germans acquired an ception be- trying to figure out how to use grenades and sometimes rope, ards, and not infrequently broke up in ing Russian, in which the this new technology for war- early air superiority due to the flight especially when performing vio- which they hoped would entan- invention of the synchroniza- t fighter is called “istrebitel”, meaning fare. gle the enemy plane’s propeller. lent combat manoeuvres such as pulling “exterminator”. Aircraft were initially used tion gear in 1915, transforming up from steep dives. This progressed to pilots air combat with the Fokker E.I, as mobile observation vehi- firing hand-held guns at en- s As early as 1909, these evolving fly- Dogfights cles, and early pilots gave little the first synchronized, forward ing machines were recognised to be not emy planes, such as pistols firing fighter plane. The term dogfight has been used for thought to aerial combat. Bal- and carbines. In August 1914, just toys, but weapons: centuries to describe a melee; a fierce loons had been used for this On the evening of 1 July 1915, “The sky is about to become another Staff-Captain Pyotr Nesterov, the very first aerial engagement battle between two or more opponents. purpose since the Siege of Paris from Russia, became the first battlefield no less important than the The term gained popularity during by the Prussians in 1871. by a fighter plane armed with battlefields on land and sea....In order pilot to ram his plane into an a synchronized, forward-firing World War II, although its origin in air The new airplanes proved enemy spotter aircraft. to conquer the air, it is necessary to de- combat can be traced to the latter years their worth by spotting the hid- machine gun occurred just to prive the enemy of all means of flying, In October 1914, the first the east of Luneville, France. of World War I. den German advance on Paris airplane to be shot down by a by striking at him in the air, at his bases The first written reference to the mod- in the second month of the war. The German Fokker E.I was of operation, or at his production cen- hand gun from another plane flown by Lieutenant Kurt Win- 58 59 tgens, earning the victory over probably no more than 250 or pointed commander-in-chief Prior to that many American a French two-seat observation 300 feet. I had time to take a of the Luftwaffe in World War pilots flew for the Lafayette Es- monoplane. good look at my opponent.... II. He was also one of the most cadrille (Lafayette Squadron) Later that same month, on When he had come down to powerful figures in the Nazi which was established in 1916 25 July 1915, British Royal about three hundred feet he Party. During World War I he under French command. The Flying Corps (RFC) Major La- tried to escape by flying in a became an ace with 22 victo- volunteers had come to France noe Hawker, flying a very ear- zig-zag course during which, as ries and he also commanded the to help during World War I. ly production Bristol Scout C., is well known, it is difficult for famed “Flying Circus”, Jagdg- Eddie Rickenbacker was the attacked three separate aircraft an observer to shoot. eschwader 1. top American ace with 26 kills. during a single sortie, shooting That was my most favoura- The top Allied ace of the war He was awarded the Medal of down two with a non-synchro- ble moment. I followed him at was René Fonck of the French Honor during World War I. nizable Lewis gun which was an altitude of from two hundred Aéronautique Militaire with 75 South African pilots in World mounted next to his cockpit at and fifty feet to one hundred kills. After the war he became War I flew for the Royal Flying an outwards angle to avoid hit- and fifty feet, firing all the time. the Inspector of French fighter Corps and later the Royal Air ting the propeller. He forced the The Englishman could not help forces from 1937 to 1939. Force. They had six pilots that third one down, and was award- falling. But the jamming of my Canadian Billy Bishop ended achieved 20 or more kills and ed the Victoria Cross. A PUP WITH BITE: A replica of a British Sopwith Pup, one of gun nearly robbed me of my the war with 72 kills. He was one of them was killed in action. the better Allied airplanes of World War I. Others included the success. My opponent fell, shot awarded the Victoria Cross. Af- Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor Technological advantage Sopwith Camel and Sopwith Snipe. Some of the best French through the head, one hundred ter the war, in 1929, he became was the top South African pi- Battles in the air increased planes were the Nieuport and Spad series. Some of the best and fifty feet behind our line. Chairman of British Air Lines. lot with 54 kills. He first served as the technological advantage German planes were the Fokker series and the Pfalz D.XII. Another famous German ace Edward Mannock of the Roy- as a signalman with the Duke swung from the British to the While only 36 Fokker D.VIII monoplanes entered service they was Ernst Udet. He achieved 62 al Flying Corps scored 61 kills. of Edinburgh’s Own Rifles in Germans, then back again. were regarded as excellent fighters. It had the distinction of kills. Not only did he survive Born in Ireland, he was given the German South-West Af- The Feldflieger Abteilung ob- scoring the last aerial victory of the war. the war, he went on to become the nickname “Mick”. He was rica campaign. He was given servation units of the German air a general in the German Luft- awarded the VC, DSO & Two an honourable discharge, but service, in 1914-15, consisted of and turning to meet a threat. November, 1916, was the Eng- waffe in World War II. He com- Bars, MC & Bar. He was killed joined up again in August 1915 six two-seat observation aircraft British Brigadier General lish [version of] Immelmann.... mitted suicide on 17 November in action on 16 July 1918. with the Royal Flying Corps. each, with each unit assigned to Hugh Trenchard ordered that all First we circled twenty times to 1941. America officially entered He was awarded the VC, DSO, a particular German Army head- reconnaissance aircraft had to be the left, and then thirty times to Hermann Göring was ap- World War I on 6 April 1917. MC & Bar, and DFC. quarters location. supported by at least three fight- the right. They had but a single Fokker ers, creating the first use of tacti- Each tried to get behind and Click on the photograph below to take a virtual tour of Warrior’s Gate and find out more