About Me

Discover the story behind this WWI history blog, created by Rachel for her father, Raymond Shirley. Inspired by his Coventry Blitz childhood and research into the Warwickshire Regiment, this page shares the background of their work with rare wartime photographs.

Why I Wrote this Blog

My name is Rachel and I created this blog for my dad, Raymond Shirley, whose lifelong interest in military history inspired this entire project. My dad was born in 1930 and grew up during the Coventry Blitz, an experience that shaped his curiosity about the past and the people who lived through it. As he grew older, he began researching the military background of our family, including relatives who served in the Warwickshire Regiment.

Over the years, he developed a passion for collecting rare and unusual photographs from the First World War. Many of these images came from flea markets, bazaars, and private collections — pictures that are not widely published and often overlooked. I wanted to help him preserve and share these remarkable finds, so I began writing this blog to bring his collection to a wider audience.

Together, we also wrote a book: Windows on the Zeebrugge Raid 1918: With Rare Photographs of the Mole, which is available on Amazon. The book combines my dad’s collection of rare images with the historical research and narrative I contributed, telling the story of one of the most dramatic naval operations of the First World War.

This blog continues that work. Each post includes:

  • a rare photograph from my dad’s collection

  • historical context

  • analysis and interpretation

  • and the story behind the image

My aim is to honour my dad’s lifelong interest in history, preserve these extraordinary photographs, and make them accessible to anyone who shares a fascination with the First World War.

Thank you for visiting, and I hope you find the images and stories here as compelling as we do.

Popular Posts

Zeebrugge Mole Explained: Structure, Defences and the St George’s Day 1918 Assault

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The Zeebrugge Mole, a huge crescent‑moon shaped concrete breakwater stretching 1.5 miles into the North Sea, was originally built in 1903 to shield Zeebrugge Harbour from violent western storms. How the Zeebrugge Mole Was Built and Why It Mattered By World War I, however, this immense structure had been transformed by German forces into a heavily fortified naval bastion guarding the entrance to the Bruges Canal. With its towering concrete walls, railway lines, gun batteries, searchlights and a lighthouse watch‑post, the Mole became one of the most formidable defensive positions on the Belgian coast — and the near‑impossible target of Captain Roger Keyes’ daring raid on St George’s Day 1918. How German Forces Transformed the Mole Into a Naval Stronghold In more detail, the aptly-named Mole is a crescent-shaped concrete breakwater viaduct, jutting in a north-easterly direction towards the North Sea. It was originally built to protect Zeebrugge Harbour from the harsh North Sea storms tha...
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A Heavy Gun on the Zeebrugge Mole: A Rare Glimpse Into WWI Coastal Defences

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Imagine standing on the windswept Mole at Zeebrugge in 1918, the smell of smoke still hanging in the air after the British raid. This is what this image encapsulates.  The Role of Heavy Guns in Coastal Defence This striking photograph shows a heavy German coastal gun mounted on its concrete base just off the coast of Zeebrugge, Belgium. The location, is part of the Mole — the long, curved breakwater that protected the harbour. Keeping company, were several reinforced bunkers nestled in the landscape, built to withstand both naval bombardment and aerial attack. The photograph was likely taken by a German naval officer shortly after the British Naval Raid on Zeebrugge on St George’s Day, 1918. Heavy Mounted Gun on the Mole Coastline WWI coastal defences Although the image appears calm, it was likely taken in the tense aftermath of the British Naval Raid on Zeebrugge, carried out on St George’s Day, 23 April 1918. The raid aimed to block the harbour and prevent German U‑boats from us...
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Early Ford Model T Field Ambulance Training in WW1

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A rare early photograph captures a Ford Model T field ambulance during a World War I training exercise at a Royal Army Medical Corps barracks in Britain. Five medical orderlies stand ready for instruction as they rehearse loading procedures using two comrades posed as casualties. This staged yet revealing scene highlights the rapid evolution of military ambulance services—from slow, uncomfortable horse‑drawn wagons to the first motorised vehicles that transformed battlefield medical care. From Horse‑Drawn Ambulances to Motorised Medical Transport This photographs shows an early Ford Model T Field Ambulance used on a training exercise in a Royal Army Medical Corps barracks in Britain. Five medical orderlies await instructions from their sergeant as they practice loading procedures using two of their comrades on stretchers as make-believe casualties. Horse Drawn Ambulance attended by medical staff during World War 1. Training the Royal Army Medical Corps for Battlefield Casualt...
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The Rise and Fall of Coventry’s Foleshill Gasworks: A Changing Skyline Through Time

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Coventry’s first gasworks near the city centre was privately owned and had started in 1824. It was a restricted site, with coal having to be delivered by horse and cart, which had been hand-loaded via pan-shovels from a railway siding some distance away. It was found that this privately owned company was unable to meet the city’s demands and later, the supply of gas was taken over by the city council. Foleshill gas storage tank 1995 and the rear view of the new Ricoh Arena 2009. Both photos taken from the same canal towpath. Why Foleshill Became Coventry’s New Gas Hub On the west side of the Coventry Canal in the district of Foleshill, the council purchased and developed a 40 acre site for gas supplies. This included a massive storage tank about 85 yards high and 43 yards in diameter, which could contain up to 5 million cubic feet of gas. Another reason the council had chosen this site was because, being next to the canal, it allowed easy access for narrow-boats ferrying the...
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The German A7V Tank Adalbert: A Flawed Giant of World War I

