Nigel Cave – författare

The tiny French hamlet of Serre, the norther nmost part of the front for the July 1st 1916 attack is the subject of the fifth of the Battleground Europe series. Thre e other battles at Serre are also covered. '

The British offensive, which became known as Passchendaele, got underway on 31 July, 1917 with the objective of capturing fifteen miles of territory.The attack quickly lost momentum and, it was not until finally in November that the line managed to advance seven miles.With winter setting in, the British troops were subjected to some of the worst conditions they had ever faced. During the attack 265,000 were either killed or injured.This battlefield guide gives details of the attacks whilst guiding the reader through the battlefield as it stands today.With illustrated maps and then and now photographs it will appeal to those visiting the area as well as armchair historians.

The shell-ravaged landscape of Hill 60, some three miles to the south east of Ypres, conceals beneath it a labyrinth of tunnels and underground workings. This small area saw horrendous fighting in the early years of the war as the British and Germans struggled to control its dominant view over Ypres.

A study of the most important sites, primarily of the two world wars, covering both their history and descriptions of how they are today. For the interested traveller, the author groups key sites together, listing places offering accommodation, food, and detailing places of local interest.

The book covers in detail the attacks of 14-18 July 1916 against the Bazentin Woods and villages and beyond. Walks and tours of the surroundings areas are included with detailed action maps.

Designed to act as a diversion to the 'big push', Gommecourt was an attempt to force the Germans to commit their reserves to the front line before the main battle took place. This Battlefield Guide tells the reader what happened and relates it to the ground as it now stands today.

Almost every British regiment saw action in 'Devil's' Wood at some stage in the long Somme summer. This book examines some of the incidents and individuals who contributed to the history of the British Army and Delville Wood.

The shell-ravaged landscape of Hill 60, some three miles to the south east of Ypres, conceals beneath it a labyrinth of tunnels and underground workings. This small area saw horrendous fighting in the early years of the war as the British and Germans struggled to control its dominant view over Ypres.

Both Sanctuary Wood and the village of Hodge saw intense fighting during the First World War. Nigel Cave takes the reader on an explanatory tour of the immediate area. Included is a description of the museum at Hill 62 with its trench system, stereoscopic photos and weapons.

This is the first part of a planned four-volume series focusing on a hitherto largely neglected aspect of the Great War on the Western Front - the war underground. The subject has fascinated visitors to the battlefields from the very beginning of battlefield pilgrimages in the years immediately after the Armistice, and locations such as Hill 60 and the Grange Subway at Vimy have always been popular stops on such tours. Three other volumes will follow, covering the Somme, Ypres and French Flanders. Each book in the series has a short description of the formation and development of Tunnelling Companies in the BEF and a glossary of technical terms.This volume looks mainly at the central Artois, the environs of the whole line of the Vimy Ridge to the River Scarpe and Arras. It does not aim to be a complete treatment of the intensive mining operations along this front. It concentrates on mining, in the area of Vimy Ridge, in Arras itself and at the use of ancient underground quarries, taking Roeux as a good example. There are extensive descriptions of mining on and around Vimy Ridge, including photography and explanations of systems that have been accessed recently but are closed to the public, such as the Goodman Subway. The narrative draws on French and German archival material and personal descriptions. The text is illustrated with numerous diagrams and maps, in particular from the British and German records, and there is an exhaustive guide to the Grange Subway. Other sites open to the public, in particular the Wellington Cave, are also explained and put into context."BBC History - Archaeologists are beginning the most detailed ever study of a Western Front battlefield, an untouched site where 28 British tunnellers lie entombed after dying during brutal underground warfare. For WWI historians, it's the "holy grail"."

This volume covers the battlefields of Arras around Vimy Ridge dealing with the activities of the French and the British and the start of the Battle of Arras. Vimy Ridge gives a balanced view of the fighting by detailed descriptions of various units and individuals.

These three Battleground Europe books on Ypres 1914 mark the centenary of the final major battle of the 1914 campaign on the Western Front. Although fought over a relatively small area and short time span, the fighting was even more than usually chaotic and the stakes were extremely high. Authors Nigel Cave and Jack Sheldon combine their respective expertise to tell the story of the men – British, French, Indian and German - who fought over the unremarkable undulating ground that was to become firmly placed in British national conscience ever afterwards.

