Trench Lincs 10th August 2025

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Good Morning,

A big welcome to this week’s TL, where you will find news of all of the forthcoming events in our area and snippets of interest, memorials near and far, old and new.

Thank you to everyone who finds the time to write to me, your contributions are important, and each week, we all learn something new and all further our shared interest in memorials and memorialisation. Many will tell you that Memorials are a ‘dry and boring subject’ – but we know differently, don’t we!

FORTHCOMING EVENTS.

The Lincoln and North Lincs WFA branch will next hold a speaker event on Monday September 15th.

Tim Coltman will present "The Story of the Two Crosses: William Coltman, VC, DCM & Bar, MM & Bar".

The venue as ever will be the Royal Naval Club Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG, 7.30 pm start.

Wm Coltman VC.

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The East Midlands (Nottingham) WFA Branch meets again on Friday 12th September at 7.30pm at St. Peter’s Church Hall, Church Street, Ruddington, Nottingham, NG11 6HA. All welcome.

The speaker on this night is Stephen Barker who will speak about “Nobody’s Heroes – The 8th Battalion East Lancashire Regiment in the Great War.”

Everyone is very welcome.

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Next Meeting – Spalding & South Lincs Branch WFA – Thursday, 25th September – Spalding Baptist Church, Swan Street, Spalding, PE11 1BT - Doors open 7.00pm for 7.30pm.

Talk Title – For King & Country at Loos.

‘Deeply regret to inform you that 2/Lt C F B Hodgins 2/Wiltshire Regt is reported killed Sept 25/26. Lord Kitchener desires to express his sympathy. Secretary War Office.’ – Telegram from the War Office dated 29 September 1915.

This is the true and previously untold story of one man’s war on the Western Front during the First World War. As a young man, still in his teens, Charlie Hodgins answered the call to ‘do his bit’ for King and Country. Like so many others, he was never to return. He was killed on 25 September 1915, on the opening day of the Battle of Loos. According to an officer in his battalion, he died 'leading his men with great gallantry, and even when wounded, tried to rise and take them on'. Drawing on the many letters, photographs and telegrams Charlie sent home, along with newspaper articles, war archives and other personal accounts, historian Peter Jacobs has pieced together the final moments of Charlie’s short life.

This is a compelling and poignant tale of personal courage and one family’s loss. But it also tells of the tragedy and suffering experienced by a generation of men during the First World War.

The Speaker – Peter Jacobs

PETER JACOBS served in the Royal Air Force for thirty-seven years as an air defence navigator on the F4 Phantom and Tornado F3, after which he completed staff tours at HQ 11 Group, HQ Strike Command, the Ministry of Defence, and the RAF College Cranwell. He has written twenty-three books on military and aviation subjects, and as well as being a keen military historian, he is an active speaker and cemetery tour guide with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

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The Leadenham Military History Group’s next meeting will be on Tuesday 26th August, at Leadenham Village Hall with a start time of 7.30pm.

The evening will start with a light hearted quiz on all subjects of military interest. Teams to be assembled on the night.

Followed by a talk – ‘HMS Hermes and her role in the Fleet Air Arm 1959-1984’ by Simon Hudson.

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The next presentation in the Friends of Lincoln Tank 2025 season of talks will be held on Thursday 4th September when Andrew Thornton will talk about ‘The Old Contemptibles Association.’

The OC’s were specifically those men of the original BEF who served in a war theatre from the outbreak of war in August 1914 to November 22nd 1914.

The venue as usual is the Royal Naval Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG. 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Everyone welcome.

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Another group who meet at the Royal Naval Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG are the Lincs Aviation Society.

I now have great pleasure in advertising their forthcoming events, which take place on the third Thursday of each month - entry is £2 for members and £3 for visitors.

The next speaker event will be held on Thursday 21st August when Chris Finn will speak about ‘The Buccaneer in the First Gulf War.’

Please arrive 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

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Don’t forget at 7pm tonight, you can join on You Tube, the Blow by Blow Productions programme regarding the supply by air of the Chindits in Burma during WWII.

