Almost every week, for me at least, a new insight about the Salonika Campaign presents itself. In this case how the campaign, in bringing together forces from Europe, Africa, and Asia, gave an opportunity to continue the study of blood types and distribution. So my thanks go to Harry Fecitt for bringing to attention this interesting article about the work of Ludwik and Hanka Hirzfeld during the campaign years.
Featured image: Doctors Ludwik and Hanka Hirszfeld in the Balkans. Source: here
One of the items discussed at the recent online AGM was the introduction of a new private ‘members only’ website. The site will provide content related to the Salonika Campaign and the Society, for example: past copies of the Society’s journal, ‘The New Mosquito’; photos from the campaign; contemporary documents; Society proceedings; and more.
The Members’ Area is provided by Voice, an independent service providing free websites for hundreds of charity, not-for-profit, and voluntary groups in the UK.
Access to this members-only content is by invitation from the Society. Once invited, members will need to register with Voice. Voice then manages the (free) subscription to this site. The process for registering is much the same as for many other sites.
The immediate plan for the site is to gather feedback about its organisation and content before going fully live to all members in the Spring of 2023. In the meantime, we welcome members of the Society to request an invitation to join the site, to try it out, and help us develop the area.
UPDATE – FRIDAY 30th SEPTEMBER
Emails with details of how to join the online AGM have been sent out to members today. If you have not received the email, do please get in touch and we will email the details in time for the meeting on Saturday.
The rail strike announced for Saturday 1st October makes it very difficult, or near impossible, for many members of the Society and of the committee to attend. Regrettably, therefore, the AGM will now be taking place online and not in London. In addition, the preceding ceremony at the Cenotaph will not take place this year.
Details on how to join the online meeting will be sent out to members.
Please accept our sincere apologies for this but the committee believes that this is the only appropriate option given the circumstances, which are beyond our control.
Featured image by Alexandra_Koch from Pixabay
Whilst browsing wistfully through the Helion & Company website – they have so many books on military history, some of which are intriguingly ‘left field’ – I came across a book on the Macedonian campaign to be published this autumn:
Continue reading “A new book on a forgotten front”We all know that malaria was a terrible scourge of the BSF during the Macedonian campaign. It says something for the tricksy nature of the disease that it has taken over one hundred years for a reliable vaccine to be developed – and it still needs to be approved and manufactured:
BBC: New malaria vaccine is world-changing, say scientists
Continue reading “A malaria vaccine at last!”Many readers will know of Sandham Memorial Chapel and Stanley Spencer’s stunning paintings reflecting his experiences of Salonika. If you haven’t visited before, there is a great opportunity to do so this September as part of a programme that offers over 3,000 free in-person or virtual visits to sites in the UK.
The sites open this September include several military museums and other sites of relevant interest. For example, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has created a number of open days and tours across the country.
To find out more about the sites open across the UK, use these links:
https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/
https://discovernorthernireland.com/things-to-do/arts-culture-and-heritage/european-heritage-open-days
https://www.doorsopendays.org.uk/
https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/whats-on/open-doors-events
Featured image: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
On Friday 11th August 1916, Italian troops landed in Salonika to bolster the allied effort. Fortunately for us, the event was captured on film. Not only do we see troops of the Italian 35th Division, but there are also other allied personnel and – best of all – we get to see central Salonika in its heyday, before the catastrophic fire that destroyed so much of the city just a year later. And there is much more besides. So, sit back and enjoy 36 minutes of fascinating vintage film footage.
If you want to know more about the Italian role in the campaign, be sure to attend the Society’s annual meeting on 1st October 2022, where Jake Gasson will be presenting a talk on the Italian experience of the Macedonian Front.
Continue reading “The Italians are here!”On Saturday October 1st, the Society is holding its Annual General Meeting. The location, at the Civil Service Club is close to the Cenotaph where earlier in the day a short service of commemoration will be held. We hope that you will be able to travel to London to join us.
However, for many, making such a journey is not possible. Train and other travel issues, cost, travelling times, domestic/work responsibilities, or even continuing worries about COVID may make the trip unfeasible for many. Which is a shame as we would like as many as possible to participate in the AGM.
To that end, we have been exploring ways in which we could live stream, or web cast, the meeting. Our research shows that it would come at a cost – if done professionally. That cost is not extortionate – after all, a camera operator must earn a living, pay for equipment, and so on – but the likely cost is too high for a small society such as ours.
However, if we were to manage things ourselves, using one of the many free or low-cost services (for example, streaming live via Facebook) turning the AGM into an online event becomes much more of a possibility.
We are therefore throwing the net out to members and asking for help. Do you have experience in this area? Are you technically minded, willing to travel to London, and able to set up a streamed event? Do you have a friend, son, daughter, grandchild, niece or nephew who could help out?
If so, do please get in touch by emailing us at scswebeditor@gmail.com to discuss things in more detail. We would of course help to meet any necessary travel and other expenses.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and, with luck, we will meet each other both in person and online at the AGM.
I always look forward to the thump of the society’s journal, The New Mosquito, falling through the letter box onto the floor beneath. I also look forward to the tactile pleasure of holding a printed publication and reading with more leisure and a slower pace than I tend to do with online materials.
It may be that you have something that you would like to share, via the journal, with fellow members of the society. Perhaps you have a story of a relative who served in Salonika, results of research, or letters and photographs from the time. If so, we would be delighted to hear from you and, to help the process, we have put together a simple webpage which you can find here. We look forward to hearing from you!
On a recent visit to Walthamstow I took a look at the Vestry House Museum. A former workhouse – built in 1730 – it has a chilling message over the front door: If any would not work neither should he eat. Well, it was chilling for this retired gentleman! Anyway, the building has changed use many times since then – including a spell as the armoury for the local volunteers – but is now the museum for the local area, under the care of Waltham Forest Council, for which it is also the archive and local study area.
Continue reading “Remembering William Hernaman”
Salonika Campaign Society, 1915-1918 