fourteeneighteen

History and structure

Chris Baker began carrying out research into soldiers of the British Army of 1914-1918 as long ago as 1982. It was at that time purely a hobby. When he developed the Long, Long Trail website from 1995, more and more people approached him, asking for help. While a great deal of free information and advice was added to the site, Chris recognised there were an awful lot of people who simply could not do this for themselves … and fourteeneighteen was born.

Chris provided research services as a very part-time job, for he was still at that time working in his professional career. It was only in April 2008 that he switched attention full-time to fourteeneighteen and related work.

fourteeneighteen is a trading name of Milverton Associates Limited, a company registered in the United Kingdom, and all our client engagements are undertaken on the basis of a contract between client and company. This is to ensure that clients have full assurance that they are dealing with something solid and reliable, and that we work to the appropriate standards required by law and the taxman.

For some years, the business traded under the name of Great War Family Research.

How we work

Most of the archival work and all of the interpretation/reporting work is carried out by Chris himself. We have a network of trusted contacts who occasionally assist with certain types of archival searches, and (through Chris’s long term work as a member and Chairman of the Western Front Association) a global network of contacts with regimental specialists, museums, and so on.This means that our clients are assured of the very best, in-depth, research on their soldier.

Contact details

Postal address:
fourteeneighteen
Milverton Associates Limited
8 Overell Grove
Leamington Spa
Warwickshire
CV32 6HP
United Kingdom

Email address: fourteeneighteen @ 1914-1918.net (take out gaps either side of the @).

We do not offer telephone contact.

Legal details

Milverton Associates Limited is UK Registered Company 04582510.

Payment for our services can be made by (Sterling) cheque, Paypal or major credit or debit cards including Visa and Mastercard (via our online payment processor, Royal Bank of Scotland Worldpay), or by direct BACS or similar direct bank-to-bank payment. All details are provided when we invoice our clients.

Chris Baker

My Great War interest was sparked by family stories of a grandfather I never knew, and brought even closer to the fore by my wife’s stories of two great-uncles and two grandfathers who also served. Two of these men lie in France. At school in the 60s and 70s, I was taught virtually nothing about the Great War, and I became determined to learn after a visit to Ypres when in my twenties. I found that the sources of information are scarce or expensive. I want to help others avoid the painful processes of “finding out” that I went through. And it keeps me off the streets.

I am married and have two grown-up children. I live in Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, England. Two years ago (April 2008) I exited from a 25 year career as engineer and management consultant to concentrate on my WW1 research business, which is described on this site.

As far as historical things are concerned, I was Chairman of the Western Front Association for two years and a member of the WFA Executive Committee for six; I was also a founder member of the WFA’s Heart of England Branch. I am a member of the University of Birmingham Centre for First World War Studies and of the Douglas Haig Fellowship. In December 2007, I proudly graduated with a MA (with Distinction) in British First World War Studies from the University of Birmingham. My dissertation was on the Supreme War Council 1917-1918.

In 2009 I had papers published by the Royal United Services Institution (on the Battle of Fromelles) and the Western Front Association (on the South Staffordshire Regiment). I am currently deep on writing a book on the Battle of the Lys, which will be published by Pen & Sword in 2010.

I’ve also been conducting tours of the old battlfields since the mid 1990’s, initially for my branch of the WFA but in more recent years for individuals and small groups who would prefer a high quality, personal, experience to taking a coach tour.

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