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Spahis algériens de l'Armée française à Furnes, durant la Première Guerre mondiale.
Spahis cavalry from French Algeria at Furnes in Flanders during the First World War.
Spahis (Fr. pronunciation “spa.i”) are light cavalry, traditionally recruited from Arab and Berber populations of the French overseas territories of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. Their battle honors include Tonkin (Vietnam), Crimea, and the Franco-Prussian War, both world wars.
📷 loc.gov LC-B2- 3301-11.
“The Confederate government purchased in May last an immense quantity of flour and stored it at this place, but the supply is now entirely exhausted. Unless the planters of West Tennessee, North Alabama and Mississippi come forward and subscribe flour and meal taking Confederate bonds in payment, our brave boys in the field will soon be without bread.”
Letter to the Memphis Appeal, August 18, 1861.
Some old postcards of Colchester barracks.
Mostly lost to 21C housing development.
Bits and pieces remain. The sergeant’s mess at the old artillery barracks is now the Roman Circus visitor centre. The riding school at the old cavalry barracks is now a veterinary clinic. The unmarked graveyard for regimental mascots outside Goojerat barracks is still a patch of green. There are some derelict cavalry stables, one of which would make a fantastic military museum if restored.
Battle of Evesham (1265) study trip, Saturday 7 September 2024.
The International Guild of Battlefield Guides The Battlefields Trust The Mortimer History Society
Royal Field Artillery on parade at the Artillery Barracks, Colchester.
The Victorian era artillery barracks are located east of the cavalry barracks. In the 21st century, the area is being redeveloped as housing.
Buried remains of Colchester’s Roman Circus were identified during archaeological investigations in 2004. The visitor center (ace cafe, fab homemade cakes) is located in the former artillery sergeant’s mess.

“My classroom is thousands of acres. I have thousands of students of all ages and expertise. I can't see being confined to a single room.”
Ed Bearss
Historian and Battlefield Guide
1923-2020
British cavalry trooper and horse in marching order.
📷 IWM Q30431.
📷 IWM Q30443.
How much does a cavalry horse eat? Let’s find out with the help of our friend, Moonrise.
Moon is a mustang from the Devil’s Garden Plateau of the Modoc National Forest. He can eat almost anything, but this morning he received a bucket of nutritionally-enhanced grain. His daily diet comprises grass (grazing), hay (forage), and grain. How does this compare to a cavalry horse?
The daily feed ration for a Union cavalry horse was 10 lbs of hay and 14 lbs of grain. This
At Gettysburg, the 1st Michigan Cavalry Regiment in Custer’s brigade brought 502 men to the field. Their 502 cavalry mounts would require daily ration of 5,020 lbs (2 ½ tons) of hay and 7,028 lbs (3 ½ tons) of grain.
Ensuring the daily supply of hay and grain to the cavalry regiments, artillery batteries, and quartermaster wagon trains, is a significant logistical challenge. During campaigns, it was not uncommon for horses to receive short rations and suffer accordingly. Horses were rapidly “used up” and new horses from the remount depots were not always available. An underfed cavalry horse could literally be ridden into the ground.
We will discuss the remount depots and replacement system in a later post.
📷 Moonrise, 8/15/24.
📷 Michigan Brigade Memorial, Gettysburg.
📷 “Oats for Six,” Hardtack and Coffee.
🖼️ “Come on You Wolverines!” Dan Troiani.
Absolutely brilliant!
The oil tanker SS Ohio, damaged and barely afloat, making her way into Grand Harbor, Malta, 15 August 1942.
Operation Pedestal was a British operation to carry vital supplies to the besieged island of Malta. The Ohio carried 10,000 tons of aviation fuel and was the target of sustained attack by Axis forces. She survived a torpedo from an Italian submarine and bombs from German aircraft. Set ablaze, her crew was joined by damage control parties from Royal Navy ships and together they doused the fires and took Ohio under tow. Her arrival at Grand Harbor was met by cheering crowds.
📷 IWM GM 1480.
16th The Queen's Lancers, advancing at a gallop, 1898.
The regiment was stationed in Ambala, India, during this period, with periodic service on the Northwest Frontier.
🖼️ Matthew Hale, oil on canvas, in the collection of the National Army Museum, accession number NAM. 1957-04-9-1.
The Royal Lancers
THE MAD MINUTE. “In rapid collective fire the rate will vary according to the visibility of the aiming mark, the range and the standard of training a man has received. With a distinct aiming mark within about 1,000 yards a well-trained man should be able to fire from 12 to 15 rounds per minute without serious loss of accuracy.”
