The history of the Eighth Battalion, the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, 1914-1919

EN·~7 hours·13 chapters

Chapters

13 total

Transcriber’s Note:

0:14

THE HISTORY OF THE EIGHTH BATTALION THE QUEEN’S OWN ROYAL WEST KENT REGIMENT 1914–1919

0:54

INTRODUCTION

2:21

PHASE I THE FORMATION OF THE BATTALION—TRAINING IN ENGLAND—OVERSEAS TO FRANCE—THE BATTLE OF LOOS September 1914–September 1915

36:53

PHASE II TRENCH WARFARE IN THE YPRES SALIENT AND AT MESSINES September 1915–July 1916

27:19

PHASE III THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME August–September 1916

24:21

PHASE IV TRENCH WARFARE AT VIMY RIDGE, HULLUCH, AND MAROC—THE ADVANCE ON LENS September 1916–April 1917

41:20

PHASE V THE SUMMER CAMPAIGN IN THE YPRES SALIENT April—September 1917

1:09:10

PHASE VI TRENCH WARFARE IN THE DEVASTATED AREA AT HARGICOURT September 1917–March 1918

30:51

PHASE VII WITH THE FIFTH ARMY AGAINST THE GREAT GERMAN OFFENSIVE March-April, 1918

1:02:46

Description

This detailed regimental history follows the formation and wartime service of a British infantry battalion from its creation in September 1914. Drawing on the official war diary, soldiers’ notebooks, photographs, maps, and personal recollections, it records the experiences of ordinary men as they are recruited, organized, trained, and prepared for service overseas.

The opening offers a vivid glimpse of the rushed and improvised nature of wartime mobilization: overcrowded barracks, scarce food, makeshift sleeping arrangements, and recruits being moved rapidly from Maidstone to Shoreham-by-Sea. From there, the narrative traces the battalion’s early training, its journey to France, and the approach to the Battle of Loos. Respectful and documentary in tone, the account also serves as a memorial to those who served and died, preserving the comradeship, hardships, and daily realities behind a famous conflict.