When, in October 1914, the newly created German Fourth Army attacked west to seize crossings over the Yser, prior to sweeping south in an attempt to surround the BEF, two things prevented it. To the north, it was the efforts of the Belgian army, reinforced by French troops, coupled with controlled flooding of the polders but, further south, the truly heroic defence of Langemarck, for three days by the BEF and then by the French army, was of decisive importance. The village stood as a bulwark against any further advance to the river or the town of Ypres. Here the German regiments bled to death in the face of resolute Allied defence and any remaining hope of forcing a decision in the west turned to dust.

These three Battleground Europe books on Ypres 1914 mark the centenary of the final major battle of the 1914 campaign on the Western Front. Although fought over a relatively small area and short time span, the fighting was even more than usually chaotic and the stakes were extremely high. Authors Nigel Cave and Jack Sheldon combine their respective expertise to tell the story of the men – British, French, Indian and German - who fought over the unremarkable undulating ground that was to become firmly placed in British national conscience ever afterwards.At the end of October 1914 an increasingly desperate Falkenhayn, aware that his offensive in Flanders had stalled, decided to make one final effort to break through the Allied lines south of Ypres. Pulling together a large strike force, the so-called Army Group Fabeck, he launched a violent offensive designed to capture the Messines Ridge and to use this dominating terrain as a springboard for a further advance. Inadequately resourced, assembled in a rush, this thrust was soon in trouble. Confused fighting in the wooded areas to the south of the Menin Road slowed the advance and initial attempts to gain a foothold on the ridge failed. A supreme effort by the men of the 26th Infantry Division ultimately brought about the capture of the town of Messines and similar heroics by the Bavarian 6th Reserve Division led to the fall of Wytschaete, but it was all in vain. Yet again a valiant Allied defence had buckled, but not broken.

A vivid history of how a battered British Expeditionary Force stopped the advancing Germans, against the odds and just in time.  Ypres 1914: The Menin Road is part of a three-book series about the final major battle of the 1914 campaign on the Western Front. Although fought over a relatively small area and short time span, the battle was even more chaotic than usual, and the stakes were extremely high. Authors Nigel Cave and Jack Sheldon combine their respective expertise to tell the story of the men—British, French, Indian and German—who fought over this piece of ground.   The most direct route to Ypres for the advancing German columns in October 1914 was along the axis of the Menin Road. It was here that the Old Contemptibles of the British Expeditionary Force earned their legendary heroic status as they fought off increasingly desperate German assaults day after day, while place names such as Zandvoorde, Polygon Wood, and Gheluvelt were first etched into the British national consciousness. Bent and battered by the German storm, dressed in rags and short of food, equipment, and ammunition, the regiments of the old professional army stood their ground against huge odds. When, on November 11, they finally halted the Prussian Guards around Polygon Wood, virtually within sight of Ypres, they were reduced to one thin firing line. The BEF was at its last gasp—but it had inflicted a crushing defeat on the German army.

A vivid history of how a battered British Expeditionary Force stopped the advancing Germans, against the odds and just in time. Ypres 1914: The Menin Road is part of a three-book series about the final major battle of the 1914 campaign on the Western Front. Although fought over a relatively small area and short time span, the battle was even more chaotic than usual, and the stakes were extremely high. Authors Nigel Cave and Jack Sheldon combine their respective expertise to tell the story of the men British, French, Indian and German who fought over this piece of ground. The most direct route to Ypres for the advancing German columns in October 1914 was along the axis of the Menin Road. It was here that the Old Contemptibles of the British Expeditionary Force earned their legendary heroic status as they fought off increasingly desperate German assaults day after day, while place names such as Zandvoorde, Polygon Wood, and Gheluvelt were first etched into the British national consciousness. Bent and battered by the German storm, dressed in rags and short of food, equipment, and ammunition, the regiments of the old professional army stood their ground against huge odds. When, on November 11, they finally halted the Prussian Guards around Polygon Wood, virtually within sight of Ypres, they were reduced to one thin firing line. The BEF was at its last gasp but it had inflicted a crushing defeat on the German army.

