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‘The Firing Squad’ links three to British Tommy shot at dawn
During World War I, 306 British soldiers were shot for desertion. In ‘The Firing Squad’, which begins airing Dec. 1, three modern people discover their link to the execution of one British soldier shot at dawn by his own men in the Fall of 1916, toward the end of the Battle of the Somme. The [...]
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During World War I, 306 British soldiers were shot for desertion. In ‘The Firing Squad’, which begins airing Dec. 1, three modern people discover their link to the execution of one British soldier shot at dawn by his own men in the Fall of 1916, toward the end of the Battle of the Somme. The [...]
Russian manufacturer Zvezda has recently released a 1/350 scale model kit of the famed WW1 battleship, the HMS Dreadnought, which was said to have revolutionized warship design and naval power when introduced in 1906. The 18,110-ton battleship, built at Portsmouth Dockyard in England, spawned an entire generation of battleships known as the dreadnoughts, and instigated [...]
With Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s acclaimed novel War Horse soon to be released, I’ve noticed from studying the search terms by which visitors find their way to First World War Today, many are interested in the “forgotten army”: the equine warriors of World War 1. For most of these hapless creatures drafted [...]
Breathtaking aerial combat, battlefield scenes of first ‘Best Picture’ Wings still astound. Paramount Home Entertainment will mark the studio’s 2012 centennial celebration by releasing the inaugural Best Picture Academy Award winner Wings for the first time ever on Blu-ray™ and DVD January 24, 2012. Meticulously restored to give viewers the chance to view the visually [...]
I hadn’t planned to touch the Christmas truce until closer to Dec. 25th. But news waits for no one, and this morning’s feed brought news of an opera based on the 1914 Christmas truce. So, let’s get the holiday season started, shall we? Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune correspondent Larry Fuchsberg reports on the “grimly beautiful” [...]
The director had no interest in WW1… until he met an unforgettable horse named Joey. I confess to being a bit of a sucker for movies about horses. I watched Seabiscuit twice, and fell in love with the story of Hidalgo. Something about that scrappy, come-from-behind spirit of these amazing creatures that just gets you [...]
In the years following the First World War, with it’s unprecedented loss of life, many people, especially in Great Britain, sought comfort in spiritualism – a belief in the afterlife and in being able to contact the dead. This is the backdrop of The Awakening, a new supernatural thriller from director Nick Murphy, Origin Pictures [...]
I learned about William “Billy” Barker, Canadian ace of WW1, when I built a scale model of his Sopwith Camel earlier this year. One of the highest-ranking aces of the war, downing a total of 50 enemy aircraft, this amazing aviator once found himself in a scrap with 15 enemy fighters… taking them on single-handedly! [...]
Of the 47 spectacular, largely WW1-era aerial scenes painted by California artist Mervin Corning, one of the most spectacular tells the story of Bristol Fighter pilot Maj. Andrew McKeever and observer Lt. L.F.Powell. Engaged in battle with nine German Albatros fighters and having just lost their guns, McKeever plays dead, cuts suddenly and begins daring [...]
Some say Ted Raicer’s ‘The First World War’ board game lacks minutiae evident in earlier games. Is this a bad thing? Not really, says our game reviewer. Phalanx Games’ The First World War (2004) is a board game designed by Ted Raicer, author of many acclaimed games on World War I such as Paths of [...]
The Absolutist by John Boyne (2011) and Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo (2003) question the ‘justice’ of military executions in WW1, asking “who are the real cowards in times of war?” When that peculiar national psychosis known as ‘war fever’ strikes, it’s easy to cast stones at those at those who’ve not been infected, to turn a [...]
Take a quick journey around the Web to experience the First World War in small scale, through the incredible work of diorama modelers. Diorama: A scene, often in miniature, reproduced in three dimensions by placing objects, figures, etc., in front of a painted background. (reference.com.) The term “diorama” goes back to 1823. The first diorama [...]
Derek Robinson’s Goshawk Squadron is the first novel about WW1 aviators I’ve read in many years and, let me tell you, it’s a damn good read. But nearing the the end, I felt I’d ridden, to borrow a famous lyric, a “crossfire hurricane.” Which was likely the author’s intent, considering the device he uses to [...]
Thanks to the folks at the Imperial War Museum for bringing this to my attention. On this day, November 4th, in 1918, Wilfred Owen, considered by many to be the greatest poet of the First World War, and perhaps of any war, was killed in action at the Battle of Sambre, on the Western Front, [...]
Canada.com has a fascinating story on preservation work going on near Canada’s Vimy Ridge memorial, where Canadian troops left a poignant reminder of their having been there. In 2001, a French archeologist discovered a cave complex, one of many such underground caverns, or souterraines (as the French call them) that were probably dug in medieval [...]
Lead the British or German army through the trenches of Europe in this First World War strategy game offered free on the Web by Armour Games. I stumbled onto Warfare 1917 last night while setting up Google alerts for WW1 games news. I’m not a video game guy myself (gave that up after spending way [...]
Armistice: 11.11.11 On Armistice Day 11.11.11, IWM (Imperial War Museums) will make 100 portraits of people who served in the First World War publicly available through Faces of the First World War on Flickr Commons. The photographs, many of which have not been widely seen before, offer a personal and poignant record of the impact [...]
My grandfather was in the First World War, or so I am told… one of the American doughboys that went ‘over there’. I don’t know in what capacity he served; I seem to recall hearing something long ago about the medical corps. Probably correct, as being originally born in Germany, he may have been exempted [...]
Bits and Bobs of passing interest
- "It’s not often that you see such quality on the London fringe," writes Catherine Usher of The Stage, in her review of Not About Heroes. The drama, currently running at the Lion and Unicorn, London, November 15-December 3, is based on the true story of the friendship between First World War poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. Read the review of Not about Heroes at The Stage. #
- Picture postcards of the First World War: Soldiers humour on Great War postcards #
- For Teachers of KS3 and GCSE History: What happened on the Western Front? An enquiry based First World War study day for teachers of KS3 and GCSE History using the collections and expertise of the Imperial War Museum. Teachers can expect to extend their knowledge and understanding of the First World War and gain practical knowledge of how to use Museums to support teaching. 1 November 2011 – IWM London -10.00-4.00 #
- The Great War Painting Book (circa 1917) You don't see children'a activity books like this one around any more. Here's a fascinating flicker stream (from Agence Eureka, a blog dedicated to vintage graphics) of pages from an activity booklet, circa 1917, obviously designed for children of that time. Published by Gale and Polden Ltd, Aldershot and Portsmouth, it's called "The Geat War Painting Book," featuring drawings of flags, soldiers, aircraft, machinery, weapons and more. There's also a coloring guide in the back. Be sure to have a look at the title page, which bears a Christmas 1917 inscription. #
- Thousands of Ukrainians and other ethnic Europeans in Canada were imprisoned needlessly, forced to do heavy labour in 24 internment camps located in Canada's frontier hinterlands, beginning in 1914. Here's one way the Canadian government is making amends today. #
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My friend’s teenaged sister talked to me on Skype recently. Out of curiosity, I wanted to see what today’s youth was being taught. So I asked her about World War One. You know, that really $£&*@ important war before World War Two. I present to you the disaster that followed. And so begins one of [...]