about the MOTH Order. Eindecker aircraft assigned to cal formations in the air. above the other. Soon I discov- each “FFA” unit for general de- The Germans responded by ered that I was not meeting a fensive duties, so pilots such as forming Jastas, large squadrons beginner. He had not the slight- Max Immelmann and Oswald of fighters solely dedicated to est intention of breaking off the Boelcke began as lone hunters destroying enemy aircraft, under fight. He was traveling in a ma- with each “FFA” unit, shooting the supervision of Boelcke. chine which turned beautifully. unarmed spotter planes and ene- However, my own was better my aircraft out of the sky. Aces high at rising than his, and I suc- During the first part of the war, Pilots who shot down five or ceeded at last in getting above there was no established tactical more fighters became known as and beyond my English waltz- doctrine for air-to-air combat. aces. One of the most famous ing partner.... The impertinent Oswald Boelcke was the first to dogfights, resulting in the death fellow was full of cheek and analyze the tactics of aerial war- of Major Hawker, is described when we had got down to about fare, resulting in a set of rules by the Red Baron, Manfred von 3,000 feet he merrily waved to known as the Dicta Boelcke. Richthofen: me as if he would say, “Well, Many of Boelcke’s concepts, I was extremely proud when, how do you do?” conceived in 1916, are still ap- one fine day, I was informed that The circles which we made plicable today, including use of the airman whom I had brought around one another were so sun and altitude, surprise attack, down on the twenty-third of narrow that their diameter was 60 61 Movie All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) Eight Great Based on Erich Maria Remarque book, the film follows a group of Review German schoolboys who are talked into enlisting by their teacher. World War II The story is told through their eyes and is not about heroism but about drudgery and futility and the gulf between the concept of war and the actuality. Movies The the first film to win the Academy Awards for both Out- his month, to coincide ern wars. Yet there are not that Emmy Awards. standing Production and Best Director. with Remembrance Day, many movies about The Great You can still purchase many Twe decided to do some- War. of these movies on DVD or find thing a little different. The movies here were made them on media such as Netflix. The Blue Max (1966) Instead of doing a movie re- between 1930 and 2011. They To watch the trailer of each Lt. Bruno Stachel (George Peppard) is a commoner that has left view, we’ve decide to take a feature directors such as Stan- of the movies below, use your the trenches in World War I to become a fighter pilot. look at what we consider to be ley Kubrick, David Lean and mouse to left click on the movie He wants nothing more than to achieve 20 kills and win the con- eight of the best movies about Steven Spielberg. poster. verted Pour le Mérite medal (The Blue Max). He will do whatever World War I. Between them these films If you think there are any it takes to win the medal, much to the disgust of his commanding There have been many good won nine Academy Awards, World War I movies that we’ve officer and fellow pilots. movies about World War II, six Golden Globe Awards, left out, drop us an e-mail and Vietnam, and some of the mod- four BAFTA Awards, and three tell us about them.

Paths of Glory (1957) Flyboys (2006) One of director Stanley Kubrick’s early films, Paths of Glory is an Before the United States enters World War I a number of Ameri- American anti-war film. It is based on the novel of the same name cans volunteered for the French military as pilots. The formed the by Humphrey Cobb. Lafayette Escadrille, whose exploits and heroism become the stuff Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) is the commanding officer of of legend. French troops who refuse to continue a suicidal attack on Ger- While a fictional version the characters in the film are based man positions. Dax attempts to defend them against a charge of upon real people. Jean Reno is brilliant as Captain Georges The- cowardice in a court martial. nault, the commander of the squadron.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) War Horse (2011) Directed by David Lean, it went on to win seven Academy Awards. Directed by Steven Spielberg the film is set before and during The film is based on the life of T.E. Lawrence (Peter O’Toole) and World War I. it depicts his experiences in the Arabian Peninsula during World It tells of the journey of Joey, a bay Thoroughbred horse raised War I. by British teenager Albert (Jeremy Irvine), as he is bought by the He is torn between his allegiance between his native Britain and British Army, leading him to encounter numerous individuals and his new-found comrades within the Arabian desert tribes. It also owners throughout Europe, all the while experiencing the trag- stars Alex Guinness, Anthony Quinn and Omar Sharif. edies of the war happening around him.

Gallipoli (1981) The Lost Battalion (2001) Starring Mel Gibson and Mark Lee the film centres on several A made-for-television movie, the roughly 550 men, of the United young rural Australian men who enlist in the army during World States Army 77th Infantry Division have been completely cut off War I. and surrounded by German forces a short distance away in the Ar- They take part in the Gallipoli Campaign and slowly lose their gonne Forest. innocence about the purpose of war. The climax of the movie oc- The Germans give them two options: “Surrender or die.” They curs on the Anzac battlefield at Gallipoli and depicts the futile choose a third option - fight. attack at the Battle of the Nek on 7 August 1915.

