November 2011

In November we held one of our bi-annual Members’ Forums and heard two short stories. The first was from John Ross and he spoke about the huge (9 miles long) explosive factory a few miles from Carlisle and the remains that can still be seen today. Interestingly Arthur Conan Doyle visited the site and subsequently wrote in the press about the facilities and processes – apart from the fact that he didn’t give a map reference he gave away almost every other detail that the Germans could have wanted about the factory! The second talk was by Derek Smith who related the tale of the Zeppelin crew whose stricken craft came down in Essex. The official version of events seems at variance with other accounts and if the latter are to be believed it was something of a comedy of errors before the crew were apprehended – it also seems likely that the airship was not set on fire by the crew the night they landed but was accidentally ignited the following morning by a soldier throwing away his cigarette end while he was supposed to be guarding it! We also auctioned off about 40 lots of donated books and magazines during the afternoon and raised a welcome £80 for branch funds.

October 2011

In late October I was pleased to lead 35 branch members, wives, friends and others with an interest in the Great War on a tour of the battlefields. The logistics of a large group travelling from Scotland were made possible thanks to Des Brogan of Mercat Tours in Edinburgh who took care of all the travel and accommodation arrangements for us and also came along to do some of the guiding. Thanks to his experience we were able to mount the first full tour in the history of the branch; previously only a small number had managed to venture out as a group for the unveiling of the reinstated Highland Division flagstaff in 2006.

We assembled in Edinburgh on a Thursday morning before the coach journey to Hull and the overnight ferry to Zeebrugge. After arriving on the continent we headed straight to the Somme and the Newfoundland Memorial Park to examine both the 1 July and 13 November 1916 battles, before exiting at the bottom of the park to walk down to Beaumont Hamel and the Highland Division flagstaff, where the village had kindly agreed to mark our visit by flying the Scottish Standard for us.
After a lunch break at Ocean Villas we then went to the Ulster Tower for one of Teddy Colligan’s last tours of Thiepval Wood before he retired as custodian – I happened to be there in 2002 when Teddy and Phoebe first arrived to take over the tower and after a difficult start they soon began to mark their mark; they will be missed by many a battlefield visitor and will be a hard act to follow. Afterwards we went to the Thiepval Memorial, before sweeping up a few other aspects of the fighting on the Somme on the way to our hotel in Arras.

The Saturday was ‘my day’ and I led the group on a tour of the Arras battlefield. Starting the day with a run out to the Highland Cemetery, Roclincourt, to look at the Highland Division on 9 April 1917, we then returned to Arras to visit the Wellington Tunnels. After an early lunch we then walked from the Railway Triangle to Battery Valley, before visiting the Point Du Jour Cemetery and 9th (Scottish) Division Memorial, Fampoux, Gavrelle, Roeux and Monchy Le Preux before finishing the day with a visit to the Arras Memorial to the Missing. The theme of the day was very much the Scottish units that fought in the Battle of Arras and, despite a very cold wind, was an excellent day.

Sunday was a day of travelling with our final destination Ypres, however, with much of interest en route we went via Loos, including a trip up the Double Crassier, then on to Neuve Chapelle and Fromelles. After some free time in Ypres we reassembled at the Menin Gate for the 8 p.m. ceremony where I was given the honour of reciting the Exhortation in front of a large crowd. Also Glen Ross laid a wreath on behalf of the Scotland (North) Branch, while several other members of the group laid wreaths on behalf of their old regiments or Royal British Legion Scotland branches.
The Monday was devoted to the Ypres Salient with visits to Essex Farm, Langemarck, Tyne Cot, Hooge, Zillebeke and finally Hill 60, before heading up to Zeebrugge, the ferry to Hull and the drive back to Edinburgh on the Tuesday.

Despite a cold wind at times we were remarkably lucky with the weather and had no rain in our four days on the battlefields and, despite, having to fit a great deal into our limited time everyone still seemed to be in remarkably good form at the end of a hectic six-day trip.

September 2011

In September we welcomed Niall Ferguson to give his talk on the Railway Operating Division of the Royal Engineers. The work of the ROD is one of largely unsung dedication and sheer hard work in keeping the logistics of the Western Front on track (pun intended!), as well as major inputs to the railway system at home. Without the drivers, firemen and other specialists the war could not have been waged in the manner it was, and in Niall’s talk the photographs of the engines etc. are a delightful addition to a well told story.

July 2011

July was marked by two events. The first was Dr John Bourne regaling us with a fascinating glimpse into the minds of those charged with promoting senior officers (and removing them from post if deemed to have performed poorly) and the procedures in place to do so. That all the records were destroyed during the London Blitz and the story had to be pieced together from fragmentary evidence is a testament to the skills of the top rate historian we know John Bourne to be. The second event was the marking of the 150th meeting since the branch’s first back in early 1994. Thanks go to Esther Smith who did a splendid job in baking a large cake for the occasion (thankfully large enough for the 40 plus people in the audience to each get a slice!) and the official cutting ceremony was ably performed by John Bourne, overseen by our Honorary Branch President, Derek Smith.

June 2011

In June Mike Stedman made a return visit to the branch and this time talked about the successful actions on the southern part of the Somme in 1916. As always his visual aids, especially the excellent panoramic photographs, made for an interesting insight into the area of the Somme so often overlooked by those who seem intent on concentrating on the disasters that took place just a short distance to the north.

May 2011

For our May meeting we welcomed Dr Thomas Weber from the University of Aberdeen. Dr Weber has made a study of Adolf Hitler’s service during the Great War and recently published a book on the subject. What was most notable was the contrast between Hitler’s actual service with the List Regiment, his frosty reception post war by most of his fellow veterans in the early days of the Nazi Party and that party’s subsequent manipulation of the facts to tell a far more glorious story.

March 2011

In March we welcomed Mike Taylor who gave an excellent talk on the handling of German prisoners by the BEF. He told how the official policy changed from an initial one of purely confining them in Britain, to one, when manpower shortages became apparent, of using them to perform all sorts of labouring tasks both in Britain and in the rear areas on the continent.
April was an opportunity for branch member, Jim Mackay, to give an updated version of a talk he originally gave to us way back in January 1997. The subject was ‘Postal and Paper Ephemera of the Great War’ and as vice-president of the Moray Philatelic Society and a member of the Forces Postal History Society he is well-placed to cover the subject with authority. He told not only of the physical aspects of getting the mail to and fro but also some of the personal stories that he had uncovered from items in his extensive collection.

January 2011

Traditionally we rely on local talent for our first meeting of the year as travelling to and around the north of Scotland in January can be ‘interesting’, however, when the local talent is not only a retired senior army officer but a Commonwealth War Graves Commissioner the sense of anticipation in the audience of about 50 was palpable. We were not to be disappointed and Lieutenant-General Sir Alistair Irwin gave an excellent account of the history of the CWGC and, equally, the role of the commission today including their work designing and constructing the new cemetery at Fromelles.