Featured battle : Spion Kop

Part of The 2nd Boer War (or Three Years War)

Date : 23 January 1900 - 24 January 1900

A badly managed and bloody battle over the hill of Spion Kop when Buller made another attempt to cross the Tugela. The British forces under Woodgate stormed the slopes and reached a false summit but failed the take the hill fully, failed to dig in and were cut down in the cross-fire from neighbouring hills and counter-attacking Boers. Losses on both sides caused both to believe they were losing and retire in the gathering darkness on the 24th. Only the Boers decided to re-attempt the hill, to find it un-occupied, other than by the dead. The British had lost heavily, and gained nothing.

Fighting Through to Hitler's Germany

Mark Forsdike
If you want to learn the real story of how the Second World war was won in Europe read this book. Packed with the personal stories of the men who were there in the First Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment. The Corps, the division and the brigade barely get a mention. The action is with the battalion, companies, platoons, sections, and individuals. Advances are measured in metres and lives. A sobering statistic revealed at the end of the book is that of the 850 Suffolks who landed in Normandy only 187 made it to VE day. Also as an appendix is a list of medals and commendations awarded to members of the battalion.
A nice set of photographs and some very useful maps round out the text.
Though this book purports to be the story of one battalion of one regiment it is really the story of every one of the ‘poor bloody infantry’ of the British army who fought from Normandy to Germany. This ought to be read by everyone interested in WW2 in Europe because it acts as a reminder that when you see the arrows on a map showing the movement of a corps or division at the very sharpest point of that arrow is one man moving forward wearing a steel helmet and carrying a rifle with bayonet fixed and with his mates behind him. Without his skill and determination the arrow does not move.
We very warmly recommend Mark Forsdike’s book to you.

Pen & Sword Military, 2020