Links
Links to Organisations relating to the Great War
The Commonwealth War Graves
Commission
This site is invaluable for tracing those who died in the
First World War (and also the Second), giving personal details (although often
very scanty) as well as information and location of the relevant Cemetery or
memorial for a particular soldier. The site also serves to highlight the
marvellous work that the CWGC perform in maintaining the Cemeteries and other
sites, not only on the Western Front but in many other locations as well.
The Western Front
Association
Keeping alive the memories of the soldiers of the First World
War, plus copies of trench maps can be obtained by members.
The Imperial War Museum
Homepage of
the Museum, containing information on their various museums, their displays and
the collections they hold.
Links for Visiting the Somme
Albert town
website
Some useful information if you play to stay in Albert.
Amiens website
Lots of useful
information if you plan to base your visit in Amiens
Weather in
France
Current information on the weather across France
Viamichelin
Useful for route
planning
Somme 1916: 90th Anniversary
Paul Reed's site set up for the 2006 90th anniversary of this bloody battle. Information on the memorials, cemeteries, locations etc. that you may visit on the Somme.
Dinnaken House
Self-catering accomadation in Flers, on the Somme. Run by Rory Newsome.
Chavasse Farm
Based in Hardecourt aux Bois, a little south of Guillemont, there are several self-contained accomodation units of various sizes, plus a bar! Run by an ex-Royal Marine, the website itself has some interesting information on the Great War and is worth a visit.
Snowden House
Also owned by the owners of Chavasse Farm is another self-catering house available to rent in Longueval. In the heart of the Somme battlefields, the accomodation looks to be of a high standard.
L'Amartinierre B&B
Situated near Mailly-Maillet, a French-run B&B with English spoken.
Links for visiting Flanders
Ieper website
Useful information
for planning a stay in Ieper (Ypres)
In Flanders Field museum
A modern museum based in the Cloth Hall in Ieper, well worth a visit.
Viamichelin
Useful for route
planning
Varlet Farm
A
farmhouse bed and breakfast located five miles from Ypres: as a working farm they also come across many battlefield relics!
Passchendaele Remembered
A site set up by Paul Reed to commemorate the forthcoming 90th anniversary of Third Ypres, also sometimes known as Passchendaele. The site is bewing expanded as the anniversary nears. There is also a very useful forum where Paul and other knowlegeable members are happy to answer questions relating to the battles.
De Klaproos
'The Poppy' Bed and Breakfast accomodation in Passchendaele, run by Marijke Decaestecker.
The Great War in Flanders Fields
A very useful site with a comprehensive database of the Great War related sites to be found in Flanders - including latitude and longitude details for the sites listed. Personalities and events are also covered on the database.
Links to other First World War Sites
Layesbrook Research Services
My own research service, offering research to help you find out what your Great War Army Ancestor did during the War.
Imperial War Museum Somme Online Exhibition
To mark the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme the Imperial War Museum set up an online exhibition exploring the longest and most costly land battle in British history.
The Great War Forum
A
fantastic site where there are several discussion topics, and many helpful and
very knowledgeable people who are happy to give some expert advice and help.
Well worth a visit.
The Old Front Line
Paul Reed's comprehensive and knowledgeable website, covering many aspects of the Great War, plus information on visiting the battlefields.
The Battle of Verdun
An excellent and well put together site covering Verdun, with useful information on the battle, visiting Verdun and many photographs.
Western Front Tourist Guide
A guide aimed mainly at the American Battlefields of the Western Front, which can be found on the Trenches on the Web site.
Hellfire Corner
Tom Morgan's World War One website and Military books site.
An Unfortunate Region
With information on the battlefields, cemeteries, plus a number of modern day aerial photographs, this site has a great deal of useful information for the battlefield visitor.
World War One Cemeteries
Brent Whittam and Terence Heard have been working on this project, to visit, pay respects and photograph every cemetery from the Great War that contained 40 or more burials, for over five years. This is not just the well-known areas of the Western Front, but further afield to some much less visited areas. To date, they have visited over 850 cemeteries, with less than 50 to visit. A mammoth undertaking and well worth visiting.
Australian Battlefields of World War I - France
Robert Crane has put together an excellent site concentrating on the Australians who fought on the Western Front in France. There is detailed information on actions and awards for each of the years 1916 to 1918, plus sections on cemeteries and memorials. There is also a fascinating and well-illustrated Journal covering Robert's visit to the Western Front in 2001.
Canadian Great War Project
This site, set up by Marc Leroux and others, includes an on-line database to enable research on Canadians who served in the Great War. In addition, there are war diaries, information on famous Canadians who fought in the War, and also information and galleries on War memorials.
In Memory
Pierre Vandervelden has visited and photographed many of the War Cemeteries in Belgium and Northern France, including some of those that are off normal tourist path. There is also a section where a large number of regimental emblems on graves are shown.
Somme Battlefields
Paul Reed has set up this website to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, which falls on July the 1st 2006. There are pages on the cemeteries, memorials, and villages of the region, plus on the forces that fought during the Somme. A valuable and growing source of information.
The Somme Battlefield: Jack Insall
Mike Insall has put together this site with photographs of the Somme (including aerial views), as well as information on his grandfather, Jack Insall, who served with the RFC during the Great War. He survived and wrote a book about his experiences titled "Observer, Memoirs of the RFC 1915-18" - and also took photographs after the War of some of the famous sites on the Somme and elsewhere.
Paths of Glory
An excellent and highly reccomended site where there are many images taken from trenchmaps. The site is run by Dave O'Mara, and the images taken from his collection of trench-maps.
Derbyshire Lads at War: 1914-1918
There are a growing number of sites on local war memorials and the men remembered on them. This excellent site covers memorials in Derbyshire, with a particular focus on the village of Tibshelf. However, there is also information on the local regiment (the Sherwood Foresters) and in depth research on some of the men who fought. Well worth a visit.
The Battle of Cambrai
A site covering one of the important, but less-visited battlefields - Cambrai.
Great War Digital
A company offering the Linesman product - trench maps coupled with modern maps and using the latest technology to enable real-time GPS location of sites on the battlefields. There is also the possibility of showing the maps in 3D to appreciate the aspect of the positions held by each side. This is not a product I have tried, but the potential looks enormous.
Pen & Sword Books
An extensive stock of Great War related books (plus those covering other conflicts) including many in the Pals and Battleground series.
Western Front Photography
I am a keen photographer, and am happy with many of my pictures on this site, but Michael St. Maur Sheil is a professional photographer, and his photographs of the battlefields of the Western Front are, quite simply, stunning.
Major and Mrs Holt's Battlefield Guide Books and Maps
Website of the battlefield guide authors, with guidebooks covering most of the theatres where the British fought. Detailed itineraries and driving directions make them a very useful companion to any visit.
Battlefield Video
A website offering videos of Great War and Second World War sites - run by film-maker Ray Schofield-Almond.
The Bedfordshire Regiment in The Great War
This website, set up by Steve Fuller, covers the eight battalions of the Bedfordshire Regiment in the Great War, with rolls of honour and transcripts of many of their War Diaries included - a very useful resource.
If you would like to suggest a link to add, please e-mail me at Webmaster