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This is the official history, compiled by the War Office, of four armed British expeditions, mounted in the Horn of Africa into some of the most inhospitable terrain on earth. The Somali expeditions were launched a century ago in territory which, then as now, is intractable and ungovernable - at least by foreigners. Although described by the War Office as ''Uncivilised and little-known'' - Somaliland was situated in a key position on the western side of the Red Sea, dominating the southern approaches to the Suez Canal and thus sitting astride British communications with India, the Far East and Australasia. All the powers had an interest in Somaliland and three of them - Britain, France and Italy, - had, by the turn of the 19th/20th centuries, established ''protectorates'' - small slices of territory to safeguard their interests there. Periodically the native tribes, known generally to the British as ''Dervishes'', were stirred by their Mullahs to harass these territories, and it was to deter and drive back such hostile demonstrations that the four Somali operations were mounted. These two volumes recount the stories of these punitive expeditions in great detail, and are accompanied by many maps, charts and some fine quality photographs to tell the complete story of an almost forgotten ''small war''.

This history gives a comprehensive account of the division's exploits albeit with the occasional touch of heroics. The maps are disappointing in that while they show the areas of operations they lack tactical detail. There is, however, a good trench map of the divisional sector on Gallipoli. The photos are very much a bonus. Among the appendices is a thirty-one page Roll of Honour listing the dead and missing by battalions and units, though a footnote observes that complete casualty lists could not be obtained in all cases. The number of dead listed amount to 6,845, including two brigade commanders. Honours and Awards are also shown by units (five VCs in all). There is also a list showing the succession of HQ Staff and commanders down to battalion or equivalent level but without dates of appointment. Finally, and perhaps most annoying, there is no index. When, on 10th August 1914, Kitchener called for volunteers among the TF for service overseas (they had been intended for home service only) some ninety percent of the division accepted and a month later the division sailed for Egypt and thus had the distinction of being the first Territorial division to go overseas. In May 1915 it landed at Cape Helles, Gallipoli, and during the next few months it took part in the Second and Third Battles of Krithia, in the fighting for the Krithia Vineyard and the Achi Baba feature. Evacuation of the division began at the end of December 1915 and the last men were taken off on 9th January 1916. During the campaign it suffered 8,547 casualties - 395 officers and 8152 other ranks; two VCs were awarded. From Gallipoli it returned to Egypt and spent the rest of 1916 with the Canal Defences and in the Sinai Peninsula fighting the Turks. In March1917 it arrived on the Western front where it remained for the rest of the war, and when it ended the division had reached the outskirts of Maubeuge, a few miles south of Mons.

This is the alphabetical list of all Coventry men who died in the Great War. With each entry is given unit, date and place of birth, place of residence, occupation, date of enlistment, date and place of death and in many cases place of burial.

The Oxfordshire Light Infantry was one of a number of infantry regiments raised on the eve of the Seven Years War (1756-1763) and initially numbered 54th Foot; two years later, in 1757, it was renumbered 52nd. In 1782 the line regiments were given territorial affiliations and the 52nd became the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regt of Foot. In 1803 it was designated Light Infantry and its title changed accordingly to that shown in the title of this history. During the hundred years or so covered in this historical record the regiment served in Canada, America, India (before and during the Mutiny), Ceylon, the Peninsula, France and the Netherlands. The first ten years were spent in England and Ireland till, in 1765 the regiment sailed for Canada. It took part in the American War of Independence in which it suffered considerable casualties and finally returned to England at the end of 1778.There followed a spell of fifteen years in India during which it was involved in the Mysore War against Tippoo Sahib. From 1808 to 1814 the regiment was heavily engaged in the Peninsular War, of the twenty-three battle honours awarded during that campaign the Oxfordshires received thirteen and their losses amounted to 1,629 according to the casualty tables shown in the book. It was at Waterloo where it distinguished itself in its flank attack against the advancing Imperial Guard (The Old Guard) as it closed with the British Guards Brigade.The record closes with the return of the regiment from a second spell in India during which it was in action during the Indian Mutiny.This book is set out on a year-by-year basis; there are no chapters, just date headings starting from 1755 with the narrative describing all the events involving the regiment in that year. Some are very short, as, for example 1781: "The 52nd Regiment, in 1781, was encamped at Rye." Other years, such as the years of the Peninsular War, are full of detail, running into many pages and include correspondence, divisional orders, extracts from despatches and so forth. Casualty details. appear in the text, officers named and sometimes non-commissioned ranks. An appendix provides biographical notes on a number of officers and on a few non-commissioned officers, indicating where they are mentioned in the text, as in an index. Unfortunately there is no separate index, and as there is no contents list or chapter headings it is not always easy to find a particular action or event - unless you already know the date.

