It’s very rare that I listen to the late evening BBC radio news, so it was entirely fortunate that I was sitting in my car on Friday waiting for a delayed coach from Birmingham. This gave me the opportunity to hear an item by BBC correspondent, Allan Little, about the Second Battle of Doiran on the Radio Four ten o’clock bulletin. Continue reading “Salonika Campaign in the News”
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HRH The Duke of Kent at the Doiran Memorial Today
HRH The Duke of Kent has today visited the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Sarigol Military Cemetery, Karasouli Military Cemetery and the Doiran Memorial to mark the centenary of the Second Battle of Doiran.
Continue reading “HRH The Duke of Kent at the Doiran Memorial Today”
Armistice
At 1010 hours on 29 September 1918 the Armistice was signed with effect from noon the following day (Under the Devil’s Eye).
Gustav Holst, The Planets and Salonika
Today is the exact centenary of the premiere of Gustav Holst’s suite, The Planets. This is being marked by a concert at the Barbican in London, by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, which is being broadcast on BBC Radio Three. The original performance, prepared in a hurry for an invited audience at the Queen’s Hall, was something of a leaving present, as he was soon off to Salonika – where he stayed until June 1919 – to work as musical organiser and educator with the YMCA.
This is a good opportunity to remind you of the exhibition on Holst and his time in Salonika at the Holst Birthplace Museum in Cheltenham, which is on until 15 December 2018: http://holstmuseum.org.uk/
There is little enough acknowledgement of the Salonika campaign, so do support this exhibition if you can.
“The women kept kissing our hands …”
Now to finish the story of the Brigade Jouinot-Gambetta. I’m rather late with this as the capture of Skopje (Uskub) was all over by 9am!
‘… hoping Johnny Bulgar would very shortly cry quits!’
B Squadron, 1/1st Derbyshire Yeomanry was pursuing the retreating Bulgarians beyond Strumitza when it took possession of three cars containing Bulgarian officials, accompanied by the USA Consul General (the USA was not at war with Bulgaria), sent to negotiate an armistice. The cars were stopped, the officials blindfolded and their driver sent back with two of the cars. Trooper Maurice Hawley continues the story (quoted in Under the Devil’s Eye):
Continue reading “‘… hoping Johnny Bulgar would very shortly cry quits!’”
Have a good trip!
We wish the Salonika Campaign Society 2018 Victory Tour party – who should be arriving at Thessaloniki about now – a successful visit to northern Greece and FYROM over the next ten days.
‘The Brigade was on its own…’
Before continuing the story of the Brigade-Jouinot-Gambetta, I should mention that Serbian and British cavalry were also doing their bit, although the latter was in short supply (but that could be said about much of the BSF). Serbian cavalry entered Gradsko – a vital communications hub – on the 25th and the Derbyshire Yeomanry were following the retreating Bulgarians along the road to Strumica.
Remembering 5769 Private Joseph Devine, ACC
In April 2017 a post about the Army Cyclist Corps in Macedonia prompted a response from Kevin MacDermot who was researching his great uncle, 5769 Private Joseph Devine of 16th Corps Cyclist Battalion, Army Cyclists Corps (formerly 10623, Royal Irish Fusiliers).
Continue reading “Remembering 5769 Private Joseph Devine, ACC”
Meanwhile …
I’m going to take a break from French colonial cavalry to consider what the BSF was doing at this time, using the Official History of Military Operations in Macedonia (Vol. 2 – 1935) by Capt. Cyril Falls.
Salonika Campaign Society, 1915-1918 