Head of Product, Downforce Technologies
Joined July 2009
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Dec 2023
NEW: Does the American Dream foster inequality?
Let’s start with a shocking stat:
These two things are simultaneously true:
• The richest Americans are the richest in the world
• Food poverty is more severe in America than in any other developed country
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
2 Oct 2023
Funniest scenario here would be five minutes to go and Scotland leading 36-20 with both teams having scored four tries.
At that point, Ireland would qualify by conceding a try, would go out if they didn’t
Graphic from @topofthemoonGW 🙏
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
Some sources.
bws-school.org.uk/main/BWSOW…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeebru…
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
If you’d like to read more about the raid I’d recommend this book. It gave me a whole new insight into what my grandfather must have experienced g.co/kgs/qt6pT7
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
8 Victoria crosses were awarded. Ballots were used (the last time this was done) to select who received the VCs.
Heralded in the UK as a victory. U-Boats were back operational in a matter of days.
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
My Grandfather was on HMS Iris. He never spoke about it to anyone and became distressed every year on its anniversary.
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
HMS Iris, the ferry. Got a direct hit by shells, killing 66 of the c100 on board. It limped home, taking 12 hours to get back across the channel. With no doctor left alive to assist the wounded.
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
One of the Mersey ferries couldn’t get alongside the mole. And by the time they got ready to leave the boat, the signal to retreat was given.
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
I can’t do justice to the carnage and terror they must have experienced. One account highlights the 10foot drop off the mole and the drawing of swords to attack Germans manning artillery positions.
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
The men tried to get off the boats over wooden gangplanks into the full force of the heavily fortified mole defences.
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
An old cruiser, Vindictive, was adapted as a raiding ship. Two Merseyside ferries, packed with volunteer navy, were towed by vindictive alongside the enormous concrete mole at Zeebrugge. (The ferries went back into operation on the Mersey afterwards!)
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
Of the 1700 men, 227 were killed and 356 wounded. All in the space of around 30 minutes.
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
The diversion was provided by a huge number of navy volunteer ‘commandos’ who by storming the harbour defences would draw fire. There was also a submarine attack on the mole to stop reinforcements arriving.
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
To sail ships right into the port and sink them to block their access required a diversion so that the ships could get as close as possible without being stopped by the harbour defences.
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
In short, the British navy tried to block German U-Boats by blocking the entrance to the Sea at Zeebrugge.
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
If you read nothing else about WW1, go read about the Zeebrugge raid. It’s an astonishing story of bravery, terrible loss of life and the futility of war.
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
Two years later in 1918 there was another major Naval operation - known now as the Zeebrugge raid. It was again led by Admiral Jellicoe who had led the British fleet at battle of Jutland.
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
He was one of five from his school serving at Jutland. 2 were killed, 3 survived.
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Geoff Horrell retweeted
8 Nov 2020
One ship never fired its guns and was also never fired upon. HMS Erin. Aboard was my Grandfather, then aged 18.
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