This short piece of work is a summary of the development of anti-aircraft searchlights in France between 1915 and 1918. In 1915 the resources amounted to two sections each with three searchlights, which were employed for the protection of GHQ at St Omer. The narrative describes how the searchlight component of the RE grew (personnel numbered 3,000 all ranks by the end of the war) and notes the different types of projectors in service. It also describes the use of lights, their deployment, their successes and limitations on various parts of the battlefield. It concludes with a section on anticipated development had the war gone on. In the summer of 1940 the responsibility for searchlights passed to the Royal Artillery

A good narrative history, presented to a high standards. Many individual officers and men are mentioned in the text, also details of awards and casualties. After giving the expected summary of events in the 19th Century, the author devotes half of his pages to WWI (The Western Front, Egypt, and East Africa). There is also a complete chapter on the Third Afghan War (1919). An attractive book, readable, a good general account. Apps: list of former COs idem other officers (for the period 1849OCo1..."

This is the first of a 4-volume history of the regiment from its formation in 1689 to the end of the Great War. The RWF is one of only four out of fifty-one English and Welsh regiments of infantry of the line that have remained unaffected by disbandments, amalgamations and redesignations since Cardwell's reforms at the end of the nineteenth century. This volume covers the period 1689 - 1815, the recording of which has been considerably handicapped by the almost entire absence of letters, diaries or journals of officers who served with the regiment. Nevertheless the compilers, with the help of contributors named in the introduction, have, by accuracy of treatment and attention to detail, contrived to give a reliable record of the deeds of the regiment.The book is compiled in the form of a running narrative arranged on a year-by-year basis, and begins with a ten-page chronological summary in which all significant dates (including every move of the regiment) are listed for each year, beginning with 16 March 1689 when Henry, Lord Herbert of Cherbury was authorised to raise the Twenty-third [of Foot], and appointed colonel of the regiment. During the first 126 years of its existence the regiment saw a great deal of action and a vigorous account has been given of the campaigns in which it took part. Where it has been possible to illustrate by incident the story has been graphically told. Battle honours (twenty during the period) also tell the story: Namur, Marlborough's wars, Dettingen, Minden, Egypt, Corunna, the capture of the island of Martinique, the Peninsular War, and finally Waterloo. The regiment also fought in the American War of Independence. Officer casualties are named with numbers of rank and file casualties, and from time to time strength details are given. On 23rd April 1713 the regiment was, for the first time. officially styled "The Royal Regiment of Welch Fusiliers and a second battalion was formed in August 1756 which, less than two years later, became a regiment in its own right (68th Foot, later the DLI). Appendices give the succession of Colonels of the Regiment with record of service and extracts from the Regimental Mess records which include the amounts to be paid in by officers on promotion (£20 for a Lieut-Colonel getting command of the Regiment), and the amount to be paid by officers coming from other regiments. Finally there is a comprehensive index.

A colourful and exciting unit history of the King's Royal Rifle Corps which originated in Britain's wars in the Americas during the 18th and 19th centuries under the first of its great battalion commanders, Henri Bouquet. In this first of five volumes, the unit is continually in action in America, Canada and the Caribbean. In the Seven Years' War with France (1756-1763) its battle honours included Fort William Henry; the siege of Louisbourg; Ticonderoga; and the capture of Forts Frontenac and Duquesne. The unit fought under General James Wolfe on the Heights of Abraham to take Quebec, and its commander, Jeffrey, Lord Amherst, wrested Montreal from the French. Its final action in the war was the capture of the Caribbean island of Martinique. The Corps helped put down the revolt of the famous Ottawa Algonquin Indian chief Pontiac in 1763-64; defeating him at the battle of Bushy Run and lifting the siege of Fort Pitt. In the American War of Indpendence (1775-1783) the unit took part in the brilliant action at Briar Creek and successfully defended Savannah, but failed to hold St Vincent and west Florida. Run down after Britain's loss of the United States, it was resurrected and expanded during the French Revoutionary wars, capturing Tobago and Martinique (again!) as well as St Lucia, and brieflty held Guadeloupe. In the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 with the US, the unit again saw action, capturing Martinique for a third time and fighting in and against Spain. With nine appendices, 12 illustrations and 7 maps.

This book was originally intended to be a new military training manual on the lance and its use by British Cavalry. Lancers were the fast shock troops of an army, as well as reconnaissance units. Their weapons were lance and sometimes also the sabre, but the lance was the weapon which instilled fear in foot troops. The book is illustrated with 19 full page line drawings of the lance and the various positions in which it was carried and used to attack. The drawings are themselves collector's items, but when added to the text the real value of lancers becomes clear. The text is above all a drill manual, for most operational activities were merely extensions of what was learned on the parade ground or the drill field. There are constant references to the Polish Lancers, who had gained such a reputation in the Napoleonic Wars, and the whole book gives a complete picture of the cavalry regiment, its component squadrons and the individual lancers themselves.