Tom Morgan's Hellfire corner great war web-pages
Two Million individual visitors and counting...... |
|
Tom Morgan's Hellfire corner great war web-pages
Two Million individual visitors and counting...... |
|
For books on the Great
War we recommend
Mattocks Military
Books
a specialist mail-order business
offering new books at reduced prices
The home of the original
Hellfire Corner Barbed Wire divider graphic since
1996
look for the 
logo in the
Contents list for articles added in the last few weeks
LATEST ADDITIONS
|
 John Anderson -
David CruickshankHow a chance purchase at a French bric-a-brac market let to the discovery of one soldier's amazing adventure in the Great War. |
|
THE BATTLEFIELDS TODAY |
|||||||||||
 Peter Vince -
Headwinds and
Hangovers the diary of a bike-ride along the Western Front
|
||||||||||||
| Tom Morgan -
Tom Morgan's Ypres Battlefield Guide |
||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
| John Childs -
Biking the
Battlefields |
||||||||||||
Philip Eagles - Mystery
Chateau? |
||||||||||||
| Norman Thorpe, Rod
Morris & Tom Morgan - The Thankful
Villages
Updated |
||||||||||||
| Tom Morgan -
Decisions at Potters Bar - The L31 Crash Site
|
||||||||||||
| Geoff
Moran - The Gallipoli
Campaign - Revisiting History |
||||||||||||
![[Image]](pict20.jpg){kind=small}
Jacky Platteeuw -
At
the Going Down of the Sun.... |
||||||||||||
|
Jacky Platteeuw -
The
"Silent Cities" of the Ypres Salient |
||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
| WO2 R. Longstaff
- Exercise
Gallipoli Serpent |
||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
| Maurice
Alexander -
2002 - Verdun
- The Return |
||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
| Mark Abercromby
-
"Following
in Australia's Footsteps" on the Western Front. |
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
|
| EXTENDED SERIES OF ARTICLES - "Sites within a Site" | |
| Andrew Thornton
- We had done
All that was Expected of us (7 articles) |
|
 Tom Arnott
- Canada (and "Red" Arnott) in the Great
War (9 articles) |
| INDIVIDUAL LIVES - RESEARCH AND REMEMBRANCE | |
| Bob
Coulson - The Knott
Brothers The story of two brothers, killed in action seventy miles apart, but reunited in death thanks to the efforts of their influential father, who ensured that they were buried side-by-side. |
|
| Alan
Reed - The Christmas Truce of
1914 - New Evidence from a Captain's
Diary A recently-discovered new eyewitness account of the famous truce. |
|
| Annette Burgoyne -
The
1st Bn. KSLI at Morteldje Estaminet Annette Burgoyne, author of "The 6th Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry" tells the story of a little-known action which involved the 1st Battalion. This action may not get much of a mention in the history books, but it brought the battalion the highest praise. |
|
| Kevin
Patience - An
East African Victoria Cross This article by Kevin Patience extends the site's sphere of interest beyond the Western Front and recounts an incident which took place in East Africa and which resulted in the posthumous award of a Victoria Cross. Kevin's account has appeared on the site before, but this updated version contains so much new information as to make it a new article. |
|
| Michael
Farrier -
"On
HMS India, November 1914…"
Subtitled "A Personal Family Tragedy of the 1914 - '18 War" this is a family research story which started with an old postcard. |
|
| Chris
Basey - Nurse Edith Cavell
Thanks to Chris for writing this excellent account of the 2004 Act of Remembrance at Norwich Cathedral - not one of the best-known annual observances, but certainly one of the most poignant. |
|
| Alastair
H. Fraser - The Identification of a German
Soldier While archaeologists were searching for "Wilfred Owen's Dugout" near Serre in 2003, for a BBC TV programme, the remains of two German soldiers were found. Here Alastair Fraser describes how one of them was positively identified. |
|
 Conor Dodd
- Captain Joseph Edward Lynch Continuing his researches into Irish soldiers, Conor Dodd tells the story of one of the many Irishman who fought and died while serving in English Regiments during the Great War. |
|
| Des
Blackadder - Hanging on the Old Barbed
Wire Commemorating 1st July, 2004 - the story of the The 12th Royal Irish Rifles (Central Antrims) and their attack on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. |
|
| John
Guy Gillbert - A Month in Gallipoli
Written in 1964 and edited by Stephanie Horton, this is Lieut. Gillbert's memoir of his time in Gallipoli with the 6th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment. |
