WWI & WWII Research
William Thomas Burbridge, known as Bill In 1998, after coming back from a holiday in Normandy, I learnt that I had a relative who had died in the fighting in that part of France in 1944. His name was William Thomas Burbridge and he served as a Lance Corporal in 110 Provost Company in the […]
This image is widely portrayed on Social Media as a British and German soldier exchanging cigarettes on Christmas Day of 1914 during the Truce. The reality? The caption on the IWM site states, Battle of Epehy. British wounded and German prisoner sharing a cigarette at an advanced dressing station near Epehy, 18 September 1918. Note […]
Recently I have revisited a man from Worstead who featured in my first book. Sergeant, 1496737, Jack Rowland Wales, 100 Squadron Royal Air Force, was the son of Walter and Elsie Wales and was born in 1920, he is unique, to me, in that he is the only man recorded on the war memorial in […]
I had my second book published in 2014 and within the postscript I looked at two men, one of whom, through privilege, was repatriated back to England even though he died in France in December 1914. Major Lionel John Neville was born in Calcutta on 5th March 1878 and was educated at Charterhouse. He received […]
D-Day 75 1st Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment 6th and 7th June 1944 The Bn took up old positions on ROVER and after checking, the casualties were found to be 40-50…’ From the war diary of the 1/R.Norfolk Regiment war diary. This post breaks ranks in that it’s my first blog that relates to the Second […]
Centenary Blog 15th May 2019 Today, 15th May 2019, marks the 100th Anniversary of Edith Cavell’s funeral. After the war it was decided that Edith Cavell’s body would be repatriated and her body was exhumed on March 17th, 1919. On May 13th, 1919. Edith’s body was taken to Ostend, escorted by British soldiers, and here […]
Sergeant Major, S/12784, Arthur Joseph James Fairbairn 490th Horse Transport Company Army Service Corps I came to write my first book because of two war graves in Worstead churchyard. This is the story of the second man. Arthur Fairbairn was born in Bermondsey and resided in Croydon. He is the other man who is listed […]
The Battle of Amiens 8th August 1918 In June of 2009 I was lucky enough to accompany and assist the author Mark Adkin with a ten-day tour of the Western Front. Mark had asked to be taken to various sites from Ypres to Verdun so he could cover a number of actions that incorporated every […]
Corporal 12345 Armine Davison (Military Medal) 11th Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment) Armine Davison was born in 1894 and was the son of Austin and Florence Davison who lived on Church Plain in Worsetad. Armine was a gardener like his Grandfather James Davison and his Uncle George both of whom were the retired and current […]
Crostwick War Memorial If you drive from Norwich to Coltishall on the B1150 you will pass through Crostwick. Hidden away on the right between Rackheath Road and the White Horse Pub you will find the Crostwick War Memorial. But blink and you’ll miss it! It is hidden away off the road and the only marker […]