62 63 This month in military history ... November This month in military history ... November Some of the significant military events that happened in November. 2 November and Black troops invade releasing 9,000 incendiary • 1899 - Second Anglo Boer Congo from Portuguese An- balloon to drift to America. 1 November War. The siege of Ladysmith gola. • 1956 - Britain and France • 1893 - The decisive Battle Heinkel He 178 in Natal starts. • 1990 - Odile Harrington, a agree to accept a Middle of Bembesi (Bembasi) is • 1899 - The Canadian gov- South African convicted and East cease-fire in the Suez fought in the Ndebele War, ernment offered a second imprisoned for espionage in War if UN forces can keep Rhodesia. The Ngubi, Mbe- contingent of troops consist- Zimbabwe in 1987, was re- the peace. zu and Nsukamini regiments ing of infantry, cavalry and leased and returned to South • 1973 - UN Emergency Force fought bravely, but were de- field artillery to bolster Brit- Africa. reports success in easing feated by machine-gun fire. ish troops in the South Afri- • 1995 - The former South tension between Egyptian The plague on the war me- can War. African defence minister, and Israeli troops at posi- morial records the result of • 1936 - Mussolini coins • 1954 - Algeria starts rebel- • 1914 - Russia declares war General Magnus Malan, and tions west of Suez Canal. the battle and also the brav- the phrase “The Axis”. lion against French rule. on the Ottoman Empire. several former high-rank- • 1979 - Teheran: Iranians ery of the Ndebele. • 1939 - Maiden flight of the Nationalist rioters led by • 1916 - Verdun: The French ing officials are arrested and storm the US embassy to • 1899 - Second Anglo Boer Heinkel He 178, the first jet Ahmed Ben Bella (based recapture Ft Vaux. charged with murder. All take 63 hostages, initiating War. The Boer forces invade • 1950 - Korean War. South in Cairo) have wreaked de- • 1917 - The first US troops were acquitted after a trial in decades of acrimony and the Cape Colony. African No 2 Squadron, struction across the Algerian are killed in action in France. 1996. hostility. • 1904 - The US Army War known as Cheetah Squad- district of Aures. This day • 1930 - Ras (Duke) Tafari is College opens. ron, comprising of fifty of- later became known as Rev- crowned as Emperor Haile 3 November 4 November • 1911 - Italy performs its first ficers and 157 other ranks, olution Day. Selassie in Addis Abeba, • 1839 - The first Opium War • 1862 - Richard Gatling aerial bombing on Tanguira including thirty-eight pilots, • 1956 - The Imre Nagy gov- Ethiopia, after the death of between China and Britain patented his first rapid-fire oasis in Libya. all volunteers and highly ex- ernment of Hungary with- Empress Zaudito (Zewditu). began after British frigates machine-gun which used • 1914 - Battle of Coronel: perienced, arrives in Japan. draws from the Warsaw • 1942 - Lieutenant General blew up several Chinese revolving barrels rotating Admiral Von Spee’s German Two weeks later, and af- Pact. Dwight D. Eisenhower ar- junks. around a central mechanism cruisers annihilate a weaker ter acquainting themselves • 1963 - South Vietnamese rives in Gibraltar to set up • 1893 - Forces of the Brit- to load, fire, and extract the British squadron off Chile. with the F 51 Mustang, they President Ngo Dinh Diem an American command post ish South Africa Company cartridges. • 1914 - Paul von Hinden- leave for the operational and his brother Ngo Dinh for the invasion of North Af- force Matabele King Loben- • 1899 - Second Anglo Boer burg is named command- area. At the end of the war Nhu were killed in a military rica. gula, son of Mzilikazi, to War. The siege of Ladysmith er-in-chief of German forces SAAF casualties were thir- coup. • 1942 - British breakthrough flee his Great Place in Bul- in Natal starts. on the Eastern Front. ty-four pilots and ground • 1994 - Angolan government the Axis lines during the awayo. Lobengula later dies • 1918 - Italian naval special staff killed, eight pilots forces take the oil-producing Battle of El Alamein. while retreating towards the operations forces sink the taken POW and a number town of Soyo from the rebel • 1951 - More British troops Zambezi. Austrian battleship ‘Viribus wounded. group Unita, which captured are sent to the Suez Canal • 1918 - Part of the German Unitis’, which is in Yugo- • 1951 - The Algerian Nation- it the year before. Zone (the biggest troop air- fleet mutinied at Kiel in the slav hands. al Liberation Front began • 1996 - Rwandan and Zairian lift since the Second World closing days of World War I. • 1932 - Wernher von guerrilla warfare against the forces bombard each anoth- War). • 1942 - In Egypt, the German Braun named head of Ger- French. er with artillery along the • 1962 - During the Cuban Afrika Korps and Italian man liquid-fuel rocket pro- • 1951 - President Syngman border, while rebels in Zaire, Missile Crisis, President forces under Rommel begin gram. Rhee presents the South supported by Rwanda, close John F. Kennedy announced a retreat westwards after a • 1933 - German Army cre- African Air Force (SAAF) in on the town of Goma. on TV, “the Soviet bases in renewed campaign by the ates its first panzer unit. squadron, placed at the dis- • 2007 - Brig Gen Paul W. Cuba are being dismantled, allies under Montgomery. • 1936 - The Rome-Berlin posal of the United Nations Tibbets Jr., who commanded their missiles and related About 9,000 German troops Axis was proclaimed by organisation during the Ko- the ‘Enola Gay’ and dropped equipment being crated, are captured. Italian Dictator Benito Mus- rean War, with the Korean the atomic bomb on Hiro- and the fixed installations • 1942 - Guadalcanal: Ma- solini following a visit to presidential unit citation. shima,dies at the age of 92. at these sites are being de- rines clear Japanese from Berlin by Italian Foreign • 1952 - First hydrogen device stroyed.” Point Cruz. John F. Kennedy Secretary Ciano. exploded, Eniwetok Atoll. • 1976 - White mercenaries • 1944 - Japanese begin 64 65 This month in military history ... November This month in military history ... November

• 1918 - Austria-Hungary several former high-rank- land troops in Egypt during ley Colonel Kekewich sees missed from the SANDF for concludes an armistice with ing officials are arrested and fighting between Egyptian a “living mass” of men ap- failing to report for duty. Italy. charged with murder. All and Israeli forces around the proaching and his artillery • 2010 - The German Army • 1942 - Lieutenant General were acquitted after a trial in Suez Canal. A cease-fire is opens up at almost point- holds a formal military cer- Dwight D. Eisenhower ar- 1996. declared two days later. blank range until they real- emony at a restored mon- rives in Gibraltar to set up • 1975 - Numbers of Cuban ise that the men are 3,000 ument honouring Jewish an American command post 5 November soldiers and shipments of unarmed Black mine-work- soldiers who fought in the for the invasion of North Af- • 1799 - The 64-gun HMS Russian military equipment ers released by De Beer’s Kaiser’s War. rica. Sceptre is wrecked in Table arrive in Luanda, Angola, from the