History of the King OS Shropshire Light Infantry in the Great War 1914-1918


Book Description

On 1st July 1881, the 53rd Shropshire Regt and the 85th King s Light Infantry amalgamated to become the 1st and 2nd Battalions respectively of the King s Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI); the Shropshire Militia became the 3rd Special Reserve (SR) Battalion. On the outbreak of war in 1914 the regiment consisted of four battalions: the 1st (Ireland), 2nd (India), the 3rd and the 4th (Territorial) were in Shrewsbury. During the course of the war the establishment of the regiment was raised to thirteen battalions, eight of them (1st, 2nd, 1/4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 10th) went on active service, between them in France and Flanders, Mesopotamia and Palestine while the remainder furnished drafts and took part in home defence. Fifty-two battle honours and one VC were awarded; 4,710 died. Covering eight battalions in one book does not allow for much detail, in fact descriptions of actions and operations tend to be summaries. However, there are plenty of names in the text, officers and other ranks. The contents are arranged in eleven chapters, one for each of the eight front line battalions, each with a map covering its areas of operation; one for the Depot; one for the reserve battalions and a final one describing activities at home. Appendices provide the roll of honour of officers, roll of honour of other ranks listed by battalion, British and Foreign awards, mentions in despatches and mentions in the Press and awards of brevet rank. Finally there is an index.




Kitchener’s Army


Book Description

Numbering over five million men, Britain's army in the First World War was the biggest in the country's history. Remarkably, nearly half those men who served in it were volunteers. 2,466,719 men enlisted between August 1914 and December 1915, many in response to the appeals of the Field-Marshal Lord Kitchener. How did Britain succeed in creating a mass army, almost from scratch, in the middle of a major war ? What compelled so many men to volunteer ' and what happened to them once they had taken the King's shilling ? Peter Simkins describes how Kitchener's New Armies were raised and reviews the main political, economic and social effects of the recruiting campaign. He examines the experiences and impressions of the officers and men who made up the New Armies. As well as analysing their motives for enlisting, he explores how they were fed, housed, equipped and trained before they set off for active service abroad. Drawing upon a wide variety of sources, ranging from government papers to the diaries and letters of individual soldiers, he questions long-held assumptions about the 'rush to the colours' and the nature of patriotism in 1914. The book will be of interest not only to those studying social, political and economic history, but also to general readers who wish to know more about the story of Britain's citizen soldiers in the Great War.










A Nation in Arms


Book Description

The Great War was the first conflict to draw men and women into uniform on a massive scale. From a small regular force of barely 250,000, the British Army rapidly expanded into a national force of over five million. A Nation in Arms brings together original research into the impact of the war on the army as an institution, gives a revealing account of those who served in it and offers fascinating insights into its social history during one of the bloodiest wars.




Rugbeians in the Great War


Book Description

The courage and sacrifices during World War I of the students who attended the influential boarding school best known for the sport that bears its name. Few schools can claim to have had such a deep and diverse effect on British history as Rugby. Its influence on the sporting field is well-known, but this book examines the roles played by Rugbeians in many different spheres during the Great War. Politicians and academics, Olympians and artists all left their ordinary lives to fight for their country and it was their school which bound them together. Some such as Ernest Swinton, inventor of the tank, and Maurice Hankey, Cabinet Secretary, had direct influence on the shaping of the conflict, whereas others such as Duncan Mackinnon (Olympic gold medal-winning rower) and the Cawley brothers (both Members of Parliament) are remembered primarily for their pre-war achievements. Until now there has never been a volume which traces the extent of Rugby’s influence, but this book showcases the extraordinary range of individuals from the school who left their mark on the war and the world at large. “I would say that the author has gone to great concentration and written an excellent and very detailed book. There is no other thing to do but to recommend this book, a really excellent book.” —The UK Historian




The Battles of the British Expeditionary Forces, 1914-1915


Book Description

In this valuable resource, over 1,000 annotated sources from Great Britain, France, and Germany offer a historiographical reference for study of the British army at the beginning and in the first battles of World War I. Unique to this bibliography is the comprehensive coverage of sources, resulting in a more complete picture of the circumstances of activities of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Sources include coverage of the BEF's military role, as well as background information about domestic military considerations and Allied and enemy efforts. This volume will support researchers and students in their efforts to find out what the Expeditionary Force's contributions were in World War I, and for expanding their knowledge of the Great War and British military history. In this valuable resource, over 1,000 annotated sources from Great Britain, France, and Germany offer a historiographical reference for study of the British army at the beginning and in the first battles of World War I. Unique to this bibliography is the comprehensive coverage of sources, and it results in a more complete picture of the circumstances of activities of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Sources include coverage of the BEF's military role, as well as background information about domestic military considerations and Allied and enemy efforts. This volume will support researchers and students in their efforts to find out what the Expeditionary Force's contributions were in World War I, and for expanding their knowledge of the Great War and British military history. The volume includes four chapters of historiographical essays discussings the interpretations and controversies that surround the performance and leadership of the BEF in 1914-1915. The essays direct readers to the major sources that support various ideas and indicate gaps in the historiography of the subject. Following the historiographical essays is an annotated bibliography of more than 1,000 sources that are relevant to the study of the BEF.




Magnificent But Not War


Book Description

"[This volume] is essentially a day-by-day record of the Second Battle of Ypres which draws heavily upon personal accounts, regimental histories and war diaries to present a comprehensive study of the battle in which Germany gained the dubious distinction of becoming the first nation in history to use poisonous gas as a weapon of war"--Jacket.