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A striking photograph shows the German A7V tank Adalbert—one of the few armoured vehicles fielded by Germany in World War I—being transported on a railway flat car with two crew members aboard.  Originally named Hagen, then König Wilhelm, the tank’s repeated renaming reflected its troubled service history and flawed design. Despite seeing action in several 1918 battles, including Villers‑Bretonneux, the A7V proved slow, unreliable and easily outmatched by the superior British Mark tanks. This image captures a rare glimpse of a machine that symbolised both Germany’s ambitions and the limitations of early armoured warfare. A7V Adalbert: A Rare Photograph of Germany’s Early Tank Design This picture of the German A7V Tank, Adalbert with two of its crew being transported upon a railway flat car. It did not see much success. Its original name was changed twice due to its poor design. The tank saw action in 1918 at Villiers, Bretonneux, Midway between Amiens and St Quentin under its ...
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WW1 Photograph of Gun Emplacement on the Mole Coastline near Zeebrugge

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The Zeebrugge Mole was one of the most heavily fortified structures on the Belgian coastline during World War I, and this rare photograph of a heavy gun emplacement provides a detailed view of one of its powerful gun mechanisms. A Detailed Look at a German Gun Emplacement on the Zeebrugge Mole Used during the 1918 Zeebrugge Raid, this heavy coastal gun shown in the photograph reveals the intricate engineering behind Germany’s coastal defences — from the reinforced gun shield and breech mechanisms to the precise aiming and firing apparatus. German inscriptions, partially legible on the metalwork, hint at the gun’s operational capabilities, including illumination settings and elevation adjustments. Once the smokescreen lifted during the raid, weapons like this played a devastating role in targeting British vessels approaching the Mole. A heavy gun emplacement located on the Mole Coastline Close‑Up View of the Gun Shield, Breech and Firing Mechanism A close up view shows in detail the gun...
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WW1 Battlefield Medicine: A Royal Army Medical Corps Orderly and His Lifesaving Equipment

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Explore the role of the Royal Army Medical Corps in WW1 through a rare photograph showing a medical orderly with early battlefield dressings, sphagnum moss bandages and Great War medical practices. I came across this photograph on a stand in a flea market not far from where I live. How the Royal Army Medical Corps treated wounds in WW1 This world war one photograph shows a stoic Royal Army Medical Corp with medicinal gear in readiness for what the Great War had in store. The absorbency of the field dressings became paramount, as heavy blood loss was common on the battlefield. A medial orderly in front of bell tents Medical Practices in the Great War Here, this RAMC serviceman carries a kit, likely comprising antiseptic wound dressings of muslin and wool, which would be used as an immediate application to a wound until the stretcher bearers arrived. For very heavy blood loss, bog moss from Scotland was used for high absorbency and antiseptic properties. Sphagnum, as it wa...
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Gun Barrel with Firing Mechanism on the Mole Coast near Zeebrugge

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This detailed photograph shows the gun barrel, firing mechanism and mounting bolts used by German servicemen in the 1918 Zeebrugge Raid. The Mole coast off Zeebrugge can be seen in the background. The image below shows the German Gun Emplacement used in the Zeebrugge Raid. Image bottom shows a detailed view of the firing mechanism. Background on the Zeebrugge Raid To bring context to the photograph shown, I shall provide a little background. On St George's Day 1918, the German occupied ports of Zeebrugge and Ostend were stormed by the British Forces. To this point, the German flotilla and taken siege over the English Channel, sinking allied ships. England was starving and British condemnation gathered, for these sinkings seemed to be indiscriminate, particularly after the sinking of the Cunard liner, Lusitania on 7 May 1915. Sentinels on the Bruges Coast Prime minister, David Lloyd George agreed on a system where the Grand Fleet would shadow merchant ships across perilous w...
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Zeebrugge Coastal Gun Emplacement on a Concrete Mount with Shelter

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Take a look at this rare photograph. This striking view captures a German coastal gun emplacement placed on the Zeebrugge Mole around 1918, during the Zeebrugge Raid. The image offers a rare, ground‑level view from within the shelter, looking outward toward the coast. Coastal defence photographs from this angle are rare, making this image a valuable piece of visual evidence from the final year of the First World War. German Gun Emplacement Looking out from the Mole Coast Inside the Gun Shelter: A View from Below The photograph shows the gun resting staunchly on its concrete mounting block, a feature of German coastal fortifications designed to absorb recoil and stabilise artillery. From this sheltered position, the weapon would have been protected from the elements and partially shielded from enemy fire. To the right of the frame, a set of concrete steps leads up to the strongroom door — a reinforced storage space where ammunition, tools and essential equipment were kept. These strongr...
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The Zeebrugge Mole After the Raid: Bomb Damage and Scuttled Blockships

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This rare photograph shows the Zeebrugge Mole in the aftermath of the Zeebrugge Raid of 23 April 1918. The image presents a foreshortened view along the concrete quayside, revealing the extent of the bomb damage inflicted during the British assault. Cracked surfaces, shattered edges and scattered debris illustrate the intensity of the fighting that took place along this heavily fortified structure. Scuttled British Blockships at Zeebrugge: HMS Intrepid The Mole was central to German naval operations, serving as a protective barrier for U‑boats and destroyers. As such, it became a primary target during the raid, and this photograph offers a rare glimpse of the destruction left behind. The Zeebrugge Mole Looking towards the Lighthouse A Foreshortened View of Wartime Destruction The angle of the photograph emphasises the length and scale of the Mole, drawing the eye along the damaged quayside toward the distant lighthouse. The concrete surface shows clear signs of bombardment — broken sec...
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