Trench Lincs 13th April 2025
- trenchlincs
- 5 days ago
- 16 min read
Good Morning,
I hope this TL finds you all well and enjoying the spring sunshine? Make the most of it as it seems that rain is on the way next week.
I have just returned from my trip to Normandy and you can read all about it next week.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS.
Next Meeting - Lincoln & North Lincolnshire Branch WFA - Monday, April 28th - Doors open 7.00pm for prompt start at 7.30pm - Venue: Royal Naval Association Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG.
Alex Keyes presents “The Easter Uprising: The Irish Perspective”.
Further details to follow.
Nationalist memorial at Arbour Hill, Dublin.
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The East Midlands (Nottingham) WFA Branch meets again on Friday 8th May at 7.30pm at St. Peter’s Church Hall, Church Street, Ruddington, Nottingham, NG11 6HA. All welcome.
The speaker is Grant Cullen who will speak about ‘The Tragedy at Quntinshill.’
This rail tragedy is still the worst accident for fatalities in British history. On May 22nd 1915, a troop train heading south near Gretna Green, collided with a stationary train, the next northbound express then collided into the wreckage of the first accident.
Two-hundred and thirty, mainly men of the 7th Royal Scots bound for Gallipoli, were killed and another two-hundred and forty-six were injured.
I have a copy of the book pictured below and have read extensively about this accident and the cover up that occurred following the event. Grant’s talk should be well worth listening to.
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Next Meeting - Spalding & South Lincolnshire Branch, WFA - Thursday, 24th April - Doors open 7.00pm for prompt start at 7.30pm - Venue: Spalding Baptist Church, Swan Street, Spalding, PE11 1BT.
Guest Speaker for the evening, Andrew Moody, is travelling all the way from his home in Birmingham to present "The Great War on the Silent Screen" to us.
Andrew Moody is a WFA member and completed the MA in Britain and the First World War from Wolverhampton University in 2022. His dissertation was on the subject of the Great War in early post war cinema, on which subject he has written and lectured about for the last couple of years. He has also been involved in the independent project to build a full scale working replica of a Medium "A" Whippet tank which made its debut at Bovington Tank Museum's "Tankfest 24" event. The story of the real and working replica of "Musical Box", as the tank was named, is told in another of Andrew's talks called "Musical Box, 1918 and 2024".
His presentation this evening covers the decade following the end of the Great War, when cinema audiences boomed and movies were by far the most popular source of entertainment in the country. It was natural that the momentous events of 1914-1918 would feature on the silver screen in some form or another, but, exactly how could such a medium accurately and sympathetically represent the experience of the men in the trenches, and the civilian population caught up the conflict?
The 1920's movie industry produced many innovative, thrilling and imaginative popular films of the conflict, some of which have endured while most have been forgotten by all but historians and commentators on popular culture. Taking a look at the films of the 1920's and how the war was presented back to the people who had lived through it, the attempts at memorialisation and the introduction of melodrama, holds a mirror up to a traumatised society and a nation looking for meaning in a post war world that had changed forever.
In this presentation, we will look at films such as The Big Parade, J'Accuse, The Vanished Army, Wings, Splinters and more! Andrew presented it to Lincoln Branch in March, and we can tell you from the audience reaction to it - much applauding, laughter, comments about forgotten actors and the story lines - that it went down very well indeed. This is something totally different from our usual fare, so drag yourself away from the gogglebox, make the journey to Spalding Baptist Church, and enjoy what promises to be an excellent evening in convivial company.
Links to all the films shown - and more besides - will be made available to those attending, so you can view the full versions at home. You'll enjoy them far more than anything on the gogglebox!!
A full list of the films recommended can be found by clicking on this link.
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The Leadenham Military History Group’s next meeting will be on Tuesday 22nd April, at Leadenham Village Hall with a start time of 7.30pm.
There will be a Show and Tell of Royal Observer Corps equipment from the 1930’s, followed by a Presentation by Chas Parker – “The Royal Observer Corps in Lincolnshire and Humberside.”
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The second presentation in the Friends of Lincoln Tank 2025 season of talks is fast approaching and will be held on Thursday 24th April. We are delighted that FoLT member David Moore will deliver his talk “Taking Refuge: (16th Tank Battalion graffiti at Gouy-en-Artois)”.
