Trench Lincs 10th May 2026
- May 11
- 34 min read
To receive TL straight to your inbox complete with all photos, email me your name to become a subscriber - trenchlincs@gmail.com
Good Morning,
Welcome once again to my birthday weekend – is it just me? or are the years slipping by at a quicker rate! It certainly feels like it.
Yesterday I was surrounded by grandchildren and family and I have three birthday outings to look forward to next week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It should be quite a week.
So it's happy birthday to all Taurean 'Bulls in China Shops' including Matt and Ian Colley on the 14th.
I would also like to take this opportunity to remind you that Woodhall Spa show takes place a week today on 17th May and I shall be in attendance at the Heritage Tent with a Trench Lincs stand offering all aspects of Great War research. I do hope you will come along and say hello.
In addition, Lincoln WFA, Friends of the Lincoln Tank, Michael Credland and John Kirk will all be displaying items of great interest from the 1914-18 war.
Talking of John Kirk, John was in Ypres recently and there is more from him below, as well as contributions from John Pritchard, Ray Sellers, Matt Colley, David Moore, Ian Colley, Richard Pullen, Keith Burrell and Melvin Dobbs.
I hope you find a topic of interest? Please drop me a line.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FORTHCOMING EVENTS.
Next event - Lincoln & North Lincolnshire Branch, WFA - Monday, 8th June 2026 - Doors open 7.00pm for 7.30pm start - Royal Naval Association Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG.
June 8th - Grant Cullen presents "Quintinshill, 22nd May 1915; Britain's worst railway disaster".
The disaster occurred at Quintinshill Junction, near Gretna Green in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, on the morning of 22nd May 1915. A Liverpool-bound troop train carrying soldiers of the 1/7th Battalion, Royal Scots, collided with a stationary northbound local passenger train that had been parked on the southbound main line due to both passing loops being occupied by goods trains. Minutes later, a northbound sleeping car express from London to Glasgow struck the wreckage, causing a massive fire when gas lighting in the wooden carriages ignited.
NB. There is no speaker meeting in May due to the Bank Holiday Mondays.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Next Meeting - Spalding & South Lincolnshire Branch, WFA – Thursday 28th May, 2026 - Doors open 7.00pm for 7.30 pm start - Spalding Baptist Church, Swan Street, Spalding, PE11 1BT.
Brian Riley presents: "The Shimmering Blue; Lincolnshire Aviation in World War One."
‘During the First World War, Lincolnshire made three major contributions to the British air war effort: home defence, aircraft manufacturing and the training of British and Allied airmen.
This talk assesses the reasons for aviation coming to Lincolnshire, explores the effects on the county of the world's first strategic air offensive, and examines the measures taken to defend the nation from air attacks. It describes how a primarily agricultural county became one of world’s largest aircraft production centres and nurtured fledgling Allied airmen on their bumpy paths to operational competence.
Over a century later, we appreciate that Lincolnshire’s men and women provided vital support to early ‘multinational coalition operations. Theirs is a story worth telling to ensure that their pathfinding efforts are not forgotten.’
Brian Riley combines a lifelong passion for military history with a love of archaeology, foreign languages and travel. He graduated with a degree in Modern Languages from the University of Salford in 1978 and worked for several years in the Civil Service and local government before deciding to make his hobby pay. He was commissioned into the RAF Education Branch at the tender age of 35 but his inquisitive nature soon led him to transfer to the RAF Intelligence Branch. Retiring from the RAF in 2012, Brian has continued to pursue his passion for aviation and military history. He led school parties on history tours of Berlin and curated the RAF Heritage Collection at William Farr School, Welton, before working for Lincolnshire County Council on a major aviation heritage project during 2017-2020. This project - Lincolnshire, Bastion in the Air 1915-18 - was financed by the Heritage Lottery Fund and highlighted the county’s important but often overlooked First World War aviation accomplishments. In October 2024, Brian was appointed by South Kesteven District Council as the official Heritage Advisor for its ‘Soldiers from the Sky’ project, financed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It lasted until the end of 2025 and highlighted the activities of the British, American and Polish Airborne Forces who lived and trained in the area during 1944-45 while preparing for operations in Normandy (D-Day), the Netherlands (Operation MARKET GARDEN), Norway (Operation DOOMSDAY) and Denmark (Operation ECLIPSE).
Brian is continuing his support activities with the Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire Partnership, which is a consortium of aviation heritage sites dedicated to promoting the county’s rich aviation heritage, and commemorating the service and sacrifice of all those involved.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
The East Midlands (Nottingham) WFA branch will hold their next speaker event on Friday 12th June 2026 at 7.30pm. The branch meets at St. Peter’s Church Hall, Church Street, Ruddington, NG11 6HA.
The speaker on this night is Christopher Finn whose talk is entitled – “The All-Arms Battle and Manoeuvre Warfare - British Air Power 1917-18”
Everyone welcome.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Leadenham Military History Group’s next meeting will be on Tuesday 26th May at 7.30pm at Leadenham village hall.
Presentation: Hannibal and the Second Punic War, by Ian Prince.
Back to the 3rd century BC with a look at the achievements of the renowned Carthaginian general.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Friends of the Lincoln Tank Group continue their 2026 season in June. The venue, as usual, will be the Royal Naval Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG with a 7.30pm start. Entry is £5, and everyone is welcome.
NB. There is no speaker event in May.
On Thursday 11th June, in a change to the published programme, Grant Cullen will return to Lincoln with his talk – "1918, Defeat into Victory"
Grant states; ‘By starting with "What If?". Something happened in November 1913 just a few miles south of Worksop where I live which could have changed the course of history. Few people know about this but it certainly makes folks sit up and take notice.
