taking notes

[Moonraker]

Ash, Keep it Simple.  I wouldn't bother with names and numbers of divisions - these would just make for a long list. For your purposes, does it matter if the 39th division was at one battle and the 23rd at another?

Perhaps you could just list the nations involved, the numbers of soldiers in the opposing forces,  numbers of casualties and the outcome and significance.

Why not check the Web for existing short summaries like the IWM's,  World Atlas or Learnodo

You could précis these items by copying, editing and saving the text, then adding any little extra bits of info that you glean.

You need to determine in advance which theatres of war to concentrate on - perhaps Western Europe would suffice?

 

[Alecras234]

Yes i like your suggestion,  could you explain how i find numbers of opposing forces, nations involved and such please?  Can you give an example of what to write so i know where im going?  Is it like,  Who fought at the first battle of the marne,  how many German troops faced the Allies at Mons?  

 

Ash

Edited 5 July , 2021 by Alecras234

[Moonraker]

You can get most, if not all, of the information from websites such as those that I suggested, or by Googling the names of the battles or from your other reading.

Before you start making lots of notes, why not Google "First World War battles" and see if there's a website that will save you the trouble. I've just spotted this one

If you don't want to "copy, edit and save", print-outs of the pages may give you enough space to add extra notes.

As I've mentioned before, Ash, I know very little indeed about battles, indeed less than you do. But it seems to me that you should only bother with the most important, say six or eight.

You may not be interested in naval encounters, and I see that Gallipoli is classed as a battle; in my ignorance I would have thought it was a campaign that lasted too long to be called a battle.

[Alecras234]

So i could say that at the battle of mons, the BEF numbered 80,000 troops and they faced 150,000 German troops. 

The british casualties at mons were 1,600 and German casualties were 5,000.  Is this what you mean?    What else can i put?  Are these facts as well as those facts i already started?

[Moonraker]

Put whatever you think will be useful to you; the date and how long it lasted, perhaps.  I've just looked up a popular on-line resource, whose summary I present thus:

The Battle of Mons was the first major action of the British Expeditionary Force, which attempted to hold the line of the Mons–Condé Canal against the German 1st Army. Although the British fought well and inflicted disproportionate casualties on the more numerous Germans, they were forced to retreat because of the Germans' greater strength and the sudden retreat of the French Fifth Army, which exposed the British right flank. The BEF's retreat lasted two weeks and took it to the outskirts of Paris before it counter-attacked in concert with the French at the Battle of the Marne.

You could include the statistics you've just quoted and include the dates of the battle.

[Alecras234]

I'm confused with the suggestion you made of things i could add, numbers or opposing troops, casualties and such.  I just want to know as much about battles and armies as i can.

[Alecras234]

Hi i want to try and explain as i feel confused.    I'm reading a book on WW1 but it's a short overview of events and a few of the people and armies involved, which i want to get an overview of events, i don't want tons and tons of information and be swamped, it'll put me off.   I'm making notes question and answers for each battle, not tat it says much about the battles, mainly dates and where it took place.   The book covers main events of 1914 up to 1918 and im enjoying learning the basics.

Once i have finished the book and made my facts,  then shall i look at each individual battle in detail?    I don't know, what do you think please?  Thanks.

Ash

[Moonraker]

As ever, Ash, it's what's best for you - and what you mean by "in detail". Some very bulky books have been written about some battles, with many individual units, people and locations named. I would certainly struggle with all that. Why not settle for short descriptions of major battles from one of the websites mentioned above?

[Alecras234]

Hi i've started reading a book about the Accrington Pals and it mentions that in 1914 there was a small army in Britain.   The book talk about the special reserve, the professional army and army reserve,     WHAT!?  Was there an army in Britain in 1914, were they before the BEF came?  I'd really like to know about if there was a british army in 1914 before the BEF?  I don't like it when books or documentaries assume you know about something. 

 

Ash

Edited 14 July , 2021 by Alecras234

[Moonraker]

Yes, Ash, I imagine that every country had a Regular Army (though Canada's was very small). Wikipedia will tell you that Britain had half a million Regulars, Territorials and Reservists at the outbreak of war.

[Moonraker]

To amplify my previous reply, made just before I headed for bed:

The origins of Britain's standing army form a subject in themselves (and I'm a bit confused about them after Googling), but some would say that it dates from the late 17th century. There was planning for a BEF some years before 1914, so that when the Great War started Britain was able to rapidly assemble it from existing units of trained professional soldiers (the Regular Army)  and send it to France.

