Hurrah, you've made it to my website. Perhaps I may surmise that you have come via my new Redcoat History podcast? If so I wish you a hearty welcome. Here - take my canteen, slip off those old leather boots and warm your hands by the fire. https://youtu.be/ZY3J3Y_OU0w Actually, scrap that - a runner has … Continue reading Podcast Episode 2: The battle of Isandlwana
A walk along Spion Kop
In today's battlefield tour video, my father and I take a walk around Spionkop (Spioenkop), scene of the some of the heaviest fighting of the Anglo-Boer war. It's a fascinating battlefield, hardly changed since that short, sharp battle of January 1900. The battle was part of the disastrous campaign to relieve Ladysmith and push the … Continue reading A walk along Spion Kop
Battlefield tour: The battle for the Platrand (Caesar’s camp and Wagon Hill)
The siege of Ladysmith during the Anglo-Boer war is the stuff of legends. The Boers had surrounded General Sir George White and his troops since the start of November 1899 but had been generally inactive and unwilling to launch a frontal assault on the town. That changed on the 6th January 1900 when the biggest … Continue reading Battlefield tour: The battle for the Platrand (Caesar’s camp and Wagon Hill)
Photos: Pioneer Cemetery, Harare
The Commonwealth war graves section of Harare (Pioneer) cemetery is a small oasis of well-maintained calm inside a huge, semi-derelict civilian graveyard close to the slum of Mbare. I found it more by accident than design when in Zimbabwe for the recent elections. According to the CWGC website, the cemetery contains 259 identified casualties, 224 … Continue reading Photos: Pioneer Cemetery, Harare
In the footsteps of the Raj: The siege of Lucknow
In 2005 I visited Lucknow, the capital of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It's a fascinating city with a rich history, especially for those of us with a passion for British military history. During the Indian Mutiny (aka the first war of Independence) of 1857/58, The battle for the city, particularly the siege of … Continue reading In the footsteps of the Raj: The siege of Lucknow
Five minute history: the battle of Passchendaele
The third battle of Ypres or the battle of Passchendaele as it is commonly known has become a defining moment of the first world war – it is remembered for its horror, the mud and the senseless slaughter of men. But What happened and was it actually a terrible failure? Third Ypres was fought in … Continue reading Five minute history: the battle of Passchendaele
Video: Why did Britain invade Zululand?
I am fascinated by the Anglo-Zulu war but have always been confused about the reasons for it and why Britain invaded. In this short "5 minute history" I try to give an explanation as to why the war happened.
Redcoat History 