|
| Pat Phillips
- One Son Died
of Wounds, 1919 "One Son Died of Wounds, 1919" was a note beside a husband and wife's name on a handwritten family tree drawn up by Pat Phillips's grandmother. This sad little note moved Pat to find out more about this forgotten relative. |
|
![[Image]](pict251.jpg){kind=small}
The Rev. Dr. Daniel Hörnemann, OSB - A Human
Tragedy Heinrich Plesker, buried in the German Cemetery at Langemark, was Daniel Hörnemann's Great-Uncle. Daniel's research led to this moving article. |
|
|
The Rev. Dr. Daniel Hörnemann, OSB -
Those They Longed For The fate of the Brothers of the Benedictine Abbey at Gerleve, Germany, who went missing during their military service. |
|
|
The Rev. Dr. Daniel Hörnemann, OSB -
One Who
Survived As a follow-up to his excellent article about the Brothers of the Benedictine Abbey at Gerleve who died in the war, Daniel Hörnemann tells the story of one who came home again. |
|
|
The Rev. Dr. Daniel Hörnemann, OSB- Found
at Last The search for a German victim of World War 1 |
|
| David Bluestein
-
Captain
Roy Roswell Poulton A very welcome account of the story behind another group of medals in David Bluestein's collection. |
|
| David Bluestein
-
Acting
Major Charles Blair-Wilson Research following the purchase of a soldier's medals resulted in this article written in memory of a young and highly-regarded officer of the 42nd Battalion Royal Highlanders Of Canada CEF, killed in Action September 15, 1916 on the Somme. |
|
| Linda
Preston - A Midnight Feast How a young and hungry soldier "beat the system" and found his way to the hospital kitchen! |
|
| Thomas
Hutchinson -
T.F.T.
- Thomas Franklin Townsend Completely re-written in the light of new research |
|
| Bob Coulson
- The Chaplain
VCs of the Great War Bob Coulson tells the stories of the three "Padres" or "Sky Pilots" who won the VC during the war. |
|
| Bob Coulson
- The Nine VCs
of the First Day on the Somme Details of all nine VC winners and pictures of most of them. |
|
| Conor Dodd
- John Vincent Holland
V.C. The story of this officer, the Bombing Officer with 7th Bn. the Leinster Regiment, who won his V.C. at Guillemont during the 1916 Battles of the Somme. |
|
| John
Hartley - Robert
Brough - A Great-Uncle still in Belgium Hanging on the wall near his computer, John Hartley has a photograph of his grandfather, Thomas Brough, among his comrades in "E" Company, 17th Battalion The Manchester Regiment. Until recently, he never suspected that his grandfather's brother, Robert, might also be in the photograph. |
|
| John
Hartley -
Thomas
Brough - Private 9210 Pte. Brough served in "A" Company, 17th Battalion The Manchester Regiment. John Hartley's research into the Great War serice of his Grandfather grew and grew until it had become an excellent account of his Battalion's service, too. |
|
| John
Hartley - An
Unlucky Soldier Details of the career of Private Harry Eastwick, MS/1520 18th Anti-Aircraft Section, Army Service Corps |
|
| John
Hartley -
Lost
and Found Until he found out quite by chance, John Hartley didn't know he had a Great-Uncle who died in the war. The soldier didn't appear on any local war memorial, so he was almost lost for ever. But not now. |
|
| John Hartley -
In From
The Cold - A Manchester at Gallipolli In his latest "Hellfire Corner" article, John Hartley tells the story of Sgt. Thomas Worthington, 1/6th Battalion, Manchester Regiment, who was killed at Gallipoli. John's research indicated that Sgt. Worthington was not commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The article's title, "In From the Cold", refers to John's decision to try to get this omission corrected.............. |
|
|
Philip Eagles -
The 8th
August, 1918 In the early hours of the morning of the 8th of August 1918 a blanket of fog around the river Somme concealed a massive military force which was about to be unleashed. Two thousand British, Australian, Canadian and French cannon were deployed in a line stretching south-west from Hamel and north to and beyond the Somme. |
|
|
Philip Eagles -
The Essex
Regiment at Langemark In this article, Philip Eagles tells the story of his grandfather, who was a 21-year-old Lieutenant with the 1st Battalion, the Essex Regiment. |
|
|
Philip Eagles -
Alfred Lawrence
Jessop An article remembering Driver Jessop, of 101st Howitzer battery, Anzac Corps, written by his great-nephew, Philip Eagles. |
|
|
Kevin Johnstone -
Private John
Farrer Remembering Pte. Farrer, of the Londale Battalion - 11th (Service) Battalion, the Border Regiment - who was killed in Action near Thiepval on 1st July, 1916. |