Then to the main talk...which is basically an overview of 1918. The Allies really thought that if the war was to be won that would happen in 1919 when the Americans were up to strength in numbers on the Western Front. Then came the German Spring Offensives which brought them close to Amiens. This was followed by the "100 Days". The talk also looks at other theatres of war.... Palestine ...Mesopotamia .....Persia as well as the political situation in Russia...murder of the Tsar and his family .... plus southern Africa. The Germans reaching out to Woodrow Wilson and his 14 points.’
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Another group who meet at the Royal Naval Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG, is the Lincolnshire Aviation Society.
However, the next meeting of LAS will be held on Thursday 21st May 2026 with a meeting time of 6.45pm at NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE AVIATION HERITAGE CENTRE at Hibaldstow. Make your own way there.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Peterborough Military History Group meets at the Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery in Priestgate, Peterborough, PE1 1LF, on the second Wednesday of every month, 7.30pm to 9.30pm.
Everyone welcome, especially new faces.
May 13th Stuart Orme
'Two Men, One King, and a Town Through Civil War.'
Explore the story of two families, a grand mansion, and a town during the most tumultuous period in British history and learn how Huntingdon was a microcosm of the experience of the country through the Civil Wars.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I am pleased to let you have details of the next two Trench Lincs/Lincoln WFA outings for May and June.
On Friday 22nd May there will be an outing to the Lincolnshire Civil War battlefield of Winceby, followed by a fully guided tour of Bolingbroke Castle.
The battle of Winceby, October 1643, is one of the lesser battles of the civil war, with no more than 6,000 troops engaged, but its significance far outweighs its scale. For Parliament’s Eastern Association army from East Anglia this was their first major campaign. It was also the first nationally important victory for Cromwell’s cavalry and the first action in which he fought side by side with Sir Thomas Fairfax, with whom in the New Model Army he would finally destroy the royalist cause in 1645-6.
In this battle, which lasted no more than half an hour, followed by many hours of pursuit, the parliamentarians destroyed a combined force of royalist cavalry and dragoons from Lincolnshire and Newark. The victory was so swift and complete that the Association infantry did not even have time to engage the enemy. The outcome was the fall of much of the county of Lincolnshire to parliament and a halting of the royalist ascendancy in the region.
We will meet at 10.30am at the small commemorative stone erected at Winceby in 1993 immediately in front of Winceby House Farm, adjacent to the B1195, and this part of the day will be guided by Peter Garland who will bring along maps and fact sheets etc.
Following the battlefield tour, we will travel to Bolingbroke Castle, which was a Royalist garrison during the Civil War, where Jonathan Capek will take over and give us a guided tour of the castle remains.
Refreshments and toilets will be available at the castle.
Please email me if you intend to attend, so that no one is left behind. New faces always welcome.
[17 booked in so far. Room for more – Ed]
**
For our June outing attendees will be travelling to Loughborough on Wednesday 24th June.
First stop will be the Carillon Museum, at 11am. Loughborough Carillon & War Memorial Museum
Park at the Granby Street car park, pay and display - postcode LE11 3DU around 10.45am and the museum opens at 11am.
When everyone has finished at the museum, we will be in the sound hands of Neil Strange, who will give the party a private tour of the CWGC graves within Loughborough cemetery.
Again, please let me know if you are attending. Everyone welcome.
[Only 4 booked in so far. Don’t be shy! – Ed]
NB. I will have further details for you next week as to what to expect on this outing.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Last week I featured Melvin Dobbs’ photograph taken at the Nottingham Freemason’s Lodge of the WWI memorial to men of the lodge who fell in the Great War. You may recall that I commented that I was not aware of this memorial and was delighted to see that it contained the names of Roby Gotch and Arthur Williams, both officers in the 7th Sherwood Foresters (Robin Hood Rifles).
This feature prompted a swift response from Peter Gillings who I first met in 2021 when we saved the Woodborough Road Baptist Church Memorial, thanks to Rory Newsome, and stone mason, Andy Baker.
Peter is an admin for the Nottingham Roll of Honour website, and he was not aware of this memorial either, and asked for Melvin’s permission to use his photograph. Of course, Melvin agreed to the request and Peter now notes; ‘Hello Jonathan and Melvin,
Please click on the link below
As promised your Freemason memorial has now been updated on to the Nottinghamshire Roll of Honour,
Thank you once again for your help,
Best wishes Peter.’
What an excellent result all round. Thankfully, this memorial has now been well and truly ‘found’.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Over very many weeks in TL, we have talked about the special generation of men who formed the original British Expeditionary Force of August to November 1914. The survivors of this period became known as the Old Contemptibles and post-war, they formed Old Contemptible branches across the United Kingdom.
As you will be aware, last year saw Matt Colley and friends host a wonderful exhibition about the Peterborough OC’s. Although the exhibition has now ended, the discovery work continues and Matt writes; ‘The recent Exhibition in Peterborough Museum, combined with the research results of our Group and an introduction by Andrew Thornton resulted in the discovery of eighteen sets of descendants of Old Contemptibles. We have followed up with all these people and one of the things that we have been shown is the photograph below. We now know that the Peterborough OCA Branch actually was called “Peterborough and District”.
From the envelope it is contained in it is clear that one of the Peterborough Chums (Alfred Woodward) bought this from the Peterborough OCA Branch - there is an OCA Stamp on the rear of the envelope.
Using AI we have cleaned up the picture as much as possible. The next task is to try and identify as many of the men as possible.
I already know (thanks to his 96-year old son!) that Alfred Woodward is in the second row from the back and three in from the right.
Would it be possible to ask TL readers if they recognise anyone? For instance, is Charles Sharpe VC from Bourne in the picture?
[One for Dave and John Burkitt, as I know that they met Sharpe as he was a friend of their father, Fred – Ed]
If anyone has any knowledge of the men in this photograph, please do drop me a line.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Coventry City football club will be back in the Premier League next season for the first time since 2001, but Coventry is perhaps better known, amongst a certain age group, for the horrendous air raid it suffered in November 1940 and which completely destroyed the city’s cathedral.
