Unique Holidays: Visit the Worlds Historic Battlefields

Visiting battlefields is not only a pastime for the military history buff. The world's battlefields are also poignant reminders of the futility of war and sacrifices made. Pacifists will find them just as moving. Some countries were literally shaped by war and history has been defined by it. Tourists who wish to gain a real knowledge of the countries that they visit will find their understanding enriched by visiting these sites. For some tourists, they may even gain an appreciation why their country and fellowmen were fighting in that war and several have in fallen in battle on the very grounds they are visiting.

Standing on sites where conflicts took place - including some that changed the course of history - brings the past more vividly to life than any book or documentary and can be an unforgettable experience. In Britain, literature fans can visit the sites of historical and famous battles and stand on the very ground of historical battles that have been immortalized in words by renowned authors such as Shakespeare and other renowned authors or poets.

At some much older sites, they provide other unique activities such as joining part of ongoing archaeological work being done at the site or any current restoration efforts.

For many people, war has taken its toll on their own families within living memory. Visiting those sites can be an emotional pilgrimage to pay homage to fallen comrades or relatives. Without visitors and remembrance, those sites will not live on. Tourist revenues are crucial to their maintenance and continuing existence.

Battlefields Around the World

It says a lot about humanity and the accompanying violence that has characterized human history that in almost every country there can be found a battlefield and/or monument, particularly with accompanying cemeteries in honor of the dead and fallen. Many have been carefully conserved, with site museums providing detailed information.

The World Wars

World War I, the war that was supposed to have ended all wars, has the distinction of having its battle sites being the most visited sites in the world. The meticulously maintained sites in the regions of Ypres, the Somme and Arras are heavily visited. In Asia, another much-visited World War site is Gallipoli, near Troy. This peninsula was the site of half a million casualties, of whom 100,000 died, in the 1915-16 conflict there.

World War II sites are also popular tourist destinations, with a large of its visitors being surviving veterans of that conflict. Normandy and the D-Day beaches, Arnhem (the battle that was the subject of the award-winning film 'A Bridge Too Far') and sites in Italy also feature strongly. Some specialist tour companies will design custom tours for veterans and their descendants to revisit places of significance.

Vietnam

More recent wars are commemorated in other Asian countries where they occurred. The Vietnam War is sill fresh in the memories of many Americans and those people who lived through it, whether as participants or as spectators of a global event unfolding in their televisions screens on live newscasts.

Both sides having buried the hatchet, many Vietnam vets now return to remember the events of three decades ago as some form of pilgrimage or effort at closure or healing. They are also able to see the other side of the conflict, at sites such as the Cu Chi Tunnels, a subterranean complex built by Viet Cong fighters near Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City).

Anglo-Boer and Anglo Zulu Wars

Deeper in the past, the late nineteenth century was another war-torn era. In Africa, the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, attracts many tourists eager to see the battlefields of the Anglo-Boer and Anglo-Zulu wars. Perhaps most famous are the Anglo-Zulu war battlefields of Rorke's Drift where a handful of British soldiers resisted a massive onslaught by Zulu warriors and Isandhlwana where the British Army suffered one of its most devastating defeats in its proud history.

India

India too has its own share of battle sites. A day trip from Kolkata takes tourists to the site of the 1757 Battle of Plassey; a battle that helped established the British presence in India. Near Delhi, the Meerut Cemetery is one site commemorating the Indian Mutiny of 1857, while the terrible Massacre at Amritsar in 1919 is commemorated in the Punjabi City.

America

Visitors to America can choose amongst hundreds of battlefield sites dating to the Civil War. Most famous is Gettysburg, which has been restored and has pride of place amongst American monuments.

Battlefields belonging to another dimension of American history (and other places worldwide where colonialism operated) includes those where colonizers clashed with indigenous peoples. One famous site is at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota, where Lakota Sioux clashed with the U.S. Army in 1890, resulting in the deaths of three hundred men, women and children. The site of the Battle of Little Big Horn in Montana is another site commemorating a conflict that every American learns about.