Andy Blow writes; ‘Hello Jonathan. If you feel able to give your readers another reminder of this You Tube Premiere about the role of RAF crews over Burma (taking place this Sunday at 7pm) I would be very grateful. The actual link at You Tube for signing in and subscribing to watch is as follows:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLYRUo2Ikns

IF YOU MISS IT, or want to see it again, or refer a friend to it, go afterwards to our You Tube Channel C47 Skytrain / Dakota - Angel of the Skies

I do hope you will click the link tonight at 7.’

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I will start this week by tying up some loose ends from last week’s Trench Lincs.

What started as a simple Covid era newsletter email has become a weekly epistle that many, many people enjoy reading. Yes, it does take me quite a few hours each week to put it together, but when I receive very kind comments like this one from Malcolm Wayland, it makes it all worthwhile!

Malcolm comments; ‘Good morning, Jonathan.

Just finished going through today’s e-mail. Another really interesting read. I usually open these thinking I can skip through it in a couple of minutes and then get on with my day, but somehow it never works out quite like that! Sometimes ‘my two minutes’ stretches into several hours as I become engrossed in wanting to find out more about some of the people featured in your bulletin. I know that it’s not all your own work, but just editing and making other people’s contributions fit for publishing must be a full time job in itself.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy your work and am very grateful to you for such an interesting read every week – Thank You.’ [Thank you once again for your kind words Malcolm – Ed]

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Alan Keeler also dropped me a line as he was interested about my comments regarding Richard Haldane and the preparations for the BEF to take up their position in the event of war with Germany.

Alan notes; ‘Thank you for the latest edition of Trench Lincs. I was particularly interested in the opening piece on politics and Richard Haldane.

I have just finished listening to a podcast that amongst other things gives a sobering view of fighting in the First World War.

I heard it on BBC Sounds. It is called “Rory Stewart: The Long History of... Heroism” ’.

Big thanks to Alan for this tip off. This is not a podcast that I was aware of and you can find the podcast here Rory Stewart: The Long History of... - Heroism - 1. The Classical Hero - BBC Sounds

There are five episodes.

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Roger Frankish always scans the ‘In Memoriam’ section and last week he spotted the name of 21575 Private J W Rapson who died on 3rd August 1916 and is buried in Albert Communal Cemetery on the Somme. Private Rapson was serving with the 10th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment – The Grimsby Chums, as did Roger’s father. [It is quite likely that Roger’s father received his Blighty Wound in the left hip on the same day that John Rapson was killed – Ed]

Roger continues; ‘During August 1916 Mr and Mrs J. Rapson, of 29 Milner Road, Long Eaton, Derby, had received the sad news announcing the death in France of their son, 21575 Pte John Wilfred Rapson, 10th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment.

John Wilfred Rapson was the eldest son of John Henry and Louisa Rapson of Long Eaton, Derby, and his untimely death came as a staggering blow to his family to whom he had been a dutiful son. (John's father, a Sergeant in the 1st Battalion, Notts and Derby Regiment, having done nine month's active service, in May 1915 had been wounded in fighting at Aubers Ridge and in April 1916 had been invalided home and subsequently discharged from the Army.)

By all accounts John had not spent very much time in Long Eaton where he had been a member of the local Zion Church Sunday School in his earlier years. Having left Long Eaton to take up a railway career, John had joined the Great Central Railway in April 1909 and became a clerk in the Locomotive Running Department at Immingham.

By 1911 the Rapson family, their four sons and two daughters, had moved to Barnetby and were living in King's Road (the Grimsby News, 26th May 1911, records that J. H. Rapson, John’s father – a GCR railway wagon builder, had been successful in gaining a certificate and bronze badge in an examination and open exhibition for handicrafts held in London under the auspices of the National Association of Fretworkers. He was also appointed a handicraft judge for the district). John was well liked in Barnetby having had a large circle of friends and had led a full life taking a keen interest in village activity. [Many of you will know, but for those who don’t, Roger Frankish is the author of an excellent book – The Barnetby Boys – Ed]

John was a member of the Church of England. He had put his ‘clerking’ skills to a very good use by instructing the Adult School in shorthand where his loss was acutely felt. Being fond of outdoor sports of all forms, he had been secretary to both the cricket and the football clubs (the Grimsby News of 6th September 1912 recorded his election as assistant secretary to the Barnetby St. Mary's football club when it had re-formed after a season's rest).