compounds, with- • 2013 - Manfred Rommel, • 1942 - During World War Bay and 300 lives are lost. while SA was clandestinely out informing the military. Luftwaffe veteran and son of II, British troops led by Ber- • 1902 - The “Mad Mullah” supporting Unita. When SA • 1901 - Second Anglo Boer Field Marshal Eriwn Rom- nard Montgomery defeated and 17,000 troops are ad- realised that the USA did not War. The National Scouts mel, dies at the age of 84. the Germans under Erwin vancing on the British at Bo- support the operation, the Corps of doubtful repute, Rommel at El Alamein after hodle, Somaliland. SA troops were withdrawn. consisting of surrendered 8 November a twelve-day battle. • 1911 - Italy declares war on The withdrawal was com- Boers who were willing to • 1745 - Bonnie Prince Char- • 1950 - US troops retreat Turkey. pleted by 27 March 1976. fight on the side of their erst- lie invades England from from Pyongyang, North Ko- • 1914 - Indian 6th Div lands • 2005 - Pirates fire a rock- Admiral Johann Raeder while enemies, is formed un- Scotland. rea. at Basra, securing the oil et-propelled grenade and der direct British command. • 1923 - Hitler’s Beer Hall • 1951 - More British troops fields. machine guns in an attack intercept the German block- They were allocated to var- Putsch took place in the are sent to the Suez Canal • 1915 - First US shipboard on the luxury cruise liner ade runner ‘Oldenwald’ in ious British units as scouts Buergerbraukeller in Mu- Zone (the biggest troop air- catapult launch: LT CDR Seabourn Spirit off the coast the mid-Atlantic near the and after the war were ostra- nich. Hitler, Goering and lift since the Second World Henry Mustin, off ‘North of the east African state of Equator. cised by the whole commu- armed Nazis attempted, but War). Carolina’ (ACR-12) in a Somalia. The attack is re- • 1960 - Großadmiral Er- nity. ultimately failed, to forcibly • 1956 - Soviet Russian troops Curtiss AB-ZF. pulsed and the more than ich Johann Albert Raeder, • 1936 - Spanish Civil War: seize power and overthrow moved in to crush an upris- • 1916 - Germany and Aus- 300 passengers, including Commander-in-Chief of the Battle for Madrid begins. democracy in Germany. ing in Hungary. tria-Hungary proclaim an six South Africans, escape Reichsmarine (1935-1943), • 1954 - US spy plane shot • 1939 - An assassination at- • 1956 - Israeli troops capture “independent” Kingdom of without injury. dies on this day at the age of down by Russians over Sea tempt on Hitler failed at the the Straits of Tiran and reach Poland. 84. of Japan. Buergerbraukeller in Mu- the Suez Canal. • 1917 - Maj. Theodore Roo- 6 November • 2004 - Nine French soldiers • 1956 - The United Nations nich. A bomb exploded soon • 1956 - British forces enter sevelt, Jr, leads the first • 1900 - Second Anglo Boer and an American aid con- (UN) General Assembly after Hitler had exited fol- Gaza, on the western Med- American patrol into “No War. The Battle of Bothav- sultant are killed in bombing adopts a resolution calling lowing a speech commem- iterranean seashore 32 km Man’s Land”. ille or Doornkraal is fought attacks in Ivory Coast’s re- upon Britain, France and Is- orating the 1923 Beer Hall north of the Egyptian border. • 1940 - Gallant fight of the with General De Wet surren- bel-held north, after the gov- rael to withdraw their troops Putsch. Seven others were • 1976 - White mercenaries armed merchant cruiser dering, after heavy losses on ernment broke the cease-fire from Egypt immediately. killed. and Black troops invade HMS ‘Jervis Bay’ in de- both sides. agreement on 4 November. British and French declare • 1940 - The Royal Air Congo from Portuguese An- fense of a convoy from the • 1914 - France declares war French troops destroy the a cease-fire in Egypt, but Force bombs Munich. gola. German pocket battleship on the Ottoman Empire. Ivory Coast air force fleet in Britain says it will evacuate • 1942 - Allied forces under • 1979 - About 500 young Ira- ‘Admiral Scheer’. • 1917 - During World War retaliation. troops only on arrival of UN Lieutenant-General Dwight nian militants stormed the • 1942 - Madagascar: Vichy I, the Third Battle of Ypres • 2004 - New York’s “Fight- Emergency Force. D. Eisenhower begin land- U.S. Embassy in Teheran, French surrender to the Brit- concluded after five months ing 69th” arrives at Bagdad • 1987 - Tunisian President ings in North Africa, start- Iran, and took 90 hostages, ish at Fort Dauphin. as Canadian and Australian to assume its duties in “Op- Habib Bourguiba, in office ing the Algeria-Morocco including 52 Americans that • 1943 - American aircraft ac- troops took Passchendaele. eration Iraqi Freedom”. since independence in 1956, Campaign of World War II they held captive for 444 cidentally drop two bombs Their advance, measuring is overthrown in a bloodless (WWII). More than 400,000 days. on the Vatican, which cause eight kilometres, cost at 7 November coup. Allied soldiers take part in • 1995 - The former South minor damage and no casu- least 240,000 soldiers. • 1899 - Second Anglo Boer • 1994 - Over 2,000 Umkhon- the invasion. African defence minister, alties. • 1941 - USS ‘Omaha’ (CL 4) War. From his conning tow- to we Sizwe soldiers of the • 1942 - Hitler proclaims the General Magnus Malan, and • 1956 - Britain and France & USS ‘Somers’ (DD 381) er in the besieged Kimber- ANC’s armed wing are dis- 66 67 This month in military history ... November This month in military history ... November fall of Stalingrad, somewhat • 1921 - The Unknown Sol- • 1915 - Fourth Battle of lice, 33 local volunteers and sored by the United States, prematurely. dier arrives at Washington the Isonzo begins and con- a few armed Blacks. They and begin discussions to • 1950 - The first jet fight- aboard USS ‘Olympia’. tinues to 2 December. refuse to surrender and the carry out the pact. er air duel: Lt. Russell J. • 1925 - Hitler forms the SS • 1939 - The SA Corps of attack develops into a siege. • 1975 - Angola gains inde- Brown’s F-86 scores a North within the Brown Shirts. Military Police (S.A.C.M.P.) • 1909 - The US Navy begins pendence from the coloni- Korean MiG-15. • 1937 - The Japanese capture is formed as an independ- construction of a base at al ruler Portugal with Dr • 1957 - Britain tests its first Shanghai. ent unit under Lt.