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Welcome to the British Modern Military History Society. 

We organise monthly talks for anyone interested in military history over the last 200 years from Nelson’s times to the present day.   

With top quality talks given by writers, academics, former military personnel, and experts in their field with a wide variety of topics, we are based in Woodcote Village Hall RG8 0QY (near Wallingford) in South Oxfordshire.  We can accommodate up to 100 people in pleasant surroundings, offering a warm and welcoming evening out.

Next BMMHS Event

Salerno Rob Deere

BMMHS Zoom Talk

Tuesday 3rd October 7:30pm

Operation AVALANCHE, the Salerno Landings, 9-18 September 1943
Rob Deere
Following the Axis defeat in Sicily, the Allies invaded Italy in September 1943.  Operation Avalanche, the Salerno landings, were carried out by the US Fifth Army on 9 September 1943.  These landings were the Allied main effort and followed the supporting British Eighth Army landing in Calabria 6 days earlier.  Allied over-optimism, faulty intelligence assessments, a flawed plan and the German response brought the landings close to disaster.
 
This talk will outline the political background to the landings, their strategic context, how the battle unfolded and its impact on the subsequent Italian Campaign.
 
Rob Deere served as a British Army infantry officer for 20 years, seeing service in Northern Ireland, Iraq, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan.  He is a graduate of the Italian Staff College and spent two years on exchange with the Italian Army.  He has worked as a battlefield historian and guide since 2014.  He leads battlefield studies for the British Army and tours for commercial groups and families across the battlefields of the First and Second World Wars.  Whilst guiding widely, his focus is on the battlefields of the Italian Front of the First and the Italian Campaign of the Second World Wars.  He has a Masters degree in Military Strategic Studies and is an accredited member of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides.  The last unit he guided at Salerno was 29 Commando Regiment, Royal Artillery.
Salerno, 9 September 1943 (Operation Avalanche): British troops and vehicles from 128 Brigade, 46th Division are unloaded from LST 383 onto the beaches. Source Gee, Richard (Sergeant) No. 2 Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit - Imperial War Museum
Meeting

Woodcote Village Hall, Reading Road, Woodcote, RG8 0QY

Wednesday 11th October 7:30pm

The Battle of Jutland

Peter Wilkinson

Peter’s talk will focus on the following key areas:-

  • Jutland – One battle;  two different strategies
  • “There seems to be something wrong with our bloody ships today” 
  • The missed opportunities
  • So, who won?

About the speaker – Vice Admiral Peter Wilkinson CB, CVO

Peter Wilkinson joined the Royal Navy in 1975 as a University Cadet, studying at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and St David’s College, Lampeter.

On completion of training he joined submarines as soon as he could and served in both diesel and nuclear submarines before being selected to attend the Commanding Officers Qualifying Course in 1987.  After completing the course he commanded HM Submarines Otter, Superb and Vanguard before completing his operational career as Captain of the Second Submarine Squadron based in Devonport.

He then undertook a range of staff appointments in London and Portsmouth, working for both the First and Second Sea Lords and the Chief of the Defence Staff.  He retired from the Royal Navy in 2010.

Subsequently, he was Clerk to the Worshipful Company of Cooks (a London Livery Company) for 11 years. From 2012-2016 he was National President of the Royal British Legion and he has recently chaired an appeal to build a new submarine memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum.

Battle of Jutland
HMS Warspite and Malaya, seen from HMS Valiant at around 14:00 hrs. Source Wiki
The battle of Jutland 31st May 1916
THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND 31 MAY 1916 (Q 71358) Map showing the movements of the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet before the battle. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205132687

BMMHS Event Registration 

Contact us on info@bmmhs.org to register for BMMHS Events and for Zoom talks the log-in details will be emailed to you on the morning of each talk.

BMMHS Village Hall Meeting Tickets 

Entry cost is just £8, which includes your entry ticket to the talk, a Q & A, and refreshments (beer, wine, soft drinks).  We ask for payment in advance. If you are unable to pay in advance there will be a facility to pay by cash or card on the door. 

For details of how to make an advance payment click here

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Venue Address
Woodcote Village Hall
South Oxfordshire
RG8 0QY

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