|
| Andy Fisk
- Sgt
William Falla, D.C.M. This article is the result of Andy Fisk's research into the life of his relative Sgt. Falla, who served in the 1st Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment. |
|
| Richard Racey
-
WW1
Escape Recipe (Stealth, Torn Trousers and Skinny-Dipping in the Dark) This is Richard Racey's edited version of his Father's Great War Diary, telling a story of capture nearYpres, imprisonment in a sucession of camps and, finally, escape to neutral Holland. |
|
| Ceris Schrader
- "Lady
Lost Five Sons" with excellent news
in an update added March, 2003 The fascinating results of Ceris Schrader's research into a photograph found in her uncle's album of photos covering his time in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The lady in the photo was unidentified, apart from the caption - "Lady :Lost Five Sons." |
|
| Mike Neal
- In Search
of a Lost Pal As a teenager, Mike Neal was not particularly interested to learn that his Great Grandfather had been killed during the Great War. Later though, after 20 years in the army himself, he took a much more profound interest and the result is this excellent and moving piece of research and remembrance. |
|
![[Image]](pict32.jpg){kind=small}
Private Frank Last (transcribed by Rick Riehl)
- My War Diary Rick Riehl's transcription of Private Last' Diary. A most moving account of a very eventful time spent in battle and as a prisoner. |
|
|
Private Frank Last (transcribed by Rick Riehl)
Fini La Guerre! The story of Frank Last's journey home. |
|
| Jon Toohey
- Brothers in
Arms The story of two brothers from Ireland, both of whome served in the war, and both of whom have no known grave. They are remembered on memorials to the missing, but a world apart. |
|
| Andrew
Wegg - Finding
a Lost Soul The story of Andrew's research into the Great War service of his relative, Stanley Butwright, who was killed withing just a few weeks of his arrival in France. |
|
|
Chris Mills - Loose Ends The charming story of Chris's journey in honour of his uncle, Pte. Ted Mills, of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, along with his son - also called Ted Mills - to tie up some family Loose Ends. |
|
|
Chris Shepherd - Hubert Gooding, M.M. -
1st Bn the Essex Regiment
This is Chris Shepherd's article based on his research into the life (and
death at Cambrai) of his grandfather's uncle. Chris has used letters
written home from the front to give a very moving insight into life at the
Front. |
|
|
Andrew Thornton - There's a Long, Long Trail
A-Winding The story of Company Sergeant-Major William Thompson M.M of the North Staffordshire Regiment, researched by his great-grandson, Andrew Thornton. |
|
| Tom
Morgan - At the Going Down of the Sun
Tom Morgan's article following research into the life Private Harry Woods, 1st. Bn. The Dorsetshire Regiment, who almost disappeared without trace in 1915. Just to show that you can't always find information, no matter how much you try! |
|
| Earl Chapman
- Jack Chapman
1897-1918 This is Earl's Memorial to his relative, who was born in England and who emigrated to Canada in 1911. Jack Chapman is one of more than 11,000 Canadians who have no known graves. |
|
| Alex
Deeley -
Requiescat
for Two Uncles In this article Alex Deeley, a young Australian, remembers his two relatives who died in the war, one serving in the British Army and the other in the Australian Imperial Force. |
|
| Geoff
Moran - The Diary
of William Dick Stevens This is Geoff Moran's well-edited version of the diary of an Australian soldier, from his departure for the war in 1915 to the time of his death at Pozieres, Somme, in 1916. |
|
| Glenn Hyatt
- Ollie O.Olive Glenn Hyatt saw this striking name on his local war memorial in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and simply had to find out more. The result of his research was the Hellfire Corner Remembrance Article, November, 1996. |
|
| Tom Oates -
The Colonel's
Runner |
|
| John
Wright - No
Known Grave |
|
| Chris Murphy
- Albert Jacka
-V.C., M.C. and Bar |
|
| Capt. Steve Newman,
PPCLI - The
Unknown Sergeant |
|
| Capt. Steve Newman,
PPCLI -
The Unknown
Lieutenant |
|
| John Watts
- Return
to Cavalry Farm |
|
| John Watts
& Martin Soilleux-Cardwell -
"Striking
I Defend" |
|
| Kyle Tallett -
Pte. John (Jack) Clegg - Royal Marine Light
Infantry |
|
| Peter Porteous
- Transcription of the Diary of Private Harry
Broun |
|
| Nicholas Lovell
- The Five Victoria Cross winners of Bromsgrove School
|
|
Terry Powell -