-Col. R.D. Pearl Harbour. Agostinho Neto as president hydrogen bomb, Kirimati • 1938 - Kristallnacht (the Pilkington-Jordan. • 1914 - First Battle of Ypres: and is known as the People’s Atoll, in the Pacific. night of broken glass) oc- • 1940 - Former British Prime The British I Corps hold off Republic of Angola. • 1977 - The French Ministry curred in Germany as Nazi Minister Neville Chamber- a desperate attack by Ger- • 1983 - US cruise missiles ar- of Defence will no longer mobs burned synagogues lain dies at the age of 71. man two corps, as the battle rive in Great Britain. permit delivery of two es- and vandalized Jewish shops • 1942 - North Africa Vichy ends. • 1992 - The Goldstone Com- cort vessels (corvettes) and and homes. military chief in Algeria, • 1918 - World War 1 ends mission raids offices of the two submarines, under con- • 1938 - Marshal of the So- Admiral Darlan, orders an Ian Smith with Germany and the Al- SADF’s Directorate. struction in French naval viet Union Vasily Kon- end to the resistance against lies signing an armistice in yards, to South Africa. stantinovich Blyukher, 48, the Allies. South African troops in the a railroad car at Compiegne, 12 November • 1990 - President GHW executed by Stalin for ‘espi- • 1942 - Following the Brit- course of the offensive and France. “At the 11th hour • 1901 - The most southern Bush orders 100,000 addi- onage’ ish victory at El Alamein in had destroyed large numbers of the 11th day of the 11th battle is fought at Kraalbos- tional US troops to the Per- • 1977 - The Prime Minister North Africa during World of vehicles, the South Afri- month, the guns fell silent pan, near Darling, Western sian Gulf of Swaziland says that his War II, British Prime Min- can Defence Force (SADF) and World War 1 came to an Cape, with General Manie • 1996 - UN Secretary-Gen- government will not allow ister Winston Churchill stat- responded by claiming that end.” Maritz leading the Boers. eral Boutros Boutros-Ghali the country to be used as a ed, “This is not the end. It not all the soldiers that were • 1920 - The “Unknown • 1911 - Combined Turkish calls for an international mil- base for guerrilla attacks is not even the beginning of killed were theirs. SADF Warrior” is interred in West- and Arab forces in Libya are itary force to aid and protect against South Africa. He de- the end. But it is, perhaps, admitted to the loss of only minster Abbey & the “Sol- badly mauled by the Italian a million refugees caught in nies that there are training the end of the beginning.” twelve soldiers, meaning dat Inconnu” beneath the Army. a civil war in Zaire, but is camps within Swaziland. • 1951 - Allister Mackintosh, the rest that were claimed Arc de Triomphe. • 1914 - Rebellion leader blocked by the United States • 2004 - In Abuja, Nigeria, Su- pilot and ‘father’ of SA avi- by Dos Santos belonged to • 1923 - An “Eternal General C.R. de Wet suffers in the Security Council. dan and Darfur rebels sign ation dies in Port Elizabeth. South West African People’s Flame” is lit at the Tomb of a crushing defeat by gov- accords on Tuesday to end He earned a D.S.O. in the Organisation (SWAPO). the “Soldat Inconnu” at the ernment forces at Winburg, 9 November hostilities and guarantee aid Battle of the Somme in April • 2012 - Birger Stromsheim, Arc de Triomphe. OFS. • 1914 - HMAS ‘Sydney’ de- groups’ access to 1.6 million 1916. Norwegian commando who • 1961 - Congolese rebels • 1942 - SA armoured cars stroys the German raiding civilians uprooted by con- • 1954 - USMC [“Iwo Jima”] led the “Heroes of Tele- murder 13 Italian airmen in are in pursuit of the German cruiser SMS ‘Emden’ in the flict in the troubled western Memorial dedicated in Ar- mark”, dies aged 101. UN service. forces and re-enter Tobruk, Cocos Islands. Sudan region of Darfur. lington. • 1965 - Rhodesian Prime continuing as far as Beng- • 1916 - Munitions disaster at • 1979 - NORAD goes on full • 1970 - Charles de Gaulle, 11 November Minister, Ian Smith, issues a hazi, east Libya. Bakaritsa, near Arkhangel, alert, when a computer glitch leader of the ‘Free French”, • 1865 - Surgeon Mary Ed- Unilateral Declaration of In- • 1942 - During World War II Russia -- 30,000 tons ex- indicates a massive wave of President of France (1959- ward Walker is awarded the dependence. Britain says the in North Africa, the city of plode, thousands die. incoming Soviet missiles. 1969), dies at the age of 79. US Medal of Honor. regime is illegal. Tobruk was captured by the • 1918 - German Kaiser Wil- • 1989 - The Berlin Wall • 1988 - Following a press • 1885 - World War II General • 1972 - The U.S. turned over British Eighth Army under helm II abdicated his throne comes down. conference of General Staff George S. Patton was born its military base at Long General Bernard Montgom- Binh to the South Vietnam- in the closing days of World • Lieutenant-Colonel Antonio in San Gabriel, California. ery. ese, symbolizing the end War I and fled to Holland. 10 November dos Santos Franca Ndalu, • 1889 - Second Anglo Boer • 1944 - RAF sinks the Ger- of direct American military In Germany, Philip Schei- • 1775 - The U.S. Marine Chief of Forças Armadas War. Commandant J.H. man battleship ‘Tirpitz’ in a participation in the Vietnam demann, a Socialist leader, Corps was established as Populares de Libertação de Visser with 200 men attacks Norwegian fjord. War. then proclaimed a democrat- part of the U.S. Navy. It be- Angola (FAPLA), during Kuruman, defended by only • 1948 - Japanese General • 1973 - Egypt and Israel sign ic Republic and became its came a separate unit on July which he declared that his 35 members of the Cape Po- Hideki Tojo and six others first Chancellor. 11, 1789. forces had killed over 230 a cease-fire agreement spon- were sentenced to death by 68 69 This month in military history ... November This month in military history ... November an Allied war crimes tribu- 14 November former SA Defence Force punish those responsible. pers. nal. • 1914 - Lord Frederick chief Constand Viljoen in • 1975 - British newspapers • 1988 - A SA woman, Olivia • 1985 - Over 600 people Sleigh Roberts, (Field Mar- denying any knowledge of report that South African Forsyth, allegedly a spy for killed in Liberia in an unsuc- shall Earl Roberts of Khar- mass graves found near a mercenaries are helping the SA government against cessful military coup against toum) commander-in-chief former South African mili- UNITA against the MPLA the ANC, who has been President Samuel Doe, led of the British forces during tary base in northern Namib- in Angola. holed up in the British Em- by former Brigadier-Gener- the Second Anglo Boer War, ia. People’s Liberation Army • 1995 - The United Nations bassy in Luanda since May, al Thomas Quiwonlpa. dies in St Omer, France. of Namibia (Plan) fighters charged Bosnian Serb lead- leaves for London after be- • 1995 - Britain ends arm sales • 1919 - Red Army captures killed by the SA army and er, Radovan Karadzic, and ing granted an exit visa by to Nigeria. Omsk, Siberia, from the South-West African Terri- his military commander, the Angolan authorities. • 2001 - The Taliban abandons Whites. tory Force by law had to be Ratko Mladic, with geno- • 1993 - Military rule is re-im- Kabul, as Northern Alliance • 1926 - Major Friedrich W.R. handed to the South-West cide. posed in Nigeria when Gen- forces approach. Albrecht (78), founder of African police for identi- Bernard Montgomery eral Sani Abacha ousts civil- the OFS State Artillery, dies fication and burial. Malan 17 November ian leader Ernest Shonekan. 