Blog

Shell Shock was first brought to the attention of the army doctors during the First World War and was believed to be the result of a physical injury to ones nerves. It was given its name as late as 1917 by a Medical Officer called Charles Myers. Victims of Shell Shock often couldn’t eat or sleep and some suffered from physical symptoms such as uncontrollable...

With ‘Movember’ almost here and the annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men’s health issues, it seems an apt time to discuss facial hair in the British Army particularly the moustache. Over the years the British Army has had many dress codes but perhaps the strangest was the requirement to wear a...

As Bank Holiday weekend was quite a damp and miserable weekend, many of you would have been stuck in front of the television watching a good film and the channels didn’t disappoint in putting on some of the old favourites. One in particular which is shown every bank holiday is Zulu. Be honest, it’s an all time favourite of everyone with a smattering of interest in...

In the Nineteenth century a number of reform acts were passed which greatly changed the face of British politics. These reforms forced the elite and ruling class to pay particular attention to the many concerns put forward by the ordinary people. However, these acts still left a great many without the opportunity to vote. In total 40% of men aged over 21 that did...

Many of you will have been to the cinema recently to see the film Darkest Hour which depicts the forty days in which Winston Churchill was made Prime Minister and consequently his dealings with members of his cabinet and the evacuation of the BEF from France via Dunkirk. Gary Oldman plays him wonderfully, although I would have liked his voice to sound slightly more...

Many of you have been on a battlefield tour with Rifleman and stayed in the beautiful Belgian city of Ypres. People are amazed when told that the town was more or less completely destroyed during the four years of the Great War to the extent that by the end of the war, you could sit on horseback in the Grote Markt and see from one side of the city to the other such...