In David’s own words:
“In July 2017, a wall collapsed behind the Mairie/Ècole in the village of Gouy-en-Artois, Pas de Calais, France. It created an opening into a small tunnel network dating back to the 17th century.
Initial exploration with a group of local specialists revealed previously unseen WW1 names written on the tunnel walls that belonged to a group of men from the 16th Battalion Tank Corps.
This presentation will look at the work of the A.R.R.R.A.S. group and the findings of research conducted by me on the 10 men that left their names on the walls in December 1918.
Beginning with a short history of the creation of underground quarries in northern France and their development into refuges through to the present day, and onto the arrival of the British Army at Gouy en Artois in 1916 and the main topic on the lives of some of the men of the 16th Battalion Tank Corps that left their names on the walls of this village refuge in 1918”.
I am sure you will agree this sounds to be a fascinating talk covering a topic that I, for one, have never considered before and know very little of.
The venue will be, as ever, The Royal Naval Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln. The entrance fee for the event is £5.00 payable on the night on the door. Doors will open at 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start and I hope many of you will be able to join and support us on the evening. Refreshments will be available at the bar and there is plenty of parking available on site. Don’t forget you do not need to be a member of FoLT to attend. All will be warmly welcomed – old and young. See you all then.
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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 is on Thursday 17th April at 7.30pm when the speaker will be Brian Riley who will present “Airborne Forces in South Lincolnshire 1944.”
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Peter Garland writes; ‘Please find attached the latest newsletter from Sleaford & District Legionnaires Aviation Society.
They meet in the upstairs function room at The Legionnaire, on Watergate in Sleaford. Doors open 7.00pm for 7.30pm start. Next meeting is on 15th April when Simon Kemp will present "Coastal Command: Battle of the Atlantic". Everyone welcome.
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Steve Baldwin notes; 'Could you please include these posters in your next TL, please?
I shall be running a War Grave tour at both Lincoln (Newport) and Stamford cemeteries during this year's War Graves Week.
Later in the year I will be doing more tours at both these cemeteries and also Waddington St. Michael's churchyard, the dates for which have not been decided yet.
I shall supply details of these shortly.'
No problem at all Steve, here they are.
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As I mentioned previously, my recent trip to York has elicited a lot of interest for a return visit. Therefore, a date has now been set for Wednesday 30th April. I shall be on the 09.46 train out of Newark Northgate station and returning at 17.33.
If you would like to join the party (already 9 strong) please just book your train ticket and let me know. [3 are travelling by car – Ed]
We shall visit the Army Museum and the Kohima museum which expects to be open for our private visit. I will need to submit names (and vehicle registration numbers if not travelling by train) five days before the 30th, we will also to visit other attractions as time allows.
I look forward to hearing from you as to enter the Kohima museum, which is on MOD property, I will need to give your details in advance and you will need to bring photographic ID with you on the day.
LAST CALL 20th APRIL.
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Bill Pinfold, as you know, was recently at the Longest Yarn exhibition in Peterborough and whilst there, also viewed the memorials on display in Peterborough cathedral.
Bill notes; ‘Whilst at Peterborough Cathedral I noticed a couple of other subjects that I suspect will be of interest.
Edith Cavell
I spotted a plaque on a pillar in the main part of the cathedral which remembers Edith Cavell, the nurse executed by the Germans in 1915. She is especially remembered in Peterborough as in the late 1880s she served as a teacher at a school located in Laurel Court, which lies in the grounds of the cathedral, very close to the central tower.
St Sprite's Chapel
A few standards of the Anglian Regiment are displayed in the main part of the cathedral, but the focal point for military remembrance is the small St Sprite's Chapel, off to the right as one enters the main doorway. The chapel displays remembrance books for Peterborough people killed in both of the world wars, along with memorial panels listing ex-pupils of The King's School, Peterborough who died in WW1 and WW2, and ex-students of St Peter's Training College who died in WW1.
It is sometimes interesting to note the names absent from war memorials, as much as those on display. In my research for the Bottesford Living History Group I have recorded the story of Colin Reeves, Aircraftman/2 1441963, RAF VR, who died in 1943 as a PoW in Asia.