Para 274, Musketry Regulations (Part 1), 1909.
The arrival of British Expeditionary Forces in Boulogne, France. The Scots are greeted by French onlookers in August 1914.
🖼️ Everett Collection EVB2942964.
STABLE CALL in the Union army during the Civil War. The bugle call comes after reveille, summoning the mule & horse drivers to collect forage for their animals. The stable sergeant issues a forage ration of oats or corn. The drivers collect the grain in canvas nose bags. It differs from unit to unit, or a particular officer-of-the-day, whether the mules & horses are groomed before feeding or fed during grooming.
hardtackandcoffee.com
THE BATTLE OF THE YELLOW FORD 1598.
An Irish army under Hugh O’Neill Aodh Mór Ó Néill) defeats the English “Royal Irish Army” in County Armagh 14 August 1598.
English losses amounted to almost half of the Royal army. There were 1,500 killed or mortally wounded, and some 300 men deserted the English ranks to join the Irish cause.
The defeat was regarded as a disaster in London and the English government vowed to crush Irish resistance. In 1599, a fresh army of 17,000 troops under the Earl of Essex landed in Ireland to renew the campaign.
One for the Cold War warriors. British Army training film C1472 Fighting in Woods. The film how the British Army of the Rhine would counter a Warsaw Pact thrust into Northern Germany.
“Here the terrain can be made to work against an aggressor and in favour of determined defenders, forward combat teams prepared to fight a shoot-and-scoot war against the enemy.”
NOTICE: This an UK Royal Army training film. They would hold any copyright.Bitchute Channel: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/securityguy42/In this film the...
Battle of Mišar (бој на Мишару) August 13-15, 1806.
Serbian revolutionaries defeat Ottoman Turks and their Bosnian allies in a 3-day battle.
The First Serbian Uprising (Први српски устанак) takes from 1804 to 1813. The Serbs are the first Christian population to rebel against the Muslim Ottoman Empire and their uprising becomes a symbol for independence and self-determination for Balkan nations.
#Србија #СрпскаИсторија #Панславистички
Walking the Ground LLC (est. 2020) is a battlefield tour, historical interpretation, and content creation company.
Polish border guard Jan Grzybek and his horse, Orlik (Eaglet) drinking from a stream, 1980.
Grzybek served in the 5th Independent Battalion of Mountain Infantry (5 Pułku KBW Samodzielny Batalion Piechoty Górskiej), which was part of the Border Protection Forces (Wojska Ochrony Pogranicza, W*P) of the Polish Peoples Republic, 1945-1989.
Grzybek’s battalion was assigned to the Bieszczady Mountains along the border with Czechoslovakia and Ukraine. Horses were used to traverse the difficult terrain.
This iconic photograph was used by the Border Protection Forces for propaganda and recruitment purposes.
Opha May Johnson becomes the first woman to enlist in the United States Marine Corps, August 13, 1918.
Johnson enlisted in Washington, DC and was assigned to the historic Marine Barracks at 8th and I streets. She was the first of 300 women to enlist in the Marine Corps during WW1.
Promoted to Sergeant, Johnson also became the highest ranking female Marine during her time in service. After the war, she continued working for the Marine Corps as a civil servant.
In 1919, the American Legion chartered Belleau Wood Post No. 1 for 90 female veterans who had served at Headquarters Marine Corps. Johnson was a charter member of the post.
THE BATTLE OF BLENHEIM 1704.
The Grand Alliance (England, Scotland, Austria, Prussia, Dutch Republic) defeats the French-Bavarian army “on this day in history” 13 August 1704
In the aftermath of the overwhelming Allied victory, John Churchill, the English commandeer-in-chief, is rewarded by Queen Anne with the royal manor of Woodstock, where the magnificent Blenheim Palace becomes the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough unto the present day.
🖼️ Duke of Marlborough signing the Despatch at Blenheim.
The “Ring Fight” August 12, 1776.
Captain Andrew Pickens leads a scouting party of 25 South Carolina backcountry militia into Cherokee territory. The British-allied Cherokee are raiding into southern and western colonial settlements and Pickens’ men are the advanced scouts for a force of 1,100 militia sent to exact retribution.