Britain

Britain is also replete with battlefields that have been immortalized in literature. They include Bannockburn, a key battle in the Scottish fight for independence. In Leicestershire is the site of the Battle of Bosworth Field, where Richard III fell in 1485, according to Shakespeare, declaiming 'A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!' Culloden is another famous Scottish battlefield, where Bonny Prince Charlie fought in the Stuart Uprisings to challenge the Hanoverian kings on the English throne.

Battlefields, though reminders of a violent past, are not necessarily maudlin places. For alongside the violence, death, pain and horrors of battle, you will also find tales and instances of courage, honour, dedication, compassion, chivalry and inspiration.

2011 Moira G Gallaga©

Recently resigned civil servant from the Philippine Foreign Service. Specializes in Protocol and served 3 Philippine Presidents as Presidential Protocol Officer. Assigned along with her diplomat husband and son in Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles and Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. for 6 and a half years.

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The Battle of Stamford Bridge

In 1066 the battle of Hastings wasn't the only battle that King Harold Godwinsson fought. Less than twenty days prior to that famous battle, he had no choice but to fight another battle in the north of England against an enemy that was as strong and equally as determined to wrest the throne of England from his grasp. That enemy was Haraldur (Hard Ruler) Sigurosson the king of Norway who claimed he had a right to the throne via a treaty between his nephew Magnus and King Knutur, the son of King Canute who had a claim on the throne of England.

Haraldur gathered a fleet of two hundred ships and sailed for the north of England, where he met up with the Earls of Orkney and Scotland. In addition Harold Godwinssons own brother, Tostig the deposed Earl Of Northumbria, who was after having his Earldom reinstated, joined him. This brought the fleet up to three hundred ships, carrying nine thousand men. The fleet swept down the northeast coast harrying
the Yorkshire towns of Cleaveland, Scarborough and Holderness, before turning into the Humber and sailing up the Ouse, to land at Riccall.

Warned of Haraldur's coming the Earl of Northumbria, Morcar and the Earl of Mercia, Edwin, had joined forces and waited for him at Gate Fulford. It was the 20th of September when the two sides met and with a mighty crash the shield walls came together. Both sides fought long and hard and lost many men, but as evening neared the Norwegians broke through the English wall and the survivors fled the field.

York capitulated in an effort to prevent the city being sacked and Haraldur believing that King Harold would be unable to move north while being under threat of invasion in the south, took hostages and negotiated for supplies to be delivered. The City readily agreed his terms. (There were many in York who supported his cause, after all, up until only twenty-four years prior a Danish King had ruled the city.) Leaving one third of his force under the command of Eystein Orre at Riccall, to guard the ships, Haraldur and Tostig marched with the rest to the cross roads at Stamford Bridge. The bridge was the designated meeting place, where hostages and supplies would be exchanged.

When King Harold heard of the defeat at Gate Fulford, he gathered his army and together with his brother Gyrth, set off on a forced march towards the north. As the army raced northwards, men from Mercia and Yorkshire joined them and in four days they were in Tadcaster, an amazing feat.

The 25th of September was a sunny day and by late morning believing there was no danger Haraldur's men removed their helmets and chain mail and lay relaxing on the banks of the Derwent. They were expecting a delegation with supplies from the direction of York, instead Harold and his army appeared. Surprised and outnumbered Haraldur sent for reinforcement and after setting up a rearguard to hold the bridge, moved hurriedly to the higher ground.

Harold offered to reinstate his brother as Earl of Northumbria, but when Tostig asked what lands he would grant Haraldur, King Harold replied that since the Norwegian was an exceptionally tall man he would grant him seven feet of ground. Tostig turned down the offer and remained with Haraldur.
Before the main battle could begin the rearguard had to be dealt with. The rearguard fought bravely, but was soon overwhelmed, all bar one man, a great axe wielding Norseman who held the centre of the narrow bridge. Dozens of men went against him and all were cut down, until eventually a warrior crept beneath the bridge and stabbing upwards through the gaps in the decking speared him in the groin. An ignoble end to a brave warrior, but his sacrifice gave Norwegians time to prepare their shield wall.