(https://www.bottesfordhistory.org.uk/content/war-service/colin-reeves-2). Colin Reeves was an old boy of The King's School, Peterborough, but was not listed on the plaque in St Sprite's Chapel.
But I also noted another curious link (well, curious to me, anyway). I believe that Colin's father was a head gardener at Milton Hall near Peterborough in the 1930s and Colin would have been there - indeed the family's relocation to the village of Castor, where Milton Hall lies, is the reason why Colin was enrolled in The King's School. In the St Sprite's chapel is a further memorial listing the men of the "Jedburghs", members of the SOE who parachuted into France to support and aid resistance groups immediately after D Day. The Jedburghs had all trained at Milton Hall.
Further memorials in the chapel are for King's scholar John Poyntz Saunders who died in the service of the Indian Police in Lahore in 1928 and for Thomas Hunter of the Australian Expeditionary Force who died of wounds in Peterborough Infirmary on 31 July 1916 after action in France. Beside the main entrance to the cathedral there is a memorial to men killed during the Boer War in South Africa between 1899 and 1902. They included Privates J G Edge and C E Stancer of the Lincolnshire Regiment.
I have included a selection of Bill’s photos, but if you want to see any more, please drop me a line.
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David Gray recently contacted me about his Great Uncles and I was able to help David with some research information. This then prompted David to write; ‘Fine edition of Trench Lincs as usual. Love the 'Tadpole' story. What a waste they were never used.
I have sent you a rather strange story, I hope it is of interest. The subject is my great uncle, a WWI soldier, but the main thrust of the story is my search for details about him and the coincidences/strange happenings that I came across which made me think that he was looking for me as much as I was looking for him!
I am sure we have all turned up fascinating facts in our searches for information, but this seems to be on a different level as it's less about the subject, and more about the journey.’
David’s words certainly made me sit up and think! David continues;
‘A Fortunate Search – The Story of Sam Yerrell
When I was only about ten years old my grandmother died and in her possessions my father discovered a small ‘Soldier’s Book of Common Prayer’. The book had 9492 stamped in large figures along the page ends and written in ink on the inside of the front cover it said: ‘9492, Pte. S. Yerrell, 1st. Northamptonshire Regiment. Devonport, 15th April 1912’. The book lay in drawer for another ten years before I developed an interest in the Great War and my father showed it to me. All he could tell me was that his mother’s maiden name was Yerrell and that her brother had been killed in WWI.
Now, this would have been around 1977 when the internet wasn’t even a dream, and everything had to be done by letter, or personal visit. I wrote to the CWGC and found that Sergeant Samuel Yerrell, 9492, 1st Northamptonshire Regiment, died on 19th July 1916, aged 22, and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. They also told me he was the son of John and Emily Yerrell, South Street, Peterborough. He was born in Crowland and enlisted in Northampton.
I then visited our local library in Peterborough and asked to see the old copies of the Peterborough Advertiser which were held there on microfiche. I spent many hours scrutinising these reels and soon found out quite a lot of information regarding Sam and his four brothers. Two brothers, Frederick and George, served in the Royal Navy, the other two, John and James, served in the Army, John, whose army number was 9493, served in the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders and was killed in action in 1915 at Neuve Chapelle.
In the newspaper I discovered a very poor photograph of Sam, the only picture I had of him at that time, and the story of his death, told, in a letter sent home by his best friend, Sergeant Jim Henson, written on the 20th July 1916. (Sergeant Henson’s statement that Sam was killed that morning, conflicts with the CWGC date of death as the 19th). The story was entitled
“Died a Soldier’s Death.”
”Poor Sam has been killed this morning. I have been up to his company and found out all about it. Tonight I am going to see him buried respectably. First off he had both arms shattered by a bomb, and as a fellow was bringing him towards our trench they fell exhausted. Then, a Lieutenant jumped out of our trench and went to help them, as soon as he got to Sam a German fired at them, the bullet passing through Sam’s back and right through the officer’s heart. The officer was killed instantly, and poor Sam died an hour later before I could get to him. He died a soldier’s death.”