 

[Alecras234]

Hi im reading a book about the Accrington Pals,  there's a bit i dont understand.   What does this mean? 

 

The same evening over fifty of the Accrington Company of the North East Lancashire Squadron of the League of Frontiersmen attended a meeting in the Territorial Drill Hall, Argyll Street. The meeting presided over by the Squadron Commanding Officer Captain A. G. Watson of Clayton-le-Moors, unanimously agreed to advertise in the ‘Accrington Observer and Times’ an offer to instruct volunteers for active service in musketry and drill. The Frontiersmen had long awaited this moment. 1

Does it mean that over 50 members of the League of Frontiersmen had a meeting about advertising to train volunteers for the army?  If so, which army?

[Moonraker]

That's it, Ash. Googling will tell you more about the Legion, which was formed in Britain in 1905 from ex-servicemen, explorers, engineers and others familiar with the British Empire as a civilian body to promote the interests of the Empire in times of peace, and aid conventional forces in time of war.

I prefer "paramilitary" to "civilian", as the Legion was run on military lines, its members wearing uniforms that included Stetson ("Mountie") hats.

"Active service" suggests the volunteers were for the British Army, which would have rapidly put recruits into its own training programme. But such was the chaos of the first few months of war that newly-raised "Kitchener" battalions might have welcomed experienced instructors. (Let us hope that the Legion members were up-to-date with the latest musketry and drill procedures.)

 

 

[Alecras234]

i don't understand parts of my book on the Accrington pals,   im reading prior to kitchener forming the new army.     It talks about regular army, speial reseves, territorials, company, regiment,  5th east lancashire regimental territorial force.   A meeting with league of frontiermen,   i just don't understand what's going on and im not following, it's frustrating.   Am i reading the right book?

 

Ash

[Michelle Young]

I think you've answered your own question there. 

[Alecras234]

can you suggest anything so hat i do understand? 

[Michelle Young]

Way back on another thread I suggested you read The First Day On The Somme by Martin Middlebrook. 

[Alecras234]

I found out that the Accrington pals were station in Caernarfon in north wales not far from where i live,  I just thought i could get information on their time here.   But i have seen this book that might be easier 

[Moonraker]

Ash, have you Googled "Accrington Pals Caernafon"? This will take you to several websites about the Pals' time there, including this one

Moonraker

[Alecras234]

yes i have googled the Accrington pals Caernarfon but these doesnt seem to be much written about their time at Caernarfon.    I will look at Michelle's suggestion a look, The First Day On The Somme by Martin Middlebrook. 

[Kath]

Ash, are you able to access newspapers online?

FindMyPast has Newspapers, or a library will have them.

Search for 'Pals' or 'Accrington'.

Here is part of a report on the troops' arrival:

Caernarvon & Denbigh Herald 26 February 1915 (from FindMyPast).

[Alecras234]

Hi  is everyone ok ?   I am now reading Forgotten Voices of the great war and im taking notes of each soldier's story,  how they got into the army, how old they were and things.    Do i need to know what a cavalry was, a regiment, a battalion, a brigade, a platoon, lancers?  I'm taking the notes and for instance I've taken notes on private Reginald Haine, he joined 1st Battalion Honourable Artillery Company.   private William Dove joined 16th lancers,  WHAT?

I like taking notes and knowing about what the soldiers did but understanding what a regiment, battalion and the rest of it i don't understand, i just know a regiment is a lot of soldiers, same for a battalion.    Do i need to know this, if so please help me.   Thanks

Ash

[David Filsell]

Arguably, the Kaiser's comment on the BEF was that it was contemptable little, which was, again arguably, accurate !

regards

David

[Moonraker]

Hi Ash

This describes the structure of the British Army.

Perhaps it's a good idea to appreciate that a platoon comprised a very small number of men, compared with a much larger battalion.

(It doesn't help that though cavalry were usually mounted on horses, their role in the war was limited because of the new type of warfare and they sometimes fought as infantry.)

And perhaps you don't need to bother much about which unit a man fought with, just to know if he was part of the infantry, cavalry, artillery.

 

[Michelle Young]

http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/definitions-of-units/the-basic-hierarchy-of-the-army/

 

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/definitions-of-units/