With the axe man taken care of the English streamed across the bridge, formed into line, moved uphill and shield wall to shield wall the battle proper began. All afternoon the battle raged with neither side gaining the upper hand, until Haraldur, filled with blood lust surged forward in front of his men and hacking left, right and centre, forged his way into the English line almost causing a rout. Unfortunately at this point his luck ran out and he was struck in the throat by an arrow.

King Harold seized on this and offered his brother the chance to surrender, Tostig refused and using Haraldur's battle flag, 'Land Waster' as a rallying point, urged the Norsemen to fight on; which they did for a while. But by the time the exhausted reinforcements arrived from Riccall, Tostig was dead, the army beaten and all they could do was make a hard pressed fighting retreat. In the end Harold granted those that were left, including Olaf, Haraldur's son, quarter and they were allowed to leave. Of the three hundred ships that arrived to do battle, only twenty-four ships filled with men returned to Norway. A resounding victory for King Harold and his army, but within a few days they would be on their way south to fight another battle and this time they wouldn't be so lucky.

Copyright Fred Watson 2008

Fred Watson published his first book, a fantasy adventure novel aimed at the 8-12 age group in November 2006. A grandfather of four, he loves to write for all age groups, has an abiding interest in history and continues on a regular basis to add new stories etc to his website. Footprint Publishing

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The Battle of Britain

The summer of 1940 saw World War II come to the skies of England as the RAF bravely fought off the onslaught of Hitler's Luftwaffe. After a period known as the 'Phoney War', Hitler had ordered his forces to invade other European countries and there was little resistance in Belgium, Holland and France.

Operation Dynamo had seen around 300,000 men of the British Expeditionary Forces plucked to safety by a flotilla of ships making the journey from England to Dunkirk over a period of several days. Now Hitler had his sights on England. The white cliffs of Dover were clearly visible as the German High Command looked across the English Channel from Calais.

However, until the skies of England were under German control, Hitler could not authorise Operation Sealion - the invasion of Britain. With America being unwilling to join the war at this stage and her Allies conquered, Britain would have to face the Germans alone.

Could Britain hold out until the autumn when the weather would prevent the Germans from crossing the Channel? Britain's hopes lay in the hands of the brave pilots of the Royal Air Force, "The Few" as Churchill later referred to them. It was just British pilots in the RAF, the Commonwealth was represented with pilots from various colonial outposts including South Africa and Rhodesia as well as Poles and even a few Americans.

Hitler sent his bombers over to pound Britain into submission but crucially, their fighter escorts only had the fuel for a few minutes combat before they would have to return leaving the bombers unprotected. For the first time, the Luftwaffe came up against stiff opposition and there was to be no repeat of their rapid victories on the Continent. The British airfields in the south east were taking a hammering until one night in August 1940, a German plane got lost of jettisoned its bombs over London before heading home. In retaliation, the RAF launched a raid over Berlin.

Hitler was furious and ordered his bombers to attack London instead of the RAF airfields. This was a crucial turning point as it gave the RAF some much needed relief. The Luftwaffe failed to gain the upper hand at any point and in mid September, Hitler indefinitely postponed Operation Sealion. The immediate threat of invasion was over and Churchill spoke of the contribution of Fighter Command in a speech "Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few".

The leading fighter ace was Sgt Frantisek from the Czech Republic with a total 17 kills. He flew in a Hawker Hurricane which was the real workhorse of fighter command although everyone remembers the iconic Spitfire. Sgt Frantisek was killed in action in October 1940.

The Battle of Britain was the first time the Germans had suffered a military defeat during World War II.