The unproven myth is that Churchill suppressed warning the city as to the impending air raid, as it would have revealed to the Germans that Bletchley Park had broken their Enigma code.
However, back to the point in hand, Richard Pullen has recently been in Coventry and comments; ‘Last week I visited my eldest daughter who is currently studying at Warwick University. We went for a drive into Coventry and obviously we visited the ruins of the 14th century Cathedral. The cathedral was destroyed in the devastating Coventry Blitz of the 14th November 1940 and is an incredibly moving reminder of the events of that terrible night and the 568 civilians confirmed to have been killed.
At first glance it seems that nothing remains of the interior and that everything was devoured by the flames, but one of the very few things that has survived is a bronze wall plaque commemorating the officers and men of the 7th Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment who died in the Great War.
The Warwickshire Regiment fought on many fronts including the Western Front, Italy, Mesopotamia, and Gallipoli and lost over 11,000 men during the course of the war. The plaque bears the scars of the Second World War bombing making it a poignant reminder of not just the sacrifices made during the Great War, but those made in both World Wars.’
Just to conclude Richard’s very moving story, the 7th Warwicks were a Territorial Force Battalion who were billeted in Coventry when war was declared in August 1914. On 23rd March 1915 the battalion landed at Le Havre, and on 13th May 1915 their brigade was re-named as 143rd Brigade, 48th (South Midland) Division. They served on the Western Front until just before the Battle of Cambrai when they deployed to Italy with the 48th Division in November 1917.
Thanks to Richard, I can tell you one very amusing tale about the Luftwaffe and Coventry. In the mid-1970’s, my father was involved in a business deal in Germany and his point of contact was with a chap, by the name of Willi Huck, who I discovered was an ex-Luftwaffe pilot.
My parents lived in the small Nottinghamshire hamlet of Newton, and their back paddock land literally ran to the boundary with RAF Newton, then an operational RAF station, which had housed Wellington bombers during the second war.
In due course, Willi Huck visited my parents and I met him on more than one occasion. Willi sat in the lounge one day and said; “Ah, I remember RAF Newton from the war. When we bombed Coventry, we used the river Trent as a navigational aid, and we knew to steer clear of RAF Newton. Never did I think that 35 years later I would be sitting at Newton having a drink!”
100% completely true story.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Staying in the UK, before we move to stories from overseas, Melvin Dobbs writes; ‘I was recently treated to afternoon tea preceded by a guided tour of Beaumanor Hall near Loughborough LE12 8TX. This was the Herrick family home built between 1842 - 1854.
Requisitioned by the War Office in 1940 and used as a secret listening station to intercept encrypted enemy signals both German and Italian, it was known as a Y Station and linked to Bletchley Park.
Buildings were erected in the grounds (still existing) disguised as cottages, barns, stables and greenhouse etc.
A couple of aspects I enjoyed were seeing the camouflaged buildings looking like a barn filled with straw bales and another building looking like worker’s cottages, bear in mind all these buildings were disguised from an aerial point of view so as to fool German aerial reconnaissance photography.
There was also information about an RAF "Beam Bending Station" Coalville Outstation, RAF 80 Wing (Signals) where they bent enemy radio beams to divert enemy bomber aircraft from dropping much of their bomb loads over the city of Nottingham but onto a less populated area, see pic.
This technology, I had never heard of before.
There are a number of original 'ghost' signs to be seen behind the replica boards.
Below are then and now photos of the motor pool yard and garages.
Entry was permitted in the worker’s cottages to see and hear the stories of the operators working 12 hour shifts without even toilet breaks, and often in the cold as there were very poor heating systems.
Beaumanor Hall is well worth a visit with or without afternoon tea!’
Thank you Melvin for bringing Beaumanor to our attention.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John Pritchard is still away in South Australia but with the powers of modern communication, he can read TL and send me photos of Australian war memorials. John comments; ‘I have just read your latest edition of Trench Lincs which was so varied and interesting to read.
Travelling on the A15 coast road in the Mclaren Vale District (well known for its many vineyards and red wine), Shirley and I parked up at a scenic viewpoint at Port Noralunga.
Across the road was a war memorial with a field gun close to the entrance of the site, which also contains a meeting hall. The hall has a large painted mural on the side of the building. The memorial plaque is modern in design with the list of various locations of conflicts. The memorial wall has the three armed services dedicated in metal shields. All kept tidy and the wreaths were laid a few days previously on "Anzac Day".
Thank you John. You are certainly having a wonderful trip, and whilst away, John tells me that he bought a First Day Cover stamp set featuring Peace Posters from the end of WWI.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
As more and more construction works take place in France and Belgium, so more and more sets of Great War soldier’s remains are discovered, and we have become used to the reburial and re-dedication of these remains, and it has often been possible through familial DNA testing to identify the soldiers who have been found. This ongoing work has seen the Commonwealth War Graves Commission purchase additional land next the Loos British Cemetery in which to bury the men who are found in the Loos area.
Occasionally, amateur sleuths are able to put together such compelling evidence that the CWGC agrees to provide a named headstone for an ‘unknown’ soldier after more than 100 years. Two such episodes occurred recently, and John Kirk happened to be present at one of the ceremonies.
John writes for us; ‘Last week I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Ypres with friends and we were privileged and honoured to witness a re-dedication service for Captain Gordon Cuthbert, 1/8 Battalion, Duke of Cambridge's Own, Middlesex Regiment, which was held on Wednesday 29th April, at Tyne Cot Cemetery.
In 1920, a body was recovered near the Ypres-Roulers railway line. The body was buried as an unknown Captain of the Middlesex Regiment, which had been determined from elements of his uniform. However recent research has made it possible to identify the body to be that of Captain Gordon Cuthbert.