As Pickens’ men advance through a cornfield outside the Cherokee village of Tamassee they are ambushed by 200 Cherokee fighters. Outnumbered 8-to-1, the militia formed a defensive ring. The two groups exchange rifle fire at close range, then the Cherokees charge into the ring and bloody hand-to-hand fighting ensues.
Alerted by the sound of gunfire, American reinforcements rush to the scene and the Cherokee retreat into the woods rather than bring on a general engagement. Casualties are heavy on both sides. Pickens loses 11 of his 25 men, while the Cherokees leave 65 dead on the field.
In the aftermath of the battle, the militia enter the abandoned village of Tamassee and burn it to the ground to ensure no resources remain for their enemy. A scotched earth policy is a hallmark of the forthcoming campaign. By the fall of 1776, Colonel Andrew Williamson’s milita burn 50 villages, kill 2,000 Cherokee fighters and noncombatants, and take captives who are enslaved and sold to Caribbean sugar plantations. It is the first of many depredations against the Cherokee nation.
Yesterday’s equine history post on the logistics of manure (46 ½ tons daily for a cavalry division of 3000 horses) raised the question, “what about urine?” My goodness, war is a messy business!
A healthy horse produces ⅓ fluid ounce of urine per pound of body weight per day. An average 1,000 lb horse produces 2 ⅔ gallons of urine per day. Therefore, John Buford’s 1st Cavalry Division produced 8,000 gallons of horse p*e at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863.
That’s a fun fact which probably won’t come up on the next pub quiz. But if it does…
Annie Rose, Battlefield Guide 2nd Class. Rosie would like you to know that the average length of a Pembroke Welsh Corgi is 24-inches. This means the ground covered during Pickett’s Charge (3/4-mile) is equal to 1,980 corgis.
During the Civil War, each Union soldier was allotted 36 lbs of coffee per year. That’s enough to brew 3 cups of coffee, per man, per day.
In the Confederacy, coffee substitutes included toasted cornmeal, roasted beets, parched rye, and acorns.
The absence of Dunkin' in 1861 meant no iced coffee. Not even for the Massachusetts regiments.
Military artists often paint John Buford at Gettysburg astride a black horse, because that’s what the actor Sam Elliott rode in the eponymous 1993 movie. They are, sadly, painting the cinematic legend and not the equine fact.
The only artist (AFAIK) who captures Buford accurately is Dale Gallon. He shows Buford on the actual horse he rode during the battle, Grey Eagle. The clue to the Kentucky Thoroughbred’s color is in its name. Thank you, Dale!
🖼️’The Coming Rain’ by Dale Gallon. Prints available https://www.gallon.com/shop/civil-war/coming-rain-paper-and-canvas-prints/
We are watching Pippa (2023), an Indian biographical war movie based on the story of Captain Balram Singh Mehta, who led a squadron of PT-76 light tanks in the Battle of Garibpur during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
PIPPA tells the story of Captain Balram Singh Mehta of India’s 45 Cavalry regiment who, along with his siblings, fought on the eastern front during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971. Named after the Russian amphibious war tank “PT-76”, which floats on water like an empty ‘pippa’ (tin) of ghee...
“My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.”
President Ronald Reagan’s joke, prior to recording his scheduled weekly radio address on August 11, 1984, is captured on tape and leaked to the press.
The Soviet leadership denounce the joke in Pravda and Isvestia as “unprecedentedly hostile.” White House officials assure the Soviets that Reagan’s impromptu remark does not represent official US policy.
Let’s explore cavalry horse poo!
No, really, equine doo-doo is something this historian has hands-on (pitchfork-on) experience with.
Picture the scene, gentle reader. It is Gettysburg, July 1, 1863, and John Buford’s cavalry division is fighting its superlative delaying action.
Buford’s division has ~3,000 horses.
Each horse produces ~31 lbs manure each day.
The division’s horses produce 93,000 lbs on manure daily.
That’s 46 ½ tons of 💩
Welcome to the usually ignored (and perhaps for a good reason) side of cavalry logistics.
The summer 2024 edition of Despatches, the journal of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides, is available online.
The IGBG is the professional body for battlefield guides, with members worldwide.
The guild’s mission is “to analyse, develop and raise the understanding, practice and profession of battlefield guiding; and to promote the education of battlefield guides and visitors.”
