Britain at War Magazine April 2016 (108).pdf

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EASTER RISING 1916:
CENTENARY FEATURES
R
DEFIANT
CREW'S LUCKY
S
ESCAPE
Survival Against
the Odds
BRITAIN’S BEST SELLING MILITARY HISTORY MONTHLY
Sea Captain
Wrongly Accused
First War General’s
Reputation Examined
Missing WAAF’s
Grave Found
PLUS:
OBLIVION AT GREAT WAR
EXPLOSIVES FACTORY
Home Front 1916: Tragedy Strikes Faversham
Munitions Works Through Unknown Causes
FOR THE ENEMY
Royal Observer Corps Key
Role
WATCHING
APRIL
2016
ISSUE 108
UK
£4.60
From the
Editor...
I
N BRITAIN AT WAR we often focus on significant anniversaries of both the First and Second World Wars and mostly
our anniversary-led content centres around important battles. Rarely do we look at anniversaries of the formation of
military units or organisations. This month, however, we take a break from convention and mark the 75
th
anniversary
of the Royal Observer Corps, or, rather, the bestowing of the title ‘Royal’ into the organisation’s name.
The Royal Observer Corps (just the Observer Corps in its earlier incarnation) played a huge part in fighting and winning the Battle of Britain
and it was for its role in the summer of 1940 that it was awarded the honour of Royal recognition.
Whilst the pilots of Fighter Command were the heroes and darlings of the British public during 1940, and the importance of radar has
subsequently been recognised for its vital contribution, the part played by the Observer Corps has been much underplayed. Indeed, these men
and women were the cornerstones of victory in the Battle of Britain.
This motley ‘army’ of volunteers manned outposts the length and breadth of Britain, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and should be recognised
for the vital work they did in plotting German raids and feeding information direct to Fighter Command, because, once behind the seaward
looking radar, the attackers were otherwise invisible. Radar could only warn of approach to British shores. To the Observer Corps fell
assessment of numbers, composition and course which enabled controllers to get their fighters into position.
Their motto ‘Forewarned is Forearmed’ was truly apposite.
Andy Saunders
(Editor)
EDITORIAL
Editor:
Andy Saunders
Assistant Editor:
John Ash
Editorial Correspondents:
Geoff Simpson, Alex Bowers, Mark Khan, Rob Pritchard
Australasia Correspondent:
Ken Wright
EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES
Britain at War Magazine, PO Box 380, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 9JA
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+44 (0)1424 752648 or
email:
contact@britainatwar.com.
Assistant Editor
John Ash
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DESIGN
Art Editor:
Dan Jarman
COMMERCIAL
Executive Chairman:
Richard Cox
Managing Director/Publisher:
Adrian Cox
Commercial Director:
Ann Saundry
Advertisement
Sales Manager
Alison Sanders
GENERAL ENQUIRIES
For general enquiries and advertising queries please contact the main office at:
Britain at War Magazine, Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ
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PRODUCTION AND MARKETING
Production Manager:
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SUBSCRIPTIONS, BINDERS AND BACK ISSUES
Britain at War,
Key Publishing, PO Box 300, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1NA
Email:
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Art Editor
Dan Jarman
@britainatwar
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www.britainatwar.com
© Key Publishing Ltd. 2016
FEATURES
24 Living with the Enemy
Brian Bates details what it was like to live in the historic Dorset
town of Dorchester after German Prisoners of War had been
moved in to a nearby barracks.
In June 1940 a Boulton Paul Defiant broke up in mid-air and
crashed ten days after sustaining damage in battle over Dunkirk.
Thankfully, the two crew escaped. Andy Saunders relates the
unusual story and investigates the cause.
A case of mistaken identity with potentially tragic
consequences, Steve Snelling highlights the brave career
of a British fisherman-turned-hero who narrowly escaped a
German death sentence.
56 Forewarned is Forearmed
34 Gross Dereliction of Duty
In the first part of our 75
th
anniversary tribute to the Royal
Observer Corps, Alexander Nicol details the vital role played by
the Corps during the nation’s ‘Finest Hour’ and through to the
war’s end.
86 Reputations
Imperial War Museum historian Peter Hart analyses the career
and the conduct of Lieutenant-General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston
during the Gallipoli Campaign and at the Battle of the Somme.
Chris Goss presents a set of unusual photographs from
the Blitz, depicting battle-damaged German aircraft which
made it home by the very narrowest of margins.
44 The Wrong Man
106 Limping Home
70 Easter Rising and Sinking of the ‘Aud’
In a double feature we mark a pivotal point in British and Irish
history through a narrative of the uprising at a key point of the
Great War, looking at its effect on Irish soldiers serving with the
British Army on the Western Front and examining the story of a
failed arms smuggling mission by the ‘SS
Aud’.
Contents
ISSUE 108
APRIL 2016
24
Living with the Enemy
4
www.britainatwar.com
56
Forwarned is Forearmed
Editor’s Choice
Claim your FREE
Shot Down in Flames book
when you subscribe to
Britain at War.
See pages 82 and 83 for
more details.
FREE BOOK!
96 Cause Unknown
Alex Bowers details the story of an explosion at a munitions
factory in Kent, so large that it rocked the South-East, was
heard in France and became a black day in the history of the
town of Faversham.
REGULARS
8 News
News, restorations, discoveries and events from around the World.
Your �½etters, input and feedback.
42 Fieldpost
54 Image of War
A photo of the lost property office at a busy London railway station
presents a surprising depiction of what was sometimes left behind
on wartime trains.
Our editorial team scout out and review new titles, including our
‘Book of the Month’ on the fascinating subject of the Long Range
Desert Group.
In our monthly look at the key events of the First World War we
arrive at April 1916 as the largest surrender of British troops since
the American War of Independence takes place and a Nationalist
uprising in Ireland poses a serious threat to Britain’s war aims.
Continuing our recent series, Phil Jarman turns the spotlight on
a Woman’s Land Army poster encouraging women to take to the
fields and feed Britain.
The gallantry awards of April 1916 listed in the London Gazette
highlight a newly instituted decoration, the Military Medal, and
Lord Ashcroft presents his ‘Hero of the Month’.
We take a look at an odd war souvenir – a German bullet
extracted from the leg of a wounded soldier.
66 Recon Report
84 First World War Diary
94 War Posters
108 Great War Gallantry
COVER STORY
114 The First World War in Objects
In June 1940 the two-man crew of a
Boulton Paul Defiant had a remarkably
lucky escape above RAF Duxford when
their aircraft broke apart in mid-air.
Investigators were able to pin-point
the cause to battle damage sustained
some days earlier over the Dunkirk
evacuation beaches which had not
been properly repaired. See the full
story on pages 34 – 40.
(3D MODEL BY WOJCIECH "KLIMENT"
NIEWEGLOWSKI (WOJTEKNEW@GMAIL.COM) ;
ILLUSTRATION BY PIOTR FORKASIEWICZ)
NEWS FEATURE
❅
6 War Graves Found and Marked
We look at two First World War Jewish war graves that have been
appropriately marked 100 years on and a Second World War WAAF's
grave that had been 'lost'.
Note:
Due to production issues our intended special content this month covering
HMS
Hood
has been deferred to our next magazine, Issue 109, May 2016.
www.britainatwar.com
5

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