Bridger - The Great War handbook: a guide for family historians & students of the conflict

First published in Great Britain in 2009 by
PEN & SWORD FAMILY HISTORY
an imprint of
Pen & Sword Books Ltd
47 Church Street
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S70 2AS

Copyright Geoff Bridger, 2009

ISBN 978 1 84415 936 9
ePub ISBN 9781844688463
PRC ISBN 9781844688470

The right of Geoff Bridger to be identified as Author of the Work
has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Library.

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Typeset in Palatino and Optima by S L Menzies-Earl

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I warmly recommend The Great War Handbook to all those wishing to brief themselves factually about this titanic conflict. It will prove especially valuable as background information to families researching into the wartime service of an ancestor. It will act as an essential resource for those either teaching in school about the war or guiding school parties round the battlefields and war cemeteries. For young people, The Great War Handbook will provide a fascinating but objective starting-point for their reading.

Geoff Bridger has done us all professional historians included a great service.

Correlli Barnett CBE
National President, the Western Front Association.

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M uch of the material for this book comes from my own research notes for talks I have been giving for very many years. And much of that, in turn, originated from veterans of the Great War. I have been most privileged to speak to many former soldiers, sailors and airmen some relations, some friends of my father who served from 1 September 1914 until 19 February 1919 and other veterans who kindly tolerated my persistent questioning. Those priceless interviews took place over several decades, mostly whilst the veterans were still relatively young and their memories fresh and accurate. Many kindly gave me copies of their precious photographs and documents at the time and some are reproduced in this book.

There are various institutions without whose help and cooperation a book of this kind would be impossible. During the course of my research I visited many archives, institutions, libraries and museums but wish to specially mention: The National Archives at Kew, The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, The Imperial war Museum, Lambeth, London, The National Army Museum, Chelsea, London. The staff of all these organizations are always most professional and unstinting with their help.

I wish to thank for their help: The eminent military historian Correlli Barnett for kindly agreeing to write the foreword and for many invaluable suggestions to improve the book; Rupert Harding, my commissioning editor, for general guidance, tolerance and encouragement; Jane Robson, my copy-editor, for her expertise in spotting and correcting my nondeliberate mistakes; Sue Rowland for whose cartographic skills I am indebted she has modified and made readable old maps and converted my scribbles into useful graphics; Julian Sykes, for information on his specialist subject mortars; Terry Whippy for supplying items and photographs from his collection for examination and photographing; Bill Fulton and the Machine Gun Corps Association for help in defining the Corps not the simplest of tasks.

And my thanks to many friends for words of wisdom, encouragement and advice on several subjects. They include: Chris Buckland, Gary Buckland, Terry Cave, Gary Cooper, Bernard Delsert, Meurig Jones, Henry Lequien, Hilary Llewellyn-Williams, Julian Putkowski, Guy Smith, Angela Wiseman and Paul Yates.

I amespecially indebted tomy old friend Paul Reed.He and I have trudged many a battlefield over the years and his knowledge and expertise on matters concerning the Great War are truly formidable. He kindly glanced over my manuscript and made several helpful and valuable suggestions. I naturally accept full responsibility for any residual faux pas, errors and omissions.

Writing a book is, in my case, a long and laborious task, which has been made so much easier by the willing cooperation and unstinting help of my wonderful wife and friend Anna-May. She has been totally supportive in my endeavours and encouraged me to continue on those dark days. She has offered many valuable words of advice concerning my phraseology; excused unfortunate phraseology levelled at my temperamental computer and accepted my excuses for not helping with the housework or garden for a long time. Thank you Anna-May. I could not have done it without you.

This book is dedicated to all the soldiers, sailors and airmen of the
Great War who faithfully served their country in time of crisis.

I would especially like to remember my cousin,
Lance-Corporal Harry Bridger, 2/Essex Regiment,
who was killed in action on 18 November 1914.

Lance-Corporal Harry Bridger, 2/Essex Regt.

T his book is not another history of the Great War, although it does include a brief account of its origins and main events. As its title suggests, it is primarily designed to answer many of the basic questions newcomers, and indeed experienced historians, often ask when confronted by this enormous and challenging subject. With so many books and other media being available on specific aspects of the Great War, this guide should prove to be useful for students, family historians, teachers and anyone who is eager to gain an all-round understanding of the nature of the conflict. Existing books, many excellent in themselves, tend to concentrate on regiments, individuals, places or battles. Rarely do they explain what it was like to be in the firing line.

The handbook will help provide a greater understanding of what servicemen went through. It can be used either on its own or as a companion to other material you may be studying, to help interpret the many terms and jargon used. It covers not only what happened and why, but what the Great War was like for ordinary soldiers who were, often unwillingly, caught up in it. Sections describe the conditions soldiers endured, the deadly risks they ran, their daily routines and the small roles they played in the complex military machine they were part of. Most aspects of the soldiers life, from recruitment and training, through life in the trenches, the equipment they used, to the experience of battle and its appalling aftermath are considered. It does not however go into the minutiae of equipment nor give details of battles or the battalions that fought them. The contents show exactly what is covered and, if desired, the reader can go straight to the subject on which they seek clarification.