13 November in Bloemfontein. says that questions about the gathered in Washington, • 1887 - British General Ber- • 1993 - The United Nations • 1899 - Second Anglo Boer • 1941 - Aircraft carrier HMS graves should be directed at D.C., to protest the Vietnam nard L. Montgomery was opened its first war crimes War. Generals Piet Joubert ‘Ark Royal’ sinks in the the United Nations as they War. born in St. Mark’s Vicarage, tribunal since the Nurem- and Louis Botha cross the Mediterranean after being were in command in Namib- • 1988 - Grintek of SA, Saab Kennington Oval, London. berg and Tokyo trials fol- Tugela River and head down torpedoed by the ‘U-81’ the ia at the time. of Sweden and British aer- • 1922 - Samuel Alfred (Taf- lowing World War II. Judges the railway line to Pieterma- day before. ospace sign a historic con- fy) Long, Herbert Hull and from 11 nations were sworn ritzburg. • 1994 - Having been dis- 15 November tract for supplying military David Lewis, strikers during in to examine recent mass • 1942 - The five Sullivan missed from the South Afri- • 1891 - German Field Mar- equipment worth about R60 the revolt, are hung in the murders in Yugoslavia char- Brothers from Waterloo, can National Defence Force shal Erwin Rommel was million. Central Prison in Pretoria acterized as ethnic cleans- Iowa, were lost in the sink- (SANDF) for their illegal born at Heidenheim, in for committing murder. ing. ing of the cruiser USS Ju- strike about poor living Wurttemberg, Germany. 16 November • 1958 - The civilian gov- • 1997 - Six militants open fire neau by a Japanese torpe- standards in Wallmannstal • 1899 - Winston Churchill, • 1900 - Second Anglo Boer ernment of Sudan is over- at the Temple of Hatshepsut do off Guadalcanal during military camp previously war correspondent of The War. The Battle of Sprin- thrown by the military; Ibra- in Luxor, Egypt, killing sev- World War II in the Pacific. in November, Umkhonto Morning Post, is captured kaansnek is fought, with him Abboud becomes prime enty-four people, sixty-one Following their deaths, the we Sizwe (MK) guerrillas, near Chieveley, Natal, when General Philip Botha forc- minister. of them foreign tourists. The U.S. Navy changed regula- through their spokesperson the Boers ambush an ar- ing a passage through the • 1964 - Harold Wilson, the attackers are killed by po- tions to prohibit close rel- Salvador Mkhari, threaten moured train. neck. British Prime Minister, an- lice. atives from serving on the to resume the armed strug- • 1942 - Church bells ring • 1939 - German U-boat tor- nounces in the House of same ship. gle unless their demands across Britain for the first pedoes tanker ‘Sliedrecht’ Commons that the British 18 November • 1942 - Minimum US draft were met. time since the German inva- near Ireland. government has decided • 1914 - Naval Battle of Cape age reduced from 21 to 18. • 1996 - American troops ar- sion threat of 1940, to cele- • 1941 - US intelligence los- to impose an embargo on Sarych: the Russian Black • 1954 - Generalfeldmar- rive in Kigali, Rwanda’s brate victory in the Battle of es track of Japanese aircraft the export of arms to South Sea Fleet defeats a Turko- schall Paul Ludwig Ewald capital, in advance of a mul- El Alamein. carriers. Africa. Outstanding com- German squadron. von Kleist, 73, war criminal, tinational operation to feed • 1943 - During the Holocaust, • 1950 - King Farouk, Egypt, mitments by the Ministry • 1916 - During World War died in Soviet captivity. and help send home more Heinrich Himmler ordered demands the “total and im- of Defence will be fulfilled, I, Allied General Douglas • 1995 - Israel began pulling than one million refugees in Gypsies and part-Gypsies mediate evacuation” of all but no new contracts will Haig called off the First its troops out of the West Zaire, now called Congo. to be sent to concentration British troops from the Suez be accepted. The contract Battle of the Somme after Bank city of Jenin, ending • 2001 - Operation Enduring camps. The number of Gyp- Canal Zone. to supply sixteen Buccaneer five months. The Allies had 28 years of occupation. Freedom: Northern Alliance sies killed by Nazis is esti- • 1961 - After the bodies of aircraft is under review. advanced 201 square kilo- • 1982 - Vietnam War Memo- forces liberate Kabul from mated up to 500,000. thirteen Italian UN soldiers • 1975 - A ban on the publi- metres at a cost of 420,000 rial dedicated. the Taliban. • 1969 - The largest antiwar are “sold” in a Congo mar- cation of military involve- British and 195,000 French • 2005 - Former defence min- rally in U.S. History oc- ket, UN Secretary-General ments in Angola is imposed soldiers. German losses ister Magnus Malan joins curred as 250,000 persons U Thant orders UN forces to on South African newspa- were over 650,000 men. 70 71 This month in military history ... November This month in military history ... November

