yperman Posted 17 February , 2014 Share Posted 17 February , 2014 I wondered if anyone could recommend titles on the Belgian Army? I am especially interested in 1914 but any period of the Great War would be welcome. Many thanks, Yperman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joerookery Posted 17 February , 2014 Share Posted 17 February , 2014 This would interest me also. We have been doing a lot of sourcing in French and Dutch but I would really like to see something about 1914 in English! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joerookery Posted 17 February , 2014 Share Posted 17 February , 2014 The Belgian Army in World War I, Ronald Pawley, Partice Courcelle (illustrator), Osprey Men-at-Arms, 2012, 48 pages, color illustrations, photos, map, index, AISN B00XWQ512, Kindle, $11.49 -- first published by Osprey in paperback in 2009. The organization, equipment and commanders of the tiny Belgian army which delayed up the German juggernaught at Liege and then clung to a precious sliver of territory for nearly four years... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yperman Posted 17 February , 2014 Author Share Posted 17 February , 2014 Thanks joerookery - I've got that one - it is very good put I was looking for something more detailed . I have also read 'In Flanders flooded fields' by Van Pul, 'Battle for the Yser' (C. Baker) and 'The Rape of Belgium' by Zuckerman. What I am looking for is something like the British Official History but for the Belgian Army. I am fascinated by the events between the fall of Liege and 1st Ieper. Sadly, like the 'Battle of the Frontiers' there seems little in English for the non-academic reader. Thanks Yperman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joerookery Posted 17 February , 2014 Share Posted 17 February , 2014 I am fascinated by the events between the fall of Liege and 1st Ieper. We are working on a book in English on Halen. While that actually predates the fall of Liège I think you'll find it interesting when it comes out. Hopefully sometime late this summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yperman Posted 18 February , 2014 Author Share Posted 18 February , 2014 I am looking forward to it! What will its title be? Yperman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 18 February , 2014 Share Posted 18 February , 2014 .... the Battle of the Silver Helmets, joerookery? Yperman, for some years I gave a talk on the Belgian Army to most of the WFA branches. Two variations actually: one on the army up to the end of the Battle of the Yser, and one on the army holding the Yser and the final offensive in Flanders. I did the main work of building the talk up over a few years, say back in the mid-90s. And there was absolutely zip in English. Luckily I can read French and Dutch, and I used to travel to Belgium a lot more than I do now, so got the work done that way. There have been a few things published over the years since (mentioned above) but that is all there is. I have often wondered whether I ought to write something on it, but have never found the time. Perhaps one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joerookery Posted 18 February , 2014 Share Posted 18 February , 2014 Yperman, Currently the title is but who knows what the eventual publisher will decide: The Battle of the Silver Helmets— Halen--12 August 1914. Yes Chris the amount of English language coverage is about zero. That and a disagreement about the effects of Liege and Halen on the German army with my old German co-author led us to start looking. I can see why you are easily able to give a talk on this eight separate charges and the rest of the Keystone cops antics of both armies. The most surprising thing so far has been our digging out of the engagement at Waremme. Pesky Belgians were active even then on six August successfully! Perhaps the two of you would consider reading over the manuscript when it is finished. We are about 70% now. Publisher is now down to two and this is a heck of a story in the English language prior to the BEF involvement. We fly to Belgium in late April. And after giving a presentation in Brussels we are off to Halen to spend a couple of days in the museum/battlefield along with Mr. Sttroobants. Any interest in doing an introduction??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr Posted 18 February , 2014 Share Posted 18 February , 2014 There is not a lot on the Belgian army in English. The book by Jack Sheldon on the German army in Ypres 1914 has a good chapter on the Belgian army at the yser. The Osprey book is only so-so. Some of the stories from the august to the end of the year are very interesting (armoured trains, armoured cars roaming behind enemy lines (one even reached Bastogne where he was able to liberate French cavalry pow's) Halen is an interesting battle (there is great story about general De Witte trying to stop a riderless German horse and being dragged along for several meters) so good luck with the book ! Carl (in Brussels in April) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joerookery Posted 19 February , 2014 Share Posted 19 February , 2014 Carl, Where is it story documented? It would make sense with the rest of the slapstick that seems to have gone on. We are flying in from Malaga Spain and will be there only one night for presentation or a talk. After we give that we are on the road! VR Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yperman Posted 19 February , 2014 Author Share Posted 19 February , 2014 joerookery I look forward to buying your book on the 12th August - I hope Amazon will stock it. Chris_Baker I do hope you find time to write something in English.I have only been reading up on the Great War for a year or so and it already seems to me that the remarkable