Charlton Athletic and the First World War

CHARLTON ATHLETIC AND THE AFTERMATH OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR Prior to the outbreak of a war that would change and shape the world we live in today, a bunch of lads of East Street had risen from playing on the cinder wastelands of Siemens Meadow to becoming a local amateur powerhouse. Amassing 22 trophies […]

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The Doiran Memorial, Greece

THE DOIRAN MEMORIAL, GREECE The Doiran Memorial is located near the Greek village of Doirani, close to the border with North Macedonia. It overlooks the southern shore of Lake Doiran, appoximately 70km north from the city of Thessaloniki, and stands abreast an area known as Colonial Hill during the First World War. Designed by Sir […]

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Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, Thiepval

MEMORIAL TO THE MISSING OF THE SOMME, THIEPVAL The Memorial to the Missing of the Battle of the Somme is located in the French village of Thiepval, 4.5 miles north of Albert at the crossroads of the D73 and D151 and approximately 20 miles northeast of Amiens. Designed by celebrated British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, the memorial […]

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McCrae’s Battalion (16th Royal Scots) Memorial, Contalmaison

McCRAE'S BATTALION (16TH ROYAL SCOTS) MEMORIAL, CONTALMAISON The memorial cairn to the 16th Battalion of the Royal Scots, better known as “McCrae’s Battalion”, is located in the French village of Contalmaison and was officially unveiled on 7 November 2004 in a ceremony attended by more than 700 people. The idea of a memorial to the […]

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Clapton Orient Footballers’ Battalion Memorial, Flers

CLAPTON ORIENT FOOTBALL CLUB MEMORIAL, FLERS The memorial commemorating the players, staff and supporters of Clapton Orient Football Club who served in the 17th (Service) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment during the First World War, is located in the French village of Flers and was officially unveiled at a ceremony held on 10 July 2011. More than 200 Orient supporters joined local […]

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The Footballers’ Battalions Memorial, Longueval

THE FOOTBALLERS' BATTALIONS MEMORIAL, LONGUEVAL The memorial to the 17th and 23rd (Service) Battalions of the Middlesex Regiment is located in the French village of Longueval and was officially unveiled on Thursday 21 October 2010 by the Chairman of the Football League, Greg Clarke. Situated at the junction of the Rue de Guillemont and Route de […]

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Bell’s Redoubt – Memorial to Donald Bell VC, Contalmaison

BELL'S REDOUBT MEMORIAL, CONTALMAISON The memorial at Bell’s Redoubt, Contalmaison commemorates Second Lieutenant Donald Simpson Bell, the former Bradford Park Avenue footballer who won the British Empire’s highest military decoration awarded for valour “in the face of the enemy”, the Victoria Cross, five days before his death during the Battle of the Somme. The memorial was in large […]

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The Story of Donald Bell VC

THE STORY OF DONALD SIMPSON BELL VC When the British Army launched its great Somme offensive in the summer of 1916, few people could have envisaged the devastation battle would bring. The opening day alone saw British casualties of almost 60,000 and by the time the slaughter had ground to a bloody halt in the […]

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The Story of Clapton Orient in the First World War

THE STORY OF CLAPTON ORIENT IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR A recruiting meeting was organised by the FA and the War Office at Fulham Town Hall, Harwood Road, almost five months into World War One, with a view to raising a which would specifically comprise of footballers, club officials and supporters – the 17th Battalion […]

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