Next Meeting: Friday 12th November
St Eloi: Village of the Craters - Christopher John
St. Eloi is a small hamlet south of Ypres, but packed with Great War history. This talk examines the development of tunneling and mine warfare here, with a particular look at the life of Sir John Norton-Griffiths, founder of the Tunneling Companies. The actions here, the Battle of the St. Eloi Craters 1916 and St. Eloi's role in the Battle of Messines 1917 are also explained.
Christopher John is a member of the WFA Birmingham Branch and a badged guide of the Guild of Battlefield Guides. He has a particular interest in the Ypres Salient, conducting tours both there and to the Somme.
Report on October Meeting
We were very pleased to welcome back John Brooks who gave us a talk on the Dreadnought class of battleship in November 2008. This time his topic was Computers at the Battle of Jutland. In fact these were not computers as we would understand the term, but mechanical analogue calculating machines to enable naval vessels (themselves moving) to project shells up to ten miles at moving targets. The principal one was the Dreyer Fire Control Table, and by 1916 most RN capital ships had this system. However, in spite of the fact that the Navy had "won" the Dreadnought building arms race, the Battle of Jutland was a tactical victory for the Germans. Their shooting had been more effective, so what had gone wrong?
Modern fire control in the Royal Navy started around 1902 with the "Dumaresq" device, used on HMS Dreadnought. But the problem of visibility - smoke and fire - was not solved. Various items of equipment were combined into the Dreyer Table of 1911, named after its inventor Commander (later Admiral) Frederick Dreyer, and produced by Elliott Brothers. Arthur Pollen developed his own "Argo" system during this period, but was unable to get an Admiralty contract, although he was able to make sales to other navies (not Germany's, fortunately!) The great controversy has always been which was better: Dreyer or Pollen? Some have maintained that the disappointing result of Jutland indicated that the Admiralty was wrong to stick with Dreyer, but our speaker thought the problem lay elsewhere.
The main failure at Jutland was during the "run to the south" when Admiral Beatty's battle-cruisers failed to capitalize on their superior numbers and range. This was not the fault of the Dreyer equipment, but rather poor use of it, and that lay in errors of training, tactics and leadership. Further, the design of the ships, and ammunition handling, made them more liable to blow up.
Whatever the failings of 1916, it is a remarkable fact that, two decades before the MIT differential analyser, British engineers were applying analogue computing to fire control at sea. Sadly, none of this equipment has survived in any museum. The nearest you can get to it is the Admiralty Mark Six system of WW2, to be seen on HMS Belfast moored on the Thames.
A very technical talk but fascinating none the less. Seekers of more information should obtain John Brooks' book Dreadnought Gunnery at the Battle of Jutland: The Question of Fire Control. Articles on Dreyer, Pollen and their inventions can be found on Wikipedia.
Newsletter Quiz
Answer to quiz 208: Ivor Novello, Keep The Home Fires Burning. Mary Roe won and sets question no. 209: A British sea captain was shot by the Germans in 1916 for defending his ship against a U-boat attack by attempting to ram it. What was his full name and rank, where in London is there a memorial to him, and which country paid for it?
P/A System
It has been decided to dispose of the branch's public address system, which has not been used in years. It consists of an amplifier, two mikes (one clip-on, one hand-held) and two small speakers. Any reasonable offer accepted. To be collected from the chairman at a meeting.
Regional Seminar 2011
Jointly run with Milton Keynes branch, this will take place on Saturday, 15 October 2011, at a new venue: the Chrysalis Theatre, Willen Lake, MK. Tickets should be on sale by the end of the year, and anyone wishing to help in either the planning stages, or on the day, is welcome to contact the chairman.
Military and Family Genealogy
This is the name of a newly established business that specialises in researching people who served in WW1 in any of the armed forces. Sources used are the national census, medal index cards, service records, local newspapers and other archives. Information obtained is then made up into a biography for the customer. The business is run by Peter Threlfall, chairman of WFA Merseyside Branch, and Judith Beastall, who is chairman of Bromborough Local History Society. If you are interested in using this service, contact Peter on 0151 651 2091 or Judith on 0151 334 9467, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Second Bedfords
The October newsletter contained an item on a new book: The 2nd Bedfords in France and Flanders, 1914-1918 by M.G. Deacon. If anyone has obtained this book and would like to write a review of it for the WFA website, please let me know.
June Wall
Steve Wall, our branch president, has sent details of the launch party for a book of poems by his late mother, June. This will be at our former meeting place, the St Nicholas Church Hall, Church Green, Harpenden, at 2.30 on Sat 20th November. All welcome. The book is called With Her Love, and has been published by her family, developed from an idea that June had shortly before her death. Proceeds to benefit the St Nicholas Church.
Branch Diary
10 December: The Austro-Hungarian Conflict in 1914 - Prof Mark Cornwall
2011 meetings:
7 Jan, 11 Feb, 18 March, 15 April, 20 May, 1 July, 9 Sept, 7 Oct, 11 Nov, 9 Dec.
Venue: Room SP101, 1st Floor, Sports Hall, St George's School, Sun Lane, Harpenden, AL5 4EY. Doors open 7.30pm, 8.00pm start. Requested donation min £3.00. Tea, coffee and biscuits at half time.