Rob Atherton
http://www.robatherton.com

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Ireland History - The Battle of the Boyne

The Battle of The Boyne can only be understood properly by first looking at what happened in the siege of Derry

The Siege Of Derry

King James II took over from his brother and converted to Catholicism when he married Mary, the daughter of the Italian Duke of Modena. He had left England in 1679 and did not return for six years until he succeeded to the throne in England. He began the task of restoring the Catholic religion in both England and in Ireland. He appointed Colonel Talbot as commander of his forces in Ireland and his brother in law, Lord Clarendon as the Lord Lieutenant. Talbot disarmed the mainly Protestant militia and appointed Catholic officers to the army and other important posts within the judiciary. In 1687 Talbot was also made Lord Lieutenant as Clarendon had proved to be a rather weak person. Talbot, now known as the Earl of Tirconnell was a strict Catholic and these actions stirred a panic among Protestants, with many of them leaving their homes and moving to England.

In 1688, Lord Danby sent for Prince William of Orange. Prince William was a Dutch Prince and was married to James's Protestant daughter, also called Mary. The English establishment had panicked when James had a son, and could form part of a Catholic dynasty. When James II heard of William's arrival he instantly fled to France and William took the throne of England without any opposition. William and Mary were declared joint rulers and James was in the court of Louis XIV of France looking for help. Tirconnell had remained in Ireland and had armed the Catholics to help defend Ireland for James II.

The Apprentice Boys

The North of Ireland was populated mainly with English settlers and Protestant soldiers, who sided with Prince William of Orange. The town of Enniskillen refused to admit Talbot and this kicked off the War of the Revolution. Lord Antrim marched to take Derry and the magistrates hesitated as they were uncertain what to do. A number of young apprentice boys, grabbed the keys and managed to shut the gates which prevented Talbot's Jacobite army from entering the city. These apprentice boys were actually in the town as part of a development plan which had been organised by the City of London and its Guilds. Richard Hamilton was then sent to the North to take Ulster as the Protestants had started to make defences and he arrived in Derry in 1689. There ensued what is now known as the Siege of Derry that lasted 105 days.

When James arrived in Kinsale he met with Richard Talbot who had convened a Catholic parliament. He also brought with him some 100 French officers, over 1,000 Irish refugees, arms and ammunition. Patrick Sarsfield was one of the French officers he had brought with him. During the siege of Derry, James went to the parliament and there he repealed Poyning's Law which now allowed full freedom of worship. He also repealed the Act of Settlement. The siege in Derry continued and Hamilton continued to try and take the city. From inside the walls of the city many urged surrender and a Colonel Lundy who was the governor was one such person. So unpopular was that call that he was forced to make his escape over the walls at night and in disguise.

The only hope for those inside the walls of Derry was assistance from troops arriving by sea, as all land was surrounded by Hamilton's men. Finally help did arrive with ships arriving in Lough Foyle under the control of General Kyle. However on seeing the forts lining the banks and seeing a defensive boom structure in the Lough they would not go any further and dropped anchor. For 46 days they waited as the food grew less and less and many people simply began to starve. Finally ships were sent in and crashed through the boom bringing supplies and relief to the town of Derry. The siege was now over and the very next day Hamilton marched his army away. The Jacobites were also defeated at Enniskillen and Sarsfield now moved back to Athlone leaving Ulster firmly in the hand of the Williamites.

The Battle Of The Boyne

The battle at Derry had only been the beginning of the struggle. King William now sent an 80 year old Dutch General called Schomberg who landed in the town of Bangor in the North of Ireland. He had brought with him some 15,000 men who captured Carrickfergus and then made his base in Dundalk. He did suffer heavy losses and was forced to seek reinforcements. His army was also badly affected by sickness. A year later on the 14th June 1690 Prince William landed at Carrickfergus with an assorted bunch of troops from Germany, Denmark and some French Huguenots. The key thing was that there were 35,000-40,000 in total, all of whom were well armed and very well equipped.