Both Sides of the Wire is the first in a new series of battlefield guides that looks at the fighting on the Western Front, chiefly in the sectors in which the British Expeditionary Force was engaged. In these books, Nigel Cave and Jack Sheldon will look at engagements from both the allied and German perspective; at the end of each chapter there will be a tour section so that readers can place themselves in the best vantage points to follow the action that is described on the ground and which is directly related to the narrative account that will form the bulk of each chapter. This book deals with the Somme up to and including the first day or two of the infantry assault on 1 July. In addition to the familiar British sector, the authors intend to cover those parts of the Somme battlefield that were (largely) fought over by the French. Although there is much to see of the French Sector, it is generally poorly served by published guides despite the fact that there are numerous signs of the Great War of the ground, many accessible to the public.With the concentration on 1st July and the subsequent months, there is relatively little about what happened on the Somme from the establishment of the line there in October 1914 to the summer 1916 offensive. For example, this involved extensive mine warfare, of which very few traces remain, but for which there is excellent contemporary mapping and some useful accounts. Because of the considerable amount of literature already available on the British sector of the Somme, the authors will be concentrating on particular aspects - areas selected include: Gommecourt (56th London Division); Serre (the French attacks of June 1915); the Heidenkopf; raids prior to I July around Beaumont Hamel; the Schwaben Redoubt, the German defence plan and what happened on the day; the Glory Hole and the fighting there from December 1914; the area around King George s Hill, near Fricourt; the attacks and counter attacks at Montauban on 1 - 3 July 1916; a very successful limited German assault at Feuilleres in January 1916; the line at Dompierre and Fey, in particular mine warfare (and also some coverage of the brief tenure of the line in this area by the British in the autumn of 1915).The book is aimed at anyone with an interest in the war, in the Somme in particular and, whilst acting as a guide, it will also be of value to those who cannot get to the Somme themselves, with the authors aiming at a more balanced understanding of what happened and explaining the outcomes at the various locations.

After the initial anticipation of great results for the Allied offensive that opened on 1 July, the French and the British had to consider their next moves. Haig made the fateful decision to reinforce perceived success at the centre and south of the British line (although Joffre, rightly, wished to continue the pressure at Thiepval). The result was a series of minor (if expensive) operations to provide a suitable base line for the next major British assault along the Bazentin Ridge, running approximately from east of Longueval to west of Bazentin le Petit Wood. Thus Ovillers, Mametz Wood and Tr nes Wood became prominent in Britain s military history. The French soon began to appreciate that the great success south of the river on 1 July was not going to achieve much more unless the front was extended southwards (impractical, given pressure at Verdun and limited manpower resources); or if advances could be made north of the river that would outflank the Germans to the south.Meanwhile Falkenhayn continued to believe in the imminence of British offensive action further north, in French Flanders, despite the fact that he was reassured time and again that there was no evidence for this and that in any case such an eventuality could be contained with reduced resources. Eventually the offensive in Verdun was halted, in late August Falkenhayn was removed after he had presided over increasing friction at the highest level on the Somme front amongst senior commanders; Ludendorff and Hindenburg took over and the genius of German defensive measures, Lo berg, arrived on the scene. This book covers actions at Ovillers, Pozi res (notably involving the Australians) Mametz, Delville Wood (South Africa s first great war time action in Europe), the bitter fighting at High Wood, all leading up to the great attack on the Somme on 15 September. This was the third such major effort by the British army and the first time since 1 July that the Allies had attacked simultaneously in strength. The book then looks at aspects of the fighting associated with this attack, in particular the role of the New Zealand Division and of the Guards Division around Les Boeufs.It then concentrates on the Anglo French boundary area (Guillemont and Combles) before considering French activity at Maurepas, Cl ry, Biaches and La Maisonette and the extension of the French front on 3 September, with fighting at Soy court, Lihons and Vermandovillers. The book ends with a review of the situation both sides found themselves in mid September, before the action continued its relentless grind at extraordinary cost in men and materiel.

