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Mark Simner

@marksimner.bsky.social
734 followers 419 following 417 posts

Author and Magazine Feature Writer of British Military History | MHM Book of the Year Nominee | Book Reviewer | Militaria Collector | BA (Hons) MSc

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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 17h
It seems rather apt that these two new purchases arrived together today.
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
I almost missed this new book. The Avengers: Death in Downing Street. The first new official Avengers book to be published in decades. titanbooks.com/72871-the-av...
titanbooks.com
The Avengers: Death in Downing Street
It’s May 1967. Prime Minister Harold Wilson is determined to take the UK into the European Economic Community – a move that’s divisive amongst politicians, the trade unions and the man and woman on th...
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
#OnThisDay (26 June 1794) The French Revolutionary Army led by Jean-Baptiste Jourdan defeated an Austro-Dutch army at the Battle of #Fleurus. This turning point led to the permanent loss of the Austrian Netherlands and the dissolution of the Dutch Republic. (Image: Wikimedia)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
#OnThisDay (25 June 1950) The Korean War began when North Korea’s forces invaded the south. With the Soviet representative absent, the UN Security Council denounced the attack and called upon member nations to provide military assistance to repel the invasion. (Image: Wikimedia)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
#OnThisDay (25 June 1944) Allied ships bombard German fortifications at #Cherbourg to break a stalled infantry advance and to neutralise batteries denying them a vital supply port. Crucial close support from small ships aided the port’s capture on 29 June. (Image: Wikimedia)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
#OnThisDay (22 June 1893) HMS Victoria collided with HMS Camperdown during Mediterranean fleet manoeuvres. The impact caused significant damage to Victoria's bow, leading it to rapidly capsize. The ship sank in 15 minutes, with 358 crew lost in the disaster. (Image: Wikimedia)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
#OnThisDay (22 June 1807) HMS Leopard attacked and boarded USS #Chesapeake off Virginia to seize Royal Navy deserters. Outraged Americans called for war. However, President Thomas Jefferson responded with economic warfare, resulting in the Embargo of 1807. (Image: Wikimedia)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
#OnThisDay (19 Jun 1816) The Battle of Seven Oaks is fought near #Winnipeg. A climax of the Pemmican War, the North West Co. defeated the Hudson’s Bay Co. It marked a key moment where the Métis asserted themselves as "la Nouvelle Nation." (Image: Wikimedia)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Eighty years after the Second World War, unexploded ordnance still poses a serious danger. Some 117 unexploded wartime shells removed from the sea floor between Malta and Sicily to safely lay a new power cable. timesofmalta.com/article/117-...
timesofmalta.com
117 wartime unexploded items cleared from the path of the second interconnector
Delicate operation between Sicily and Malta completed
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
#OnThisDay (13 Jun 1944) The first German V-1 flying bomb struck Britain, detonating at 04:25 at Mile End, East London. Three more impacted across Kent and Sussex during the early morning hours. Nine were launched on the 12th but failed to reach their targets. (Image: Wikimedia)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
#OnThisDay (13 Jun 1917) London suffered the deadliest German air raid of WWI. 14 Gotha bombers struck the capital in daylight, claiming 162 lives - including 46 children - and injuring 432. A grim turning point bringing total war to the British home front. (Image: Wikimedia)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
BBC News - Secret history of RAF Newmarket marked at Rowley Mile event - BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Secret history of RAF Newmarket marked at Rowley Mile event
An event commemorates the secret agents who were dropped behind enemy lines in World War Two.
