Author: Ray Westlake Publisher: Spellmount, Limited Publishers ISBN: 9781862272071 Category : Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
"This book is a directory that performs the task of recording, for the first time, not only a comprehensive listing of every unit in existence at the outbreak of war in August 1914, Regulars, Special Reserve, Territorials, OTC, Cadets etc. - but also their locations. This, in the case of Territorial Force units, being not only that of Regimental/Brigade/Battalion/Squadron Headquarters, but those of individual Batteries/Companies and outlying drill stations." "The illustrations of course, being personally selected from the many thousand available from the author's internationally known archive, are second to none. The British Army of August 1914 is a reference for all historians - military, local, family, professional, amateur - and will long serve as a fitting commemoration to the men and regiments that formed the backbone of the later much enlarged British Army."--BOOK JACKET.
Author: Andrew Rawson Publisher: The History Press ISBN: 0750958650 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 417
Book Description
An indispensable guide to the British Army during the First World War covers the men who fought for Britain: from the 'Old Contemptibles' – the professionals who stemmed the German advance at the beginning of the war – to the Territorials, the 'Derby Men', Kitchener's 'New Army' and the conscripts who eventually defeated the Kaiser's armies four years later. Andrew Rawson examines the impressive contributions made by the Dominions and the Empire and explores aspects of doctrine, training, communications, strategy and tactics, together with divisional organisations, histories and the roles of the different Arms and Services. He reviews all aspects of the soldier's everyday life – uniforms, equipment, rations, trench life, leave and military discipline – and profiles the commanders and the legacy of the war in art, as well as providing information on cemeteries and places of interest. It is all here, in one book.
Author: Ray Westlake Publisher: Casemate Publishers ISBN: 1844686566 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 520
Book Description
The Territorials 1908–1914 is a unique, comprehensive record of the part-time soldiers who made up the Territorial Force that supported the regular army in the years immediately before the outbreak of the First World War. Previously information on the history and organization of these dedicated amateur soldiers has been incomplete and scattered across many sources but now, in this invaluable work of reference, Ray Westlake provides an accessible introduction to the Territorial Force and a directory of the units raised in each county and each town. The origin, aims and organization of the Territorial Force are described as well as the terms of service, recruitment, equipment and training. But the bulk of the book consists of details of over 600 Territorial units plus a comprehensive account of every city, town or village associated with them. Essential information on the all the infantry formations is supplied, but also covered are the yeomanry, the artillery, the engineers, the Royal Army Medical Corps and the Army Service Corps. Ray Westlakes historical guide of the Territorial Force the forerunner of the present-day Territorial Army - will be of enduring value to military and family historians.
Author: Charles Messenger Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson ISBN: 1780227590 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 576
Book Description
This is a comprehensive account of how the British Army coped with and adapted to the enormous challenges and pressures of the First World War -- the first major continental war that the army had had to fight for almost a hundred years. Following the course of the War, both on the Western Front and in other theatres, Charles Messenger tells how the British Army managed the challenges of command, training, technology and new weapons of war. He examines officer selection, medicine, discipline, the manpower crisis of 1918, the integration of women into the forces and many other topics. Based on years of original research, this will become the standard work of reference on the organization and administration of the biggest army Britain has ever put into the field.
Author: Mike Chappell Publisher: Osprey Publishing ISBN: 9781841763996 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914 the British Army was unique: it was a small force raised entirely by voluntary recruitment. The first campaigns of the British Expeditionary Force brought admiration from the enemy, but by the end of 1914 it had been virtually eliminated. Kitchener's call for new volunteers drew such a patriotic response that by mid-1916 the BEF had grown to 55 divisions. This book explains and llustrates the uniform, equipment and organization of the British Army up to the end of the battle of the Somme.
Author: Adrian Gilbert Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN: 1472808134 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 311
Book Description
Winston Churchill described the opening campaign of World War I as 'a drama never surpassed'. The titanic clash of Europe's armies in 1914 is one the great stories of 20th-century history, and one in which the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) played a notable part. Previous assessments of the BEF have held to an unshakeable belief in its exceptional performance during the battles of 1914. But closer examination of the historical record reveals a force possessing some key strengths yet undermined by other, significant failings. Within an authoritative and well-paced campaign narrative, Challenge of Battle re-evaluates the Army's leadership, organization and tactics. It describes the problems faced by commanders, grappling with the brutal realities of 20th-century warfare, and explains how the British infantry's famed marksmanship has to be set against the inexperience and tactical shortcomings of the BEF as a whole. However, it also demonstrates the progress made by the British during 1914, concluding with the successful defence of Ypres against superior enemy forces. The author examines the fateful decisions made by senior officers and how they affected the men under their command. Making full use of diaries, letters and other contemporary accounts, he builds a compelling picture of what it was like to fight in the battles of Mons, Le Cateau, the Aisne and Ypres. In this timely new book, Adrian Gilbert clears away the layers of sentiment that have obscured a true historical understanding of the 1914 campaign to provide a full, unvarnished picture of the BEF at war.
Author: Gordon Martel Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA ISBN: 0199665389 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 511
Book Description
Dedicating a chapter to every day of July 1914, the author retraces the actions that led to World War I, beginning with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and following leaders of the time as they escalated the crisis.
Author: John Hulton Publisher: Pen and Sword ISBN: 1473823722 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 250
Book Description
The Great War will always be synonymous with trench warfare and the mass slaughter inflicted by machine guns on the helpless but gallant infantry. There is a good reason for this view as the machine guns took a terrible toll, and the infantry's experiences continue to fascinate and appal people today. But one aspect of the fighting that gets insufficient attention is the artillery. Histories of the major battles often reduce the role of the big guns to a few paragraphs, and this has created a seriously distorted impression of the reality of the fighting. A better balance needs to be struck, and that is the intention of John Hutton's new book on the gunners of 1914.??He tells the story of the war as the gunners themselves saw it, focusing on the first few months of warfare which were fundamental to the conduct of the campaign. The gunners may not have always shared the trench experiences of the infantry in the front line, but they were in the thick of the action, and success or failure depended on them. The personal testimonies of those who served with and supported the guns provide a vital insight into the colossal tragedy and drama of the war from the artilleryman's point of view.
Author: War Office 1914 Publisher: Andrews UK Limited ISBN: 1781503850 Category : Reference Languages : en Pages : 512
Book Description
The monthly Army List is the official list of all army officers, regular, territorial or reserve, as at the end of the month immediately prior to the date of publication, and this makes the August 1914 Army List a most significant one. But it is not just a list of names, it shows the command structure and order of battle of the British Army and Indian Army, all the regular and territorial divisions and their locations, their commanders and staffs. Officers up to the rank of Lieut-Colonel are show in their regiments/corps in seniority; in infantry regiments the battalion is also shown. The locations of all regiments and battalions are given. Officers of colonel rank and above are on a consolidated list, grouped by ranks and according to seniority. In this August list all the artillery brigades, batteries and companies are shown with their officers and locations. Other lists include Royal Marines, RFC, Staff College graduates and students, officers on half pay, Colonial regiments, officers attached to the Egyptian Army, instructors and staff of Army schools, OTCs, senior Warrant Officers and many more. Indian Army officers are shown in a consolidated list by ranks as well as by regiments. This is the British, Indian and Colonial Army on the eve of war.
Author: Ray Westlake
Author: Richard A Rinaldi
Author: Andrew Rawson
Author: Ray Westlake
Author: Charles Messenger
Author: Mike Chappell
Author: Adrian Gilbert
Author: Gordon Martel
Author: John Hulton
Author: War Office 1914