James did have 25,000 that included some still loyal English regiments, some Irish and the French troops sent by Louis XIV. James had advanced from Dublin to Dundalk and was now on the south bank of the river Boyne. Probably the most significant fact was that the Irish army was mainly recruits who were poorly armed and drilled and with a leader who was not that skilful or indeed resolute. William was however recognised as one of the best generals of all time and under his command he had a larger army who were well trained and well armed.

William was injured from a cannon shot and many on the Irish side believed him to be dead. The two sides went into battle at the River Boyne in County Meath on 1st July 1690, when William's army started to cross the river. William had sent 10,000 men under the command of General Douglas to cross some five miles up the river, an area which although James had been warned, had decided to leave unguarded. The rest of the army attacked at four different places.

The Blue Dutch guards under the leadership of General Schomberg attacked at the centre of James'a army and Schomberg was killed when shot in the neck by a bullet fired from a musket. The battle now raged up and down the river for about a mile with William fighting lower down at Drogheda. Although the Irish army offered resistance they were no match for William's army and a decisive victory was won by William. The Irish army retreated back towards Dublin and James fled at the first signs of defeat. It caused Sarsfield to announce, "Change kings and we will fight you over again."

James made his retreat when he reached Kinsale and headed back to Brest in France leaving Tirconnell to do what he could. This battle is still celebrated today on the 12th July by what are known as Orangemen so called after Prince William. The reason for the latter date is due to the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregory Calendar in 1752.

Enda McLarnon http://northern-ireland-history.blogspot.com/

I am an avid reader of anything to do with the history of Ireland and Northern Ireland in particular.

This includes the Northern Ireland Troubles.

If you like what you have read and want to find out more then please visit my site at Northern Ireland History

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The Battle of Culloden and Chess Strategy

The beginnings of chess set pieces lie in military folklore and an examination of the modern game of chess shows parallels with the strategy of war.

It seems likely that even a modern senior military officer would easily see how battles often take on the guise of a lethal game of chess. For this reason it seems appropriate that some of the best chess sets for sale have the theme of famous historical battles.

A good example would be the battle of Culloden, fought on 16 April 1746 as the culmination of the Jacobite rebellion of the Highland Scots against the English king.

The Highland army was led by Prince Charles Edward Stuart ('Bonny Prince Charlie') who had arrived in Scotland from France the year before with the promise that he could break Scotland away from the union with England. Of course this would involve Prince Charles himself becoming king.

The battle thus took place with a background of two royal houses: that of Hanover and the Stuarts. Two men played out strategy: Prince Charles Stuart and the English commander, William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland the son of King George II.

Sadly for the Highland hopes, Cumberland was clearly the better player of his chess set pieces as he was experienced in war having fought with his army on the continent during the previous three years. Although he could be harsh, Cumberland was well liked by his hardened troops and his influence had ensured his men had the best equipment available.

Prince Charles was not at all experienced in strategy, not even that of the best chess set. He did have the use of Lord George Murray however. Murray had been in the army since 1712 and was an experienced rebel having already been a prisoner of the English and then escaping to the continent for a number of years.

The enthusiasm and passion of the rebels had produced results previously. The Highland army had driven deep into England as far as Derby (only 100 miles from London) and had caused panic in the capital. However stretched supply lines and rumours of an advancing army caused the Jacobites to turn for home.

The English army had faced the Jacobites previously, most notably at the Battle of Falkirk in January 1746. This battle finished unsatisfactorily for the English and in a slightly confusing manner for the Jacobites. Following this messy defeat, the English commander, Lieutenant General Henry Hawley, was removed from his position and replaced by the Duke of Cumberland.

This is when the campaign changed direction.