The service was conducted by the Reverend Vikki Day CF, Chaplain to 22 and 26 Royal Engineers. The Scripture Reading was read by Lieutenant Colonel Nick Thom (Incoming Defence Attache to Belgium and Luxembourg), a reading, 'Farewell' by Sir Henry Newbolt (chosen by Captain Cuthbert's family, who like Gordon was educated at Clifton College Bristol) was read by Group Captain John Dickson (Outgoing Defence Attache to Belgium and Luxembourg) and the Exhortation and the Kohima Epitaph, were read by Colonel Mark Nooney, of The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. The Last Post was played by Captain Richard Watterson also of The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. The Collect (Prayer) of the Middlesex Regiment was read by Major (Ret'd) Derrick Harwood MBE TD MA, President of The Queen's Regimental Association Middlesex Branch, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.
Captain Gordon Cuthbert was born in Sudbury, Middlesex in August 1876. He followed in his father's footsteps becoming an oil broker, in the firm Messrs Cuthbert and Hall of Fenchurch Street and a member of the Baltic Exchange.
Gordon Cuthbert joined the London Rifle Brigade in 1894 and became Second Lieutenant in the 2nd Volunteer Brigade of the Middlesex Regiment in 1900. He then transferred to the Territorial Reserve in 1908 and was appointed Captain, commanding the Twickenham Company in 1911. In August 1914 he re-joined the Middlesex Regiment sailing to Gibraltar for Garrison duty, until February 1915 after which he arrived on the Western Front. Gordon was killed on the 23rd April 1915, whilst attacking and re-taking a trench near Ypres. His name after the war was added to the Menin Gate Memorial to the missing.’
Captain Gordon Cuthbert.
The ceremony that John attended.
I decided to do a little more research into Gordon Cuthbert and found that a second ceremony also took place for a Lieutenant Leslie Harvey.
The Ministry of Defence press release states; ‘Two ‘unknown soldier’ headstones have been replaced with ones bearing the names of the men who lay there after investigation work by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘War Detectives’.
Rededication services for Captain Cuthbert and Lieutenant Harvey were organised by the team, and services were held for Capt. Cuthbert at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Tyne Cot Cemetery this morning, and for Lt. Harvey at Sanctuary Wood Cemetery this afternoon (29 April 2026).
JCCC Caseworker, Alexia Clark, said:
“I am grateful to the independent researcher who put such a lot of effort into discovering the stories of these two men, and the records behind the un-named graves and who ultimately submitted the cases for their identification. Their work has led us to recognise the final resting places of Captain Cuthbert and Lieutenant Harvey, and to restore their names to them. It has been a privilege to have contributed to these cases and to have organised the services of re-dedication today.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We move now from Belgium to Sicily thanks to Ray Sellers. Ray writes; ‘I have recently spent an interesting 10 days in Sicily. Having only previously visited Palermo and Monreale for a day whilst on a cruise, such is the islands history, it certainly warranted a return visit. First settled by the Phoenicians in the 5th Century B.C., followed by the Carthaginians, the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, French, German, Spanish, British and of course, the Italians, the island of Sicily has it all, as all invading cultures have left their mark.
Photos 803,805,806 and 807 are of the WWII and WWI Memorials taken in Taormina, a beautiful coastal town. Even though I don't understand the Italian language, I think most readers will be aware of the Italian Midget Submarine technology, used during WWII. I also noticed that all the WWI memorials are all dated 1915-1918, to denote Italy's involvement in those years on the side of the Allies.’
Ray has sent me so much material that I will share it with you over the next couple of weeks. Next week will feature Lord Nelson and his connection to Sicily.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
After the Trench Lincs visit to RAF Digby a couple of weeks ago, some of the tourists paid a visit to the war graves at Scopwick churchyard. Unfortunately, I missed this visit as I needed to get back after the visit to Digby.
We have covered the story of John Magee in Trench Lincs before, but Ian Colley was taken with the visit and Mike Credland’s commentary.
Ian writes; ‘Following our tour of RAF Digby with you on Friday 24th April, a few of us met Mike Credland at the little cemetery in Scopwick. Mike told us about some of the airmen lying there including John Magee, famous for writing the poem "High Flight".
Oh I have slipped
The surly bonds of earth
Put out my hand
And touched the face of God
John Magee was killed on 11th December 1941 at the age of 19 when his Spitfire collided with an Oxford trainer. This link contains the full poem and details about John Magee:
Photo courtesy of Aviation Quotes’
Thank you Ian. The story of John Magee is well worth re-visiting for new subscribers to TL.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mike Credland’s impromptu tour and talk at Scopwick cemetery certainly had a positive effect on those in attendance. Not only did Ian Colley, above, contact me with news from Scopwick but so did Keith Burrell.
Keith notes; ‘After the RAF Digby visit around a dozen of us visited the Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery at Scopwick. Mike recounted a story of a serving local Home Guard volunteer buried there. I believe he knew his daughter.
During the visit I became interested in the grave of a young RAF Officer, John Sandes Barnwell, and photographed his headstone. The stone mentions his two brothers (David and Richard) who were also lost during World War II and their father Frank Sowter Barnwell a famous aviator and Chief Engineer with the Bristol Aircraft Company. Frank was responsible for designing some of the most famous aircraft of the first half of the 20th century including the Bristol Fighter and the Blenheim.
I did some further research and, when I mentioned this to Mike, he suggested it might be worth writing something up for Trench Lincs, so here it is.
THE BARNWELL FAMILY
Scopwick C.W.G.C. Cemetery
Pilot Officer John Sandes Barnwell, RAF 29 Squadron died aged 20 on 19th June 1940.
John was commissioned as Pilot Officer on 29th July 1939. That year he was awarded the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, King’s Medal. The medal was instituted in 1933. A single medal is presented annually to the R.A.F. or W.R.A.F. cadet who, in the opinion of the A.O.C. and Commandant, proves him or herself to be the most outstanding cadet of the year.
