First World War Lectures/Presentations/Discussions on YouTube

[David Tattersfield]

Back in May this year, the annual 'President's Conference' was held 'virtually' with 6 speakers over the course of a day giving talks on aspects of 1915. These were recorded and are now being made available over the course of the next few weeks on the WFA's YouTube channel. The first of these was by Dr Aimée Fox and entitled 'From Gallipoli to the Western Front: Sharing Military Knowledge and Experience in 1915'

The presentation highlighted the ways in which individuals and formations sought to share lessons and experiences between Gallipoli and the Western Front. Such experiences were disseminated via formal and informal means and included suggestions of new technologies and approaches. By exploring the transfer of knowledge and best practice, the paper argued for a more nuanced view of how military knowledge was shared and operationalised (or not).

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

In the second of the Presidents Conference presentations, Dr Roger Pritchard talked about ‘New Armies: New Officers'.

Roger looked at the process of finding new officers during the first eighteen months of the War in the context of the fundamental problem of expanding the British Army so that it was capable of fighting a major continental campaign. His talk focused on a single, line infantry regiment, the Glosters, and examined the sources from which new officers were drawn, differences between categories of units - Regular, TF and New Army - and how far the process led to changes in the social composition of junior officers.

The talk will also look at the problems faced and how these led to the important changes in the selection and training of junior officers introduced at the beginning of 1916.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

The third of the 'President's Conference speakers from the 2021 virtual conference was Rocky Salmon. 

In this presentation Rocky examined how the rapid development of British counter-gas warfare capability in 1915 set the conditions for surviving the chemical threat through to 1918 and how that development still has relevance today.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

In the 4th of the WFA's Presidents Conference presentations, George Morton Jack talks about "The Western Front in 1915: Indian Connections with the World Beyond".

 

Through considering the Indian Army on the Western Front on a few days in 1915, this talk connects events in France, Belgium and Britain with the wider world to give glimpses of the global war that year. It shows Indian forces forming an emerging global network across the fronts of Europe, Africa and Asia, adapting as they learned and shared lessons of modern warfare.

 

[David Tattersfield]

The 5th of the Presidents Conference presentations is by Dr Antonia Newell. It is entitled 'Women Doctors in Military Service, 1915: A Turning Point in their acceptance?'

In 1914, British and colonial women doctors’ offers to help in military service were refused. Following their work in voluntary medical units, negative attitudes started to change and by 1915 their capability to deal with war casualties was confirmed. This talk will focus on their achievements in 1915 which led to some being officially attached to the RAMC in 1916.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

In the 6th and final presentation from the WFA's 2021 Virtual President's Conference we heard from Dr Bill Stewart who talked about 'The 1915 CEF’s Fighting, Training, Recruiting, and Administrative Echelons'

 

The Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1915 was not the crack organisation of 1918. It was a puzzling amalgam of a functional fighting force crippled by gravely dysfunctional recruiting, administrating, and training institutions.

This presentation explains this vast chasm in 1915 by examining each of the four elements and how the three malfunctioning echelons hampered the fighting component. It will, further, explain how and why this situation emerged out of a lack of experience in raising, maintaining, and administering overseas forces and a political leadership that was wholly unsuited to these challenges.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

This webinar (entitled 'Never Mind the Quality – Feel the Width': BEF Logistics during the Somme Campaign) examines the logistics behind the Battle of the Somme.

Through a logistical and engineering lens Rob Thompson describes the Battle of the Somme and the subsequent logistical and engineering developments that took place. These developments, although largely ignored, were the central elements that created an ultimately victorious BEF that could operate an astonishing 60 miles in advance of its supply railheads.

 

If the Somme was envisaged as a battle to break through into the ‘green fields and beyond’, then it was doomed long before the first whistles blew on 1 July because it was simply logistically impossible to supply. Indeed, by October 1916 the logistical strain of battle meant the BEF could barely supply the basic needs of the troops as the entire supply chain from port to front collapsed, rendering it unfit for purpose.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

In this talk Tom Issit describes how, in the immediate aftermath of the First World War, a mad sporting event took place across the battlefields in 1919 to celebrate the return of peace. This presentation was given to a live, online audience.

The 'Circuit des Champs de Bataille' became known as the hardest bicycle race ever held, and it crossed the battlefields of Flanders, Artois, the Somme, the Marne, the Argonne, Verdun, St Mihiel and the Vosges in appalling weather. The riders, many of whom had only recently been demobbed from the army, raced an average of 300km a day over mud and cobbled roads in the snow, and the race was so tough it was never held again.

