Author Archives: Magicfingers

The Cemeteries of Gallipoli Part Two – Anzac Cove Part One

Posted on January 31, 2026 by Magicfingers

Australian graves in Shrapnel Valley. We started our look at the Great War cemeteries of Gallipoli last post by visiting the cemeteries at Helles. This time, we venture some fourteen miles north, as we begin our tour of the cemeteries … Continue reading →

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The Cemeteries of Gallipoli Part One – Cape Helles

Posted on January 12, 2026 by Magicfingers

Because I shall never now visit the Dardanelles, and therefore will never get the opportunity to pay my respects at the numerous cemeteries on the Gallipoli peninsula that count the cost of Churchill’s folly in 1915, the least I can … Continue reading →

Posted in Gallipoli | 14 Comments

Farnborough War Memorial

Posted on December 11, 2025 by Magicfingers

Over the road from St. Mark’s church in Farnborough – the one in Hampshire, not Kent – stands this war memorial. The memorial remembers the men, and women, of Farnborough who died during the Great War. There are, apparently, one … Continue reading →

Posted in Hampshire, U.K. Churches, Memorials & Cemeteries - Back in Blighty | 2 Comments

The Rifle Grenade Part Seven – The British No. 22 ‘Newton Pippin’ Rifle Grenade & the Newton 6-inch Trench Mortar

Posted on December 1, 2025 by Magicfingers

We looked at British rifle grenades in some detail recently, and here we have the only example of a British rod grenade in my collection, the No. 22 ‘Newton Pippin’.

Posted in British Grenades, Rifle Grenades, Weaponry & Relics | 6 Comments

The Stokes Mortar

Posted on November 20, 2025 by Magicfingers

Some of you might remember this rusted wine bottle-shaped thingy, one of the occasional live pieces of ordnance that I have stumbled over on my travels over the years.

Posted in Weaponry & Relics | 2 Comments