1917-2017 PASSCHENDAELE REMEMBERED CE AR NT W E T N A A E R R Y G THE JOURNAL OF THE WESTERN FRONT ASSOCIATION FOUNDED 1980 JUNE/JULY 2017 NUMBER 109 2 014-2018 www.westernfrontassociation.com With one of the UK’s most established and highly-regarded departments of War Studies, the University of Wolverhampton is recruiting for its part-time, campus based MA in the History of Britain and the First World War. With an emphasis on high-quality teaching in a friendly and supportive environment, the course is taught by an international team of critically-acclaimed historians, led by WFA Vice-President Professor Gary Sheffield and including WFA President Professor Peter Simkins; WFA Vice-President Professor John Bourne; Professor Stephen Badsey; Dr Spencer Jones; and Professor John Buckley. This is the strongest cluster of scholars specialising in the military history of the First World War to be found in any conventional UK university. The MA is broadly-based with study of the Western Front its core. Other theatres such as Gallipoli and Palestine are also covered, as is strategy, the War at Sea, the War in the Air and the Home Front. We also offer the following part-time MAs in: • Second World War Studies: Conflict, Societies, Holocaust (campus based) • Military History by distance learning (fully-online) For more information, please visit: www.wlv.ac.uk/pghistory Call +44 (0)1902 321 081 Email: [email protected] Postgraduate loans and loyalty discounts may also be available. If you would like to arrange an informal discussion about the MA in the History of Britain and the First World War, please email the Course Leader, Professor Gary Sheffield: [email protected] Do you collect WW1 Crested China? The Western Front Association (Durham Branch) 1917-2017 First World War Centenary Conference & Exhibition Saturday 14 October 2017 Cornerstones, Chester-le-Street Methodist Church, North Burns, Chester-le-Street DH3 3TF 09:30-16:30 (doors open 09:00) Tickets £25 (includes tea/coffee, buffet lunch) Tel No. 07594 964930 E mail: [email protected] Guest Speakers and Subjects We are the leading dealers and have hundreds Dr David Murphy (Maynooth University, Ireland) of reasonably priced pieces in stock The Nivelle Offensive Please request a free illustrated catalogue Prof. Eric Grove (Liverpool Hope University) which will be posted to you The 1917 U-boat Campaign Reconsidered Dr Matthias Strohn (Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst) Visitors welcome German Defence in Depth at Third Ypres Goss & Crested China Ltd Forestside House Dr Bryn Hammond (Imperial War Museum) Forestside Rowlands Castle West Sussex PO9 6EE The Battle of Cambrai [email protected] 023 9263 1888 Conference Chairman - Prof. John Derry The Western Front Association Stand To! No. 109 STAND TO! Editor’s Introduction The Journal of the Western Front Association Another summer, another centenary. The last Pals battalions by a young hopeful from No. 109 June/July 2017 day of July marks the 100th anniversary of the Barnsley who had never written anything © Copyright 2017 ISSN 0261–6548 Third Battle of Ypres, a battle popularly – and more challenging than an undergraduate with heavy irony – dubbed Passchendaele by dissertation! Issue 19 also featured an article Editor: Jon Cooksey those who fought in it and survived. To mark by Bob Wyatt entitled ‘Books about Books’, Holly Lodge, Church Road, the occasion, and consistent with its aim of a learned exposition on bibliographies of Snitterfield, Stratford–upon–Avon, delivering more value for members during Great War volumes. There was no official post Warwickshire. CV37 0LE the centenary years, the WFA’s Executive of reviews editor for ST then but Bob Wyatt email: [email protected] Committee have approved another special was already reviewing extensively for the The Editor is always prepared edition. In the following pages readers will magazine and it was inevitable, given his deep to consider original articles find several articles related to aspects of ‘Third well of existing knowledge on the subject, for publication; they should be sent Ypres’ but, as it is the only special planned his extensive personal library and his innate to him at the above address. for 2017, the net of featured articles has been and insatiable curiosity, that this avowed cast much wider and includes contributions and passionate bibliophile would assume the Stand To! is published in January, May and September and is distributed to on events prior to and after the Passchendaele mantle of chief reviewer. Indeed by ST 23 current members of the WFA. campaign. And so there is an item on a little Garrison Library was being printed with an known British trench raid in early 1917 in ‘advisory’ – ‘NOTE: all reviews by Bob Wyatt Advertisement enquiries to addition to others focusing on actions towards unless otherwise stated.’ The post of reviews Ralph Lomas. Tel: 01625 511645, the end of that year. Some articles, such as the editor was formalised a little later and he has Email: ralph@app–publishing.co.uk specially commissioned piece by Peter Barton, held it ever since. Until now. Design, Typesetting, Production speak of events which have their origins in Our President Professor Peter Simkins has by APP Publishing Consultants 1916 but are included precisely because of already paid tribute to Bob and his matchless of Macclesfield, Cheshire. their impact during the months and years work for the WFA in the Bulletin and I cannot Tel: 01625 511645 which followed. There are pieces on the air better it. When I began editing ST with issue war over Ypres, on the courage and tenacity 80, I relied heavily on a hard–core of staples: A composite of nurses under fire, on gallant gunners, on War Art, Bob Grundy and Steve Wall’s Camera of two famous the slogging infantry and on Australians, Returns and Garrison Library. Suffice to say images captured Canadians and Germans. I sincerely hope that that Bob was a constant pillar of support to me at the time readers will find the selection of interest. in my new role in coordinating what continues of the Third This issue is ‘special’ too in another way; to be, for many readers, a key feature of ST – Battle of Ypres special for me as editor and indeed all who a feature that they turn to before anything by Australian are, or have been members of the WFA, as else – and one which Bob built into what it it marks the ‘retirement’ from official WFA is today. I cannot begin to tell how much I official business of one whose voice we have all come appreciated knowing that Garrison Library photographers to know and respect in the pages of Stand To! was always – always – ‘in the bag’, in order and which for at least 30 years. It has been said that ‘old and in good time. I am deeply grateful for all were later soldiers never die, they simply fade away’ you have done for the WFA Bob and for me obtained by and several old WFA ‘soldiers’ have faded in personally. Thank you very much indeed. the Imperial War Museum in London. recent months. David and Judith Cohen retired We now have a new reviews editor – The main image – a favourite of the from contributing last year – although readers David Filsell – but his is a name which will be editor – shows a group of Australian will see that I have badgered a War Art special familiar to most readers as David has already infantryman listening with rapt attention out of them for this issue – and now Bob reviewed hundreds of books in ST under Bob’s to a yarn spinning comrade in a dugout Wyatt has decided to hand over the reins of aegis for many years and has a long WFA somewhere in Ypres on 2 November reviews editor. pedigree himself. David was the WFA’s press 1917. In a wonderfully composed and For members who care to dust off their and publicity officer when Bob took over as past issues of Stand To! Bob was introduced deputy editor of the magazine in spring 1987. evocative image the storyteller is caught to readers in ST 19, along with ‘new’ editor In issue 19 Bob Wyatt stated that his aim in silhouette against the firelight which Bob Butcher. The two Bobs came as a ‘double for ST could be ‘surely stated’ in a few words: reflects the grinning faces of his mates. act’; Bob B as ‘Hon. Editor’ and Bob W ‘To keep up the good work.’ David Filsell Below, in another skilfully composed shot as ‘Deputy Hon. Editor’. Incidentally the and I will aspire to do just that with Garrison using the silhouette technique, a column same issue carried a, shall we say ‘mixed’, Library. of Australian troops make their way review for a new book on his local Kitchener Jon Cooksey along a low ridge on their way to relieve the front line near Hooge on 5 October 1917, the day after the successful Battle Contact Sarah Gunn at the WFA Office: of Broodseinde. Courtesy IWM E(AUS) To notify change of postal address and/or email address. With all enquiries relating to 1223 (main image) and E(AUS)833 membership, Gift Aid status and services provided by the WFA. To purchase Stand To! Reprints Volume 3 (Volumes 1 and 2 now out of stock), Stand To! and Bulletin binders, The views expressed in articles in this publication are those of the Mapping the Front DVDs and additional/past copies of Stand To! and Bulletin. authors and do not necessarily reflect or represent those of the Editor, his associates or the Trustees of the Tel: 0207 118 1914 Western Front Association.