Book A Guest Speaker
Are you an organisation, club or community in Lancashire with a Talks and Lectures programme?
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The Lancashire Infantry Museum can offer a number of expert speakers able to give illustrated talks on many aspects of military history. Our talks mainly tell the story of Lancashire’s soldiers through the ages.
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We ask for a minimum donation of £50 per talk, all of which goes directly towards preserving the memory of Lancashire’s Lads at the Lancashire Infantry Museum.
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Please scroll down to see our list of speakers and some of the subjects covered. The great majority of talks are fully illustrated and will require a digital projector and screen, which our speakers can bring with them when required.
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To request a speaker, please e-mail the Curator at enquiries@lancashireinfantrymuseum.org.uk
JOHN DOWNHAM
John Downham served in The Queen’s Lancashire Regiment for over 30 years, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He has a longstanding passion for military history, and has published books and articles, lectured and led battlefield tours and studies on a wide range of regimental campaigns. He has a particular interest in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic period.
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The Battle of the Somme: The WWI battle which destroyed a generation, and changed Britain forever. Lancashire’s soldiers suffered greatly; this is their story.
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A Rapier Amongst Scythes - The British Expeditionary Force in 1914: How the force which the Kaiser called “that contemptible little army” destroyed his dreams of an easy victory, and the part played by our own East Lancashire, South Lancashire, and Loyal North Lancashire Regiments.
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Ypres 1914: The Triumph of the Old Contemptibles: The battle where Britain’s tiny but superbly professional pre-war army sacrificed itself to blunt Germany’s onrushing horde.
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Ypres, The Salient & Passchendaele 1914-18: The commitment of the East Lancashire, South Lancashire, and Loyal North Lancashire Regiments to the three distinct Battles of Ypres.
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WWI - Not The Western Front: The story of the Lancashire Regiments which fought in Gallipoli, Mesopotamia, Africa and elsewhere
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Afghanistan: The history of the British Army’s two centuries of involvement, and the role played by Lancashire’s regiments.
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Waterloo: Insights into the Allied and French armies which fought the epochal battle.
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The Peninsula War – Spain & Portugal 1808-1814: The small war which became pivotal to the history of Europe, turned the unregarded British army into an Empire winning force, and made a little-known colonial Sepoy general into the great Duke of Wellington.
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Wellington In The Pyrenees – The Peninsula War 1812-1814: Wellington’s great campaign of 1813/14 which brought final victory in the Peninsular War, precipitated the fall of Napoleon, and is considered by many to be amongst Great Duke’s greatest military achievements.
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Quebec 1759: How one perfect musket volley by the regiment which was to become Preston’s own Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, caused half a continent to change hands and ensured that North America remained part of the English-speaking world.
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The Preston Fight 1715: The second Battle of Preston, when the First Jacobite Rebellion was brought to a bitter and bloody end amongst the streets and alleyways of the town.
TERRY DEAN
Terry Dean has a particular interest in World War 1 and is a member of the Western Front Association.
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A Bantam's War: An account of a Bantam battalion's experiences on the Western Front based on a shorthand diary kept by a soldier in the battalion.
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Monty's Mentor: The story of James Walter Sandilands who uses his pre-war experiences in fighting the Dervishes and Boers to quickly progress from Captain to Brigadier General on the Western Front. He gives his young Brigade-Major (Captain Montgomery) lessons and experiences he would never forget.
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Several Battalion Commanders: The stories of five officers with highly varied backgrounds (including service with the Royal Irish Rifles, the Indian cavalry, and the Durham Light Infantry) who commanded a battalion of Lancashire Fusiliers in France between January 1916 and the Armistice.
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The Lancashire Contemptibles: The 1914 experiences of Lancashire's infantry and cavalry regiments, who shaped the course of the War. The talk covers their movement to France and events to the end of 1st Ypres in November 1914.
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Leadership, Morale and Esprit de Corps: The Winning Factor? Brigadier General R J Kentish DSO was the inspirational first Commandant of the 3rd Army School and Senior Officer's School. He was known and respected by many senior commanders including Field Marshal Haig
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Macdonell's Multi-Continental Three-Dimensional War: Based on over 500 letters written by Lt Col Ian (formerly Daniel) Harrison Macdonell, this talk tells the story of his service between 1898 and 1920, seeing combat as a pilot in France and West Africa, and as an infantry commander in France and Mesopotamia.
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Returned to the Regiment: The life story of Lt. Col. Sir Gilbert Mackereth M.C. who was one of the “Several Battalion Commanders” above. In addition, the exhumation of his remains from his threatened grave in Spain and return of his cremated remains and medals to Bury.
ROGER GOODWIN
Roger Goodwin was the last Director of Public Relations for the British Hong Kong Garrison, was Chief Information Officer for the Army in Northern Ireland, and is a Falklands veteran. He has long been interested in all military history, with a lifetime passion for aviation. He now spends as much time as possible taking new pictures of old aeroplanes.
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Knights Of The Sky - The First Fighter Aces 1914-18: The dawn of war in the air, and the young men who became their nations’ star heroes.
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The Birth of Air Power - From Leonardo to 1914: Mankind’s first faltering steps to use the air for war.
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The Falklands 1982: Background and insights into the largest land-naval-air combat between modern armed forces since WWII.
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The Greatest Tragedy The Wrecking of the Sea Horse, Lord Melville & Boadicea, 30/31 January 1816: On one day just over 200 years ago, three ships were wrecked on the coast of Ireland and 510 men, women and children from two regiments were drowned. It was the greatest loss of life in the history of today's Duke of Lancaster's Regiment - more than any battle, on any battlefield, ever. How and why did it happen?
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The Power of the Still Image - Photography, War Photography, and the Power of the Still Image to Change the World: - A history of photography, in particular the part played by war photography, and a look at some of the most powerful still images in history.
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