Sam was one of the few survivors of the Battle of Aubers Ridge and wrote a long description of his experiences in no-man’s-land published in the Advertiser. There is so much more to say about Sam and his brothers but it would make this story far too long and I really wanted to explain the strange events that took place during my search for him. We never know what we might turn up when researching our ancestors but we do know it can be a long and painstaking journey (especially pre-internet). In my case, it seems that at regular intervals, Sam was coming to me, not the other way around.
It must have been at a family wedding or funeral in 1986-87 that I was approached by a relative who somehow knew I was researching the family and told me that there was still one family member who had met and knew Sam and gave me their phone number. This was his brother Frederick’s wife, Mabel, who was living with her granddaughter in Great Yarmouth. I rang Mabel and arranged to go and see her. My wife and I decided to make a short holiday of it and booked a caravan at Yarmouth for a few days. When we got to the caravan we found that the TV wasn’t working so I reported it and a TV repairman soon turned up. I thought I would ask him how to get to Mabel’s address; he gave me a surprised look and said “That’s my nan!” Careful directions followed.
We visited Mabel and she told me a lot about her friendship with Sam and she gave me an old postcard of him he had sent to her, the first proper picture I had of him. On the back he had written “I’m just going to fight a sausage.” Whether that was dinner or a German I don’t know. Mabel told me a lot about her husband Frederick Yerrell too, and showed me his medals. I wrote to her after that meeting and she died the following year aged 91.
'Going to fight a sausage'
A year or two later I was attending a meeting of our local military society in Peterborough when a non-member turned up with a few items of militaria to sell. He approached me and showed me one of the old Princess Mary, Christmas 1914 boxes that were given to troops and contained either cigarettes or chocolate. I wasn’t interested as I already had one but he persisted and showed me the contents.
Inside was a small piece of shrapnel, a 1915 half-penny, badly dented by a bullet and an original article torn from the actual newspaper printed at the time entitled “Died a Soldier’s Death.” He told me that the story was that the items (not the article), were taken from the dead soldier’s body by his friend and brought home. There is no way he could have known I was related to Sam as my name is Gray. I have never pulled a fiver out of my pocket so quickly.
Following this event, I had been working at Queensgate Shopping Centre in Peterborough for some time, and as Operations Manager I was always walking round the Centre checking on something. One day an elderly gentleman stopped me and pushed a plastic shopping bag into my hands. He spoke to me as if he knew me although I had no idea who he was. He said very little and seemed to be in a hurry and never actually seemed to stand still. As he walked off he said “I found this at home and thought you should have it.” Then he was gone and I hadn’t had time to say anything but call out “thank you” as he disappeared into the crowd of shoppers. I looked inside the bag and pulled out Sam’s death plaque.
There was one more strange occurrence, which outdoes everything I have just related. For a few years I was giving talks to various local groups on WWI and WWII subjects, often related to Peterborough. I was talking to one particular group and in the audience was a lady who knew that her sister had some information regarding Sam Yerrell, and she told her about my talk. The lady she spoke to was called Hilda Parker, she lived across the road from my mother-in-law. Not only was she a good friend of my mother-in-law, she was also my wife’s godmother.
One day, Hilda saw my car parked across the road, I was visiting with my wife, and she came across and knocked on the door. She told me that her mother had been Sam’s girlfriend before the war. She gave me a number of items that Sam had given her mother; a badge made from two Northamptonshire Regiment collar badges soldered together, two postcards, one of Sam in a group of soldiers on a pre-war camp, with “Sammie Yerrell” written on the back, and one of just Sam wearing his dress uniform with “To my friends, Polly and Ma”, written on the back. She also gave me two small books in a fitted case, one a book of ‘Common Prayer’ and the other ‘Hymns A & M’. These were both annotated inside by her mother “From dear Samuel 1913.”
It is true to say that I have been extremely fortunate to have had so many people come my way, out of the blue, with information and items relating to Sam. It certainly does seem that he was coming towards me, as I was searching for him.’
Thank you David for this fascinating and thought provoking tale. It does indeed appear that Sam Yerrell was looking for David as David was looking for Sam! Can anyone regale us with any further remarkable coincidences like those above whilst researching an ancestor?
