Great War Railwaymen

Great War Railwaymen PDF

Author: Jeremy Higgins

Publisher: Andrews UK Limited

Published: 2015-09-03

Total Pages: 339

ISBN-13: 1910500097

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The railways were intrinsic to fighting the First World War, whether at home or abroad. On the Western Front and beyond trains ferried men and supplies to and from the front on a staggering scale, ensuring that the war machine functioned without pause. Back in Britain, the railway network shipped millions of tonnes of war material from the factories to the ports, becoming the lifeblood of the war effort. Great War Railwaymen details this incredible achievement, exploring not only the vast infrastructure, but also those who operated it. Despite the importance of the railways, many of those involved in the industry went off to fight in the mud and trenches, on the world’s oceans, or in the skies above war torn Europe. Between them, they were awarded 2500 Military medals, 44 Distinguished Conduct Medals, 27 Military Crosses and 6 Victoria Crosses. This is their story. Meticulously researched and lovingly produced, Jeremy Higgins narrates the fascinating stories of over a thousand of these men, vividly capturing their wartime experiences and pressing home the vital importance of the railways, and those that ran them, to the Allied victory in the First World War.

Railway Guns of World War I

Railway Guns of World War I PDF

Author: Marc Romanych

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2017-08-24

Total Pages: 49

ISBN-13: 1472816412

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

World War I was the Golden Age of the railway gun. Even though at the start of the conflict none of the armies possessed any railway artillery pieces and the very idea was comparatively new, more railway guns were used during this war than in any other conflict. Designed to break the stalemate of trench warfare, the first railway guns were simple, improvised designs made by mounting surplus coastal defence, fortress, and naval guns onto existing commercial railway carriages. As the war dragged on, railway artillery development shifted to longer range guns that could shell targets deep behind enemy lines. This change of role brought much larger and more sophisticated guns often manufactured by mounting long-barrel naval guns to specially-designed railway carriages. This book details the design and development of railway guns during World War I from the very first basic designs to massive purpose built "monster" railway guns. Accompanying the text are many rare, never-before-published, photographs and colour illustrations depicting how these weapons were used during World War I.

The Railway Man

The Railway Man PDF

Author: Eric Lomax

Publisher: Charnwood

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 9781444819854

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

During the Second World War, Eric Lomax was forced to work on the notorious Burma-Siam Railway, and was tortured by the Japanese for making a crude radio. Left emotionally scarred, and unable to form relationships, Lomax suffered for years - until, with the help of the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, he came to terms with what had happened. Almost 50 years after the war his life was changed by the discovery that his interrogator, the Japanese interpreter, was still alive; their reconciliation is the culmination of this extraordinary story.

Railways of the Great War

Railways of the Great War PDF

Author: Colette Hooper

Publisher:

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 9780593074121

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

From the exploits of railwaymen at the Front to the secrets of railway spies who worked behind enemy lines; the manufacture of munitions in railway workshops to the role of railways in post-war remembrance âe" this book explores some of the remarkable stories of the railway war. Individually, each illuminates a different aspect of the conflict. Taken together, they provide us with a fresh perspective on the First World War as a whole. The Great War was the quintessential railway war. Railways helped to precipitate this mechanized conflict: they defined how it was fought and kept the home front moving; they conveyed millions to the trenches and evacuated the huge numbers of wounded. The railways sustained a terrible war of attrition and, ultimately, bore witness to its end. In Railways of the Great War, Michael Portillo and Colette Hooper tell the forgotten story of the war on the tracks and explore the numerous ways in which Britainâe(tm)s locomotives, railway companies and skilled railway workforce moulded the course of the conflict. From mobilizing men and moving weapons, to transporting food for troops and later taking grieving relatives to the battlefields on which their loved ones had fallen, the railways played a central role throughout this turbulent period in our history.

Tracks to the Trenches

Tracks to the Trenches PDF

Author: David R. P. Guay

Publisher: Fifth House Publishers

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781927083369

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

"Tracks to the Trenches is a photographic history of the role that Canadian soldiers and railroad men played in the construction of rail lines to the Allied front during World War I."--

The Great Railroad War

The Great Railroad War PDF

Author: Rudolph Daniels

Publisher:

Published: 2017-04-06

Total Pages: 152

ISBN-13: 9780996696333

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

War is a brutal thing. Countries clash in a grand struggle for power, while belligerent nations mobilize their vast resources to tackle their opponents head-on. Both man and machine, and the supplies to support them, must be moved in mass quantity to have any hope of victory.World War I, or "The Great War" (as it was called at the time), was the first worldwide conflict of its kind, requiring mass mobilizations at unrivaled levels. The rail systems of nations across the globe were put to the test by the war effort. Tasked to move troops, equipment, ammunition, and supplies around the clock, railroads were pushed to the precipice of failure."The Great Railroad War," by Dr. Rudolph Daniels, delves into the often unrecognized and underappreciated history of United States rail operations during and immediately following World War I. Daniels' expertly-written academic history sheds light on the profound impact that American railroads and railroaders had on the war effort. The book covers the unpreparedness of the railroads for an unprecedented war, the 1918 government takeover to ensure operating efficiency, and the relinquishment of the railroads and groundbreaking Transportation Act of 1920.Covering more than just the history, Daniels discusses the operational details of United States rail shipments both at home and abroad, and how these operations interplayed and overlapped with military operations in France and Russia. Experience the unsung war of the twentieth century - The Great Railroad War.

GWR in the First World War

GWR in the First World War PDF

Author: Sandra Gittins

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2010-08-16

Total Pages: 375

ISBN-13: 0750962569

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In August 1914 the GWR was plunged into war, the like of which this country had never experienced before. Over the years that followed life changed beyond measure, both for the men sent away to fight and the women who took on new roles at home.Not since 1922 has the history of the GWR in the First World War been recorded in a single volume. Using modern data-bases and enjoying greater access to archives, Sandra Gittins has been able to produce a complete history which traces the GWR from the early, optimistic days through the subsequent difficult years of the Great War, including Government demands for war manufacture, increased traffic and the tragic loss of staff. From GWR ships and ambulance trains to the employment of women, every part of the story is told, including the saddest of all, which is represented by a Roll of Honour.

The North Eastern Railway in the First World War

The North Eastern Railway in the First World War PDF

Author: Rob Langham

Publisher: Fonthill Media

Published: 2017-01-24

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The North Eastern Railway underwent extreme change after the outbreak of war in August 1914. Within months, the company raised its own battalion of men and was the only railway company to do so. The NER also set to work adapting to the changes and requirements the war would bring. Not only would there be a drop in regular passenger traffic levels and increase in freight, transporting both war material and troops, but the workshops formerly used to build locomotives were turned over to making weapons of war. In December 1914, the railway came under attack from the Imperial German Navy, causing damage to the NER's infrastructure and killing several of its men. As the war went on, locomotives and rolling stock were sent to France to help with the enormous logistics required for operations on the Western Front. The planned opening of an electrified railway line for freight went ahead with a brand new fleet of powerful electric locomotives, adding to the company's portfolio of electrification with the electrified Tyneside passenger line and Newcastle Quayside. NER land was used to build an enormous munitions factory at Darlington and the unprecedented use of women in the work place meant traditionally male-only roles were increasingly seeing women take over and freeing men for military service.Overseas, men of the NER that joined the forces served with honour, but many were not to come home. The North Eastern Railway in the First World War tells the story of one railway's war, of how it continued to operate and adapt, and the men and women who served with the company or left to fight for the country's freedom.

Lanterna Rally - Theme by Grace Themes