On the outbreak of war John had joined the R.F.A. but the GCR, his employer, protested that he was indispensable to the railway and he had been claimed back. He duly re-enlisted at Grimsby on 1st December 1915 into the 3rd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. His address at attestation was 111 Spring St, Immingham; his age was given as 22 years 53 days (calculated birth date: 9th October 1893); his mother, Louisa Rapson, was named next of kin.

John had joined the colours on 21st February 1916 (the Long Eaton Advertiser had stated that he was called up on 20th February). After completing initial training John was drafted out to France on 28th June 1916; on 12th July 1916 he was sent to the 10th Lincolns at Hennencourt where the battalion and the other 101st Brigade units of 34th Division, having been relieved on 4th July following their heavy losses at La Boisselle on 1st July, were in that area refitting with training taking place in the area around Bresle.

The 10th Lincolns, in need of replacements after an almost sixty percent loss in strength in the first few days of the Somme fighting, received drafts of men at that time, that included men from various regimental units, as well as a few Lincolns, many of whom were third-line Territorials who had only had about three months of training.

On 7th July, following the losses on the first three days of July, the 34th Division was briefly reorganised, its 102nd and 103rd Brigades and Pioneer battalion being temporarily replaced, until 21st August, by the 111th and 112th Brigades and Pioneers of 37th Division. It was with those two brigades that the 34th Division returned briefly to the Somme fighting during mid-July.

On 31st July the 101st Brigade re-joined the 34th Division when it went back into the line in the area around the Bazentins, its battalions alternating in the front and support lines, until relieved on 6th August when it moved back into trenches west of Mametz Wood.

What has been recorded in various accounts are the terrible conditions that greeted the men when they took over the front line with dead bodies and bits of bodies from the previous fortnight's fighting strewn about everywhere and the awful stench of putrefaction that emanated from them!

Those six days of duty in the line had cost the 10th Lincolns in excess of 200 casualties with twenty-four killed and at least one hundred and seventy-six wounded.

It is most likely that John died in a Field Ambulance Unit at Albert having been mortally wounded at Bazentin-le-Petit during the Battle of Pozières Ridge. When he was actually wounded is not clear; the 10th Lincolns War Diary (WO 95/2457) only briefly states, ‘1st August, 10th Battalion in occupation of trenches north-east and south-west of Wood. Shell fire, more particularly from High Wood, at times very heavy.’ But it is quite probable it was there during that six-day period that Pte 21575 John Wilfred Rapson, aged 23 years was mortally wounded.

Even the date of John’s death is not clear; two dates are on record. The CWGC use 3rd August 1916 and record the battalion as the 3rd Lincolns, the home-based reserve battalion that trained and dispatched drafts to its overseas battalions. ‘Soldiers Died in the Great War’ record: ‘10th Lincolns, died of wounds, 5-8-16’. John's service documents (among the 'Burnt Records', WO 363/R0834) record: Gun Shot Wound fctd? (fractured?) skull 5-8-16 (by memo); died 5-8-16. When John's parents wrote to the military authorities in September 1921 enquiring after his medals they stated 5th August 1916 as the date of death.

21575 Pte John Wilfred Rapson is buried in Albert Communal Cemetery Extension, plot I, row M, grave 37; the personal inscription on his headstone reads, ‘He was loved by all’.

The Albert Cemetery Extension was used for burials by Fighting units and Field Ambulances from August 1915 until November 1916, more particularly so during and after September 1916 when various Field Ambulances were concentrated about Albert. It was used for two months from November 1916 by the 5th Casualty Clearing Station. Except for four burials in March 1918, it was out of use between March 1917 and the end of August 1918, when 18th Division made Plot II. It now contains 863 burials including 23 men killed during World War II and one CWGC employee. The Cemetery is typical of those used by medical units for burials in that it has only 12 unidentified graves.