John was stationed at RAF Martlesham Heath and on the night of 18-19th June 1940 his squadron intercepted enemy aircraft, shooting down 2 enemy bombers, one of which was claimed by John. He continued with the patrol, but his Blenheim Mark 1 aircraft went missing over the North Sea. He was presumed to have been shot down as his parachute was discovered in the sea the following day. His body was finally washed up on the 5th July 1940; he was buried at Scopwick on 11th July 1940.
John’s two brothers also served with the RAF during the war. Both were killed in action and are recorded on the headstone.
Flight Lieutenant Richard Antony Barnwell, RAF 102 Squadron died aged 24 on 29th October 1940.
102 Squadron - Whitley V P5082 DY-L - Op. Bremen
The aircraft took off from Linton-on-Ouse at 1658 hrs on an operation to Bremen. Signalled a successful attack but subsequently crashed in the North Sea 20 miles east of Aberdeen, Scotland. The crew are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Pilot Officer David Usher Barnwell DFC, RAFVR, of 607 Squadron died aged 19 on 14th October 1941.
David’s squadron was involved in the aerial defence of Malta during which he shot down 5 aircraft between July and early September. In August he joined the specialised night fighting unit and in September was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. In September of 1941 the London Gazette reported “This officer has displayed outstanding courage and determination patrol when attacking hostile aircraft of which he has destroyed at least four by night. He has in every way set an excellent example.”
David was killed less than a month later whilst on night fighter patrol on the 14th October. He was shot down over the Mediterranean Sea and the last message he ever sent was “Bailing out, engine cut, am bailing out. Am coming down in sea.” His body was never recovered.
The brothers came from a famous flying family. Their late father, Captain Frank Sowter Barnwell is also mentioned on the Scopwick headstone. He was Chief Engineer of the Bristol Aeroplane Company for two decades. His legacy includes some of Britain's most successful aircraft: the Scout biplane, the Bristol Fighter, the Bulldog, the Blenheim, the Beaufort and the Beaufighter. His brother Harold Barnwell, worked with Frank in the pioneering days of aviation. Together they built the first successful powered aircraft made in Scotland.
Captain Frank Sowter Barnwell OBE AFC FRAeS BSc
(23 November 1880 – 2 August 1938)
Frank was a British aeronautical engineer, born in London but grew up in Scotland. During his apprenticeship with a shipbuilder in Govan, he spent the winter months getting a degree in Naval Architecture at Glasgow University. After a year in the USA, he joined his brother Harold in business in the Grampian Engineering and Motor Company in Stirling. Between 1908 and 1910 the brothers built three experimental aeroplanes, the third of which earned them a £50 prize from the Scottish Aeronautical Society.
Frank briefly returned to shipbuilding, but Harold moved south and was awarded his pilot's certificate with the Bristol Flying School, Brooklands. Frank soon moved south, joining the British & Colonial Aeroplane Company at Filton as a draughtsman in March 1911. His first post was in the 'X Department', a secret department working on a seaplane with hydrofoils. This project was abandoned at the outbreak of war in 1914, and Barnwell joined the main office as a designer. His first project was a simple tractor biplane, named the 'Baby Biplane', which achieved 95 mph in its first test flights. With a few modifications, it was put into production and named the Bristol Scout. It was ordered by the War Office and the Admiralty and proved very popular with pilots.
Early in the First World War, at the government's insistence, production at Filton was given over to the Royal Aircraft Factory-designed BE.2. With no need for a designer, Barnwell joined the Royal Flying Corps, flying with No. 12 Squadron, rising to the rank of Captain. Here he saw first-hand the dominance of the German Fokker aircraft over the types then in use by the RFC. The BE.2 proved to be inadequate.
Barnwell returned to Filton on indefinite leave from the RFC in August 1915. He joined the Bristol Aeroplane Company as their Chief Engineer, a post he would hold for over two decades. Following an upgraded version of the Scout, he started work on a two-seat fighter biplane, which led to arguably the best British fighter aircraft of the First World War - the Bristol Fighter. In 1918 he was awarded the O.B.E. and A.F.C. for services during the war.
Apart from a period in Australia in the early 1920s, Barnwell designed almost every Bristol aircraft in the inter-war period.
Barnwell had a reputation as not being a very good pilot, and in fact the Bristol Aeroplane Company had banned him from flying factory aircraft. In the late 1930s, in his spare time he designed and built a light aircraft as a private venture. Barnwell was killed in a crash in 1938, piloting this small aircraft, the Barnwell B.S.W. The aircraft was thrown into the air when it struck a bump when taking off from Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport and then stalled, crashing onto a nearby road.
Frank married Marjorie (née Sandes) Barnwell, their three sons all lost their lives in the second world war.
Harold Barnwell.
Having visited Brooklands with his brother late in 1911, Harold remained there, and in 1912 he qualified for Royal Aero Club Certificate No 278 in a Bristol biplane at the Bristol School. Subsequently he joined the staff of the new Vickers School of Flying and by mid-1913 Harold was both instructing and test flying for Vickers.
In late 1914, he became chief test pilot with Vickers Limited, designed a single seat "scout" or fast reconnaissance aircraft, and had it built without the knowledge or approval of his employers "borrowing" a Gnome Monosoupape rotary engine from Vickers' stores to power the aircraft.
Harold Barnwell died on 25 August 1917 while test flying the prototype Vickers Vampire night fighter at Joyce Green, Kent.’
Thank you for this article Keith. As we have mentioned before, and will do again in the future, there is so much history on our doorstep, if only we spend the time to look for it.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In recent editions of TL, I have mentioned how Anglo-Centric the British are when it comes to the 1914-18 war. We tend to fixate on the British sector of the Western Front, particularly the Somme and the Ypres Salient whether we are visiting or reading. The French Army bore the brunt of the fighting on the Western Front from 1914 to mid-1917, and yet we tend to gloss over their huge sacrifice on the march to eventual victory.
