talk report - january 2007
24 January: Mr Paul Gardiner – World War I Revisited
Mr Gardiner, a Battlefield Tour Guide, gave a fascinating and wide ranging talk about the trenches of the war and cleverly interleaved it with some details of his own families' involvement with the fighting. He showed photographs of the trenches in Thiepval Wood , as they are today and as they were being excavated by a team of Archaeologists. The archaeologists had then used contemporary photographs of that particular section of trench to accurately rebuild it as it was nearly ninety years ago and those photographs really brought the trench to life. Mr Gardiner also talked about the men who served, showing a photograph of a Liverpool recruiting poster. The minimum height requirement was 5ft 2ins. and the ages ranged from 19 - 40 with ex-soldiers being taken on up to the age of 45. The oldest known casualty in active service was actually 68!
Mr Gardiner also included many details of his own family, for example his Uncle Hairy was shot 3 times in the legs by a sniper, captured, and had his leg amputated, but lived to be 94. Overall an excellent talk which augers well for the programme for the year.