It’s Minden Day today, so #HutDog Charlie is #MindenDog Charlie, with his red and yellow Suffolk Roses to commemorate the battle in 1759. He has just returned from Doggy Duty at the Suffolk Regiment annual reunion at Gibraltar Barracks! ‘Stabilis’
Great War Huts
@greatwarhuts.bsky.social
📜 First World War heritage project 📆 Year-round events & immersive experiences 🕰️ Fascinating collection of artefacts 📍Near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Reminded that yesterday 18 years ago, a Hovis ad was being filmed round the corner from where I lived in Liverpool. It's Falkner Street, where the first A House Through Time was made. The folks from @greatwarhuts.bsky.social were behind this.
It’s a warm Thursday afternoon here at Brook Farm Camp so Chief Hut Builder Kev is about to repaint a 9.2” BL Howitzer shell (it’s completely empty), originally fired at Serre on the Somme, to go with our recently restored 1904 Royal Navy 9.2” breech.
Possibly the finest decorated Great War ration biscuit I have ever seen. This Women's Auxiliary Army Corps example is in the Huntley & Palmers gallery @readingmuseum.bsky.social. @greatwarhuts.bsky.social
The Green, Red and Brown flag of The Tank Corps flies over Brook Farm Camp today to commemorate the death of Kev’s Grandfather, 92958 Pte Alfred James Tabor, who was mortally wounded 108 years ago today, driving a male MkV Tank, No.9049… 1/
A poignant reminder of the first day of The Somme - Lieutenant Gilbert Hattersley’s blood-stained map showing the planned advance. He was wounded in the leg early on, the 11/Suffolk had the heaviest 34th Division casualties and didn’t reach Contalmaison. Remembering them all today. #Somme110
The Battle of The Somme Centenary, 10 years ago, was a busy time for GWH. Lyndsay was part of the Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport team organising the Westminster Abbey service and overnight vigil, which took place 10 years ago tonight, and designing these popular keepsakes! /1
Who knew an old fallen log could be such a popular hangout? Here at Brook Farm Camp, it’s become a favourite perch, pathway, and meeting place for plenty of our wildlife friends! 🦊🦡🐿️🦆🐦
We have an Officer’s Service Dress jacket in the Great War Huts Collection which belonged to Captain Francis William Yates, who was wounded by a shell fragment on 18th April 1915 at Hill 60, while serving with 2nd Battalion King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. 1/
Our Scotland trip concluded with the acquisition of a Khaki Canadian Glengarry. These generic caps were worn by Canadian Scottish units training in Canada before stocks of the proper regimental Glengarries were available, a similar situation to the issue of the Emergency… 1/
Remembering Leading Stoker John Owen who was killed 110 years ago today when the Battlecruiser HMS Queen Mary blew up after being hit by SMS Derfflinger at the Battle of Jutland. 1,266 crewmen were killed. There were only eighteen survivors. John had been looking forward… 1/
Our first GWH Study Day - ‘Now You’ve Got The Khaki On’ has been a great success. Participants from across the country travelled to Brook Farm Camp to learn about the uniforms, equipment, weapons and drills of the British Infantryman of the Great War… 1/
Our house was built 1938/39 our above ground shelter, 6 inch slab roof, is now my tool shed. Had to enlarge door and knock out a wall for the window! Hard work, 4 brick thick walls with sand filled cavities between, presume for blast protection?
A diversion into the Second World War for us this morning. We had the opportunity to save two wooden bunks that had been built into a brick Air Raid Shelter in 1938, just down the road from us in Bury St Edmunds. If householders earned more than £300 per year they had to… 1/
Our 2026 Spring GWH Volunteer Weekend has been a huge success. In fact we all agree that it has been the most successful volunteer weekend to date. Over 2 days many of the Huts have been given another coat of wood preserver, doors and windows have been painted, more of our… 1/
Huge thanks to GWH supporter Karen Dennis for sending us a collection of BBC sound effects records for the GWH Archive, including this one of a MkV Tank on manoeuvres. They belonged to Bill Fulton, who used them in his talks. He died 8 years ago today, making their arrival especially meaningful.
Oh yes, we're very fortunate to have these items in our local archive. The album holds 99 photographs (all scanned by us) Sadly there are very few captions, but there are some great images of the men in training:
We’re very fortunate to have a nominal roll for the Keighley VTC which gives name, address, age, occupation, height, weight etc and reasons for not enlisting (usually over age). The booklet is held in Keighley Library’s archive. There is also an Adjutant’s photo album of training, group photos etc.
109 years ago today, on 31st March 1917, Sergeant R.P. Stafford, the 30th man to sign up for the Halifax Volunteer Training Corps, was presented with his Volunteer Regiment Proficiency Badge and certificate. We also have his armband and Marksman’s qualification badge in the… 1/
At our first #HuttedHistories talk of the year on Wednesday we were delighted to receive this kind donation from James Hyde. It is the bronze grave marker of Old Contemptible 34900 Driver George Neaves of K Battery, Royal Horse Artillery. Andrew Thornton kindly sent us his… 1/
Our 2026 #HuttedHistories season gets off to a flying start next Wednesday (25th) when @drkatevigurs.bsky.social joins us to tell extraordinary true stories of the female agents of the SOE from her gripping new book, Mission Europe! For more details & tickets: shorturl.at/CTMwO
Trying something new on the YouTube Channel. I had the pleasure of being joined by the wonderful Taff Gillingham of @greatwarhuts.bsky.social Taff joined me to discuss the up and coming myth 'The Home Guard were full of First World War Veterans'. youtu.be/_IFHgBXbKww?... #WW1 #WW2 #History
Regular Conversations: Taff Gillingham on 'The Home Guard was full of First World War Veterans'
YouTube video by Remember the Regulars
youtu.be
Another gem for you all from the GWH Collection: This is the scrapbook of Captain Kyrle Ffrench, Special Reserve, attached to the South Wales Borderers. Kyrle kept all sorts of paperwork and ephemera including press cuttings, postcards, pages from army notebooks… 1/
A quirky piece from the Great War Huts Collection - the original sign from Marks and Spencer in Felixstowe announcing that the store would be closed for Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral 61 years ago today, on Saturday 30th January 1965. 1/2
Winter has well and truly arrived at Brook Farm Camp! ❄️ The huts are tucked up under a blanket of snow and Hut Dog Charlie Chaplin is padding around the trenches like it’s the most magical place on earth🐾
It's Christmas Day and the finale of #HutVent2025. Thank you for all your support in 2025 and we look forward to seeing you all again in 2026! youtu.be/D8wOBsGX5W4 #HutVent
It’s Christmas Eve, and we are nearly at the end of #HutVent2025, but today Lyndsay has some tiny uniforms for you... youtu.be/mdhKNlZ7TUI #HutVent
It is the 23rd Day of #HutVent2025 and today Taff is looking at some First World War Army welfare provision and the subject of 'French Leave'... youtu.be/S070052pOtY
A nautical theme for Day 22 of #HutVent2025 as Taff tells the tale of the sinking of the Lusitania... youtu.be/Aaf_qlFuKc0
For the 21st Day of #HutVent2025, Taff tells us about Colonel Isaac Newton Lewis's invention, and how it revolutionised British Infantry tactics... youtu.be/6FkNM9Wig70
