The_Poppy_March_2012.pdf - The Western Front Association

Our Speakers up to the end of the Season
26th April 2012
PAUL COBB lived in Tilehurst for a number of years before
moving to Lechlade, Gloucestershire with his wife and
family. He first visited the battlefields in 1969 and has been
a regular visitor there ever since, including several annual
tours with the Thames Valley branch. Paul joined the WFA
in 1984 and served as a member of the Thames Valley
Branch Committee during the 1990s. In addition, he was
also national Membership Secretary for several years before
becoming Vice-Chairman. Paul has had a life-long interest
in the Australian Forces in the Great War which, in 1989,
prompted his research into the attack at Fromelles, where
the Australians played a major role. An extensive array of
sources were studied including material at the IWM and
AWM, many unpublished accounts as well as interviews with
veterans in the early 1990’s. His new book on this disastrous
attack by two divisions entitled, ‘Fromelles, 1916’ was
published by The History Press in 2010.
31st May 2012
IAN CULL was born in Jamaica where his father was serving
with the Royal Engineers. He grew up in army camps in
Munster, India, Aldershot, Rheindahlen, and Cyprus before
escaping to join the Merchant Navy, where he spent the next
eight years. After leaving the sea, Ian worked for IBM and the
NHS and obtained a history degree with the Open University
before retiring in 2002. Although initially interested in
maritime history, he was converted to shore based studies
after attending a course run by Colin Fox at Bulmersh
College in 1992 called “Aspects of the Western Front”, and
was recruited by Colin into the Thames Valley Branch soon
after. Ian worked as a researcher for Colin on the four books
which cover the Royal Berkshire Kitchener Battalions on
the Western Front. In collaboration with the Regimental
Museum in Salisbury, Ian has published two further books
on the Royal Berkshire Regiment, namely the First Battalion
1914-1918 in 2004 and the Second Battalion 1914-1918 in
2005. During 2008 he helped with the research for Maiwand:
The Last Stand of the 66th (Berkshire) Regiment in
Afghanistan, 1880 by Richard J. Stacpoole-Ryding, published
by The History Press, 2009 (see issue 20 of The Poppy dated
March 2009).
28th June 2012
JON COOKSEY was educated at Carnegie College, Leeds;
Nottingham University and Dalhousie, Nova Scotia. He is a
prolific author on subjects as diverse as the First World War,
Elite Forces Operations and John Masefield. His first book
for Pen and Sword was ‘Barnsley Pals - A History of the 13th
and 14th Battalions of the Yorkshire and Lancaster Regiment
1914-1918’, which has recently been re-published in hardback
and was also part of the team that developed the format for
the Battleground Europe series of guidebooks. Jon edited the
military magazine ‘Battlefields Review’ for two years and was
responsible for re-designing and re-branding the publication.
He is currently the editor of the WFA journal, ‘Stand To!’
Jon has been involved in several radio and TV programmes,
including a documentary on Reading’s VC Trooper Frederick
Potts and is currently helping raise money for memorial to
the VC in Forbury Gardens, Reading. He lectures on military
history topics to a variety of audiences ranging from schools
to university groups and institutions nationally. Jon has
tutored courses for the Continuing Education Departments
at both Reading and Oxford Universities. He is a member of
the WFA and of the Guild of Battlefield Guides and has led
battlefield/genealogy tours to the Western Front, Normandy,
the Falklands and the World War Two Channel Ports.
22