Not long after receiving John's few personal effects on 23rd November 1916 his mother wrote to the military authorities stating that his wristwatch strap and gold ring were missing. She was certain he had them when he was wounded. [The men of the Royal Army Medical Corps – RAMC – were not known as ‘Rob All My Comrades’ for nothing! – Ed]

John left brothers Harold, George H., Alfred and Leonard and sisters Mrs Christine Wilson, of Immingham, and Olive May Rapson.

John is named on Barnetby War Memorial, Barnetby Memorial Plaque, Barnetby Roll of Honour, Long Eaton Roll of Honour (In error – 2nd Lincolns) in the Town Hall and the Great Central Railway Memorial at Sheffield (in the grounds of the Crowne Plaza Royal Victoria Hotel), and on the Immingham War Memorial.’

Thank you so very much Roger for that wonderful background information which describes John Rapson’s very short war and death.

John Rapson - 10th Lincolns.

The Great central railway memorial in Sheffield.

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Last week I featured examples of Australian memorialisation, thanks to Marcus Dunbar who was touring the country following the British Lions rugby XV. Last week he was in Melbourne and below you will see a selection of his photos from Sydney.

However, one of the Melbourne memorials featuring a soldier, arms outstretched depicting Jesus on the cross, triggered a moment of inspiration from Tony Nutkins.

Tony comments; ‘Afternoon Jonathan and thank you for another splendid edition of Trench Lincs with excellent contributions from yourself, members and "guests".

The photograph below is from the Royal Artillery memorial at Hyde Park Corner in London and the figure is virtually and probably the same as that used on the Melbourne Memorial.

It shows a wheeler driver, see the leg iron on his right leg (the correct name for this piece of kit to stop the leg being crushed by the pole when cornering tightly) of RFA or RGA with riding crop in the right hand and part of the harness in his left. The memorial was designed by Charles Sergeant Jagger and is one of the few memorials that depicts a dead soldier, covered in a groundsheet, as well as an Officer and a shell carrier, on the other three faces.’

The Royal Artillery memorial at Hyde Park is probably one of the best memorials to be seen in London and I have visited it on more than one occasion, but I had not put two and two together like Tony did. Thank you for your excellent observation Tony.

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Also from last week, you will recall Ray Sellers’ photos from various museums in Norway. The ill-fated 1940 campaign in Norway has a local connection, as the 4th Battalion of the Lincolnshire regiment were part of the force landed on the Norwegian coast.

Mike Credland takes up the story; ‘Following Ray Sellers article in your Sunday's edition of TL regarding his visit to Norway I thought the following may be of interest.

Attached to the 146th Infantry Brigade of the 49th (West Riding) Division, the 4th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment took part in the Norwegian Campaign between 8 April and 10 June 1940. It had been anticipated that the Germans would invade Norway to enable the import of iron ore from Sweden and disposition of their U-boats into the Atlantic. Consequently, an Expeditionary Force comprising of 38,000 British together with Norwegian, French and Polish troops was assembled.

Although heavy fighting took place, with early successes, the incursion was poorly planned, ill-equipped and without air support. Eventually it ended in disaster and evacuation. During the campaign the 4th Lincolnshire suffered 4 soldiers killed in action, 5 died of wounds and several taken prisoner.

Amongst those killed was Private Alick Toyne from Lincoln who was just 20 years old. He was the youngest of George and Alice Toyne's four sons, and he lived with the family at 31 King Street. After leaving school he worked for Mr Alick Smalley at his fishmonger’s shop on Burton Road for four years before being employed by Ruston & Hornsby Ltd just before the war.

I have in my collection his photograph, campaign medals and dog tag as shown in the attached. For a more detailed account it is highly recommended John Benson's superb book, Saturday Night Soldiers - The 4th Lincolns in World War II, is referred to.

Thank you Mike.

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Matthew Colley has been away and came across a very nice memorial to a Great War VC winner. Matt writes; ‘Whilst away for a few days, I spotted this splendid memorial in Walton on the Naze, Essex. It depicts Herbert Columbine VC.

