Remembering D-Day 6th June 1944 ... #WW2 #DDay #normandylandings #history

Yesterday I set the scene for the German offensive at Verdun. We visited the Bois des Caures, Fleury, which is one of the 9 'detruit' villages in this area, before moving onto Fort Douaumont. This is on a tour arranged by @sophie1wwtours.bsky.social #WW1 #FWW #Verdun #history

Day 1 of my battlefield tour with my two American guests where I'll be showing them a number of sites, including the heroic stand made by Emile Driant & his Chasseurs in the Bois des Caures. This is on a tour arranged by @sophie1wwtours.bsky.social #WW1 #FWW #Verdun #driant #history

I'm now at Dover waiting to board a ferry to France to pick up my guests for a battlefield tour to the French and American sites around Verdun. This is on a tour arranged by @sophie1wwtours.bsky.social #WW1 #FWW #Verdun #history

On a recent battlefield tour I was able to take a photo of the Queen Victoria Rifles memorial at Hill 60 to compare it to a photo from 1964. The photo shows you veterans of the 9th Bn Norfolk Regiment who went on a pilgrimage to France and Flanders in that year. #WW1 #Norfolk #FWW #Ypres #history

I'm currently on my 1st battlefield tour of the season where I'm showing guests around sites in France & Flanders looking at where 2 grandfathers served in the infantry & Royal Engineer railway troops between 1916 & 1918. This is on a tour arranged by @sophie1wwtours.bsky.social #WW1 #FWW #history

Sadly, the same old duff history images of men playing football in 1915 and two soldiers sharing a cigarette in 1918 have again been rolled out in posts on the Christmas Truce of 1914. #WW1 #FWW #christmastruce #christmas2025 #history #duffhistory stevesmith1944.wordpress.com/2023/12/01/t...

The Christmas Truce Truth & Myth

This image is widely portrayed on Social Media as a British and German soldier exchanging cigarettes on Christmas Day of 1914 during the Truce. The reality? The caption on the IWM site states, Batt…

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It was great to launch my book the other day at the Lynn Museum in King's Lynn & thanks to the Norfolk Museum Services for their support & to everyone who came along. I've also provided a link to where you can get a copy #WW1 #FWW #Norfolk #Gallipoli #history

I've been able to hold a physical copy of my new book today. It looks at the alleged disappearance of the 1/5th Battalion Norfolk Regiment at Kuchuk Anafarta Ova on 12th August 1915. It's on sale now & I've left a link to where you can get a copy in the comments. #WW1 #FWW #Norfolk #Gallipoli

My latest book is released today. It looks at the alleged disappearance of the 1/5th Battalion Norfolk Regiment during their advance on Kuchuk Anafarta Ova on 12th August 1915. I've provided a link to where you can buy a copy in the comments. #WW1 #Norfolk #FWW #Gallipoli #history

Exciting news today. You can pre-order my book online via Amazon & I've provided a link below if you you'd like to do that. #WW1 #FWW #Norfolk #Gallipoli #history #books #WeWillRememberThem The Norfolks at Gallipoli 12 August 1915: Truth and Myth amzn.eu/d/73TuaJR

Lance Corporal 1585 Frank Norman Fox, 5th Norfolks, who took part in the failed advance on Kuchuk Anafarta Ova on 12 August 1915. He features heavily in the allegations made that the men who disappeared were allegedly '....lost to sight or sound.' #WW1 #FWW #Norfolk #Gallipoli #history

Most of the officers of the 5th Norfolks, alleged to have been, '...lost to sight or sound. Not one of them ever came back.' This alleged disappearance will be tackled in my next book which is out on 30 November 2025 #WW1 #FWW #Norfolk #Gallipoli #history

I have a Facebook page dedicated to a number of things, including posts on subjects that relate to my next book. This is my most recent post, it also provides a link to my blog on why I wrote the book #WW1 #FWW #Norfolk #Gallipoli #history www.facebook.com/share/p/1GQ5...

