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The Redcoats are Coming ! – But Why Were the British ‘Red Coats’, Red?
Ever wondered why the iconic symbol of British Empire and military prowess – the’Red...
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The RGLI’s War In Photograph and Film
WWI saw the development of a form of mass media – copious recordings of events both in print, photographs and film on a scale not seen before. We have real time recordings of events that illuminate, educate and terrify us in equal measure. In this article we look at some of the media coverage that was created around The Royal Guernsey Light Infantry.
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A Naval Historical First – The Battle of the Ironclads
When we picture Naval vessels in a historical context we often see them in some very fixed regonisable form we rarely think about them in their interim ‘ugly duckling’ phases. Such was the state of affairs when the naval first of the ‘The Battle of the Iron Clads’ occurred.
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The Royal Guernsey Light Infantry – A Timeline
WWI has become a byword for slaughter on an unimaginable scale. It was war on an industrial scale. No country in Europe was immune from its effects even Guernsey. In this article we look at the main timeline of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry, or R.G.L.I, which was Guernsey’s patriotic response to Britain’s call to arms.
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How did WWI End ?
The First World War, which has become a byword for a static war of attrition, ended in 1918 just as it had begun in 1914, as a mobile war. But it was a final throw of the dice by the Germans in the Sping of 1918 that was to be a ‘catalyst of the end’.
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Did the British’s experiences in the Boer War help or hinder fighting strategies at the start of the First World War?
World War I for the British – Would it have been worse or was it indeed better than it could have been because of Britain’s experiences in the Boer War some 12 to 15 years earlier ?
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Kaiser Wilhelm II – The Man Who Changed Europe Forever
History can often turn on the actions of a single individual, either singly or over a period of time. Personality traits and the whims, especially of absolute monarchs, for either ill or good, can shape our world. Such could be said of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.
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4 More Myths About World War I Debunked
2014 was the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, the supposed “war to end all wars”. It was the first ‘modern mechanised war’ and a lot of myths about it have been built up over the years. In this article we look at some of the bigee “facts” that are just plain wrong
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Never Surrender – The Japanese Soldier who was still fighting World War II 29 years after it ended
On the 17th January 2014 Hiroo Onoda, an old Japanese war veteren, died at the age of a 91 – nothing unusual in itself – the generation of soldiers who fought in War War II gets smaller every year. However unlike his comrades this Japanese imperial soldier fought the war a staggering 29 years longer than anyone else
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Sir Isaac Brock, Guernseyman and Hero of Upper Canada
Guernseyman General Sir Isaac Brock is credited with saving Canada for the Empire from the attack by the Americans 1812. Knowing how much the Canadians gave in manpower and support in the 2 World Wars to Britain, who knows, but if he had failed the history and fate of modern Britain may have been very different indeed.
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Terms Coined from World War I
In wartime nations are often galvanised into frenzied action to innovate and invent in order to try to gain the upper hand in their struggle for survival. As well as technical innovation the language and grammer of war changes also. In this article we look at some of the terms, still in use today, that owe their origins to this conflict.
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How Did So Many Soldiers Survive the Trenches ?
One of the most common myths about World War I was that ‘Most Soldiers Died’. The horrific stories and images from the front line all reinforce the idea that fighting in the trenches was one long bloodbath. However the fact is that nearly 9 out of 10 British ‘Tommies’ survived the trenches. But how?
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The Guernsey Scottish – The Men from Guernsey who served with the Scots in WWI
In October 1914 the States of Guernsey decided to offer volunteers from the Militia to serve overseas. As part of the agreement to offer these men, these ‘sub-unit’s were to be kept together with a Guernsey identity. This is the story of one of those units the 9th Scottish Divisional Ammunition Column and teh Guernseymen that made it up.
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The Guernsey Irishmen – The Men from Guernsey who fought with the Irish in WWI
At the outbreak of war in August 1914 the Guernsey the Militia was mobilised in order to free the Regular Army units of the garrison for overseas service. The States of Guernsey decided to offer volunteers from the Militia to serve overseas. The majority in 1915 went to the 16th Irish Division. This is their story.
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Sowing the Seeds of Future Conflict : Germany’s first emperor is crowned in France
Wednesday the 18th of January 1871 was a bitter cold day. At noon, with the smell of smoke in the air from nearby Paris, burning under the Prussian siege and bombardment, a fateful gathering took place in the Palace of Versailles. An event that would play on the minds of the French 43 years later and help to propel Europe’s slide into World War I.
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The Day the Guns Fell Silent – Christmas Truce 1914
The First World War is a byword for mud, blood and slaughter on a huge mechanised scale. Men living in squalid trenches only tens of yards apart from each other would daily tear each other to pieces if they got the chance. So then, it is no wonder that the Christmas truce is one of the best-known moments of the WWI. Amid the industrial slaughter, here was a reminder of simple human decency.
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The Night Castle Cornet Exploded
Around midnight on Sunday 29 December 1672 the Governor of Guernsey, Viscount Christopher Hatton, was suddenly awoken – by hailstones on his face. His mother lay dead beneath the remains of a ceiling and his house lay in ruins around him. This was the night that Castle Cornet literally exploded around its’ occupants.
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