• 1936 - Germany & Italy rec- • 1915 - Russia and Italy de- War I. Over 300 tanks com- Scottish veteran of the war, • 1939 - The German bat- ognized Franco government clare war on Bulgaria manded by British General and the oldest man in Scot- tleships ‘Scharnhorst’ & in Spain. • 1941 - HMAS ‘Sydney’ and Sir Douglas Haig went into land, dies at the age of 109. ‘Gneisenau’ sink the greatly • 1941 - Operation Barbaros- the German merchant cruis- battle against the Germans. outclassed armed merchant sa: A Soviet counterattack er ‘Kormoran’ clash off the • 1918 - The 369th “Colored” 22 November cruiser HMS ‘Rawalpindi’ near Tula causes the German western coast of Australia, Infantry, New York Nation- • 1847 - General Jacobus Her- in the North Atlantic off the 112th Infantry Division to both sinking, ‘Sydney’ with al Guard, becomes the first culaas de la Rey, known as Faroes. break. no survivors. The wrecks American unit to reach the Koos de la Rey, is born. • 1942 - Japanese bomb Port • 1941 - Last Italian forces were located in 2008. Rhine and take up occupa- • 1890 - Charles De Gaulle Darwin, Australia. in Ethiopia surrender to the • 1942 - The Russian Army tion duties in Germany. was born in Lille, France. He • 1946 - Bombardment of British, ending 15 months of began a massive counter-of- • 1942 - British Eighth led the Free French against Haiphong: The French fleet resistance. fensive against the Germans Army recaptures Benghazi, the Nazis during World War shells the port, held by the • 1961 - President John F. Ken- at Stalingrad during World Lybia. II and later became Presi- Viet Minh, inflicting heavy nedy sends 18,000 military War II. • 1943 - The Battle of Tarawa dent of France, serving from casualties and initiating the advisors to South Vietnam. • 1943 - Following an at- began in the Pacific War as 1958-69. “First Indochina War”. tempted uprising, the Nazis American troops attacked • 1966 - Gen. R.C. Hiemstra • 1987 - Cuba denies its troops Charles De Gaulle • 1914 - Ypres burns under are engaged in fighting liquidate the Janowska con- the Japanese on the heavily German bombardment. opens the Castle of Good centration camp near Lem- fortified Gilbert Islands. Hope military museum in against SA forces in Angola. 21 November • 1917 - German L59 Zep- • 1988 - The three Zimbabwe- berg, at least 6,000 Jews are • 1944 - US First Army se- Cape Town, reflecting vari- • 1894 - Port Arthur is cap- pelin starts flight from Bul- an intelligence officers stand- murdered. cures Aachen. ous aspects of military his- tured by the Japanese from garia to Khartoum carrying ing trial for a bomb attack on • 1950 - General of the Army • 1945 - The Nuremberg War tory since 1652. the Chinese, amidst great much needed supplies to an ANC house in Bulawayo Dwight D. Eisenhower be- Crime Trials began in which • 1977 - Rhodesian forces slaughter. General von Lettow in East are sentenced to death. comes the supreme com- 24 former leaders of Nazi Africa. attack nationalist guerrilla • 1992 - After a marathon ten- mander of NATO. Germany were charged with • 1900 - Second Anglo Boer bases at Tembue and Chi- War. The Battle of De Wets- • 1943 - The Cairo Confer- hour Cabinet meeting, Presi- • 1969 - The first news re- conspiracy to wage wars of ence occurred as President moio in Mozambique, kill- dent F.W. de Klerk appointed ports emerged that Ameri- aggression, crimes against dorp, which was to end on ing allegedly over a thou- the 23rd with the surrender Franklin D. Roosevelt, Brit- Lt.-Gen. Pierre Steyn as head can troops in Vietnam had peace, war crimes, and ish Prime Minister Winston sand people. of all intelligence functions massacred civilians in My crimes against humanity. of the British to Chief Com- • 1983 - The Beirut Barracks mandant C.R. de Wet, starts. Churchill, and Chinese Na- of the South African Defence Lai Village back in March • 1962 - The Cuban Missile tionalist leader Chiang Kai- Bombing: 241 US & 58 Force (SADF), including the of 1968. Crisis concluded as Presi- • 1918 - German ammunition French military peacekeep- trains explode in Hamont, shek, met to discuss the war Military Intelligence (MI). • 1987 - US warships de- dent John F. Kennedy an- in the Pacific against Japan. ers, and six civilians are • 1993 - Nigeria’s new mili- stroy Iranian oil platforms nounced he had lifted the Belgium, 1,750 die. killed when two members • 1970 - Operation Ivory • 1963 - US President John F. tary ruler, General Sani Aba- in Persian Gulf. U.S. Naval blockade of Kennedy is assassinated. of Islamic Jihad detonate a cha, dissolves all democratic • 1990 - The Cold War came Cuba stating, “the evidence Coast: A joint Army-Air truck bomb. Force commando raid on • 1988 - South African gov- institutions. to an end during a summit to date indicates that all ernment announces it has • 1985 - Fifty-eight die as in Paris as leaders of NATO known offensive missile the Son Tây prisoner-of-war Egyptian commandos storm camp finds all Americans joined Cuba and Angola in and the Warsaw Pact signed sites in Cuba have been dis- endorsing a plan to remove a hijacked Egyptian jet in 19 November a Treaty on Conventional mantled.” have been moved elsewere. Malta. • 1989 - The Citizen reports Cuban troops from Angola. • 1812 - Napoleon begins his Forces in Europe, vastly re- • 1990 - Anti-Gulf War pro- that the remaining 1 500 retreat from Moscow. ducing their military arse- test marches begin in 20 US 23 November 24 November nals. cities. South African troops in Na- • 1874 - Joseph Glidden pat- • 1863 - President Abraham mibia have been withdrawn • 1900 - Second Anglo Lincoln delivered the Get- • 1994 - Angolan government Boer War. Major-General ented his invention of barbed signs peace treaty with UNI- in November. wire. tysburg Address during cer- • 2005 - Alfred Anderson, vet- Smith-Dorrien, leaving only emonies dedicating 17 acres 20 November TA. the church standing, razes • 1887 - German Field Mar- • 1917 - The first use of tanks eran of the Black Watch, the shal Erich von Manstein of the Gettysburg Battlefield last survivor of the Christ- the town of Dullstroom to as a National Cemetery. in battle occurred at Cam- the ground. was born in Berlin. brai, France, during World mas Truce of 1914, the last 72 73 This month in military history ... November This month in military history ... November • 1941 - The great tank battle 25 November announce cease-fire in PLO • 1932 - France and the USSR of Sidi Rezegh in North Af- • 1854 - During the Battle civil war in Lebanon. sign a non-aggression pact. rica rages unabated in World of Balaclava, the famous • 1951 - The first under- War 2. The South Africans, “Charge of the Light Bri- 26 November ground atomic explosion, outnumbered by their Ger- gade” takes place. Nearly • 1832 - Doctor Mary Ed- Frenchman’s Flat, Nevada. man opponents, are stranded 600 British light cavalry un- wards Walker, the only • 1991 - Red Cross says clan in the open desert but manage dertook a frontal attack down woman to win the Medal of battles in Somalia’s capital to destroy fifty of the - Ger a narrow, mile long valley, Honor, is born. of Mogadishu have killed man tanks. At