Dave Moore feels the same, especially given his strong links to France and has penned this piece about the French Colonial Moroccan Division.
Dave comments; ‘Now for a comment on the last edition of TL, with regards to the ANZAC and the French Legion Étranger and their Colonial colleagues during the Great War.
I have done quite a lot of research on the French side of the Great War during my time in France. Often, we don’t acknowledge the cost and achievements of that nation and its colonial soldiers. For instance, in August 1914 the French lost 27,000 killed in one day! In May 1915 at Touvent Farm the French were again slaughtered with some 10,000 casualties for about 200 yards gain!
At the same time, May 1915, the Moroccan Division (MD) took Vimy Ridge, five lines of trenches and the hill, the first French division to break through the German lines, but without artillery backup coming to their support they were slaughtered during counter attacks by the Germans, it would be another two years before the Canadians eventually took the Ridge in April 1917.
There are many more examples, but on to Villers Brettoneux in April 1918; it was again the MD that closed the lines left open by the British (7th Beds) and Australians (13th Brigade) in daylight attacks across open ground to the south of the village - Hangard Wood and Les Gentilles area- (not far from the site of the first tank on tank action) winning another Croix de Guerre for the 8th Zouaves from the French president. (Due to continued heavy attacks by the Germans the British had abandoned their lines before the MD took over! and the Australian situation wasn’t much better according to the French official history) Although Charles Bean’s ‘Official History of Australia in the War 1914-18’ failed to acknowledge any successful involvement by the MD. (he’d failed to access the French records to find any detailed accounts)!
For me, the Moroccan Division during the Great War is a story well worth reading. Colourful and impressive, in both uniforms and feats on the battlefield.
The Moroccan Division, or ‘Division Marocaine’ as it was known, was originally part of the French Armée d’Afrique and mostly a Moroccan contingent. By the beginning of the First World War however, the Moroccan Division had largely lost its Moroccan distinctiveness and was composed of Algerian and Tunisian ‘Tirailleurs’, together with ‘Zouaves’ from Northern Africa (including French settlers) and ‘foreign legionnaires’ (such as Alan Seeger). Metropolitan French soldiers and officers also counted amongst the ranks of the MD.
By 1918, the division even included Russian soldiers, Senegalese ‘Spahis’ and Madagascan troops, forming a diverse and composite division.
During the Great War, MD regiments were among the most decorated in the French army, certainly classed as the most elite troops. They were in fact the only division of all French regimental colours to be decorated with the légion d'honneur throughout the course of WWI.
Sadly, one of the only visible signs to their memory and achievements (apart from within cemeteries) is the small monument at Vimy ridge (Givenchy en Gohelle) erected in 1925, overshadowed by the superbly impressive Canadian national monument.
[My photograph of the Moroccan Memorial at Vimy Ridge – Ed]
* There is another monument at Senlis, the impressive sculpture was originally sited in Casablanca but on independence was brought back to France in 1965.
My apologies if it seemed like a rant, but such a vast and important history really needs to be told. I could mention lots of different battles fought by the colonial French, along with the fact that they used their black colonial soldiers to an advantage as opposed to keeping them for labour on the western front, but that is another area for deep discussion on another day.’
Moroccan Tirailleurs.
Well said Dave. It is so important that we remember everyone who ‘did their bit’ in the Great War.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nearer to home, North Notts, to be exact, Dave Moore continues in fine form with a trip to the old mining village of Brinsley.
Dave writes; ‘I’d like to mention the coffee morning I attended in Brinsley (St. James the Great Church). I attach photos of the two memorial dedications of WWI and a smaller one for WWII.
One of the names on the Great War plaque was Cecil Smalley, and I found this web link to him.
Cecil Smalley
I started to chat with some of the older chaps attending the coffee morning, and one man told me the story of his Grandfather, 2522 Corporal Ernest Allen, 1/8 Sherwood’s then 139 MGC. How he’d visited Gommecourt and Thiepval, to pay respects to a man he’d never met but who had lost his life on July 1st 1916. His story and pilgrimage seemed interesting enough, but then he informed me that although he had his Grandad’s medals and had been brought up with stories from his Father and Grandmother about his Grandad, he’d found out about 30 years ago when digital information became available to him, that although his grandad had died in 1916 his father was actually born in 1919! He still doesn’t know what the relationship was with his grandmother and biological *grandfather* it was never spoken about openly but I guess there’s many more mysteries of this kind around. (He was a very intelligent and educated chap so I believe quite genuine.) Another connection showing small worlds, I noted in the Notts Honour Roll [Please click the link – Ed] online, that Ernest Allen had been living at the Nags Head public house in Kirkby in Ashfield before the war, the same pub where I had lived with my parents in the 1960’s!’
Thank you Dave for that tale. Apart from the coincidence relating to the public house, it was not unusual in the 1920’s to find war widows, who had no option due to their financial circumstances, but to re-marry in a hurry after the loss of their husbands. On the other hand, there were widows and fiancées who never re-married, so grief stricken were they. However, as the example above shows, it didn’t stop illicit relationships occurring!
++++++++++++++++++++++++
I have often debated why the Great War still resonates with many people and families more than 100 years after the events. Undoubtedly, the Kitchener volunteers, conscription and women moving into the workplace, ensured that most British families had an involvement.
However, in addition to this, are the many tangents of interest that we all follow. Memorials and the stories behind them ‘float my boat’, for other folk it is equipment, medals, art or weaponry etc.
Sadly, today we hear seemingly never ending tales of woe from the Ministry of Defence as new equipment destined for the British Army is years late in being delivered and often the final bill far exceeds the original estimate – the Ajax armoured vehicles saga is the latest tale of incompetence, following on in recent years from the Clansman radio debacle, soldier’s boots that fell apart and the original SA80 rifle that jammed in muddy or dusty conditions.
