Richard Holmes Memorial Lecture 2026

The Richard Holmes Lecture is given annually; sponsorship rotates between the Battlefields Trust, The British Commission for Military History (BCMH) and the Guild.  This year’s sponsor is the BCMH.  The Richard Holmes Memorial Lecture 2026 will be held on Tuesday 27 October at the RAF Club, 128 Piccadilly, London

The speaker will be Professor Jonathan Boff from the University of Birmingham; his subject will be

‘Redcoats to Dusty Warriors: Britain and its Soldiers from Waterloo to Helmand’

The relationship between British society, its Army, and the Soldiers who served and serve in it, has changed much and many times over the course of the last two centuries. This lecture will explore the dynamics of that relationship and the factors that drove its development, as the utility of the military, attitudes within civilian society, and the character of the Army itself, all evolved. It will conclude with some thoughts – provocations, perhaps – on where that relationship stands today and what the future might hold.

It will take place at the Royal Air Force Club, 128 Piccadilly, London, W1J 7PY on Tuesday 27 October at 6.30, with the lecture starting at 7pm. Canapes and wine will be served afterwards. Tickets are £45 per person.  Please contact the Guild Secretary (secretary@gbg-international.com) if you wish to attend – booking details will follow.