Good Morning,
Welcome to another edition of TL and I hope that you have all enjoyed a splendid Christmas with family and friends and with good cheer and bonhomie?
I spent time with my four UK based children and video called the Australian branch of the family as they lounged and barbecued on the beach. The grandchildren are all still at the extremely excited stage of life and were all well behaved, according to Santa’s Elves, as they received a wonderful array of presents from Santa and family.
All in all, a magical time was had by everyone.
NEWS & EVENTS
Here are the first events of the New Year at the various organisations in our locality.
Advance Notice of Winter/Spring 2025 talks at Lincoln & North Lincolnshire Branch, Western Front Association.
The Branch will continue to meet during 2025 on Monday evenings at The Royal Naval Association Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG. However, please note that by popular request we have made a major change to our meeting times. As from January 2025, doors will open at 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start. We hope this will allow more time for those of you who spend the day grafting hard to get home, have a bite to eat, and travel to the venue without rushing. Furthermore, the later time will mean there is less traffic to contend with. Note we do not hold a meeting during the month of May.
January 20th – John Chester presents “German Atrocities in 1914”.
February 24th – Andy Stewart presents “Armistice Day 1918: Where the guns didn’t stop”.
March 31st – Andrew Moody presents “The Great War on the Silent Screen”.
April 28th – Alex Keyes presents “The Easter Uprising – The Irish Perspective”.
June 2nd – Joanna Costin presents “Answering the Manpower Question”.
July 7th – Annual General Meeting followed by The Chairman’s Annual Lecture by Mike Credland. Subject to be advised.
Advance notice of Winter/Spring 2025 talks at Spalding & South Lincolnshire Branch, Western Front Association.
The Branch will continue to meet during 2025 on Thursday evenings at Spalding Baptist Church, Swan Street, Spalding, PE11 1BT. Meetings are held in an ante-room of this pleasant, and modern venue. It’s warm in winter, cool in summer, and we continue to serve free refreshments at the end of the meeting. However, please note that due to the fact we cannot monitor the entrance doors from the ante-room, you will need to ring the doorbell to gain admission as the doors are kept locked in the evenings for security reasons. But, don’t let that put you off attending this small, but friendly branch. If you live within reasonable travelling distance, drag yourself away from the boring old gogglebox and enjoy the convivial atmosphere of our meetings, make new friends, and learn something new.
January 23rd – Jonathan D’Hooghe presents “The 6th Lincolns at Gallipoli, and the Post-War Controversy”.
February 27th – Andy Stewart presents “Armistice Day 1918: Where the guns didn’t stop”.
March 28th – Steve Warburton presents “First In, Last Out: Brig-Gen C H T Lucas (87th Brigade, 29th Division) at Gallipoli”.
April 24th – Andrew Moody presents “The Great War on the Silent Screen”.
May 22nd - Grant Cullen presents “The First Air War”.
June 26th – No talk this month. Instead, the Branch takes advantage of the light evenings for its annual “Out & About Evening”. Details to be advised.
July 24th – Jerry Porter presents “Goodnight Darling – God Bless You – Heaps of Love, Mother”.
A more detailed description of all of these talks will, of course, be published nearer the time. In the meantime, please put these dates in your diaries.
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I am delighted to announce that going forward into 2025, TL will now also be advertising all speaker events for the East Midlands (Nottingham) WFA branch. Branch chairman, John Beech, would be delighted to see any TL readers who live south of Lincoln and may fancy a drive over to St. Peter's church rooms, Church Street, Ruddington, NG11 6HA on a Friday night for a 7.30pm start.
Speaker Programme 2025
Meeting Date:
| Speaker: | Subject: |
10 January | Jonathan D’Hooghe | ‘The 6th Lincolns at Gallipoli and the Post War Controversy.’ |
14 February | Scott Lindgren | 'Ocean Greyhounds: the Battle of Dogger Bank, 1915' |
14 March | Simon Keable-Elliott | Robert Keable and the South African Native Labour Corps |
11 April | Shaun Higgins | ‘Strange Meetings’ – The life of Wilfred Owen in his own words. |
9 May | Grant Cullen | Tragedy at Quintinshill - May 1915 |
13 June | Nigel Atter | The 8th Lincolns at the Battle of Loos |
11 July | Chris Johns | ' "Dear Billie" - killed on flying duty' - The changing role of Castle Bromwich (Birmingham) airfield in the Great War |
8 August | Roy Larkin | London’s Buses that Stayed at Home |
12 September | Stephen Barker | Nobody’s Heroes – 8th East Lancs in the Great War |
10 October | Spencer Vignes | 'The Life & Death of Leigh Roose, Sportsman & Soldier' |
14 November | Prof. Jessica Meyer | 'From No Man's Land to Auxiliary Hospital: Evacuating the Great War Wounded' |
12 December | Tim Lynch | 'The Enemy Within: Germans in Britain 1914-18' |
As you can see, the first event of the new year is on Friday week, 10th January with a start time of 7.30pm.
