Swanley History Group
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    • February 2019 Group meeting Report
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    • Parkwood Hall visit 25.8.16
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    • November 2014 Group meeting >
      • Houses of Parliament 16.3.15
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    • Swanley Park Spring Fair May 2014
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    • Edith Allchin's Trip to Swanley Village 1905 recorded by Keith Whitmore
    • Great Aunt Frances by Keith Whitmore
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  • Gallery Eight Hextable
  • Gallery Nine Swanley War Memorial
  • Gallery Ten Parkwood Hall 25.8.16
  • Gallery Eleven More Swanley Views
  • Gallery Twelve Local views Swanley Village Hextable and Crockenhill
  • Gallery Thirteen Dartford and Wilmington Views
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Swanley History Group – November 2017 meeting
 
At this time of year many of us will be wearing red poppies and attending remembrance services. As the topic of our November meeting was The Battle of The Somme in World War 1, our speaker Steve Hookins, through his informative presentation supported by excellent photographs, enabled us to reflect on what it must have been like for the soldiers.
 
It is widely stated that the catalyst for the start of WW1 was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914.  Steve outlined some of the complex array of alliances, treaties and conflicts which placed countries into being allies or foes and ignited into WWI soon after this event, with neutral Belgium becoming a key barrier to the German advance.
 
The opening slide showed a pleasant rural scene.  Buried beneath the poppy filled meadows is a vast assortment of deadly reminders of the battles fought in the Picardy area of Northern France.  This was nothing like previous wars.  Instead of rigid lines of soldiers and battle charges on horseback,  there were vehicles to pull heavy artillery,  messages could be sent via the telephone,  reconnaissance balloons used  to view what the enemy was doing from above,  anti-aircraft guns, gas  (mustard and chlorine), tunnels filled with mines and submarines – a war in three dimensions for the first time.  This was also the first battle when tanks were used. Casings of artillery shells were returned to munitions factories for refilling.  Some examples were included in Steve’s museum of WW1 artefacts.
 
Before it became a strategic position on the front line, being posted to The Somme was deemed suitable for newly enlisted soldiers or those who needed to recuperate from heavy fighting.  Former miners, sewer and tunnel diggers were enlisted to dig the miles of tunnels.   The German forces  were  expected to be decimated by the seven days of heavy bombardment  launched on  1 July 1916   However, because of the siege warfare which had previously ensued, the Germans were well dug in and prepared so when the allied soldiers emerged from the trenches advancing towards enemy territory  carnage ensued.  72,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers died during The Battle of The Somme.
 
 
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser   

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  • Home
  • About us
  • Contact Swanley History Group
    • Contact Form
    • Data Protection Policy May 2018
  • Swanley War Memorial The First World War The Stories Behind The Names
    • REVIEWS Swanley War Memorial The First World War The Stories Behind The Names
  • Swanley War Memorial WW1 The names
  • WW2 NAMES ON SWANLEY WAR MEMORIAL
  • Events
    • February 2019 Group meeting Report
    • December 2018 Group Meeting Report
    • Remembrance Wood 24.11.18
    • Remembrance Day 11. 11. 2018
    • November 2018 Group Meeting Report
    • October 2018 Group Meeting Report
    • Bluetown Outing 4.10.18
    • September 2018 Group Meeting Report
    • August 2018 Group Meeting Report
    • July 2018 Group Meeting Report
    • June 2018 Group Meeting Report
    • May 2018 Group Meeting Report
    • April 2018 Group Meeting report
    • March 2018 Group Meeting Report
    • February 2018 Group Meeting Report
    • January 2018 Group Meeting Report
    • December 2017 Group Meeting Report
    • November 2017 Group Meeting Report
    • October 2017 Group meeting Report
    • September 2017 Group Meeting Report
    • Cobham Hall Outing 14.8.17
    • August 2017 Group Meeting Report
    • July 2017 Group Meeting
    • June 2017 Group Meeting
    • May 2017 Group Meeting Report
    • April 2017 Group Meeting Report
    • March 2017 Group Meeting Report
    • February 2017 Group Meeting
    • January 2017 Group Meeting Report
    • December 2016 Group Meeting Report
    • November 2016 Group Meeting Report
    • October 2016 Group Meeting Report
    • September 2016 Group Meeting Report
    • Parkwood Hall visit 25.8.16
    • August 2016 Group Meeting report
    • July 2016 Group meeting report
    • June 2016 Group Meeting
    • May 2016 Group meeting
    • April 2016 Group Meeting
    • March 2016 Group Meeting Report
    • February 2016 Group Meeting/AGM report
    • January 2016 Group Meeting Report
    • December 2015 Group Meeting
    • December 2015 Group Meeting photos
    • November 2015 Group Meeting Report
    • November 2015 Group Meeting Photos
    • October 2015 Group Meeting
    • September 2015 Group Meeting
    • August 2015 Group Meeting Report
    • July 2015 Group Meeting
    • June 2015 Group meeting
    • May 2015 Group Meeting Report
    • April 2015 Group meeting Report
    • March 2015 Group Meeting report
    • February 2015 Group Meeting/AGM
    • January 2015 Group Meeting report
    • December 2014 Group Meeting
    • November 2014 Group meeting >
      • Houses of Parliament 16.3.15
    • October 2014 Group Meeting report
    • September 2014 Group Meeting report
    • August 2014 Group Meeting report
    • August 2014 Group meeting Photographs
    • July 2014 Group Meeting report
    • July 2014 Group Meeting Photographs
    • June 2014 Group Meeting report
    • Swanley Park Spring Fair May 2014
    • Swanley Town Council AGM 9.4.14
    • May 2014 Group meeting report
    • April 2014 Group meeting report
    • Sevenoaks Local History Fair 22.3.14
    • Report on Sevenoaks History Fair 22.3.14
    • March 2014 Group Meeting report
    • March meeting 2014 Tony Miles WW1 Medals
    • February 2014 Group Meeting Report (AGM)
    • January 2014 Group Meeting Report
  • 2018 Committee
  • Memories
    • Swanley Cafe London Road
    • A City On A Hill
    • Coleby Cultivators Ltd
    • Fred Atkins Coaches and Hextable Memories Juliet Evans
    • Memories of Hextable and Swanley Village
    • Peggy Lambert's memories of life in White Oak Hospital
    • Edith Allchin's Trip to Swanley Village 1905 recorded by Keith Whitmore
    • Great Aunt Frances by Keith Whitmore
  • The Woodlands 'Murals'
  • Gallery One Swanley Views
  • Gallery Two Swanley Views
  • Gallery Three Crockenhill
  • Gallery Coach Trip to Houses of Parliament 16.3.15
  • Gallery Four Five Wents to Birchwood
  • Gallery Five Dartford Shops and Businesses
  • Gallery Six Swanley Working Mens Club
  • Gallery Seven Swanley Village
  • Gallery Eight Hextable
  • Gallery Nine Swanley War Memorial
  • Gallery Ten Parkwood Hall 25.8.16
  • Gallery Eleven More Swanley Views
  • Gallery Twelve Local views Swanley Village Hextable and Crockenhill
  • Gallery Thirteen Dartford and Wilmington Views
  • Gallery Fourteen SwanleyJunction Station
  • Gallery Fifteen Local Advertisments
  • From the SHG Archive
  • Web Links