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This week's colourised photo from CJS recognises a brave pioneer of the air.
Major George Bernard Ward MC & Bar.
George was from Long Melford, Suffolk, and was educated at Sudbury Grammar School, Malvern College and Birmingham University.
Before the war he worked as a Brewer, was a member of the Church choir and of the company of bellringers, he was also Vice-President of the village club. A very normal life.
He enlisted in 1914 and after a period of training was granted a commission in the 9th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment, but transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in November 1915, where he joined 2 Squadron in France in February 1916 and was given command of 10 Squadron in December that same year.
During his time with 2 Squadron he was awarded the Military Cross. The announcement in the London Gazette on 25th November 1916 read:-
“When in one of three machines engaged on photographic reconnaissance, they were attacked by a formation of nine hostile scouts. A determined resistance was offered to this attack, which was beaten off, and the photographs were then taken. Whilst returning to the aerodrome this officer turned back alone to take some further photographs, and, observing six hostile machines approaching, he promptly attacked them at close range, and after a sharp fight brought one down and drove off the remainder. He then completed his photography”.
The award of a bar to his Military Cross was announced in the London Gazette on 26th September 1917.
“For conspicuous gallantry in action. He flew over the enemy lines at a height of 100 feet under heavy fire, and carried out a very successful artillery reconnaissance, he has previously done very fine work”.
Sadly, by the time that announcement was made George was dead. Flying A.W.FK8 no.B270 he was killed on 21st September 1917. "Attacked by four hostile scouts over the German lines, but his machine fell in the British lines and his body was recovered. His machine was completely smashed, and he died without regaining consciousness”. His observer 2/Lt W A Campbell died of his injuries.
His obituary in the times mentioned that he had brought down a number of enemy machines, and a senior Officer wrote to his parents referring to the funeral, which he attended and described as being very impressive:-
“The whole of his Squadron were there and many other Officers, and one of his aeroplanes circled overhead during the service. I feel I should like to express to you how much we feel the loss of your son in the Corps”.
George Ward was 26 years old at the time of his death, and is buried in Chocques Military Cemetery near Béthune, France.
Major George Ward, MC and Bar.
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I was delighted to hear from Christine Ward last Sunday, and she kindly pointed me towards this story. Please click on this link The Telegraph
Thanks to the wonderful DNA technology now available, when bodies from the Great War are found, usually during modern day building works, it is now potentially possible to identify the remains. This is the scenario with regard to Lieutenant James Allan of the 9th Battalion Gordon Highlanders who has been missing since the battle of Loos in the autumn of 1915.
What a remarkable find it is for the family of James Allan, and they will now be able to attend his military funeral at Lens.
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Last Monday saw us set off for the Brittany Ferries terminal at Portsmouth for our six-hour crossing to Caen and I will write a full report for next Sunday
IN MEMORIAM - The Lincolnshire Regiment 13th April.
1915
2576 Private F Bridges, 4th Battalion. Buried in Lindenhoek Chalet Military Cemetery, Belgium.
Second Lieutenant Geoffrey Staniland, 4th Battalion, aged 34. Buried in Dranouter Churchyard, Belgium. (**)
1917
10641 Private W E Hurt, 8th Battalion. Buried in St. Sever Cemetery Extension, France.
240814 Corporal Fred Wakelin, 2nd/5th Battalion, aged 26. Buried in St. Saplet British Cemetery, France.
28723 Private T Vickers, 2nd Battalion. Buried in Bowes and Gilmonby Cemetery, UK.
17151 Private Gordon Stollard, 1st Battalion. Remembered on the Arras Memorial, France.
40667 Private T Mann, 10th Battalion. Buried in Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery, France.
1918
Nine men of the Lincolnshire Regiment are recorded as having died on this day.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
(**) The Staniland brothers are the subject of a very good book by the late Martin Middlebrook, and are all buried at Dranouter churchyard.
Headstone of Geoffrey Staniland at Dranouter from my collection.
I look forward to hearing from you, especially if you would like to visit York on 30th April.
Until next week
All best wishes
Jonathan
© Jonathan D’Hooghe
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