But is this a new phenomenon? Here is a tale that not only cost careers, it also cost lives in battle.
The Ross rifle occupies a controversial place in the history of World War I. Celebrated before the war as a symbol of Canadian industrial independence, it became, under the brutal conditions of trench warfare, a lightning rod for criticism, political conflict, and ultimately reform within Canada’s military establishment. Its replacement by the Short Magazine Lee-Enfield was not merely a technical decision but one with profound political consequences, exposing tensions between nationalism, practicality, and military professionalism.
The Ross rifle was developed by Sir Charles Ross, a Scottish aristocrat and inventor, and adopted by Canada in the early 20th century. At the time, Canada sought to assert greater autonomy within the British Empire, and adopting a domestically produced rifle was seen as a step toward that goal. The Ross was highly accurate, especially in target shooting, and performed well under controlled conditions.
It became popular among marksmen and was even used in competitive shooting events. On paper, it appeared superior to the British Lee-Enfield in precision. When war broke out, it was the favoured rifle of Canadian snipers.
The Ross rifle with sniper's scope.
However, the realities of modern industrial warfare quickly revealed the rifle’s shortcomings. When Canadian troops arrived on the Western Front in 1915, they encountered an environment vastly different from the clean ranges where the Ross had excelled. Mud, rain, and constant firing created conditions that exposed critical flaws in the weapon’s design. The Ross rifle’s straight-pull bolt action was particularly susceptible to jamming when dirt or debris entered the mechanism. Soldiers often found themselves unable to cycle the rifle after only a few shots, a potentially fatal problem in combat.
Another serious issue was the rifle’s tight tolerances. While this contributed to its accuracy, it made the weapon less forgiving under battlefield conditions. Ammunition manufactured in Britain sometimes did not fit properly in the Ross chamber, leading to extraction problems. In extreme cases, soldiers had to kick the bolt open or abandon their rifles entirely. There were even reports—though sometimes exaggerated—of the rifle being incorrectly reassembled in a way that could cause it to fire backward, posing a danger to the user.
The consequences of these flaws became evident during major engagements such as the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915. Canadian troops, facing German attacks including the first large-scale use of poison gas, struggled not only against the enemy but also with their own equipment. Many soldiers discarded their Ross rifles in favour of Lee-Enfield’s picked up from fallen British troops. This was a damning indictment: in the chaos of battle, reliability mattered far more than theoretical accuracy.
The persistence of the Ross rifle despite mounting evidence of its inadequacy was largely due to political factors. The most prominent defender of the rifle was Sam Hughes, Canada’s Minister of Militia and Defence. Hughes was a strong nationalist who championed the Ross as a symbol of Canadian ingenuity and independence. He had personally backed its adoption and was deeply invested in its success. Critics of the rifle often found themselves at odds not just with a piece of equipment, but with Hughes himself.
Hughes’s management style exacerbated the situation. He was known for his micro-management and resistance to professional military advice. Reports from the front highlighting the rifle’s deficiencies were often dismissed or downplayed. Officers who criticised the Ross risked career repercussions, creating a climate in which honest feedback was stifled. This tension between political authority and military expertise became one of the defining issues of Canada’s wartime administration.
As the war progressed, pressure to replace the Ross rifle grew impossible to ignore. Senior officers, including those with direct battlefield experience, argued forcefully for the adoption of the Lee-Enfield. Unlike the Ross, the Lee-Enfield was designed with combat conditions in mind. Its bolt-action mechanism was more robust and tolerant of dirt and fouling, and it could be fired rapidly with a high degree of reliability. British forces had already proven its effectiveness, and Canadian troops were increasingly demanding the same standard equipment.
By 1916, the situation reached a turning point. Mounting casualties, combined with persistent reports of equipment failure, forced the Canadian government to act. The decision was made to withdraw the Ross rifle from frontline service and replace it with the Lee-Enfield. This transition marked a significant shift, prioritising battlefield effectiveness over symbolism.
The political fallout from this decision was substantial. For Sam Hughes, the abandonment of the Ross rifle represented a personal and political defeat. His credibility had been closely tied to the rifle’s success, and its failure undermined his authority. Critics seized the opportunity to challenge his leadership more broadly, pointing to other issues in his administration, including procurement irregularities and organisational inefficiencies.
In November 1916, Hughes was dismissed from his position, a dramatic development that underscored the seriousness of the controversy. His removal signalled a broader transformation in how Canada managed its war effort. Professional military judgment began to take precedence over political considerations, and there was a greater emphasis on co-ordination with British forces. The Ross rifle episode thus became a catalyst for reform, highlighting the dangers of allowing narrow agendas to override operational realities.
Beyond individual careers, the controversy had lasting implications for Canadian identity and civil-military relations. The initial adoption of the Ross rifle had been driven by a desire for independence, but its failure demonstrated the limits of pursuing autonomy without sufficient technical and logistical support. The subsequent reliance on the Lee-Enfield reflected a more pragmatic approach, balancing national aspirations with the demands of coalition warfare.
At the same time, the episode contributed to a growing recognition of the importance of equipping soldiers with reliable tools. The experiences of Canadian troops on the Western Front reinforced the idea that military decisions must be grounded in the realities of combat, not in political symbolism or personal pride. This lesson would influence Canadian defence policy in the years that followed.
In retrospect, the story of the Ross rifle is not simply one of a flawed weapon, but of the complex interplay between technology, politics and battlefield reality. Its rise and fall illustrate how decisions made in peacetime can have profound consequences in wartime, and how the pressures of conflict can force rapid change. The replacement of the Ross with the Lee-Enfield was a necessary decision to make, but it came at the cost of lives, careers, and political upheaval.
Ultimately, the Ross rifle controversy serves as a cautionary tale. It underscores the importance of listening to those on the front lines, of testing equipment under realistic conditions, and of ensuring that military effectiveness is never subordinated to narrow political considerations. In the crucible of World War I, these lessons were learned the hard way, leaving a legacy that continues to inform discussions of military procurement today.
