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About the Club
About the Club
Leadenham Military History Club is an informal, amateur club for military history enthusiasts in the area of Leadenham and the "Lincoln Cliff" villages along the A607 south of Lincoln. We aim to deliver interesting and informative talks, presentations and workshops on all aspects of military history, from any era and anywhere in the world.
Our speakers are usually, but not always, members of the club who speak on subjects known to them. There is no set format for our meetings; it depends entirely on the preference of the presenter.
Within the club we have members with knowledge of The American Civil War, World Wars 1 and 2, and the Cold War. Given our location in Bomber County, close to RAF Waddington and RAF Cranwell, we do have a particular abundance of RAF knowledge, but we aim to cover all areas of military history, and new speakers are always sought.
We also invite members to bring along an item in their possession and speak briefly about it at our meetings. This might be an item of uniform, medals or military equipment with significance to them or their family, but once again, any subject can be considered.
Recent Events
RAF Cranwell, College Hall tours
On Tuesday 17 July, a beautiful summer evening, a number of members enjoyed our second "small group" tour of College Hall Officers' Mess at RAF Cranwell.
This magnificent structure is the spiritual home of the Royal Air Force and member Mike Whitwham, who works at Cranwell, delivered a fascinating tour of the building and some of its historic contents.
The two tours are now concluded but may be repeated in future years, depending on demand - and if we can persuade Mike to do them again!
We are now hoping to organise a group tour of the RAF Digby Sector Operations Room Museum in the near future. Details will appear here, or email milhistory@btinternet.com to express your interest.
August Meeting
A good attendance at our August meeting, especially considering the holidays and the fine weather, saw a very interesting presentation of a short film from the 1970s by John Porter, former Vulcan pilot, followed by a very well presented talk by Jerry Porter on the impact of the Great War on a Lincolnshire family. Illustrated with original correspondence and photos, this was a highly personal and moving talk which was enjoyable and thought provoking in equal measure.
Next up, in September, is our Arnhem workshop. interactive discussion around our large scale map - your chance to get involved (optional!)
September Meeting
September saw our Arnhem workshop, which took place more or less exactly 80 years, to the hour, after Col Frost's men arrived at the north end of the Arnhem road bridge.
Gathered around our large scale map, a lively and knowledgeable discussion ensued. Having always felt the operation was doomed from its conception, I, for one, came away with the realisation that it was not, and that if just a couple of things had unfolded differently, actually it could well have worked.
To the Korean war for our October meeting, with a presentation on the gunners at the Imjin river - the battle that saved Seoul.
Belton House Military Walk
On 10 September a number of us enjoyed a group history walk at Belton House near Grantham, kindly organised by the National Trust.
We were shown the site of the machine gun corps encampments in WW1, the original location occupied by the Royal Air Force Regiment in 1942, war graves in Londonthorpe churchyard, and finished with the opportunity to climb the Bellmount Tower.
Our thanks to our guides John and Ian and to the NT for providing this tour. Tours are run for the public generally so if you wish to join one, start with the Belton House website.
Future Events
You can see the list of forthcoming presentations on our Events page. Sign up to our email list for updates on future events.
We continue to plan trips to local sites of interest.
Of Interest ...
We have introduced a new section of the website where we highlight other events we think may be of interest, either because they are local to the club or because they have some other connection to our members. Do take a look.
Currently we are highlighting We Have Ways West, at which our Chairman is one of the presenters; the Grimsthorpe Castle Summer Exhibition; and the Lincoln WFA summer programme.
Trafalgar Night Dinner
The club's inaugural Trafalgar Night Dinner took place on Saturday 19 October.
Members and their guests enjoyed an excellent dinner including Lincolnshire Roast beef, along with rousing sea shanties, historical dispatches and traditional toasts.
Special thanks to our ship's cook Mike Willgoose and to our singers Graham Mclusky and Ed Sisson.
Let's hope we can do it again next year - bigger and better!
Past Presentations
Past Presentations
So far the club has enjoyed presentations on:
Fighter Command operations in France in 1941-2;
Countering the Soviet Threat in the Cold War, including Blue Steel, Thor. Polaris and Trident;
Draftsmanship in World War 2;
Photography in the Battlefield, from the American Civil War to 1945;
The Cheviot B-17 Crash;
Eddy Moss, Operation Gisela and the Warsop Lancaster;
The No. 100 Romanian Field Hospital in the first Gulf War, 1991;
An interactive workshop looking at Operation Overlord (D-Day);
The 6th Lincolnshires at Gallipoli, and the post-war controversy;
the siege of RAF Habbaniya in Iraq in 1941, and the events which surrounded it;
Vulcan bomber training in the Cold War;
A very personal account of the impact of the Great War on one Lincolnshire family.
If you are interested in making a presentation on a subject of which you have knowledge, we would always be glad to hear from you.
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