This publication, SOMME – THE BATTLE 100 YEARS ON, has been published by Pen & Sword Books Ltd, with the purpose of creating an awareness and an interest in the Somme battles of 1916. For nearly thirty years, Pen & Sword Books Ltd has published numerous titles covering various Pals battalions formed for the ‘Big Push’. They have also been fore-runners in setting up the ‘Battleground Series’ guides, which are packed with then and now illustrations, using battle maps from the time and road maps of the sites today. They are all specifically designed to take the tourer safely through these now historic sites. Many more books have been written and published by Pen & Sword on the other battles of the First World War. Only a small portion relating to 1 July 1916 has been taken from each book appearing in this publication. Much more information can been gleaned from reading about the events of the Somme battles and the awful aftermath of the day through reading the books mentioned at the end of each extract. These publications would not have been possible without the skill and dedication of our authors who have painstakingly researched and written about the subjects that bring to light these historic events.

_Happy Days in France and Flanders_ was written by Benedict Williamson within three years of the end of the First World War. It is a viivid account of his experiences, starting with the trauma of working in a Casualty Clearing Station during the Battle of Messines 1917\. He was transferred to an infantry battalion, the 1/5th West Riding regiment (Duke of Wellington's), with whom he served for the rest of the war. He saw action in Nieuport and has particularly vivid accounts of the fighting associated with Operation _Strandfest,_ a very successful pre-emptive strike by the Germans. During the Battle of Passchendaele he was involved in the fighting on the Menin Road. His division was caught up in the opening of the German offensive on the Somme in the spring of 1918, describing the desperate days of the retreat and the fighting that held the Germans west of Albert. His battalion took part in the Advance to victory and was involved in the capture of Lille and Tournai. There is a chapter on his ministrations to a soldier who was shot at dawn in September 1918.In this completely new and revised edition, there are a number of new features.There is an extended biographical essay on this fascinating man. Notes on some of the characters who are named in the original text are provided. Maps are incorporated into the text for the first time and there is a black and white plate section.Army chaplains received considerable attention during the centenary years, particularly Roman Catholic ones. Benedict Williamson was an articulate man and a shrewd observer of the War; his contribution to the literature of the war is significant and _Happy Days _is worthy of this major revision by a well known authority on the Great War.

These three Battleground Europe books on Ypres 1914 mark the centenary of the final major battle of the 1914 campaign on the Western Front. Although fought over a relatively small area and short time span, the fighting was even more than usually chaotic and the stakes were extremely high. Authors Nigel Cave and Jack Sheldon combine their respective expertise to tell the story of the men - British, French, Indian and German - who fought over the unremarkable undulating ground that was to become firmly placed in British national conscience ever afterwards. The most direct route to Ypres for the advancing German columns in October 1914 was along the axis of the Menin Road. It was here that the Old Contemptibles of the BEF earned their legendary heroic status as they fought off increasingly desperate German assaults day after day, whilst place names such as Zandvoorde, Polygon Wood and Gheluvelt were first etched into the British national consciousness. Bent and battered by the German storm, dressed in rags and short of food, equipment and ammunition, the regiments of the old professional army stood their ground against huge odds.When, on 11th November, they finally halted the Prussian Guards around Polygon Wood, virtually within sight of Ypres, they were reduced to one thin firing line.The BEF was at its last gasp, but it had inflicted a crushing defeat on the German army.

In 1917 Bourlon Wood on the Western Front was the scene of fierce back-and-forth fighting between the British and the Germans, with British gains on at least one occasion thrown away by lack of proper follow-up. The Wood formed the left flank of the massive British tank attack at Cambrai, the first of its kind, on November 20, 1917. Bourlon Wood once again came into prominence in September 1918 with the attack of the Canadian Corps against the German defenders, an action that rivaled the Canadian assault on Vimy Ridge.

Designed to act as a diversion to the 'big push', Gommecourt was an attempt to force the Germans to commit their reserves to the front line before the main battle took place. This Battlefield Guide tells the reader what happened and relates it to the ground as it now stands today.