100 years later Tom Isitt rode his bike along the race route, visiting those same battlefields and paying his respects to the fallen.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

 

The Battle Of the Somme, seen through the eyes of those British Airman flying above it, offers a fascinating glimpse of the potential, and relevance, of air power over the Western Front. Whilst many accounts focus on the fighter squadrons, described by Lloyd George as ‘the cavalry of the clouds’, it was the utility roles of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service in intelligence gathering and artillery co-operation that show the true worth of Britain’s flying services throughout the battle.

 

In this presentation, which was delivered to a live, on-line audience, Clive Harris will use contemporary accounts and more recent academic study, to discuss the integral role the flying services played in the battle. This will look at its early adaption and rapid expansion through to its maintaining of offensive operations over German airspace. He will explain how this was a costly policy but was deemed a necessity to allow the vital work of aerial observation to continue with reduced interference.

 

[David Tattersfield]

In this presentation, which was delivered live to an on-line audience, Dennis Claridge talks about his quest to uncover the facts behind a bequest that he received - being a chest full of documents, postcards and photos. These, when pieced together, told the story of an Australian soldier from the First World War.

Arthur Cima was born the son of a Swiss confectioner, and joined the Merchant Navy as a steward. Finding himself in Australia early in WW1, he signed up, joining the 13th Australian Infantry Battalion. Promoted to corporal, he fought valiantly as part of the Anzacs at Messines Ridge and Passchendaele and won the Military Medal. He was blinded in action on 4 July 1918 when his face was destroyed by an explosive bullet. Throughout his life Arthur seems to have accepted his fate with great dignity and forbearance. He was to fall deeply in love with one of his nurses, Adeline Guidotti, who was married with two children. She showed great devotion for Arthur, and she left her family so she could care for him. Eventually they were able to marry.

When Arthur died, he left the contents of his bungalow to a neighbour, the speaker/author, Dennis Claridge. Inside, Dennis found a chest full of documents, with over 300 postcards and many photos. Using this material, he has written this fascinating account of Arthur’s life.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

 

The Great War was known as the 'War of the Longest Purse' but eventually every purse runs out of money so every little saving counts.

This talk examines the work of Salvage from its small beginnings at battalion level to the creation of a giant corporation controlled by GHQ. It deals with salvage during hostilities and the colossal often forgotten task of the clean-up afterwards.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

This presentation by Greg Stephens explores why the Australians had the worst discipline record in the British Army during the First World War. Greg discusses the roots and causes of poor discipline within the AIF, comparisons with other countries, and importantly whether this issue had any impact on their ability to be an effective fighting force.

At the heart of his presentation are the personal stories of the men within the 5th Reinforcements 22nd Bn AIF. Between them these 154 men were responsible for 30 Court Martials, including his grandfather who went AWOL close by in Ealing and Twickenham!

The objective is not to retrospectively judge these men that transgressed military law but to shed some light into how and why.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

After the Allied successes of 8 August 1918 there was a series of hammer blows against the retreating Germans. However, by the end of that month the assaulting forces were weakened themselves and decidedly footsore. Ahead lay the brooding hill of Mont St Quentin which commanded views of Peronne town and the Somme river valley. General John Monash, pushing his men to the limit planned an Australian assault on the Mont that would force the Germans further back to the Hindenburg line.

Between 31 August and 2 September soldiers of the Australian Imperial Force showed dash, courage and persistence in capturing the Hill with its formidable dug in defence positions. Julian Whippy describes the action's importance, which, for the 2nd Australian Division in particular is evidenced by the striking “Digger memorial” which stands proudly atop the hill today.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

This presentation by Graham Kemp tells the story of the U boat Commerce campaign of 1917-18, its aims, hopes and intentions, before explaining why it was doomed to inevitable failure, and the huge cost Germany paid for that failure.

The talk also examines the actual experiences of the crews serving in the boats, what it was like to serve in them, the danger, the humour, and is drawn from the very few accounts ever written by their crews.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

The British Expeditionary Force faced disaster in August 1914. Driven from Belgium after the Battle of Mons, it found itself isolated from its French allies and closely pursued by numerically superior German forces. At the darkest moment of the retreat General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien made the bold decision to turn his forces and fight.

This presentation by Dr Spencer Jones tells the story of how and why this decision was made and examines the events of the Battle of Le Cateau, 26 August 1914. Although bitterly controversial, it would prove to be the battle which saved the army.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

The Battle of Amiens began on 8 August, 1918 and was described by General Ludendorff as the 'Black Day of the German Army'. The BEF, spearheaded by the Canadian Corps smashed through the German lines in a surprise attack that penetrated up to eight miles.