I have a Facebook page dedicated to a number of things, including posts on subjects that relate to my next book. This is my most recent post, it also provides a link to my blog on why I wrote the book #WW1 #FWW #Norfolk #Gallipoli #history www.facebook.com/share/p/1GQ5...

Sergeant 2179 John Lee Goulder, aged 32. He features heavily in my next book when I look at a particular myth that's been going around since the time of the Gallipoli Campaign. #WW1 #FWW #Norfolk #Gallipoli #wewillrememberthem

2nd Lt Marcus Oliphant who was KIA in the advance on Kuchuk Anafarta Ova on 12 August 15 serving with the 5th Norfolks. He will feature in my next book & more info on that can be found via the link #WW1 #FWW #Norfolk #Gallipoli #history stevesmith1944.wordpress.com/2015/07/29/t...

My next book comes out on the 30th November 2025 & I have updated a blog explaining the rationale behind it which you can find via the link below #WW1 #FWW #Norfolk #Gallipoli #history stevesmith1944.wordpress.com/2015/07/29/t...

The Norfolks at Gallipoli 12th August 1915

Truth and Myth

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I visited these WW1 pillboxes yesterday. Norfolk holds the largest number of these Great War structures & many of them have now received listed status. There will be more information on that closer to Armistice #WW1 #FWW #Norfolk #history #pillbox

All being well, my next book comes out on 30 Nov 25. It looks at the alleged disappearance of the 5th Battalion Norfolk Regiment & looks at all the duff history that surrounds the story of their advance on Kuchuk Anafarta Ova on 12 Aug 15 during the Gallipoli Campaign #WW1 #FWW #Norfolk #Gallipoli

Our final visit to pay our respects was for one of my guests whose wife had a relative buried in Cabaret Rouge Cemetery near Souchez. Ernest died in an action at Vimy Ridge on 30 May 16. He had only been in France for a few months @sophie1wwtours.bsky.social #WW1 #FWW #wewillrememberthem #history

I'm now home after getting back from my battlefield tour for @sophie1wwtours.bsky.social & yesterday my guests got to see the French cemetery at Notre Dame de Lorette as well as the memorial to all nations that fell in the Nord & Pas de Calais regions in the Great War #WW1 #FWW #history

Guiding for @sophie1wwtours.bsky.social allows me to take our guests to places where their ancestors served. John & Henry Laffoley died served with the 8th Battalion Devonshire Regiment & are commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial on the Somme #WW1 #FWW #Somme #history

Yesterday's highlights on battlefield tour arranged by @sophie1wwtours.bsky.social the day started at the Sunken Lane & the Hawthorn Mine #WW1 #FWW #Somme #history

This afternoon it blew a hooley in the Ypres Salient but it didn't dampen our spirits as we looked at a number of sites around the Ypres Salient on a tour arranged by @sophie1wwtours.bsky.social first stops were Hill 60 & the Caterpillar Mine #WW1 #FWW #Ypres #Wipers #history

Storm Amy has just passed & it's now a lovely breezy day on the Salient. The day started with my usual truth & myth of the Christmas Truce stands & then it was onto Talbot House. This is on a tour arranged by @sophie1wwtours.bsky.social #WW1 #FWW #Ypres #Wipers #history

It was a very wet day travelling to the Ypres Salient on a battlefield tour arranged by @sophie1wwtours.bsky.social but we ignored Storm Amy & went to visit Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery before moving onto Ypres #WW1 #FWW #Ypres #Wipers #history

Today & tomorrow will see me indexing my next book which looks at the alleged disappearance of the 5th Battalion Norfolk Regiment at Gallipoli on 12th August 1915. It will be out in November this year #WW1 #Norfolk #Gallipoli #history #books

It's eleven years today that this book went off to the publisher to be put into print. It came out that year in November and my fourth book will also be published in that month in 2025 #WW1 #Norfolk #history #book

The lovely war memorial in the grounds of St Olaf's church, known as the smallest church in England, at Seascale in the Lake District. It remembers the twenty men of the Fell & Rock Climbing Club who died in the Great War. #WW1 #FWW #warmemorial #history