If you haven’t yet booked to join us for the conference on 19 July, please do so before 14 July when I be finalising catering.
The programme for the day can be found here
We have quite a diverse range of contributions which is super to see.

Following a very successful discussion on Zambian memorials on 1 July, I have set up a Forum space for members to add relevant information. At present categories/topics are a taster and will/can be added to. Registered members are able to post to the forum. Please get in touch if you spot any gremlins in terms of the forum, logging in etc. Documents added to the site should be free of copyright, however if there are copyright issues, please get in touch as documents can be password protected/restricted accordingly.

Some new publications have been added – for researchers of South African and Zimbabwean military history in particular, there are various collected editions/journals available. See Books to Purchase.

Another West African Frontier Force Journal has been added to the site and updates made to various spreadsheets.

The Legion of Frontiersmen’s June 2026 newsletter features comments by various men who served in the 25th Royal Fusiliers in East Africa during World War One. See https://frontiersmenhistorian.info/newsletters/ and also for other snippets covering World War 1.

GWAA has a new publication due soon – There came a time…Fiction as Memory where we look at publishing, novels, plays, gaming, film and some poetry as ways to remember the First World War in Africa. Contributions are from historians, literary experts, novelists, gamers and actors. Sérgio Neto and I, as editors of the publication discussed the main themes with the Portuguese Literary Group, organised by Francisco Soares and hosted by Sandra in April. You can watch/listen to Seminário em História da Literatura, CITCEM e GIEIPC-IP. Ciclo 2026. Segunda Sessão – Sérgio Neto e Anne Samson, “Literature, the Press and Conflict. The Case of the First World War” (2 hours) here.

There is a discussion on memorials in Zambia on 1 July. See events for details.

GWAA Conference – 19 July 2026
Confirmed speakers are:
Sérgio Neto – ‘An analysis of three 21th century novels on the First World War in Mozambique’
Robert Coyle – Honouring non-white Africans who served
Eric Martinez – British & South African Perceptions of African Participation in the African military Campaigns of World War One
Anne Samson – Africa, August-December 1914
There is still space for a speaker – if you are interested, please email me.

Seminars: these will recommence in September and continue into 2027. If you would like to share some research you’re working on, get some additional input to areas you’re researching on, this is the ideal space to do so. Email me to discuss.

The fifth and final report of the CWGC non-commemoration project has been published. The work started by the Commission continues in a slightly restructed format. All is explained on the CWGC site.

In a blog posted on 27 April, CWGC historian George Hay explains about archives used for the non-commemoration project. You can read about it here.

News has been received that Peter Baxter passed away in early April. Peter set up the initial website in 2011 for the then Great War in East Africa Association. He wrote on various military topics concerning Africa. It is due to Peter and Howard Chinner setting up the Association online that the GWAA is able to be what it is today.

Don’t forget on 13 May we have our next GWAA seminar at 6pm UK time. Dominic Etzold will be talking about using German archives in relation to his recently published book The Africa Ship and his current research.

Other dates for your diary:
1 July 4pm there will be a special Zoom session discussing Zambia memorials and remembrance. If you are interested in participating, please contact me.
And then there is the 19 July GWAA Conference in London – details under the Events tab. If you would like to present a paper at the conference, please get in touch.