Phil Loder's Military Page

09/09/2026

Great to see my article about HMS Dragon and my great uncle, L Temple Williams, in the latest, bumper issue of Britain At War. The story of the ship was fascinating to fit together - from the Russian Civil War to the Normandy landings - but to start from the point of my great uncle serving on Dragon in action in 1919 added greatly to the interest.

And then there was a bonus when I was working through documents at the Imperial War Museum London and discovered that his younger brother, Hugh, also served on Dragon, but around 16 years later. I wonder if they had the same cabin?

HMS Dragon served under two flags, survived the Baltic and Atlantic, and took part in the D-Day bombardment.

In the September issue, Phil Loder traces the career of the Danae-class cruiser, beginning with a family connection that reaches back to October 1919, when his great uncle, Sub Lieutenant L Temple Williams, was dangerously wounded aboard Dragon during a German bombardment of Riga.

Follow the warship through royal visits, global cruises, wartime convoy duties and her transfer to the Polish Navy before her dramatic final weeks supporting the Allied invasion of Normandy.

To buy a copy of the September 2026 issue of Britain at War magazine and receive free postage (UK only), click on the following link: https://shop.keypublishing.com/products/britain-at-war-september-2026

Alternatively, make sure you never miss an issue by subscribing from just £16.50: https://shop.keypublishing.com/products/britain-at-war-magazine-subscription

Image Credit: IWM Q 75345

07/09/2026

Exploring Dartmouth

In Dartmouth today, with the Britannia Royal Naval College overlooking everything. Two of my great uncles were cadets there, and one taught science at the college after being injured on HMS Dragon in the Baltic in 1919 - see the latest Britain At War magazine for more about that.

There are several memorials, including to Private Theodore Veale, who won the VC for saving an officer during the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. There are two marking D-Day as Dartmouth was the departure point for many British and American ships heading to Normandy.

The town war memorial is also interesting, with names of servicemen killed during and , but also civilians lost to enemy action during WW2. In addition, there are the names of three servicemen killed in China (1949), Malaya and Afghanistan.

Finally, there is a memorial to five Sea Cadets from Dartmouth and Kingswear who served from 1943 to 1945 on the cable-laying ship HMTS Alert. Among other operations, Alert was involved in laying the Pluto fuel line to Normandy. Sadly, the ship was lost and all five cadets killed when it hit a mine near Dover in February 1945.

07/09/2026

Great to see Hari’s book come out!

06/09/2026

Memorials in Exeter cathedral

There are loads of etc in Exeter cathedral and here are a few:
- The regimental chapel of the Devonshire Regt and the later Devon and Dorsets
- The memorial in the chapel
- Details from the 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers India memorial
- The East Devonshire Regt memorial for the Crimean Campaign
- The bell from HMS Exeter, veteran of the Falklands Conflict and the First Gulf War.

05/09/2026

Looking for the Exeter Blitz

I was in today and took the opportunity to look for traces of the Exeter Blitz of April and May 1942. The city was targeted in the Baedeker raids.

Exeter cathedral was among the buildings damaged and a German 500kg bomb demolished 650-year-old St James’ Chapel. The mangled tail of the bomb is on display in the rebuilt chapel along with a stone panel commemorating the part played by the Polish 307 Squadron in defending the city from night attacks by the Luftwaffe.

There is also a stone from the original Norman cathedral that was recovered from the rubble.

Some of the cathedral’s stained glass windows were blown out and were later replaced with clear glass.

Elsewhere in the city, there are the remains of ruined buildings that have been left as memorials, plus a relief of a phoenix representing the rebuilding of Exeter after .

04/09/2026

D-Day history at Agatha Christie’s house

Visited Agatha Christie’s house, Greenway NT, on the River Dart in Devon today.

In 1944, it was the HQ of the 10th Flotilla of Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) being operated by crews from the US Coast Guard for D-Day. The 24 landing craft were anchored on the river below the house.

The flotilla arrived in January 1944, and during their 6-month stay at the house, Lt Marshall Lee - a professional illustrator and commander of LCI(L) 96 - painted murals of the unit’s war so far in the library. These included ship building and crew training in the US, then Bermuda, Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily and Salerno, before they travelled to Devon via Gibraltar.

When the house was handed back, Agatha and her husband Max decided to keep the paintings as a reminder of the house’s connection and role in the war.

04/09/2026

Amazing to see Challenger 3 in the arena at this year’s ! My report on the event is in the latest issue of Classic Military Vehicle 👍

“Seeing Challenger 3 each morning was the highlight for many visitors.”

Phil Loder reports from Tankfest 2026, where Challenger 3 joined an impressive line-up of historic armour, including World War One replicas, the ‘Black Sea’ StuG III, Nashorn Phoenix and Warrior 39 KG 28.

The September 2026 issue of Classic Military Vehicle is now on sale! To buy a copy for just £6.29 and receive free postage (UK only), click on the following link: https://shop.keypublishing.com/products/classic-military-vehicle-september-2026

Alternatively, make sure you never miss an issue by subscribing from just £16.50: https://shop.keypublishing.com/products/classic-military-vehicle-magazine-subscription

Image Credit: Phil Loder

03/09/2026

Teignmouth war memorial

Sea, seagulls and an ice cream at Teignmouth, Devon, today, plus this war memorial on the sea front. Includes casualty names from Kenya, Cyprus and Malaya.

Also spotted two coast artillery searchlight positions and a pillbox across the river mouth - hope to visit them in due course.

02/09/2026

Really enjoyed interviewing Steve, and his book is fascinating and packed with insights about life as a National Serviceman in the war zone that was Malaya.

The National Serviceman who mapped a war.

In the August issue, Phil Loder speaks to Steve Hurst about his National Service experience in Malaya, where he worked in the intelligence Map Room at Bluff Road during the Malayan Emergency.

Drawing on the diaries he kept at the time, Hurst recalls his arrival in Malaya, life at the heart of British intelligence and his attempts to experience the conflict beyond his desk – before, decades later, meeting both High Commissioner Sir Gerald Templer and communist leader Chin Peng.

To buy a copy of the August 2026 issue of Britain at War magazine and receive free postage (UK only), click on the following link: https://shop.keypublishing.com/products/britain-at-war-august-2026

Alternatively, make sure you never miss an issue by subscribing from just £16.50: https://shop.keypublishing.com/products/britain-at-war-magazine-subscription

Image Credit: Steve Hurst

01/09/2026

Chieftain in the dust! 👍

A few pics of Seb Brady's Chieftain in Berlin Brigade camouflage at this year's Operation Market Harborough. The event was in early August so lots of dust, but blowing across the car park not the crowd! Impressive to see the main battle tanks roaring around the old airfield.