Dover And Folkestone During The Great War

by George, Michael

• ISBN13: 9781844158423
• ISBN10: 184415842X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-01-19
• Publisher: Pen & Sword

Summary

For centuries the south coast of Kent - in particular the ports of Dover and Folkestone - have been England's front line, as her enemies have planned invasions and launched attacks from just across the Channel. During the Great War of 1914-1918 these two towns were again vulnerable to enemy action, and they played a vital role in the war effort. As this well-researched and highly illustrated book shows, the people of the Channel Ports suffered from bombardment by air and sea. They also played a significant role in the experience of the men who fought in the Great War. For the humble soldier, this stretch of coastline had a personal meaning - it represented 'Blighty'. It might be the last thing the departing Tommy would see of his country and, for a soldier returning wounded or on leave, the White Cliffs on the horizon were his first glimpse of home. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Michael George is a qualified solicitor and crown prosecutor who has a keen interest in the history of Kent and the south coast. He has presented a mini series on BBC radio and worked on TV including with Channel 4's Time Team. Michael has published many magazine and newspaper articles on local and military history, and he gives talks, lectures and guided walks on these subjects. His most recent publication is Coast of Conflict. Christine George is a teacher and shares Michael's passion for history. She is particularly interested in social history, and the impact of events on people's lives. Christine has also studied the close links between the Kentish coast and northern France during the Great War, and is a regular visitor to the Somme.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Abbreviations	p. x
Acknowledgements	p. xi
Introduction	p. xiii
The Last Days of Peace	p. 1
Folkestone 1914	p. 9
The Great Adventure
The Belgian Refugees
Kitchener's Army
Aliens, Spies and DORA
'It will be over by Christmas'
Folkestone 1915-1918	p. 29
The Arrival of the Canadians
Clarence Booth: the Soldier's Tale
To the Western Front
The Troopships
Rest Camps, Recreation and Religion
The Cocaine Scandal
Mutual Respect
The Sussex Incident
The Chinese Labour Corps
1918: Another Year of War
The Sabotage of HMTS Onward
In the Air
Walter Tull: Folkestone's Black Hero
A Mother's Last Kiss
The Great Air Raid of 1917	p. 63
Dover 1914-1915	p. 77
Fortress Dover
Harold Rosher, RNAS, Aviator
The Cuxhaven Raid, Christmas Day 1914
SS Montrose, the Reluctant Warrior
Harold Rosher, 1915
The Air Raid on Dover, 9 August 1915
Harold Rosher's Return to Dover
The Sinking of the Hospital Ship Anglia, 17 November 1915
The Railway Disaster of 1915
Dover 1916-1918	p. 97
The Key to the Kingdom
The Air Raids Continue
Harold Rosher, 1916
The Sinking of P&O Maloja
More Air Raids
German Destroyers Sink HMS Flirt and HMTS Queen
1917: All Quiet on the Western Front
Swift and Broke Strike Back
Summer 1917: the Gotha Raids
The Last Daytime Air Raid
Air Raids in the Moonlight
1918: Hardship on the Home Front
The Final Onslaught
The Sacrifice of HMS Glatton
The Dover Patrol and the Zeebrugge Raid	p. 121
The Dover Patrol
The Airships
The Drifters and Trawlers
The Raid on Zeebrugge
The Challenge
The Plan
'St George for England': the Attack
Peace Returns	p. 151
Folkestone
Dover
The Last Word
Selected Bibliography	p. 161
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