If you look closely by Columbine’s feet, there is a damaged machine gun and this relates to his Victoria Cross award.

Herbert was born in Chelsea, London on 28th November 1893. The 1901 Census shows him living with his widowed mother – Emma - in Penge, South East London, while the 1911 Census shows him as a 19-year old private with the 19th Hussars.

His Medal Index Card reveals that he entered theatre on 27th August 1914 – so he was one of the original Old Contemptibles – as a Private number 5780. Not until January 3rd 1919 did his mother, who by then was living at 33 Crescent Road Walton on the Naze, apply for his 1914 Star. The Medal Index Card is annotated with the words “Clasp only” – referring to the Clasp and Roses which was only awarded to those who served in range of the enemy artillery in 1914.

His Citation as published in the London Gazette is available from the National Archives and the unusual point is that someone at the TNA has written in pencil “424 VC’s including 2 clasps, 28 Naval and 2 RAF”.

In the best Trench Lincs tradition, here is Herbert Columbine’s VC citation.

On 22 March 1918, the day after the opening of the German Spring offensive, Private H G Columbine was part of a machine-gun crew in an exposed position in Hervilly Wood, east of Hervilly, north-west of St Quentin.

“COLUMBINE, H, Machine Gun Corps - For most conspicuous bravery and self-sacrifice displayed, when, owing to casualties, Private Columbine took over command of a gun and kept it firing from 9 a.m. till 1 p.m. in an isolated position with no wire in front. During this time wave after wave of the enemy failed to get up to him. Owing to his being attacked by a low-flying aeroplane the enemy at last gained a strong footing in the trench on either side. The position being untenable he ordered the two remaining men to get away, and, though being bombed from either side, kept his gun firing and inflicting tremendous losses. He was eventually killed by a bomb which blew up him and his gun. He showed throughout the highest valour, determination and self-sacrifice.”

Herbert was serving with the Machine Gun Corps when he won his VC, and of course, he trained at Belton park, Grantham, home of the MGC.

His Victoria Cross was presented to his widowed mother by the King at Buckingham Palace on 22nd June 1918.

He has no known grave and he is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, France. He is also commemorated in the Parish Church of Walton on the Naze’s memorial gardens, at the Local Sports Centre and Gardens that are named after him and his medals are held by the local Royal British Legion Branch.’ [Although, I believe his VC is in the Essex Regimental Museum – Ed]

This is a photo of Herbert:

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Heading overseas now, Bill Roffey was a little concerned that modern memorials were not really the ‘done thing’ for Trench Lincs.

I soon set his mind at rest by reminding him that remembrance, old and new, still carries a special place in our hearts.

Bill writes regarding his recent sojourn to the US of A, ‘Here is another article for you. I won't be offended if you don't use it as its 21st century and far removed from WW1, but I was very taken by it and what it stood for and there is a bit of a story behind me finding it and not realising what it was, so read on. It is a memorial I found on my travels, so I like other people I thought I'd send it over.

A trip to Boston, USA, at Whitsuntide, saw me somewhat lost at Boston Logan airport as I made my way from the car hire village back to my hotel. I refused to pay the taxi fare which was steep to say the least and I couldn't find the shuttle bus so I walked.

I saw this glass structure and was intrigued by it as it looked different and there was a bench in there although it isn't visible on the picture. Turned out to be the 9/11 memorial dedicated to the American Airline and United Airline employees and the passengers who were on two of the four aircraft that were flown on that day.

American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 both left Boston Logan that morning destined for Los Angeles. Flight 11 was flown into the World Trade Centre North Tower at 7.59 am Eastern Standard Time and Flight 175 was flown into the South Tower 15 minutes later.

I took a moment there to take in the enormity of it as It was an event I remember watching it unfold on TV as I wasn't at work that day for some reason which really brought it home. A poignant reminder that conflicts are still prevalent and memorials to those who have died as a result are still as relevant as ever.’

