Loos is a small mining town between Lens and La Bassee in northern France. But on 25 September 1915, and for a few days after, it was the centre of one of the most intense and bloody battles of the First World War.

The casualties were appalling – about 60,000 of which the majority died on the first day. The main objective – a large-scale breakthrough – was not achieved although some 8,000 yards of enemy trench were captured and in some places their defences were penetrated up to two miles. Yet if the initial gains had been exploited the course of the war might have been different. If courage and determination could have won the day by themselves. Loos would have been a success. It is these qualities which Philip Warner’s narrative reveals above all. For a large part of this story of Loos consists of survivors’ own accounts and diaries of the time, including that of Sir John French. The author has traced survivors from all parts of the line, infantry, gunners and officers, and through their words has revealed one of the most horrific tales of war yet to be published as well as the determination and heroism that in the end turned the scales to victory.

My Boy Jack? is the full account of the tragic life of John ‘Jack’ Kipling, by Major and Mrs Holt.

On 27 September 1915 John Kipling, the only son of Britain’s best loved poet, Rudyard Kipling, disappeared during the Battle of Loos. The body lay undiscovered for 77 years. Then, in a most unusual move, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) re-marked the grave of an unknown Lieutenant of the Irish Guards, as that of John Kipling. There is considerable evidence that John’s grave has been wrongly identified and for the first time in this book, the authors name the soldier they believe is buried in ‘John’s grave’. This is the first biography of John’s short life, analysing the devastating effect it had on his famous father’s work.

The Welsh Guards have been at the forefront of British military history over the past hundred years. Bearskins, Bayonets & Body Armour traces them from their foundation in the First World War and their baptism of fire at the Battle of Loos in 1915, through their fighting at Dunkirk, in the Western Desert, Italy and Normandy in the Second World War, the Cold War and the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War, the Balkans, up to the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 21st century.

As well as the Regiment’s operational history, this book also offers a unique insight into its high-profile role in ceremonial events in London such as the Changing of the Guard and Trooping the Colour, which have made the Guards one of the best-known symbols of Great Britain.

On Thursday, 24 September, recipients of the George Cross and Medal gathered in London to mark the 75th anniversary of the introduction of the George Cross.

A free article from www.warfaremagazine.co.uk by Tony Gledhill GC examines the history of the award, which was introduced in September 1940 – a gallantry award for civilians and military not on operations.

The Complete George Cross is a complete chronological record of George Crosses awarded in Britain and around the world. This book is an essential work of reference for anyone who is interested in the history of the medal and in the acts of bravery and self-sacrifice it commemorates. Each entry gives the name of the George Cross holder and the date and location of the incident for which the medal was awarded. There is a graphic description of what happened and of the medal-recipient’s conduct. Information is also provided on the background of the George Cross recipients, the location of their medals and their place of burial.