about 16:30 all an action that had no impact • 1943 - British troop trans- more than 1,000 people. the SA guns are out of action whatsoever on the outcome port ‘Rohna’ is sunk in the • 1996 - U.N. war crimes tri- after running short of ammu- of the battle, while leav- Mediterranean by a Luft- bunal sentences Bosnian nition and the South Africans ing literally hundreds of the waffe Henschel Hs 293 Serb Drazen Erdemovic to are forced to surrender. troopers dead or wounded. guided glide bomb. 1,138 10 years for the massacre of • 1944 - First B-29 raid from • 1915 - Chilean military lead- men are killed, including 1,200 Muslims. Saipan; 111 bombers hit To- er Augusto Pinochet was 1,015 American troops. kyo. born in Valparaiso, Chile. • 1940 - During the Holo- 30 November • 1956 - Soviet troops invade • 1936 - Nazi Germany and caust, Nazis began walling Winston Churchill • 1874 - Sir Winston Leonard Hungary as Imre Nagy be- Imperial Japan signed the off the Jewish Ghetto in • 1942 - The French Navy Soviet Premier Josef Stalin. Spencer Churchill, war cor- comes prime minister. Anti-Comintern Pact, an Warsaw, sealing in 400,000 scuttles its ships at Toulon Among the major topics respondent during Second • 1964 - Belgian paratroop- agreement to collaborate in inhabitants while denying to prevent Nazis from cap- discussed, a second front in Anglo Boer War and later ers, the Congolese army and opposing the spread of Com- them adequate food, sanita- turing them. Western Europe, resulting in premier of Britain, is born in mercenaries recapture Stan- munism. tion and housing. • 1951 - First successful sur- D-Day, the seaborne inva- Oxfordshire, England. leyville in the Congo from • 1940 - Maiden flights of the • 1944 - Himmler orders de- face-to-air missile test is sion of Normandy in north- • 1885 - Albrecht Kessel- rebels. de Havilland Mosquito & the struction of Auschwitz & carried out at White Sands. ern France on June 6, 1944. ring, German field marshal, • 1969 - The U.S. Army an- Martin B-26 Marauder, one Birkenau crematoria. • 1951 - Military coup under was born. nounced that Lt. William on each side of the pond. • 1970 - Benjamin O. Davis, Col Adib el-Shishakli in • 1934 - Dedication of the L. Calley had been charged 28 November • 1961 - USS ‘Enterprise’ Sr., the first black American Syria. Anzac Memorial at Gallipo- with premeditated murder in • 1887 - Nazi leader Ernst (CVN 65), the first nucle- general, dies at 93. • 1997 - Fighting breaks out li, presided over by Kemal the massacre of civilians in Rohm is born. ar-powered carrier, is com- among President Laurent Ataturk. the Vietnamese village of My • 1899 - Second Anglo Boer missioned, to commence 51 27 November Kabila’s soldiers in Kinsha- • 1939 - Finland was invaded Lai in March of 1968. Calley War. The Battle of Modder years of service; decommis- • 1941 - HMAS ‘Parramatta’ sa, Congo, when he orders by more than 20 Russian di- was ordered to stand trial by River or Tweerivieren takes sioned 2012. is sunk off Tobruk by ‘U- the arrest of one of his aides. visions in the Winter War. court martial and was later place, in which both Gen. • 1981 - Forty-five mercenar- 559’. Eighteen people are killed. • 1943 - Teheran Conference: convicted and sentenced to Methuen and Gen. De la ies from South Africa under • 1941 - Operation Crusader: FDR, Churchill, & Stalin life in prison. However, his Rey are wounded. Gen. De Colonel Mike Hoare land in British troops break the sev- 29 November agree that Operation Over- sentence was later commuted la Rey’s son, Adriaan, is fa- lord will take place in May Seychelles, attack the airport en month Axis siege of To- • 1900 - Second Anglo Boer to three years of house arrest tally wounded. of 1944. and cause heavy damage. bruk. War. Lord Kitchener suc- by President Richard Nixon. • 1916 - First German air raid • 1945 - British Adm Lou- Those who are not captured • 1941 - Joint Army-Navy ceeds Lord Roberts as com- • 1992 - The U.S. military de- on London. is Mountbatten accepts the and detained by Seychelles signal to senior command- mander-in-chief of the Brit- parted the Philippines after • 1939 - USSR revokes the surrender of Japanese Field security forces flee by hi- ers in the Pacific ends with, ish forces in SA and Lord nearly a century of military Soviet-Finnish non-aggres- Marshal Hisaichi Terauchi, jacking an Air India plane, “This dispatch is to be con- Roberts succeeds Wolseley presence. In 1991, the Philip- sion pact. who hands over his sword, which they divert to South sidered a war warning,” and as commander-in chief of pine Senate had voted to re- • 1943 - The Teheran Con- Saigon. Africa. The TRC in 1998 CNO adds to CINCUS Kim- the British army. ject a renewal of the lease for ference began, attended by • 1988 - South African, Ango- rules the SA government re- mel “an agressive move by • 1917 - The Women’s Royal the American military base. President Franklin D. Roo- lan and Cuban representa- sponsible for the attack. Japan is expected within the Naval Service (WRENS) is sevelt, British Prime Min- tives meet in Brazzaville for • 1983 - Syria & Saudi Arabia next few days”. established. ister Winston Churchill and peace talks. 74 75 World War I Quiz Answers

1. The Red Baron. 13. Mata Hari. 28. In a fleet of taxicabs. 2. Anthony Beauchamp-Proc- 14. Alvin York. 29. General Paul von Let- tor. 15. The Battle of Somme. tow-Vorbeck. 3. Little Willie. 16. In a railway carriage at 30. Georges Clemenceau. 4. T.E. Lawrence, better known Compiegne. 31. Caporetto. as Lawrence of Arabia. 17. Admiral John Jellicoe. 32. General Erich von Falken- 5. The Lusitania. 18. Marshal Petain. hayn. 6. It was A 111 118. Armistice 19. Scapa Flow. 33. The Gallipoli peninsula. Day 11 November 1918. 20. Ypres, 1915. 34. Mons. 7. René Fonck with 75 kills. 21. 28 June 1914. 35. Jutland. 8. Bertha Krupp, wife of the 22. 6 April 1917. 36. Gefreiter (corporal). designer Gustav Krupp. 23. Paul von Hindenburg. 37. Yes. He was awarded the 9. Landships. 24. Alexander Samsonov. Iron Cross 2nd class in 1914, 10. The Great War, the War of 25. Australia and New Zealand and the Iron Cross 1st class the Nations, and the War to Army Corps. in 1918. End All Wars. 26. John J Pershing. 38. 34 times. 11. Gavrilo Princip. 27. The Emden. The Mill on the 12. France. Meuse. Bush War Books has probably one of the finest collections of military titles available. Especially on the South African Border War.

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