The History Chap Podcast

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Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life.
Did you know that the actor behind the much loved comedy character, Uncle Albert ("Only Fools and Horses") actually did serve in World War 2?
This is his real story.

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Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life.
What was the inspiration behind the Royal Navy's legendary field gun competition?

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Many of you may recall the Royal Tournament at Earl’s Court in London.
 The world’s premier military tattoo and pageant that was held for over 100 years until 1999.
 You may also recall the highlight of the event,  Royal Navy’s Command Field Gun Competition.
Two teams of 18 men hauling a 12 pound gun and limber (weighing something like 1200 pounds) along a 225 yard course that included obstacles such as a 5 foot high wall and a 28 foot chasm, all  in under 3 minutes.
 It was not for the feint hearted - not only was it gruelling race but men were seriously injured too.
But, where did the idea of this incredible feat of strength, stamina and teamwork come from?
This is the story of the Naval Brigade during the second Anglo-Boer war in South Africa 1899-1902.

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Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life.
The Bloodies European Battle in the 18th Century - Malplaquet 1709.
The Duke of Marlborough's fourth victory over the French and the one that led to his downfall.
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Other episodes in this series:
The Battle of Blenheim 1704
The Battle of Ramillies 1706
The Battle of Oudenarde 1708

You might also be interested in this book, that I used extensively during my research for this series.
"Marlborough: Britain's Greatest General" by Richard Holmes
(This is my Amazon affiliate link)

The Battle of Malplaquet, fought on the 11th September 1709 was the Duke of Marlborough's fourth victory over the French. 

It was also the bloodiest European battle of the whole 18th century.Between 30,000 - 40,000 men were killed or wounded in just one day.

Despite, been forced from the field by the comined allied army consisting of Dutch, German, Austrian, Danish and British soldiers, , the French were able to keep their army intact, ready to fight another day - their (sort of) Dunkirk moment.

That French escape, along with his heavy losses, was the beginning of the end for John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough. Within two years, arguably the greatest military commander in British history, was sacked. 

Despite it being a tactical victory, malplaquet was a pyrrhic victory for Marlborough and his allied army.
The Allies  lost nearly 21,000 men killed or wounded (almost a quarter of their army).The Dutch alone had lost over 8,000 men, whilst the British had lost nearly 1,800.
The French army, on the other hand had suffered somewhere between 11,000 - 14,000 casualties.

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Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life.
The Battle of Oudenarde 1708, Marlborough's Forgotten Battle.

The book I mentioned, and used as part of my research:
"Marlborough: Britain's Greatest General" by Richard Holmes
(This is my Amazon affiliate link)

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"The Devil Must Have Brought Them" - The Battle of Oudenarde, 1708

When French general Vendôme learned that Marlborough's army had appeared on the banks of the River Scheldt, he was incredulous: "The Devil must have brought them!" 

The Duke had marched 60 miles in just 72 hours to catch the French completely off guard.

The Battle of Oudenarde, fought on 11 July 1708 during the War of the Spanish Succession, was the Duke of Marlborough's third great victory over the French - yet it remains probably his most forgotten. 

This video explores how Marlborough's lightning advance wrong-footed two quarrelling French commanders, how a future King of Great Britain had his horse shot from under him in the opening clash, and how French Huguenot officers tricked enemy stragglers into captivity by shouting regimental rallying cries in the gathering darkness.

It is also a battle gifted by French dysfunction. Marshal Vendôme fought so furiously in the front line that he lost all command of his army, whilst his co-commander the Duke of Burgundy sat motionless with 60 battalions, refusing to attack.

 Watching from Burgundy's staff was the 20-year-old Old Pretender, James Stuart - serving incognito as the "Chevalier de St George" against the countrymen he claimed as subjects.

Among the British regiments were veterans of Blenheim and Ramillies including the Royal Welch Fusiliers, the Grenadier Guards and the Cameronians - battle-hardened redcoats who helped Marlborough encircle 50,000 Frenchmen in what one survivor called a "vast horseshoe of flame."

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HMS Peterel: The Royal Navy's Defiant Last Stand at Shanghai, 1941

Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life.
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Hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, a small Royal Navy gunboat faced impossible odds in Shanghai. 

When Japanese officers boarded HMS Peterel demanding surrender, her captain - 62-year-old Lieutenant Stephen Polkinghorn - gave them a defiant reply: "Get off my bloody ship!"

What followed was a one-sided battle against the armoured cruiser Izumo and shore batteries. With her main guns deliberately disabled, Peterel's crew fought back with Lewis guns and small arms. 

She became the first British warship sunk by the Japanese in the Second World War - but she went down fighting, White Ensign still flying.

This video explores why British and American gunboats were in Shanghai, the strange "Solitary Island" existence of the International Settlement surrounded by Japanese forces since 1937, and the dramatic events of 8 December 1941.

 It also reveals the remarkable story of CPO James Cuming, who evaded capture and spent the entire war as a spy in occupied Shanghai.
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