The book details what happened in Gainsborough and surrounding villages during 1916. At the start of 1916 Gainsborough was still mourning the dreadful lost of life of local men at the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13.10.15 and at Gallipoli.

1916 was to see two of the most famous battles of World War One, the naval Battle of Jutland on 31st May-1st June and the Battle of the Somme which started on 1st July. Three of the Snow brothers from Ropery Road, were on three different ships which fought at Jutland. Walter and Albert were lost, serving on Queen Mary and Black Prince, sunk with the combined loss of 2,126 lives. Their brother William, serving on board Diligence, survived.

Thirty-four Gainsborough soldiers were killed in action during the first three days of the Battle of the Somme. During the 141 days of the battle eighty-seven local soldiers were killed. Half of the local soldiers who were killed do not have known graves and are named on the huge Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

The book details what happened in Gainsborough and surrounding villages during 1916. At the start of 1916 Gainsborough was still mourning the dreadful lost of life of local men at the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13.10.15 and at Gallipoli.

Thirty-four Gainsborough soldiers were killed in action during the first three days of the Battle of the Somme. During the 141 days of the battle eighty-seven local soldiers were killed. Half of the local soldiers who were killed do not have known graves and are named on the huge Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

This book again includes information contributed by local people who have provided information about relatives who fought in World War One.

The book details the exploits of Petty Officer Charles Ernest Cobb, D.S.M., who went from a life of weaving baskets in Church Street, to the adventure of taking two motor boats 2,300 miles overland from Cape Town, through the jungles and mountains of Africa, to Lake Tanganyika and taking control of the lake from the Germans.

Throughout 1916 the Zeppelin threat continued. On many occasions the inhabitants of the town heard the drone of engines passing overhead but Gainsborough miraculously escaped being bombed. Gainsborough’s closest escape came during the raid of 2nd-3rd September, 1916. Bombs fell in fields at Knaith and several houses in West Stockwith were hit, the inhabitants having lucky escapes. Later in the raid Retford’s gas works was hit, resulting in a tremendous explosion and flames.