Trace history of our war heroes at talks

The initiative entitled Herts at War has teamed up with leading historians from all over the UK in a brand new series of evening talks for 2015.

The Heritage Lottery-funded group has started a series of seminars to be held on the second Thursday of each month, in Herts town Letchworth Garden City.

The talks each explore a different theme relating to the Great War and the county’s contribution to the conflict, including the movements of the 1st Hertfordshire Regiment which included Hemel Hempstead’s own Reggie Secretan – a Leverstock Green lad who was killed at the battle of Passchendaele aged just 22.

Among the list of speakers are well known military historians Taff Gillingham – the military expert behind the 2014 Sainsbury’s Christmas advert – Chris Baker, former chairman of the Western Front Association and authors Peter Hart and Professor Richard Grayson.

Speaking about the series, project officer for Herts at War Dan Hill said:“We have been very fortunate throughout the past years to have worked with some of the foremost names in the field of military history and are very pleased to be joined by such a prestigious list of speakers over the coming year.

“The aim of the project since its conception has been to raise awareness of the Great War and help develop an understanding of the conflict and also to address some of the common misconceptions that have arisen over the last century. with such a great list of speakers is a real pleasure and a great opportunity to give back to

Herts at War are a non-profit organisation set up to mark last year’s 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War.

Tickets to each talk are free although bookings should be made in advance. Information on all the speakers in the new series and how to book can be found at www.hertsatwar.co.uk/events.

Each talk will be held at The Theatre, St Christopher School, Letchworth Garden City.

The Herts at War exhibition is also currently on display in The Arcade, Letchworth, Herts.

Follow @herts_at_war on Twitter for more updates.