Bill has certainly hit a nail on the head with this one. For me, it is a very poignant memorial and one that impacts on my me and my family, as I was at the World Trade Centre with my family just one month before the events of 11th September 2001.

I replied to Bill thus; ‘Thanks for that story Bill. It is of great interest and all memorials are worthy of inclusion and discussion.

It means a lot to me, as I was there with all of my (then young) children. On our return from a month in New York, Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia etc. my daughter, Lizzie, then aged 14, made a scrap book of all the tickets, brochures etc. that she collected on our trip – we were in the WTC Window on the World restaurant on 13th August 2001 just a month before the tragedy.

When it all unfolded on TV on 9/11, we all watched completely gob smacked as we had been there just 4 weeks before.’

Bill replied; ‘It means a lot to me too as I stood on the top of one of the towers, in I think 1979, on my first trip over there then took the Staten Island ferry out and back as it gave you the best view of Manhattan.

In more recent times, both of my daughters have been to the new WTC and the 9/11 memorial but I've not been myself. Here is a faded photo from 1979. It started out as a colour slide!’

Thank you Bill. All memorials are special and just because it is not WWI, it doesn’t mean it should be excluded from our thoughts here at TL.

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Staying overseas, here is the latest from Marcus Dunbar in Australia. Marcus visited Sydney for the third rugby Test Match and you will find below, a selection of his memorial photos from both Sydney and the northern conurbation of Manly.

Manly - above and the New South Wales state memorial in Sydney below, with its heavy emphasis on Gallipoli.

Wow! - Some very neo-classical and thought provoking iconography on display in Sydney.

Thank you to Marcus for his devotion to Trench Lincs in between copious pints of Guinness on his month long rugby tour. Thanks to him, we are now much more informed as to Australian memorialisation in Adelaide, Melbourne, Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney and Manly and we note, how heavy is the influence of Gallipoli on Australian thinking, even to this day.

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As regular readers of Trench Lincs will be aware, I follow an internet site called Colour by CJS. I do not know the owner of the site but he/she is a very clever colouriser of WWI photographs.

Not everybody likes this modern trait of colourising old photos, but I think it can, to a degree, bring old pictures to life. Regular TL readers will recall that at the end of June, I published a list of July CWGC reburials in France and Flanders.

Due to major ongoing infrastructure works in the Loos-Lens area of France, it is expected that in excess of 1,000 WWI bodies/remains will be found, and this process is already underway.

Last October, I, with a party of friends visited Loos to see the new CWGC cemetery extension that has been planned to accommodate the expected additional bodies that will be found. The process is ongoing, and thanks to familial DNA techniques now available, it has proven possible to identify a small proportion of the discovered remains.

Colour by CJS has picked up on this and I am very happy to share below two such reburials that occurred in July 2025.

Colour by CJS writes; ‘Laid to rest 108 years after being killed in action.

Corporal Alfred James Morrant

Alfred was one of eight British soldiers who were buried with full military honours at Loos British Cemetery Extension on 16th July 2025.

The men had been discovered during construction work on a new Hospital near Lens in France.

Alfred was born in Hutton, Essex in 1889. He had seven siblings and before the war he worked with horses on a farm.

He enlisted early in the war and was posted to France in May 1915 where he served in 9th Battalion, Essex Regiment until he was wounded in the Autumn of 1915. Following recuperation, he was transferred to the Regiment’s 11th Battalion, and whilst serving with 11/Essex, he was killed in action on 22nd April 1917.

Alfred Morrant was 27 years old.

Postscript

[Colour by CJS – Ed] I was privileged to attend the funeral.

The bearer party was provided by 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment and the ceremony was conducted by a military chaplain.

Members of Alfred’s family attended and were presented with the flag that had covered his coffin.

Of the eight men buried on this day, four had been identified by DNA.

The other three were:-

Private Arthur Albert Grayston, 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. 25 years old.

Private Lewis Ephraim Lambert, 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. 19 years old.

Private Henry Joseph Rycraft, 11th Battalion, Essex Regiment. 18 years old.

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In the same vein, I am now happy to let you have details of a second burial.

Missing for over 100 years.

Lance Corporal John Street.