I am delighted to be the first speaker of the year and hope that those living south of Newark who can’t always get to Lincoln, may be able to attend at St. Peter’s Rooms at Ruddington, NG11 6HA?
My talk is about the “6th Lincolns on Gallipoli and the Post War Controversy.”
A synopsis of the talk: – “When Great Britain entered the Great War in August 1914, only Lord Kitchener foresaw a long and attritional war. This led to the formation of Kitchener’s New Army of which the 6th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment, was the first New Army battalion formed by the Lincolnshire Regiment. Within twelve months, the 1000 civilians who first enlisted in Lincoln and surrounding villages found themselves opposing the Ottoman Turks on the Gallipoli Peninsular, and fighting in hand to hand combat at Chocolate Hill in August 1915. Such was the prowess of this battalion in its first major action, that it was described as their finest moment in the whole war, which included over two years on the Western Front. Nevertheless, it led to a post war argument and much rancour when the Official History came to be written. This talk will tell their story and try to come to a conclusion over the post war debate.”
The 6th Lincolns landed at Suvla Bay August 1915.
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The 2025 Season of Talks for the Friends of the Lincoln tank Group are confirmed as below. All meetings on a Thursday night at the Royal Naval Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, with a 7.30pm start time.
March 13th - Richard Pullen "The armament of the MKIV tank and its crew.”
April 24th - David Moore "Taking Refuge - 16th Tank Battalion graffiti at Gouy-en-Artois.”
June 12th - Andy Burn "Fray Bentos, the action, the crew and the film.”
July 31st - Alwyn Killingsworth "Lt. Bond and tank 743."
Sept 4th - Andrew Thornton "The Old Contemptibles Association"
Oct 30th - Peter Jacobs "For King and Country.”
Dec 4th - "Show and Tell - Xmas buffet.”
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The Leadenham Military History Group has now successfully completed its first year and will meet again in 2025 on a Tuesday night in Leadenham Village Hall at 7.30pm.
Tuesday 28th January – “Introduction to War Gaming in 2025.” – Ed Sisson; followed by;
“The My Lai Massacre in Vietnam.” – Sean McCabe.
Tuesday 25th February – “The Air Battles in the North of England, 1940. This will be an interactive workshop – participation is encouraged but if you just want to come along and listen, then that’s fine too.”
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I received a note last week to say that the link to The Tiger newsletter didn’t work. Sorry about that and here it is again.
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Mike Credland can always be relied upon to find us all an interesting tale and this week is no exception.
Mike writes; ‘As you know Jonathan, I have said on many occasions that you don't have to go over to the Western Front to find interesting stories from the Great War and other military actions. In fact, you don't even have to go outside Lincolnshire and the following is a typical example.
Our adopted Thorpe in the Fallows War Memorial was erected near the transept of the former church of St Mary Magdalen. After 1568 the Vicarage of Thorpe was united with the Rectory of St Peter's church at nearby Aisthorpe. St Peter's, now redundant, is sadly falling into disrepair and access is extremely restricted. However, I have discovered the two brass plaques shown in the accompanying photographs. One commemorates Second Lieutenant Sidney John Townsend killed in action on 13 May 1915 near Ypres. Much information regarding the 2nd Life Guards can be discovered on the Internet.
The other plaque is to his brother, Walter Ewen Townsend, who died after being severely wounded in the 1900 Chinese Boxer Rebellion. The Battle of Beijing, or historically the Retreat of Peking, was a battle fought on 14-15 August 1900 in which the Eight-Nation Alliance relieved the siege of the Beijing Legation Quarter during the Chinese Boxer Rebellion. From 20 June 1900, Boxers and Imperial Chinese Army troops had besieged foreign diplomats, citizens and soldiers within the Legators of Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, Spain and United States.
Walter was with the British Legation in Peking training to be an interpreter. Although he played an active and distinguished part in the siege, he received two bullets wounds and sadly died in the Royal Naval Hospital in Yokohama on 22 September 1900 at the age of 21 years. After cremation in Japan his remains were sent to England and buried in the churchyard at Aisthorpe, where his grandfather and his great grandparents were also buried.’
I have visited the closed church at Aisthorpe and been unable to go inside, as Mike notes, access is very difficult and restricted. I dropped a line back to Mike to say that I thought the plaques should be moved to another location so that they aren’t lost and that they should be notified to the UK National Register of War Memorials.
I wasn’t at all surprised to hear that Mike had already set those wheels in motion!
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Matt Colley also came up trumps this week with a report from 1970, when the Lincoln Branch of the Old Contemptibles [Those original soldiers of the BEF who served from 5th August 1914 and under fire between 22nd August and 22nd November 1914 – Ed] laid up their colours.
