Back to the Somme: Part 4

| June 30, 2023

The Mines On the first day of the Battle of the Somme (1 July 1916), 19 mines were detonated. Eight large and eleven smaller charges prepared by tunneling units of the British Army exploded on the German frontline. Both the mines at Lochnagar (detonated at 7:28 AM) and Hawthorn Ridge (detonated at 7:20 AM) were, […]

Back to the Somme: Part 1

| March 21, 2023

And You Are There With Him For the recent Western Front Association Pacific Branch conference I was asked to include an operational history of the Battle of the Somme. This was to be the lead for two additional presentations by Ian and Casey Williams of the Paradigm Motion Picture Company. Ian spoke directly about Piper […]

‘Ayo Gorkhali!’

| September 24, 2021

Gurkha VC Statue in Aldershot Learning of a new soldier Victoria Cross statue, to be unveiled on Saturday 25 September 2021, has brought back memories of my work with the Piper James Cleland Richardson VC Statue  Committee in Chilliwack, B.C. Knowing the many hours it has taken working with a team dedicated to seeing the […]

These Legs Need to Journey

| January 16, 2021

Pen and Key The quiet suggests a slight hint of echo within my ears. They too…like all of self are searching, my mind races towards an endless sea of pages, facing not upwards but viewed from their edges. Within the constant turning only the blur of ideas. No story…no pictures…only endless notes posted haphazard to […]

Fellowship

| May 29, 2019

A late night to be sure Trees hang over the road…this way home. Dark as those that absorb all light, blue-black sky, silver ripples bared across the water. To write of the night…the dark…exceptional stillness, save for scampering thoughts. This night I have been, watched and listened. I have seen trees as witnesses, branches as […]