actions in 1914 of the Belgian Army and King Albert (and the Belgian civilians' suffering) have been largely ignored in the Anglophone world. Yperman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr Posted 19 February , 2014 Share Posted 19 February , 2014 Joe pm sent Yperman Belgian MOD is working on books about the Belgian army in the Great War Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr Posted 19 February , 2014 Share Posted 19 February , 2014 http://www.be14-18.be/sites/default/files/uploads/wwi-lowresned.pdf link to the activities of the Belgian MOD concerning the commemoration of WWI (in dutch !) http://www.davidsfonds.be/publisher/edition/detail.phtml?id=3306 a new military history of the Belgian army during the war (in Dutch as well!) hope this helps Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 19 February , 2014 Share Posted 19 February , 2014 I think that the occupation August 1914 - November 1918 might make the subject of a good documentary for the British audience, mainland Britain never having been occupied in either World War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joerookery Posted 19 February , 2014 Share Posted 19 February , 2014 Thanks for the links Carl! There is so much squared away stuff coming out of Belgium that always surprises me in a positive way. There is a publication about the great war sites in English that focuses on accessibility. Absolutely fascinating. http://www.flanders.be/en/publications/detail/great-war-centenary-2014-2018 Touring in Belgium is probably just a hop and a skip for most people in the United Kingdom not so much for me. I'm looking forward to it. the remarkable actions in 1914 of the Belgian Army and King Albert (and the Belgian civilians' suffering) have been largely ignored in the Anglophone world. I agree with this and what Steve said about the occupation – we ran into a little bit of the German view about Belgian suffering in the The Great War Dawning. Not very much – certainly in English – but a very deep held mindset backed up by doctrine. Another fascinating subject! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yperman Posted 19 February , 2014 Author Share Posted 19 February , 2014 Carl Thanks for the information about the Belgian MOD books and the links. Yperman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marilyne Posted 19 February , 2014 Share Posted 19 February , 2014 I can recommend "La Belgique et la Grande Guerre" by Mickael BOURLET (it's in french) and the newly discovered "Patrouilleurs aan de IJzerfront" by Robert Lambrechts (former student... have to make some publicity... ) . Siegfried Debaecke's book "Het drama van de dodengang" is also very good, on the Death Trench in Dixmuide and there's the book by Tom Simoens (promotion comrade...) "Gezag onder vuur" about discipline in the Belgian Army. concerning the link by cdr... (written by Dave, Tom and Franky and his eminence writing the foreword I guess ) ever since I had him in class I can't read a thing by De Vos, so I can't review that one. MM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr Posted 21 February , 2014 Share Posted 21 February , 2014 Marilyne, The Bourlet book sounds interesting. I see where you are coming from concerning LDV !! I also liked Vlaanderen Niemandsland 1914 van gendarmen, vrijwilligers en burgerwachten by Patrick Goossens and Lieve Meiresonne. This book talks especially about Gendarmes, volunteers and garde-civique in early 1914. There is an interesting Chapter on the chapter of Portsmouth bataillon of the RND in the station of Moerbeke by Bayerische Landwehr infanterie regiment nr1 Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geniesoldaat Posted 25 September , 2023 Share Posted 25 September , 2023 There is also a book by Captain Robert Thijs on the inundation, he was one of the officers who helped. It's in French and Dutch. Nieuwpoort 1914-1918: De onderwaterzetting in de Ijzervallei (Dutch) Nieuport 1914-1918: Les inondation de l' Yser et la compagnie des Sapeurs-Pontonniers du génie Belge (French) Uitgeverij De Schorre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 27 September , 2023 Share Posted 27 September , 2023 (edited) And you can also now add my own "From the Channel to the Ypres Salient: the Belgian Sector 1914-1918" (Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military (Battleground Europe imprint) 2021). See https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/From-the-Channel-to-the-Ypres-Salient-Paperback/p/19065 It is available in paperback or e-book format. Seems to be selling quite well and I have had several people contact me to say that they had visited the Yser area for the first time as a result of reading it. That pleases me greatly. Edited 27 September , 2023 by Chris_Baker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geniesoldaat Posted 27 September , 2023 Share Posted 27 September , 2023 Hi Chris, i saw the talk you gave about your book on YouTube, very good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 27 September , 2023 Share Posted 27 September , 2023 (edited) Oh, thank you. Very kind. I am glad you enjoyed it. Here's the talk for anyone interested. It was done over Zoom for the Great War Group. Edited 27 September , 2023 by Chris_Baker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cockney Posted 13 October , 2023 Share Posted 13 October , 2023 There are also these two volumes published by Verlag Militaire in Austria. They concentrate on uniforms and equipment. I do not have these but I have others from this publisher and they are very comprehensive and beautifully produced. https://www.militaria.at/Book.aspx?book=9506574&Language=en Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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