The report reads; ‘
The Old Contemptible – No. 443, December 1970.
LINCOLN - On 11th October, we layed (sic) up our Standard with all solemnity worthy of our Association. We were proud to have as escorts, Major General Sir Christopher Welby-Everard, K.B.E., C.B., D.L., and Group Capt. M. A. D’Arcy, R.A.F. The Standard Bearer was our President, Chum G. W. Hammond, who has done this for 28 years. Several ex-officers of the Tenth Foot were also present in uniform. We had a record number of members attending, also some from Nottingham and Chum J. Bainton from Bournemouth. Nice to see you, Joe, and your loyalty to your regiment. It is pleasing to note the interest taken by Chum Woolley, long-time Chairman of N.E.M.A. Also present were the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress, the Chief Constable and his wife, a good start for his first parade with us since being made a Patron, several members of the local council, also other ex-service organisations. Also pleasing to see Mrs Richards with us, the widow of our late President, with her family, and to know she still maintains an interest in the Branch. Dr Wilkinson, with his car, brought several of the less fit and saw them safely home. Our grateful thanks to our Chaplain, who with his staff, made every effort to make this a success; also to Canon G. E. Draper who gave the best address I have ever heard. The whole service was tape recorded.
Best wishes.
IMP.’
I wonder where that tape recording is today?
Thank you Matt for bringing this to our attention.
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As promised from last week, here are some WWII aircraft snaps of planes that are on display at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Museum near Blenheim, New Zealand.
Curtiss P40
Focke Wulf 190
JU87 Stuka Dive Bomber
An ME BF 108 - I had never seen one of these before.
The Mosquito.
A late Spitfire MK XIV - 5 blade prop and Griffon engine.
A Soviet Yakolev 3.
Next week, I will feature some of the non-aircraft exhibits on display.
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As the end of 1914 approached the 1st Battle of Ypres started to die down. The original BEF which had landed in France in August 1914 had fought at Mons, Le Cateau, the retreat to the Marne, the counter attack at the Marne, on the Aisne, followed by the ‘Race to the Sea’, until the bulk of the first seven divisions, odd Territorial battalions, and the arrival of the first Indians held a line from the Neuve Chapelle area northwards through ‘Plugstreet’ to Ypres.
However, this early fighting had all but destroyed the original BEF and that is why those survivors of this period of the war, formed the Old Contemptibles Association, to remember their fallen comrades and to commemorate their achievement in fighting the vastly superior German army to a halt.
The Adjutant General in France reported that on average, only one officer and thirty other ranks, of those who had landed in August 1914, were still with the colours.
Volume II of the Official History notes the recorded losses of the BEF as at the end of 1914 as:
Killed Officers 842 Other Ranks 8,631
Wounded 2,097 37,264
Missing 688 40,342
Total 3,627 86,237
One can see from the numbers recorded as missing that; (a) The fighting was of a frantic nature, and to start with, mobile, and (b) at this time, there was not a recognised Graves Registration unit recording deaths and burials.
As 1914 came to a close, Sir John French remained as C-in-C and the 2nd Battle of Ypres, the first use of gas, the battle of Neuve Chapelle and the battle of Loos awaited the rapidly expanding BEF on the Western Front in 1915.
IN MEMORIAM – The Lincolnshire Regiment 29th December.
1914
8232 Private Matthew Patrick McGeehan, 2nd Battalion, aged 21. Buried in Rue Petillon Militarey Cemetery, France.
1915
12284 Lance Corporal C Cornwell, 8th Battalion. Buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, France.
15850 Private W Baker, 6th Battalion. Buried in Pieta Military Cemetery, Malta.
13562 Private John Edward Sewell, 6th Battalion, Aged 19. Buried in Winceby Churchyard, UK.
1916
5004 Private James William Talbot, 5th Battalion, aged 28. Buried in Foncquevillers Military Cemetery, France.
1917
2190 Private Walter Woodward, 5th Battalion, aged 28. Buried in Cambrin Military Cemetery, France.
201297 Lance Corporal Harry Little, 2nd/4th Battalion, aged 36. Buried in Noyelles Sur Selle Communal Cemetery, France.
1920
4793496 Private Harry Housman, Depot, aged 19. Buried in Fulford Cemetery, UK.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
I do hope that you have enjoyed reading Trench Lincs over the last year and I really do welcome contributions from the readers. There is no such thing as a daft question and no family story that deserves to be lost, so please do make it a New Year’s Resolution to become a contributor!
I also remain available to help you put together an itinerary for a trip to the Western Front should you be planning a visit and be in need of maps, places to stay and visit or help with your ancestor research.
I will sign off now by wishing each and every one of you a Very Happy 2025, may it be healthy and peaceful and may your January diets be as painless as possible!!
Until next week,
Kind regards
Jonathan
Email me on: trenchlincs@gmail.com
© Jonathan D’Hooghe.
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