John was from Runcorn, Cheshire, and before the war he worked at the local Astmoor tannery.

John enlisted in October 1915 and was posted to France two months later to serve in 1st Battalion, The King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment).

John fought in the Battle of the Somme in 1916, survived, and in April 1917 his unit took part in the Arras offensive.

On 10th April 1917, they were tasked with capturing the heavily defended village of Roeux.

They suffered heavy casualties during the assault. One of them was John who was posted missing.

John remained missing until 2023 when the remains of three British soldiers were discovered on the outskirts of the village of Fampoux. DNA testing identified John as being one of them.

On 10th April 2025, 108 years to the day since his death, John and four unknown soldiers were buried with full military honours at Point-Du-Jour Military Cemetery, Athies.

The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment supplied the bearer party and a firing party, and thankfully, members of John’s family attended the funeral.

John Street was 23 years old.

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Finally, would you believe me if I told you about a German who served with distinction as a fighter pilot in WWI, with 12 victories to his name and an award of the Iron Cross. As the war neared its end in 1918, he was shot down and captured by the Americans, an event captured in a series of photos.

At the end of the war he was repatriated to Germany where he completed his education and set up a very successful engineering business, but due to his friendship with men of Jewish heritage, he came to the attention of the National Socialists and fled Germany for Paris in the 1930s, where he continued to run his business.

In 1940, the French looked to inter him as an enemy alien, but he fled to the south of France and joined the French Foreign Legion, before crossing to North Africa, where the British Army recruited him and made him a senior engineer in REME for the duration of the second war.

At the end of the war, he settled in Britain and became a much loved teacher at a top public school and at Willesden Grammar School, and on his eventual death, he was the last surviving German WWI pilot.

Do you think this is a fairy tale or a character from a book?

Well it is all true, and his name was Hans Heinrich Ernst Marwede 1898-1994. I had not heard of this man before and we are therefore indebted to Felicity Sayers who discovered his story when she recently visited the museum at the old RAF Tangmere.

Felicity writes; ‘I paid a visit to Tangmere Aviation museum in West Sussex this week. Lots to see and do, have to go back. Lovely cafe too.

This story caught my eye and may be of interest for TL. [It certainly is – Ed]

See photos for story and links:

This is an obituary I found for him

http://www.olduffs.org/staff/marwede.htm Please click this link to read more about Hans Marwede.

Hans Marwede's medals. Not many men will have German WWI medals and British WWII medals. Does any TL reader know of another example?

Shot down in 1918, his capture was recorded on film.

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My eldest son Robert, and his wife and children arrive in the UK on Tuesday. This is Robert’s first visit back to the UK since January 2018, and we are all hugely excited.

It will be the first time that my UK grandchildren have met their Australian cousins and two of Robert’s sisters have not seen him in the flesh since 2018. Therefore, if Trench Lincs is a little shorter over the next couple of Sundays, please forgive me as we shall, as a family, be very busy!

IN MEMORIAM - The Lincolnshire Regiment 10th August.

1915

10092 Private Harry English, 6th Battalion, aged 27. Buried in Green Hill Cemetery, Gallipoli.

13577 Private Ernest Dale, 6th Battalion, aged 26. Remembered on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli.

1916

12923 Private D Castledine, 7th Battalion, aged 19. Buried in Heilly Station Cemetery, France.

21594 Private J Dodd, 7th Battalion. – Ditto. –

4093 Private George Spindley, 5th Battalion, aged 27. Buried in Berles Position Military Cemetery, France.

1917

2177 Private Stanley Bosworth, 7th Battalion, aged 26. Buried in St. Sever Cemetery Extension, France.

41674 Private C Smith, 8th Battalion, aged 32. Buried in Ghent City Cemetery, Belgium.

1918

202130 Private W Martin, 5th Battalion, aged 29. Buried in Fouquieres Churchyard Extension, France.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

All best wishes for a happy and fruitful week,

Until next week

Jonathan

www.jonathandhooghe.co.uk

e: trenchlincs@gmail.com

© Jonathan D’Hooghe