Western Front Association

Suffolk Branch

The Suffolk branch of the WFA hold monthly meetings on the second Wednesday of the month
at The Royal British Legion, 8 Tavern Street, Stowmarket, IP14 1PH.

They are open to members and non-members of the association.

Our next talk is on

Wednesday 12th February 2025 at 7.30pm

The Final Whistle

Stephen Cooper

From Amazon: Winner of the Rugby Book of the Year Award 2013 at The British Sports Book Awards. In the years leading up to the First World War, the Rugby grounds of Britain became training grounds for war. The Final Whistle plays tribute to the pivotal role Rugby played in the Great War by following the poignant stories of fifteen men who played for Rosslyn Park, London. They came from diverse backgrounds, with players from Australia, Ceylon, Columbia, Ireland and South Africa, but they were united by their love of the game and their courage in the face of war. Stephen Cooper follows them from London to the Western Front, Mesopotamia, Turkey, Italy and Dublin, through some of the war’s fiercest battles. The Final Whistle is a must-read for any rugby enthusiast or First World War historian.

The meetings usually last an hour followed by an interval of half an hour and then a Q&A session.

We suggest a minimum donation of £5.00 per person towards the Branch’s expenses. An individual buffet box is provided during the interval and drinks can be purchased at the club’s bar. We also hold a raffle ticket where the prizes vary from books to something to eat or drink.

Future meetings planned

Wednesday 12th March 2025

With a Trowel in the Trenches:
Archaeology & the Great War

Clive Harris

From Macedonia, Palestine, and the Dardanelles, through to the Roman Gallic wars, the troglodyte nature of the First World War frequently came into contact with the Ancient world.  This is the story of not only the discoveries uncovered during trench construction, but the fascinating and varied lives of the archaeologists who served throughout it.

Wednesday 9th April 2025

To be confirmed

Phil Sutcliffe

Wednesday 14th May 2025

British widows of WW1

Andrea Hetherington

Wednesday 11th June 2025

Tribunals

Suffolk Archives

Wednesday 9th July 2025

Palestine

John Peaty