The decision was taken to replace the Ross rifle, but behind any decision is a proponent of that decision.
In this case, yet another General you may not be aware of.
Edwin Alfred Hervey Alderson was commissioned in 1878. He served in Egypt in 1882 at the battles of Kassassin and Tel-el-Kebir. He rode with the Mounted Camel Regiment into Sudan in 1884. In the Second Matabele War of 1896, he commanded all mounted infantry across Mashonaland. In the Second Boer War, from 1900 to 1901, he led a Mounted Infantry Brigade at Paardeberg, Driefontein, and the Relief of Kimberley. In 1885, on the Nile, he jumped into the river to pull a drowning soldier from the water. The Royal Humane Society awarded him a Bronze Medal for it.
In October 1914, Lord Kitchener personally selected him from a shortlist to command Canada's first overseas army. Kitchener had rejected every political appointee. He wanted a proven man.
In April 1915, at the age of 56, Alderson commanded the 1st Canadian Division when German forces released chlorine gas along the front — the first large-scale use of poison gas in the history of warfare. French lines collapsed to his left. He managed a six-mile front with 33 disjointed battalions from a headquarters behind the Yser Canal. The Canadians held the line. The cost was 5,975 casualties — more than half of his infantry strength killed, wounded, or captured in days.
He had also identified a problem with the rifle his men carried. The weapon issued to his corps jammed under battlefield conditions. Canadian troops were abandoning it in combat, picking up Lee-Enfield’s from dead British soldiers. Alderson ordered the rifle removed from his corps. The weapon had powerful protectors among those above him. The order that removed it produced powerful enemies.
In May 1916, he was relieved of command. The stated reason was a tactical failure at St. Eloi Craters. The private reason, recorded in his commanding officer's own correspondence, was different: a political dispute with Canadian authorities needed to be resolved. Relieving Alderson resolved it. His commanding officer privately acknowledged that a competent commander was being removed to prevent a "serious feud." A significant future appointment was promised in return. It was not delivered. He was placed in a nominal administrative role and reported for duty without recorded complaint.
Within months of his removal, his commanding officer officially ordered the total replacement of the Ross Rifle with the Lee-Enfield across the entire Canadian Corps. Government Minister, Sam Hughes, the most powerful protector of the weapon that had ended Alderson's command was forced to resign by his own Prime Minister before the year was out.
Alderson served as Inspector-General until 1918 and retired formally in 1920. He did not write memoirs. He did not publicly condemn those who had removed him. He did not draw the men of the Canadian Corps into the political dispute that had cost him his command. The only recorded statement he made on the matter was a single line in a letter to a friend: "Canadian politics have been too strong for all of us."
Military historians writing in subsequent decades credited Alderson with building the disciplinary and tactical foundations of the Canadian Corps — the foundations that carried his men to Vimy Ridge in April 1917, one of the most successful offensive operations on the Western Front. He was not present for it, but he had built it.
(Notes on the life of Alderson from The Underestimated Arsenal)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
We are indebted once again to Chris at Colour by CJS for this week’s finale. The story of an Olympic Gold Medal winner.
Captain Henry Maitland MacIntosh.
Henry was born in Kelso, Scotland in 1892, where his father was a Vicar.
Henry was educated at Glenalmond College and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Here he played Rugby and excelled at athletics.
He represented Great Britain in the 1912 Olympic Games in Sweden where he won a gold medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay race.
In 1913 he equalled the British record for the 100-yard sprint in 9.8 seconds, and in early 1914 he journeyed to South Africa where he served as an Assistant District Commissioner.
When war was declared in August, Henry returned home and enlisted in the army. Initially, he was posted to 13th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. This battalion had a dual role, training replacements and home defence.
It was not until 23rd April 1918 that he was posted to France where he joined an officers pool, but after just three days he was hospitalised.
When he was again fit for duty he was posted to 1/8th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders on 10th June 1918, and was shortly thereafter wounded. Henry died of his wounds on 26th June after just two-weeks service at the front and was buried in Senlis French National Cemetery.
Henry MacIntosh, an Olympic Gold Medal winner, was just 26 years old.
Postscript
Both of his brothers fought in the war and survived as prisoners of war.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In Memoriam the Lincolnshire Regiment 10th May.
1915
6261 Private G Richards, 1st Battalion, aged 26. Buried in Niederzwehren Cemetery, Germany.
1916
11936 Private Frederick Winks, 7th Battalion, aged 20. Buried in bailleul Communal Cemetery, France.
13130 Private J Tolliday, 7th Battalion, aged 20. Buried in Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, France.
1917
240127 Private P Kirk, 5th Battalion, aged 23. Buried in Longuenesse Souvenire Cemetery, France.
Captain Charles Lewis Harvey, 2nd/4th Battalion, aged 38. Buried in Spalding Cemetery, UK.
841 Private H E Downs, 10th Battalion, aged 23. Buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, France.
39681 Private T Denton, 14th Labour Company. Buried in St. Sever Cemetery, Extension, France.
1918
44649 Private L F Twidale, 2nd/5th Battalion. Buried in Cologne Southern Cemetery, Germany.
21500 Private H J Justice, Depot. Buried in Barton upon Humber Cemetery, UK.
201810 Private J W Dolton, 5th Battalion. Buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, France.
44879 Private Harry Shuttle, 2nd Battalion, aged 42. – Ditto. –
32955 Corporal Arthur Broughton, 10th Battalion, aged 23. Buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France.
1920
18769 Corporal Arthur Hannath, Depot, aged 27. Buried in Metheringham Cemetery, UK.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
I look forward to hearing from you, and don’t forget Woodhall Spa show on the 17th.
Until next week,
All best wishes
Jonathan
© Jonathan D’Hooghe
Comments