Immediately Cumberland took his army north from its base in Edinburgh to Aberdeen. He took the coastal route in order to ensure his troops could be resupplied from the sea. Arriving unmolested in Aberdeen, the Hanoverian army halted in the town for some weeks, taking advantage of the rest for some intensive training, particularly in the use of the bayonet. This is the first recorded instance of such formal training taking place.

At this point it is worth pointing out that although the romantic telling of the Jacobite rebellion story (originating with the Victorians) has the armies neatly divided into the English and the Scots and Catholic versus Protestant, this was not the case. The English army contained a large number of lowland Scots who were happy to pursue their own long-running feuds against the highlanders and this partly explains the ferocity of the battle and the aftermath. Equally there were some Presbyterian Scots in the Highland army. Some regular Scots, Irish and French soldiers completed the Highland army's numbers.

However his army was comprised, Prince Charles had them scurrying around Scotland while the English were in Aberdeen, making raids on key targets and harrying the enemy.

Sadly the Highland army was not as well founded as their opposition. Many of the highlanders missed their homes and had been slipping away since the battle of Falkirk and the army that remained suffered from poor organisation and internal feuds. Supplies were short and so rations were restricted.

Dissent between senior officers was a constant feature and Prince Charles was not able to resolve disputes. Charles' adjutant chose the battlefield on a stretch of open moorland despite protests from Lord George Murray and others.

The Hanoverian army arrived in Nairn to the northeast of the Highlanders and on 15 April 1746 they celebrated the Duke of Cumberland's birthday. The Highland army attempted an attack on their opponents that night to catch them unawares.

Once again bad planning thwarted the Highlanders and they got lost in the bogs and darkness. At no stage did they get near to Nairn and finally had to retreat to Culloden as dawn broke, hungry and exhausted.

By contrast the Hanoverian army was well fed and rested and awoke early the next day and set off for Culloden. An advance party including Campbell highlanders found the Highland army and the alarm was raised.

The Highland army numbering some 5000 men lined up across the moor with the few guns they had in the centre and on the flanks.

At around noon, the Duke's army of 8000 appeared on the moor. They had marched ten miles and arrived in perfect formation to halt 300 metres from the rebel lines. One regiment of foot took up position behind a wall set at right angles to the field of battle and prepared to fire into the flanks of the advancing Jacobites. It was yet another failure of rebels' senior officers that they did not heed Lord George Murray's warning about the strategic role of this wall.

The Hanoverian guns, placed among and behind the front lines, began to bombard the Jacobite army. Charles expected Cumberland to order a charge but this did not happen. Charles dithered as the guns ripped holes in his army and their morale.

At last he ordered his army to charge and most did, although the MacDonald clan on the left flank refused. The brave highlanders presented a fearsome sight as they ran but they were undone by the choice of battlefield. The Clan Chattan encountered boggy ground and had to veer right to avoid it. This made them cross in front of their compatriots and forced them all towards the wall running alongside. The Hanoverian regiment behind the wall duly fired into the charging rebels and inflicted terrible casualties.

Many of the Highlanders reached the enemy positions and terrible hand-to-hand fighting took place. In a strategy worthy of the best player of chess set pieces, Cumberland had kept back reserves and he now committed these to shooting the rebels who made it through the lines of redcoats. Dragoons finally chased off the Jacobites who retreated past the guns behind the wall again.

Prince Charles had seen enough and rode away.

Around 200 Hanoverian soldiers lost their lives, compared to around 1000 of the Jacobites.

The battle of Culloden was played out as if using chess set pieces and the better strategist won. The battle had a major effect on the history of Scotland thereafter.

Next time you pick up your chess set pieces, you might reflect on how great strategy has changed history.

Keith Braithwaite is a generally nosey and opinionated guy but his heart is in the right place. After nearly thirty years in the corporate world and twenty keenly observing direct selling, he is now following his interests in self-development, internet marketing and historical studies. To relax he does like a good game of chess too.

Come over to ChessSetHeaven.com to find out more about this glorious game and discover a quality range of carved chess sets.

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