About This Site

This website is run by the Cambridgeshire Regiment Research Trust (CRRT); an independent group consisting of three dedicated Cambridgeshire historians with a combined total of over seven decades research into the Regiment (please click here for individual details). The information on this site represents a general overview of the events and activities of the ‘Cambs Terriers’ from 1908 to 1920. Over the course of the First World War Centenary this website has been regularly updated with more detailed accounts of key events and individuals as well as numerous useful research guides. Moving forward, these updates and articles will continue alongside a steady expansion of the site to incorporate the inter-war and Second World War experiences of the Cambridgeshires.

One of the key aims of the site is to provide the descendants of Cambs soldiers with a central source of accurate information on the Regiment and its activities. Since the launch of the site we have received hundreds of inquiries from people who are looking to research their relatives who served in the Cambridgeshires and we are often able to provide details not available from any other sources. We do not charge a fee for our assistance and are happy to help those looking to find out about the Cambridgeshires, however we would ask that researchers who charge their clients a fee to please make it clear where our information came from and that there was no charge on our part.

If you are looking to get in contact then please email us at cambsregt@gmail.com or fill in the Contact Form or you are welcome to come and see us at one of our numerous talks or family history events.

Support

To date, this project has been largely funded by ourselves and any revenue from our talks etc is all used to help with the running costs of the website. We are very grateful for the ongoing support we have received from local institutions and organisations in the form of venues for our events, including Cambridge University Library, Ely Museum, March Museum and numerous local libraries. We are also grateful for the continuing support from Martin Boswell, former Chairman and Curator of the Cambridgeshire Regiment Collection.

A special mention and thank you must go to Ward, Gethin and Archer Solicitors and Metcalfe, Copeman and Pettefar Solicitors (two local firms that still carry the names of two of the Cambs commanding officers) for their support of our stand-alone pop-up exhibitions, detailing the wartime activities of the 1/1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment in various years of the War. Their generosity, along with the Thomas Parsons' Charity, made the displays possible and since early 2016 these exhibitions have been displayed around the county, including in schools, and are still available for local organisation to borrow free of charge.

Your Help

We always enjoy hearing from anyone with pictures, documents, medals or objects relating to the Cambridgeshires and are always happy to offer advice on identification, storage or preservation. Over the years we have built up an extensive archive of photographs and would love to hear from anybody who has any Cambridgeshire Regiment related pictures that they would be willing to share with us - for example there are still many missing photographs from pre-war camps that we know were taken. Especially important to us are any captioned or named images as this then enables us to identified the person on other images. In return for sharing copies of your images with us we will gladly provide you any details we can on them and identify any of the individuals that we recognise.

Talks

Over the years we have given numerous talks and presentations on the Cambridgeshires to a wide range of groups and organisations. Our talks are usually individually tailored and include many examples and stories of the local men from the specific area the talk is being given. The talks all include a detailed PowerPoint presentation and are accompanied by a good selection of relevant images. The list of available talks include:

A County's Terriers at War - The Cambridgeshire Regiment in the Great War.

From Rifle Volunteers to the Royal Anglian Regiment - A brief history of the Cambridgeshire Regiment, including its forebearers and its descendants.

The Cambs on the Somme - A detailed look at the Cambridgeshire Regiment's role in the 1916 Somme Offensive, including the famous capture of the Schwaben Redoubt.

From Cam Grove to the Canal Bank - A look at the Cambridgeshire Regiment's time in the Ypres Salient in both 1915 and 1917.

Cambridge Blue and Flanders Mud - The Cambridgeshire Regiment and the Third Battle of Ypres including the attacks at St Julien and Tower Hamlets.

Retreat and Advance - The Cambridgeshire Regiment in 1918 including the German Spring Offensive and the final Allied Hundred Days Offensive.

If you are interested in booking a talk on the Cambs for your group or organisation please contact us at cambsregt@gmail.com or fill in the Contact Form to discuss availability and fees.

Family History Days

Alongside our friends from organisations such as the Hunts Cyclist Battalion Website and Skylark Battlefield Tours we attend a variety of family history events around the county each year. At these events we offer expert advice and assistance on researching peoples relatives in the Great War. We recently organised the highly successful Cambridge University Library First World War Family History Day, details of this event can be found by clicking here.

If you are interested in further details, or would like to arrange for us to attend an event please contact us at cambsregt@gmail.com or fill in the Contact Form.

Who We Are

Cliff Brown

With an interest in the Cambridgeshire Regiment for nearly 40 years, Cliff is a journalist who has also researched many of the county's war memorials and the stories of soldiers who fought in the First World War. He is a long-time member of the Western Front Association and former chairman of its Cambridgeshire branch.

Felix Jackson

Felix works as a museum custodian and local historian and has a background in vintage aviation, photography and military antiques and collectables. He has been researching the Cambridgeshire Regiment for nearly twenty years and also specialises in the research of First World War soldiers especially those associated with the county of Cambridgeshire. He regularly gives talks and presentations on the Cambridgeshire Regiment as well as organising museum events. He is a member of the Orders and Medals Research Society.

Robin James

Robin is a chartered academic librarian at the University of Cambridge and is an ex member of D (Cambridgeshire) Company, VI (Vol) Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment. He has been researching the history and men of the Cambridgeshire Regiment for over twenty years and has a particular interest in military medals. He is a member of the Orders and Medals Research Society, with a focus on collecting medals awarded to the Cambridgeshire Regiment for gallantry and long service.

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