Great War Huts Museum

YouTube video by Remember the Regulars Regular Conversations: Taff Gillingham on 'The Home Guard was full of First World War Veterans'

Trying something new on the YouTube Channel. I had the pleasure of being joined by the wonderful Taff Gillingham of @greatwarhuts.bsky.social

Taff joined me to discuss the up and coming myth 'The Home Guard were full of First World War Veterans'.

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#WW1 #WW2 #History

…He was Quarter-Master General in the 55th (West Lancs) Division from April 1926 until retiring as a Colonel.

As Deputy Lieutenant of Herefordshire, he added the O.B.E. for services as ‘Secretary of the TA Association for Brecknock, Hereford and Radnor’ in January 1945.

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…Following his recovery Kyrle served as a Staff Officer at the War Office and with Home Forces, gaining another Mention in Despatches, until August 1917 when he sailed for France.

He was promoted Lieutenant Colonel and became Assistant Adjutant General, gaining another MID…
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…service at Gallipoli he was awarded the Military Cross and Mentioned in Despatches for the first time.

‘Hunter-Bunter’, commander of the 29th Division, sent his own personal congratulations…
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…He served with 2/SWB at Gallipoli and was wounded in the battle of Gully Ravine on 28 June, when his unit’s war diary noted that the men ‘advanced through a perfect hail of shrapnel ... the whole place was littered with dead and the stench was almost unbearable’
For his…
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…and even a list of addresses of all the Officers of Northern Command.
There are references to training around Tenby on the South Wales coast, and a poster for Sports Day for the troops on Easter Monday 1915…
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Another gem for you all from the GWH Collection:

This is the scrapbook of Captain Kyrle Ffrench, Special Reserve, attached to the South Wales Borderers.

Kyrle kept all sorts of paperwork and ephemera including press cuttings, postcards, pages from army notebooks…
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So do we! 🙂

On the back, the notice is officially signed by Miss Beaumont.

The keeper of this unusual souvenir noted that Miss Beaumont was “the ONLY Lady Manageress of a Marks & Spencer Store” at that time.

It’s a lovely piece of local social history!

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A quirky piece from the Great War Huts Collection - the original sign from Marks and Spencer in Felixstowe announcing that the store would be closed for Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral 61 years ago today, on Saturday 30th January 1965.

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That is in lovely condition!

Winter has well and truly arrived at Brook Farm Camp! ❄️

The huts are tucked up under a blanket of snow and Hut Dog Charlie Chaplin is padding around the trenches like it’s the most magical place on earth🐾

It's Christmas Day and the finale of #HutVent2025. Thank you for all your support in 2025 and we look forward to seeing you all again in 2026!

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#HutVent

It’s Christmas Eve, and we are nearly at the end of #HutVent2025, but today Lyndsay has some tiny uniforms for you...

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#HutVent

It is the 23rd Day of #HutVent2025 and today Taff is looking at some First World War Army welfare provision and the subject of 'French Leave'...

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A nautical theme for Day 22 of #HutVent2025 as Taff tells the tale of the sinking of the Lusitania...

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For the 21st Day of #HutVent2025, Taff tells us about Colonel Isaac Newton Lewis's invention, and how it revolutionised British Infantry tactics...

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On the 20th Day of #HutVent2025 Kev tells of Mice and Oojahs...

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#HutVent

On Day 19 of #HutVent2025 - our fifth year - Taff finally gets round to talking about spikey German helmets...

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Day 18 of #HutVent2025 means more uniform - this time a rare Jacket, explained by Taff...

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On the 17th Day of #HutVent2025, Kieran looks at an iconic piece of military hardware - the Webley Service Revolver...

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Guest Presenter, Jo Hook, tells us about special Gallipoli currency on the 16th Day of #HutVent2025...

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We have a Scottish theme on
Day 15 of #HutVent2025 as Taff tells us about iconic Scottish headwear from 1915...

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#HutVent

Day 14 of #HutVent2025… Lyndsay has a great gadget for you all today!

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Our last event of 2025 yesterday saw the final two #TrenchesByTwilight tours pass off successfully, just like the previous six!

Thank you to everyone who took part, and also to our wonderful volunteers.

We look forward to welcoming you all back to Great War Huts in 2026.

🎄😊

It's Day 13, which means we are over half way through #HutVent2025. Today Kev looks at an unusual piece of First World War ordnance, and busts a myth...

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#HutVent

It's Day 12 of #HutVent2025 and it's time to hear about The Derby Scheme, and its distinctive armband, all explained by Taff...

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Day 11 of #HutVent2025, and it's time for our annual Zeppelin story, as told by Taff...

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#HutVent

Good grief, I hadn’t appreciated how far you’d travelled! Thank you again for supporting what we do. Hope you manage to pop by again 🤗

Really glad you enjoyed it! Good to see you 🙂