This project was started after I discovered the story of the 1/8th (Irish) Kings (Liverpool Regiment) and their daring trench raids at Blairville, Pas-de-Calais, France in the spring of 1916.

In September 2015, whilst cycling the front lines of the Great War in an area little visited today by most western front pilgrims, the history of 'the forty thieves' and their daring raids into the enemy trenches captured my imagination. On a wet and windy afternoon, whilst taking shelter in a small copse, I was browsing my digital trench maps when I noticed it was an area full of well positioned and heavily defended German trenches. I needed to research further. On return to my accomodation I started reading about Lieutenant Edward Baxter VC; the rest, as they say, "is history"......