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Hopefully, I've finally nailed the assault of the Highland Brigade at the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir for my next book. ​Next stop, an Old Fashioned. 🥃 (​📷 Henri Louis Dupray, "The Black Watch at the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir, 1882," c. 1900.)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
#OnThisDay (30/31 May 1942) RAF Bomber Command executed Operation Millennium against #Cologne - the first "1,000-bomber" raid. Dropping 1,478 tonnes of ordnance, the raid destroyed over 12,000 buildings and caused widespread civilian displacement. ​(Image: Wikimedia Commons)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
#OnThisDay (30 May 1796) Napoleon Bonaparte forces a crossing of the Mincio River at the Battle of #Borghetto, defeating the Austrian army under Johann Peter Beaulieu. It forced an Austrian retreat, allowimg the French to besiege the key fortress of Mantua. ​(Image: Wikimedia)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
#OnThisDay (29 May 1945) The Consolidated B-32 Dominator conducts its first combat mission. The target is a supply depot at Antatet in the Philippines. Only 118 B-32s were built; the heavy bomber was retired from service in August of the same year. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
#OnThisDay (29 May 1935) The Messerschmitt Bf 109, later commonly referred to by the Allies as the Me 109, made its first flight. Designed by Willy #Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser, over 34,000 109s were built, serving with multiple air forces. ​(Image: Wikimedia Commons)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
​#OnThisDay (17 May 1756) Britain declared war on France, formally starting the Seven Years' War. Fought by the Great Powers across Europe, North America, the Caribbean, and the Indian subcontinent, it is considered by many to be the first true global war. (Images: Wikimedia)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
#OnThisDay (16/17 May 1943) 617 Squadron, RAF executes Operation Chastise. Using Barnes Wallis’s spinning bouncing bombs, they breach the Möhne and Eder dams, disrupting German industry while causing catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr Valley. #Dambusters (Images: Wikimedia)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
​#OnThisDay (10 May 1941) Rudolf Hess flies solo to Scotland and parachutes into a field near Eaglesham. Seeking to negotiate a peace via the Duke of Hamilton, he was instead detained until his trial in 1946. (Image: Wreckage of Hess's Messerschmitt Bf 110. Wikimedia Commons.)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
#OnThisDay (10 May 1940) Britain launches Operation Fork to occupy neutral #Iceland. Following Denmark’s fall, the UK preempted Nazi Germany to secure the GIUK gap and protect Atlantic supply lines. ​(Image: HMS Berwick, flagship and transport for the landing. Wikimedia Commons)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Next up... ​These are quite hefty tomes, so they should keep me out of trouble for a while!
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
German prisoner of war was ‘secretly buried’ under St Julian’s villa - Times of Malta timesofmalta.com/article/germ...
timesofmalta.com
German prisoner of war was ‘secretly buried’ under St Julian’s villa
Historian Simon Cusens claims the soldier was secretly buried during World War II
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
I'm not a stamp collector (although I do have a Waterloo set from the 2015 bicentenary), but these are tempting... shop.royalmail.com/valour-and-v...
shop.royalmail.com
Valour and Victory Stamp Set
Ten Special Stamps celebrate extraordinary individuals whose actions saved lives, changed history and shaped Britain’s war effort. Ten First Class landscape stamps, each featuring a lesser-known hero...
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Airman's son pays emotional visit to dad's exhibit - BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
US airman's son pays emotional visit to dad's Duxford exhibition
Richard Moseley, from Utah, visits Duxford which is showcasing his father's clothes and documents.
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
RAF Museum Midlands Named Joint Top UK Museum in Which? Survey - Vintage Aviation News. vintageaviationnews.com/aviation-mus...
vintageaviationnews.com
RAF Museum Midlands Named Joint Top UK Museum in Which? Survey - Vintage Aviation News
The RAF Museum Midlands has been named a joint top-rated museum in the UK by Which?, following strong feedback from visitors. The survey highlighted its aircraft collection, interactive exhibits, and ...
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
TANKFEST: Tank Museum to feature Sherman 'Jumbo' tank | Bournemouth Echo. www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/2606287...
bournemouthecho.co.uk
Rare Second World War tank to go on display at Dorset museum event in June
See the only running Sherman M4A3E2 Jumbo tank in Europe at Tankfest 2026, The Tank Museum. Rare WWII armour, live displays, and historic vehicles.
