Page 15 - History of War - Issue 01-14

PHOTOS FOUND IN ATTIC REVEAL Events

WWI DEVASTATION IN FRANCE
Territorial Army sapper had taken them while being stationed in the country 23 FEBRUARY
Catalyst: Contemporary Art and War
hen Peter Berry Ottaway The first major exhibition of its kind:
of Hereford began the of contemporary art produced since
the first Gulf War. Hear from the
process of clearing out his artists themselves and discover what
late grandfather’s attic, motivates them to create art about
W little did he know of the conflict. Imperial War Museum North,
surprise that awaited him. Manchester. 0161 836 4000;
There, in a rusty box, was a www.iwm.org.uk
treasure trove of old photographs
depicting the devastation exacted 23 FEBRUARY
on northern France during the First Militaria Fair
World War. His grandfather, Hubert, Indoor fair with 70 tables of militaria
from some of the country’s leading
had taken the pictures on his box dealers. Breckland/Thetford Leisure
Brownie camera while serving as Centre, Norfolk. 07596 436260
a sapper with the Territorial Army,
and while many of them had Getty Images 25 FEBRUARY
perished with the passing of time, Churchill’s First War
Peter was able to save between 40 Author and foreign correspondent
and 50, along with his grandfather’s Con Coughlin tells the story of
diary, written during the period. Winston Churchill’s first war against
the Afghans in the 1890s. This
because he was
The photos paint a poignant because he was campaign led to the future Prime
picture of life on the Western Front, left almost blinded by a shell Minister’s first book, which is still
revealing the desolation of French attack soon after they were read by British and US military
towns and villages razed to the taken. But Peter is grateful for his Commanders today, and Coughlin will
ground in the path of both sides in grandfather’s work and now plans to also discuss the parallels it holds
the conflict. The remains of houses share the pictures with the public. with modern conflict in Afghanistan.
and churches, blitzed by Allied and “The images provide a Churchill War Rooms, London.
German shells during the Battle of fascinating record and I’m 020 7930 6961; www.iwm.org.uk
Arras in 1917, can be seen along incredibly excited by them,” he 27 FEBRUARY
iStockphoto who had been left homeless. be able to recover them due to The Great War in Portraits
says. “I didn’t think we would
with long lines of French refugees
This new exhibition of First World
their age, but now we have we
Tragically, Hubert never got
War art will include 80 paintings,
to see the photographs himself
will be putting them in a book.”
photographs, sculptures and films
showing the human experience of
war, as well as portraits of iconic
figures such as Winston Churchill.
Newly published National Portrait Gallery, London.
020 7306 0055. www.npg.org.uk
diaries “humanise” On Track Military Model Show
1 MARCH
the Great War The Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone.
www.on.track@live.co.uk
o mark the centenary of the start of the First World War, AND DON’T FORGET
around 300,000 pages of soldiers’ diary extracts have THESE EVENTS LATER
T been published by The National Archives.
Twenty-five volunteers spent the whole of last year painstakingly IN THE YEAR…
REVELL digitising hundreds of boxes of diaries, which detail the experiences
of British troops deployed in France and Belgium between 1914
16–20 JULY
ANNOUNCES and 1918. The poignant personal accounts reveal the anxiety and The War And Peace Revival
terror felt by the men on the frontline as they spent months dug into
RAF Westenhanger, Folkestone
NEW MILITARY their trenches, battling a war that never seemed to end. However, Racecourse, Kent. 01304 813337;
they also capture the spirit and camaraderie attained through
www.thewarandpeacerevival.co.uk
MODELS impromptu sporting events, including tug-of-war and rugby matches,
along with the famed British sense of humour.
1-3 AUGUST
William Spencer, author and military-records specialist at Military & Flying Machines Show
US tank that fought in the Korean War The National Archives, is thrilled that the diaries have become Damyns Hall Aerodrome,
and an aerial stalwart from Japan’s available. He says, “They allow people across the world to Upminster, Essex.
ASecond World War campaign are among discover the daily activities, stories and battles of each unit. www.militaryandflyingmachines.
the new model releases by Revell this month. War is a de-humanising thing but the diaries somehow humanise it.” org.uk
The M47 General Patton II was rushed into Visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
production to participate in Korea but didn’t make it in 23-25 AUGUST
time and never actually saw any combat, though it was Military Odyssey
deployed during the Cold War and by the Pakistani Army The Kent Show Ground, Detling, Kent.
during the Indo-Pak War of 1965. Revell’s 1/32-scale www.military-odyssey.com
kit (pictured above) comes in 174 parts and features
a combat crew of five. In a smaller scale (1/48) is 20-21 SEPTEMBER
the company’s Japanese A6M5 Zero, a plane renowned Euro Militaire
for its speed and maneuverability but whose lack of Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone, Kent. 0844
armour left it vulnerable in combat during the 1939- 848 8822; www.euromilitaire.co.uk
1945 conflict, and ultimately signalled its demise.
This model comes in 29 parts. Visit www.revell.com iStockphoto

HISTORY WAR 15
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