The third in a trilogy of books, the others being Cambrai -The Right Hook and Bourlon Wood by the same authors covering the battle for Cambrai in November 1917. It covers the defense against the German counter strike, the defense of the Flesquieres Salient against the Kaiserschlact in March 1918 and its recapture in Sept/Oct 1918 all key elements in great Allied advance to victory. This book and guide to the Battle for Flesquieres Ridge tells of the onslaught by 470 tanks and infantry battalions which smashed through the Hindenburg line to the great surprise of the Germans who thought it invincible. So successful was the initial assault that for the first time in the war church bells rang out and the face of land warfare was changed forever. The story illustrates the indomitable spirit of British infantry who in spite of being outnumbered and outgunned, and frustrated by political interference, still managed to thwart Ludendorff's last drive for the Channel Ports. They were then in a position to force him back eastwards, breaking through the reinforced Hindenburg Line once again before final victory in November 1918.

Le Cateau (26-27 August 1914) was the second major action fought by the BEF in the Great War. His men exhausted after fighting at Mons and by the subsequent speedy retreat, Lieutenant-General Horace Smith-Dorrien (commanding II Corps) decided that he had to make a stand in the vicinity of Le Cateau.There his men took on elements of four German corps in an action that succeeded in giving the BEF a respite, but at considerable cost. Amongst other elements of controversy in the conduct of the battle was the handling of the Royal Artillery.The battle also undermined the already fraught relationship between Smith-Dorrien and the BEF's commander, John French. The battlefield today remains largely as it was, open countryside, and it is an ideal location to view one of the most significant British battlefields of the early days of the war.In this action no less than five Victoria Crosses were won, three of them in one howitzer battery and two by men of the 2nd King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.

In a new departure in the Battleground Europe series, this book is a guide to both sides of a major battle in this case to the Canadian Corps operations against 1st Bavarian Reserve Corps at Vimy from 9 12 April 1917, which formed part of the opening of the British offensive, known as the Battle of Arras. Historically, the capture of Vimy Ridge was an event far more significant than its undoubted military importance alone. Here for the first time all four divisions of the Canadian Corps were deployed in line together in one offensive; and although the Corps went to fight even greater battles, Vimy marked a key point in the emergence of Canada as a fully sovereign nation.Although the Canadian side of the story has been well chronicled by a number of writers, until now there has been little concerning the defense during this great battle. Now, the accounts of the German soldiers and their commanders are combined with those of the Canadians and British deployed on the other side of No Mans Land and not simply those who fought above ground, but tunnelers also.

This fully illustrated WWI battlefield guide provides essential historical context and visitor information for exploring this site on the Western Front. Located near the Belgian border, the French town of Cambrai was a vital supply point for the German forces along the Hindenburg Line. It is best known for the First Battle of Cambria, an epic tank battle which took place there in 1917. Although the British Expeditionary Force were successful in the first day of combat, the tables soon turned. As on other occasions throughout the War, the area changed hands many times. Illustrated with then and now pictures, this book presents a detailed overview of the battle from multiple perspectives. It then provides five walking tour itineraries taking readers through the La Vacquerie Battlefield, Bonavis Farm, Les Rues Vertes, Bapaume, and more.

Designed to act as a diversion to the 'big push', Gommecourt was an attempt to force the Germans to commit their reserves to the front line before the main battle took place. This Battlefield Guide tells the reader what happened and relates it to the ground as it now stands today.

Field Marshal Earl Haig's reputation continues to arouse as much interest and controversy as ever. This volume represents the collaboration of two leading historical societies, The British Commission for Military History and The Douglas Haig Fellowship. Leading historians have produced a comprehensive and fascinating study of the most significant and frequently debated aspects of Haig's momentous career.

The third in a trilogy of books, the others being Cambrai -The Right Hook and Bourlon Wood by the same authors covering the battle for Cambrai in November 1917. It covers the defense against the German counter strike, the defense of the Flesquieres Salient against the Kaiserschlact in March 1918 and its recapture in Sept/Oct 1918 all key elements in great Allied advance to victory. This book and guide to the Battle for Flesquieres Ridge tells of the onslaught by 470 tanks and infantry battalions which smashed through the Hindenburg line to the great surprise of the Germans who thought it invincible. So successful was the initial assault that for the first time in the war church bells rang out and the face of land warfare was changed forever. The story illustrates the indomitable spirit of British infantry who in spite of being outnumbered and outgunned, and frustrated by political interference, still managed to thwart Ludendorff's last drive for the Channel Ports. They were then in a position to force him back eastwards, breaking through the reinforced Hindenburg Line once again before final victory in November 1918.