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
My current book line‑up. I fully expect each one to leave me even more infuriated with those who’ve made such a mess of things, but they look like compelling reading nonetheless.
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
www.popularmechanics.com/flight/a7094...
popularmechanics.com
A Legendary WWII Plane Vanished in the Jungle. 80 Years Later, It Emerged From the Wild—Incredibly Preserved.
Major Richard Bong downed 40 Japanese aircraft in his trusty “Marge.” Then, after a crash, it was lost to time.
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Another productive day working on my next book, teasing out the operational detail behind the actions at #Magfar and #Kassassin during the #AngloEgyptianWar However, it is now time for an Old Fashioned. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
One positive today-at least in my opinion-the scheduled launch of Atremis II at 11.24pm UK time. news.sky.com/liveblog-web...
news.sky.com
Artemis II mission latest: How NASA expects historic space launch to unfold as countdown approaches
Launch day for the Artemis II space mission has arrived. Yesterday, NASA put the chance of lift-off going ahead at 80%. The mission will take four astronauts on a 10-day test trip around the moon. Fol...
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Tonight's classic movie.
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
Today I am writing about... ⬇️
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
And this Saturday night's classic movie is...
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Time for a re-watch!
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
Re-watching season one of Picard, and struck by how incredibly well Peyton List (the older one of Mad Men and The Rookie fame) plays the part of Narissa. A Star Trek villain it would've been interesting to know more of their back story. Alas, they killed the character off too quickly and easily.
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...
theguardian.com
‘Negatives are photographic truths’: the collector who fled Russia with a haul of second world war images
Ukrainian-Russian photojournalist Arthur Bondar has amassed huge collection of pictures from often unknown photographers
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
Potential classic film choice for tonight. A nice follow on from the Ipcress File last week.
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Captain Tony Morton, naval aviator awarded the DSC for leadership in the Falklands War – obituary share.google/aLuek1BfVrhC...
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Captain Tony Morton, naval aviator awarded the DSC for leadership in the Falklands War
Under his command, the aged frigate Yarmouth experienced some of the fiercest fighting of the brief war – and survived without loss of life
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
Enjoying an Old Fashioned and I think I've settled on this absolute classic for later tonight.
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
A Sunday evening watching one of my all-time favourites.
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Crew 'excited' as new £250m warship prepares for Portsmouth home
HMS Venturer is among the fleet set to the replace the current crop of Type 23 warships.
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Trafalgar by Paul O’Keeffe, review: How Lord Nelson masterminded Britain’s most impressive victory share.google/85rDrv2lWNYN...
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How Lord Nelson masterminded Britain’s most impressive victory
Paul O’Keeffe’s superb history of the Battle of Trafalgar recreates the fight in all its gruesome, visceral detail
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Another productive evening spent writing. However, time to put the laptop away and get a bottle of something out. Below is the Italian battleship Andrea Doria, which features in my current project. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Seems like a good time to get on with reading these.
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
#OnThisDay (2 Feb 1712) George Anson begins his distinguished career in the #RoyalNavy aboard HMS Ruby. His subsequent reforms as First Lord of the Admiralty were instrumental in professionalising the service and establishing British naval supremacy. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
I’ve got something a bit different in the works for later this year, and I hope you’ll all find it interesting....
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
#OnThisDay (27 Jan 1916) The Military Service Act gains Royal Assent, bringing conscription to Great Britain for the first time. The Act required single men aged 18-41 to serve. Around 2.5 million men were ultimately conscripted. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
#OnThisDay (26 Jan 1885) #Khartoum falls to Mahdist forces following a 317-day siege. General Charles George Gordon is killed just two days before a British relief column arrives. The event sparks a national public outcry in Britain. #MahdistWar (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
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Mark Simner @marksimner.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Still one of my favourite war movies, and a pretty good way to spend the first part of a Sunday evening.
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