No prize for knowing where this is at Gettysburg National Military Park, just bragging rights. ♣️
Laramie, WY
http://www.bringupthepiat.com/, http://www.walktheground.com/
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Sigel’s brigade is surprised by a Confederate counterattack at Wilson’s Creek, August 10, 1861. #civilwar #battlefieldtours #walktheground #onthisday
“I fights mit Sigel!” The Battle of Wilson’s Creek, August 10, 1861. Colonel Fritz Sigel’s brigade strikes the Confederate rear a little after dawn, pushing the surprised enemy back through cornfields. #civilwar #battlefieldtour #walktheground #onthisday
“Fight for the Ray Cornfield.” The Battle of Wilson’s Creek, August 10, 1861. #civilwar #battlefieldtours #walktheground #onthisday
Confederate Artillery at Monocacy
One of our War Walks exploring the battlefield at Monocacy. The “battle that saved Washington” was fought on July 9, 1864, between Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. Jubal Early and Federal forces under Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace. #civilwar #onthisday
Waterloo Eve, 17 June 1815. “Sir, I have to report this little pig has lost its way and I'm trying to find her relations, sir.” The Irishmen of the 1st Inniskillings were veterans of the war in Spain and part of Wellington’s infantry backbone. The battalion would defend tenaciously across the Ohain Road during the Battle of Waterloo. #waterloo #battleofwaterloo #napoleonicwars #enniskillen #irish #military #history #onthisday
Is Paris Burning? (1966) original trailer. An all-star, black and white, epic war movie about the liberation of Paris by the French Resistance and the Free French Army in 1944. #ww2 #warmovie #movierecommendation
«Jean a de longues moustache» coded message broadcast by Radio Londres to members of the resistance in occupied France on the eve of #DDay. Video from the movie The Longest Day (1962).
The Fürstliche Hofreitschule Bückeburg is living history equestrian museum in Germany. It is located at Bückeburg castle and was home to the riding school of the Princes of Schaumburg-Lippe.
Calhoun Hill, Little Bighorn Battlefield. The distribution of markers indicate two psychological pulls. The first is comradeship. The second is command. There is not one last stand, but rather a series of last stands with small groups of men. #custer #littlebighorn #cavalry #garryowen #greasygrass #indianwars #battlefieldtour #walktheground
Privileged to be at Brompton, Marye’s Heights, Fredericksburg. Usually closed to the public, I was able to visit today during a college reunion weekend (Mrs B. is an alumna).
“Bayonet fighting is their specialty and the Germans don’t like cold steel.” Australian troops meet their British counterparts in North Africa. 🎥 IWM WPN 64. #australia #australianarmy #ww2 #infantry #bayonet
The storming of the breech at Badajoz, as portrayed in Sharpe’s Company. In reality, the 95th Rifles officer who lead the storming party was Major Peter O’Hare, who was killed in action. #richardsharpe #bernardcornwell #95thrifles #rifleman #napoleonicwars
Just a bit of fun for a Tuesday morning.
Britain’s “V Force” of nuclear bombers could be airborne in under two minutes. The aircraft operating with RAF Bomber Command Main Forces were the Valiant (1955-65), the Vulcan (1956-84), and the Victor (1958-68). The Vulcan also operated in a secondary role as a conventional bomber, most notably in Black Buck missions during the Falklands War. The Victor, after it’s withdrawal from the nuclear force in 1968, continued in service as a tanker aircraft until 1993. #coldwar #airforce #raf #avrovulcan #nuclearweapons
Pathé newsreel on Zeppelin attack on Colchester, 21st February 1915. The property is 41 Butt Road, at the time home to QM Sergeant Rabjohn of the 20th Hussars. Observers seem fascinated by damage to a cherry tree. #firstworldwar #worldwar1 #ww1 #zeppelin #colchester
WEST FRONT WAR REPORT (1945). Reports from American troops fighting in Oberhöfen, and British and Canadian troops in Kleve and the Reichswald. British Pathé 1147.15. #ww2 #militaryhistory
British soldiers of 129th Infantry Brigade (4th Somersets, 4th Wiltshires, 5th Wiltshires) streetfighting in Kleve, Germany, during Operation Veritable, February 1945. IWM DRA 1561. #infantry #ww2
You say “let’s go out for an ice cream of coffee” and the next thing they know they’re at standing beside a historical marker in the rain.
Charge of the French cuirassiers during the Battle of Preussisch-Eylau, 7-8 February 1807. #onthisday #napoleonicwar #cavalry
Claimed Cabins of Keystone Wyoming
Keystone Lode Road
The Immigration Law Office of Travis Helm, LL
Grand Avenue
