Somme1916 Posted 20 January , 2003 Share Posted 20 January , 2003 My esteemed colleages I would like your assistance, please. This March I am conducting a briefing and battlefield tour for the SHAPE Military History Society on the 1918 Somme Battles. I plan to focus on the German March offensive and the subsequent British August-September offenisve. Any leads or recommendatins on the following would be a great help: 1. What books do you recomend? (I alread have the volumes of UK "Offical History of the Great War" that cover these battles as well as "The Crisis of 1916-1918" by Winston Churchill, the History of the 9th Scottish Div. and L. McDonald's "To the Last Man"). 2. Are there any good German accounts that have been translated into English? 3. Are there any good documentaries on the subject? 4. Any information on battlefield tours that have been done? (Like the Battleground Europe Series, personal tours given, companies to contact for self guided tours, etc.) While I have given a number of briefings and a few battlefield tours already I am by no means an expert and any information or recomendations are very welcome and greatly appreciated! Most grateful, Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon_Fielding Posted 20 January , 2003 Share Posted 20 January , 2003 I'd recommend Martin Middlebrook's 'The Kaiser's Battle'. I think Mike Steadman had a volume on the Somme in 1918 coming out soon, if not already, in Pen and Sword's 'Battleground Europe' series. Regards Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 21 January , 2003 Share Posted 21 January , 2003 There is a good account of the Manchester Hill fighting in Michael Stedman's book on the Manchester Pals. (Not sure whether you count this as the Somme!) Parts of the 1918 battles are covered in the Battleground Europe 'Hindenburg Line' book. I did get up to Elstob's command post on the top of Manchester Hill five years ago(marked by a wooden post and a tyre at the time) but it was tricky and involved careful circumnavigation of crops. A large party would probably cause damage to the crops no matter how careful they were. I noticed that Richard Holmes was filmed in the quarry at the rear of the position for Western Front but didn't appear at the summit-maybe the farmer refused permission. The WFA did a marvellous 'Advance To Victory' tour in 1988 which visited many of the sites you would want to see. If you e-mail me I will send you a copy of the guide book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 21 January , 2003 Share Posted 21 January , 2003 I have a number of articles I produced when leading the WFA Heart of England Branch tour of this area last year. I'll dig them out and mail them to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Birch Posted 21 January , 2003 Share Posted 21 January , 2003 Martin and Mary Middlebrook's Somme Battlefields is a useful book for a aself guided tour. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Brown Posted 21 January , 2003 Share Posted 21 January , 2003 From the German side there is "Storm of Steel" by Ernst Yunger - that may have included March 1918. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 21 January , 2003 Share Posted 21 January , 2003 I did do a tour guide for the WFA website on the March 1918 areas - I can't seem to find it on the new look site (Chris!?). I have it in word format and would be happy to send it to you. Mike Stedman's 'Somme Advance 1918' is useful for the August 1918 battles and if you can get hold of the maps in Montgomery's 'History of the Fourth Army' (published 1920s) they will help a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 21 January , 2003 Share Posted 21 January , 2003 From the German side there is "Storm of Steel" by Ernst Yunger - that may have included March 1918. Yes, Junger was in the fighting at Bullecourt in March 1918. There's a good account of it in Storm of Steel. Once the line had settled down on the Somme there's a good account of actions around Gommecourt-Hebuterne in Copse 125. Naval & MP have both of these in reprint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 22 January , 2003 Share Posted 22 January , 2003 Jon, Try to find time to read Gen. Sir John Monash's book 'The Australian Victories in France 1918' republished in 1993 jointly by the IWM London and The Battery Press, Tennesse. The Australian Corps were in the line from 27 March to 05 October 1918 and at different times Monash's command inclucled 2 American, 2 Canadian and a British division, as well as his Australians. Regards, Michael D.R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 24 January , 2003 Author Share Posted 24 January , 2003 Thank you all for your recomendations and offers, they've given me a great start! I'll let you know how things progress and ultimately go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somme1916 Posted 24 March , 2003 Author Share Posted 24 March , 2003 Just wanted to let y’all know the briefing went very well and so did the tour. Yet another big THANK YOU to all the forum members who came to my aid! All the best, Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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