But how did the oversized Canadian Corps, the key element in the assault, get from their positions around Arras to Amiens without arousing the suspicions of the ever-watchful Germans? This talk by Rob Thompson looks at how the Canadians were spirited south whilst convincing the Germans and their own men that they were headed north.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

When Sir Douglas Haig took command of the BEF in late 1915, he soon realised he would have to become as much a ‘Battlefield Manager’ as ‘Battlefield Commander’. To achieve this successfully, he was required to charm, inspire and mould those serving beneath him, this presentation looks at how he personally, developed and overcame the challenges of total war.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

Dr Meleah Hampton, the Australian military historian and researcher at the Australian War Memorial, talks about how the two Australian battles that we call 1st and 2nd Bullecourt in April and May 1917 were planned and executed.

Based on her analysis of Australian corps and divisional archives, Meleah looks at the battle plans for the April and May attacks, how and why they were modified or evolved, and reveals startling influences on the planning, some from unexpected places.

 

 

[doyle3]

On 24/11/2021 at 10:19, David Tattersfield said:

This presentation by Graham Kemp tells the story of the U boat Commerce campaign of 1917-18, its aims, hopes and intentions, before explaining why it was doomed to inevitable failure, and the huge cost Germany paid for that failure.

The talk also examines the actual experiences of the crews serving in the boats, what it was like to serve in them, the danger, the humour, and is drawn from the very few accounts ever written by their crews.

 

 

I enjoy most of the WFA presentations I get to view. This one really stands out. Excellent.

[David Tattersfield]

 

In this talk Jim Tanner will look at Lawrence of Arabia and the attacks on the Hejaz Railway in what is today western Saudi Arabia.

Jim's consideration is less about the clash of empires and more about an astonishing feat of railway building, a British guided insurgency and a modern-day journey through a stunning panorama where the archaeology of the Great War remains largely untouched.

While the reasons are many and complex the decision made by the Ottoman Turks in October 1914 to enter the war against the Entente led directly to the turmoil that continues to affect the Middle East today. Back then, seeking to take advantage of the Turks being distracted elsewhere, the Arabs of the Hejaz revolted. British military support to the Arabs, identified most famously with the activities of TE Lawrence, was to be a fundamental part of Arab success.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

To mark the centenary year of John Terraine's birth, the President of The Western Front Association, Professor Gary Sheffield, gave a talk that reviews Terraine's career as a historian of the Great War and assesses his significance.

In this presentation Gary will look at John Terraine's feud with Basil Liddell Hart, and how his work fares today in the light of more recent scholarship. John Terraine was the founding president of The Western Front Association and was one of the early revisionist historians who 'swam against the tide' of popular misconceptions about the First World War.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

In this presentation, Bill Stewart examined the multiple ways in which the Canadian Corps differed from BEF formations in 1918. Some of these advantages are well understood, some are misunderstood, and some are completely missed. Bill focuses on the misunderstood and missed items and how they were of a benefit to the Canadian Corps’ performance.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

In this presentation, Tim Cook presents his new research on the Canadian liberation of French and Belgian civilians in the Hundred Days campaign of the First World War. Unlike the great attention paid to the liberations in the Second World War, there is little to no discussion of these similar liberations in the First World War by Canadian soldiers. He describes these forgotten operations and why it is important to remember them.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

William Leefe Robinson was a modest young man who became an overnight sensation for shooting down the first airship over London on the night of 2/3 September 1916. While the bombs fell from the 'zepps', Lt Robinson took off in his biplane and tailed the airship - strafing it with his machine guns. After two passes, he concentrated his fire in one spot - the hole he made turned ignited and turned the airship into a fireball. His feat paved the way for the eventual defeat of the Zeppelin as a strategic bombing weapon.

The talk tells the story of the 'First Blitz' and the life and times of a gallant pilot who is still remembered today.

 

 

[David Tattersfield]

This talk by Fraser Skirrow is the story of a couple of raids, one British (by the 2/6th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment) one German. These took place in the area of "The Apex" near Bullecourt on the nights of 11 and 13 September 1917.

What is unusual is that we have the story from the contemporary British account, the results of prisoner interviews and detailed accounts from the German raiders and defenders. Comparing and contrasting these stories gives us a vivid and personal insight into two violent nights in the outpost war, and the circumstances surrounding the deaths of individual soldiers on both sides.

The British raid on the 11th a complex but highly successful raid on the German 71 RIR at Reincourt. On the 13th the 84 RIR replied with what has been thought to be a quick retaliation but was in truth a carefully planned operation that went badly wrong but still despite caused many British casualties.

What is special about this talk is that we know the names of the men who met in the outpost that night so it is much more personal than a clash between anonymous soldiers.