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•James Hyde

•Battlefield Guide
•Researcher
•Veteran (RGJ/Rifles)
•All round anorak

06/06/2026

Remembering today the men who landed by both Air and Sea and launched their assault on the coastline of Normandy and commenced the beginning of the liberation of Europe.

03/06/2026

A couple of weeks ago I was chuffed to win at auction a few more medals to the 10th Battalion London Regiment (Hackney), My G Grandads Battalion. One of the highlights for me was the trio to 2178 Pte V H Bellenie.

Victor Bellenie who was a decorator from Bethnal Green signed up on the 20/10/1914 the same day as my Great Grandad John. He was 2 men in front of him! Johns number was 2180. Unfortunately they would have very different wars. Both landed at Gallipoli on the 10th August 1915 and served through until the evacuation. John would stay with the Battalion and would be killed on the 19/4/17 at 2nd Gaza and Victor would transfer to the Machine Gun Corps serving with the 54th Battalion MGC as part of the EEF.

I missed this group a few years back so happy to now bring Victors trio into the collection and alongside the other medals to men of the 1/10th Battalion London Regiment (Hackney Rifles)

01/06/2026

Photos from this weekends All quiet on the Western front.

A great weekend with a great group. Stunning weather and a number of personal visits.

Great to have a group of Royal Marine Falklands veterans on this tour. Good bunch of lads or as the Bootnecks say, Hoofing blokes!

Back home for a few days before we do it all again next week!

27/05/2026

“We that are left must never forget the debt we owe to the thousands of young men who gave their all that we should live in peace. God help me, how I am here I’ll never know. I must have a guardian angel looking after me. After the episode at the Chemical Works when we got a right old bashing, and the rest of my pals were killed, I was left sadly alone. How I hate to be alone. When I get my checks I want to be scattered among my youthful chums, where I could have been. Memories, memories, the finest young men who ever breathed... My generation”

It was the wish of Bill Hay of the 9th Royal Scots (Dandy Ninth) to have his ashes scattered with his chums and his last wishes were carried out in 1985 at Sanctuary Wood cemetery.

For many the war did not end on the 11th November 1918….

23/05/2026

Today whilst back in Norfolk, We had a trip down to the fantastic

Full of items from the series and brilliant displays. The staff were lovely and the tea room was fantastic. Homemade cake, sausage roll and a great Brew. Also a good mooch around the Museum shop for a few bits.

We then headed up the to take a look at their steam engines and Cpl Jones Butchers Van from the series and most recent film.

Nice lunch and a quick beer in the Bell. A great few hours out today.

If you are ever in Norfolk get yourself down to both museums. Brilliant.

22/05/2026

15 years today since the end of Operation Telic in Iraq. I deployed on Telic 10 with B company, 4 Rifles in 2007. I got to serve with a great bunch of blokes. We also lost some great lads that tour and they are always remembered.

21/05/2026

Another fantastic Hutted histories last night. This time one of my favourite Second World War actions, The Dambusters

Before getting to the huts we made a visit to the Grave of 617 squadron and Dambuster Brian Goodale DFC who was the wireless op in Flt Lt David Shannon’s crew and was in the first wave and first aircraft to attack the Eder dam but unfortunately didn’t breach it. He survived the raid and the war and would unfortunately pass away from cancer in 1977 aged just 58 and is buried in All Saints Church, Hawstead, Suffolk, Just down the road from GWH.

A great talk and always a pleasure to visit and see everyone, Especially Charlie the dog.

20/05/2026

A hard hitting image from one of my favourite artists, Otto Dix. A German veteran of the Great War, Otto had seen action on the Somme and across the Western front and was awarded the Iron cross 2nd Class. He was also wounded.

After the war he created 51 etchings of the horrors he and his men had seen during the War and captured the sheer brutality of what life was like for men at the front. These were published in 1924 called “Der Krieg”

In 1939 the N***s saw his work as “degenerate” and was arrested on suspicion of a plot to assassinate Hi**er! He was later conscripted during WW2 and was captured by French Troops at the end of the War and later released in 1946.

Otto wasn’t just famous for his War work but also his portraits and landscapes. He died in 1969.

museum is the only museum in the world to display Der Krieg in its entirety including the 51st etching. An horrific image. A fantastic museum.

Image: Transporting the Wounded in Houthulst Forest, From The War (Der Krieg)
(1924)

16/05/2026

Out In Ypres with my tour group today. Tommorow the Somme.

10/05/2026

The evening light glancing off the 1914-15 star awarded to 344 Private Thomas Croft, 1/10th London Regiment, Killed during Trench works 14/8/1915, Just 4 days after the landings at Suvla. He was the second casualty of the Battalion.

The lads would go into action the next day for the first time.

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