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•James Hyde

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07/09/2026

I don’t throw the word hero around a lot but this DCM citation for Private Bloxham of the 1/10th london Regiment is one of those times I will.

“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during the operations of the 19th of September 1918, near Sivri Tepe. He offloaded his gun from the mule single handed and brought it into action under heavy fire, thereby enabling his platoon to advance. He went forward himself to within an assaulting distance of the enemy, ahead of his platoon and covered with fire the successful assault of the position. His behaviour throughout was of utmost value at a critical time”

Being a collector of medals to men of the 1/10th London Regiment (Hackney Ri**es) I’m the proud custodian of Private Bloxhams medal group.

One of the finest citations I’ve seen to the Battalion.

30/08/2026

Was nice to finally visit CEMA trenches whilst at Military Odyssey yesterday. Andy Robertshaw and the team have done a great job here and was nice to meet some of the Royal Canadian Regiment Living history lads and have a chat.

Apart from the crap weather it was a great day out!

27/08/2026

Nice to be back in Suffolk for a few days and attend another fantastic evening at Great War Huts Museum last night. A great talk on one man’s war, Donald Dawes of the Suffolk Regiment. Captured at Le Cateau on the 26th August 1914, told his story through an impressive archive he has in the collection. Amazing Photos and family stories with some very interesting poetry thrown in for good measure.

We also got to look at the fantastic 10.5 German Howitzer the team rescued from Scotland and are going to restore. Looking forward to the seeing this progress!

The team always put on a fantastic evening. Tea, Cake, Good company and cuddles with the legend that is Hut Dog Charlie Chaplin

24/08/2026

On the long drive back to North Wales after guiding another LegerBattlefieldTours

A fantastic group, Great stories shared and personal pilgrimages made.

Until next time….

19/08/2026

Getting ready to return to the Western front on Friday to guide another LegerBattlefieldTours All Quiet on the Western front tour. Visiting both Ypres and the Somme.

This photo was taken last month by driver Harry at High Wood, Whilst guiding on the Somme 110th Anniversary tour. I was talking to my group about one of my London Lads, Killed on the 15th September 1916 during the successful capture of the Wood.

14/08/2026

Friday book club…

It’s been a while I know! Lots going on here but hope for book club to return on a more regular basis going forward!

Today’s book is an absolute fantastic read.

“Ghosts have warm hands” by Will Bird

Originally published in 1930 under the title “And we go on” follows the 2 years of War of Will Bird MM of the 42nd Canadian Infantry (Black Watch of Canada)

Will had lost his brother Stephen in a German mine explosion just outside Ypres in 1915 and himself joined up in 1916 after multiple attempts to sign up and being refused on the account of bad teeth!

He would head to the Vimy Sector and would begin his 2 years of fighting on the Western front. He would see action at Vimy, Passchendaele, Amiens, Arras, Cambrai and at Mons in the closing stages of the War where he was also awarded the military Medal.

Throughout the book Will doesn’t just talk about the harsh realities of War but also the Spiritual side and he talks of his brother Stephen saving his life many times watching over him as his Guardian angel.

“The last time I saw him we had a long talk and he held my hand in his warm grasp as we said goodbye. “If I don’t come back,” he said, “I’ll try to find some way to keep an eye on you.”

Will had a son and named him Stephen after his brother. Sadly Stephen would also suffer the same fate as his brother Stephen when serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders. He led his men onshore at Juno Beach on 6 June 1944. Stephen survived D-Day but was killed during the battle for Caen, on 8 July 1944.

Will continued to write after the War and the death of both his brother and Son would affect him for the rest of his life. He passed away in 1984.

Will writes in incredible detail and is a superb memoir and should be in everyone’s Great War library.

10/08/2026

“War is Hell”

Lennard Pearce best known as Grandad from Only Fools and Horses touched on the subject of the Great War in the series, Most noticeably in the episode “The Russians are coming” whilst tucked up in the “Nuclear Bunker”

For Lennard he had a personal connection to the Great War. His father Sidney was killed on the Western front on the 10th April 1916 when Lennard was just 6 months old. R/10358 R***eman Sidney Pearce was serving with the 8th Battalion Kings Royal R***e Corps and was killed behind the lines along side 3 other lads of the Battalion when their Hut was hit by Artillery fire killing all 3. They are now buried in Ferme-Olivier cemetery, Just outside Ypres.

Lennard just like many young children grew up without their fathers due to the Great War.

“Grandads” description of the Great War in that episode still hits hard today.

“I remember when I was a little nipper, and I saw all the soldiers marching off to battle. Ohh, yes! It was a glorious sight, alright. My brother George was at Passchendaele. Half a million allied troops died there, all for five miles of mud! I was at Kings Cross Station when his regiment come home after the Armistice. Most of them was carried off the train. I saw men with limbs missing, blind men, men who couldn’t breathe properly because their lungs had been shot to bits by mustard gas. While the nation celebrated, they was hidden away in big, grey buildings — far from the public gaze! I mean, courage like that could put you right off your victory tea, couldn’t it? They promised us homes fit for heroes. They gave us heroes fit for homes!

08/08/2026

“My Boy, One of the brave defenders of Amiens, Rest in peace Mother”

The moving epitaph on the grave of 3029 Private Reginald Henry Martin of A company 29th Battalion AIF, Who died of Shrapnel wounds on the this day 108 years ago.

The 8th August 1918 was the start of the last 100 days of the Great War and would be the beginning of the end of the German Army. War would become mobile again and with the advancements In tactics and Weaponry developed and learned over the last brutal 4 years would see a decisive victory over Germany.

Reginald was a native of Victoria Australia and had seen service on the Western front since September 1916. He would receive shrapnel wounds to the stomach and would sadly die at 8th Field Ambulance and be originally buried in White Chateau Cemetery, Villers Bretonneux. He would later be moved to Adelaide cemetery where he now rests.

Interestingly Reginald was engaged to a distant relative of mine and her brother 2331 Edward Thomas Hyde who was serving in the 38th Battalion was asked to collect Reginald’s belongings but was unable to. This is all mentioned in his a service record. Another one of those Great War connections.

01/08/2026

On this day in 1932, Thiepval memorial was officially unveiled.

This photo from an album in my collection, Was taken that day. How many were in the crowd whose loved one’s name is etched onto the stone alongside over 72,000 men of Great Britain and South Africa who fell on the Somme?

We can only imagine the emotions they would have felt that day.

20/07/2026

A recent boot sale find in Norwich. I’m always intrigued by old books and their inscriptions and this book uncovered a Great War Story.

This copy of Sailor Jack was presented in 1903 by the Baptist Tabernacle Sunday school in Gorleston Norfolk, For Regular attendance to Edwin Leak.

During the Great War Edwin joined the Army Service corps and would be deployed to France in January 1915 and awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field in late 1916.

He was home on leave in September 1917 and married his sweetheart Ella cann. After a short period at home he returned to the Western front. It was whilst serving with the Army Service Corps 604th Mechanical Transport Coy, Attached XV Corps Heavy Artillery that he was sadly killed during an air raid on his depot on the 29th October 1917, Barely a month after getting married.

Edwin now rests in Adinkerke Military cemetery, 3 km inland from the costal town of Koksijde in Belgium.

I discovered this photo on IWM lives of the First World War website. So sad that Edwin and Ella never even got to settle into Married life.

The Great War took so much.

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