Trench Lincs 15th March 2026
- 5 days ago
- 25 min read
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Good Morning,
Welcome to Sunday once again. I have a number of topical articles for you this week, which I hope you will find enjoyable.
How did you get on with the Neuve Chapelle article last week? Hopefully it didn’t come across as too academic?
Matt Colley has been very busy this last week and three pieces by him are featured below. Mike Kennedy takes us back to the days of Stanley Holloway and Keith Burrell has some interesting news regarding Corporal Herbert Vallance who appeared in the ‘In Memoriam’ section last Sunday.
I have a book review for you all, and news of a recent trip to Newark, which showed that WWI is all around us, even today, if you are prepared to look.
Tony Nutkins starts us off this week with his very prescient views on Neuve Chapelle and the supposed ‘Learning Curve’ of the British Army in WWI. He writes; ‘Thanks for yet another excellent edition of Trench Lincs packed with some very interesting and informative contributions. [Thank you Tony – Ed]
Your piece on the battle of Neuve Chapelle is an excellent read and piece of research.
One thing about the 1915 battles of Neuve Chapelle, Aubers Ridge and Festubert is the similar planning and the similar outcomes of each of them.
There was little of the Regular infantry battalions of the original BEF left by that time and, while there was a stiffening of survivors, for the majority of those that fought in these battles it was their first time in an assault.
This was also the time of the "shell scandal" and, apart from the shortage of ammunition for the guns in general, most of what was available was shrapnel and not High Explosive which required immense accuracy on the part of the Gunners and good visibility for the Forward Observation Officers to be accurate. In addition to the shortage of ammunition, the use of the less effective shrapnel, and difficult weather conditions for the FOO's, the Gunners still lacked experience and firing "off the map" was still in its infancy.
This was all part of the four years of "learning on the job" while recruiting and training the Armies as well as designing, introducing and setting up the manufacture of the weapons needed to achieve the eventual outcome of victory in 1918.’
Tony makes a number of very important points, especially the requirement of the nation to enter into a state of ‘Total War’, that is, that the Home Front tooled up to provide the necessary arms – guns, planes, tanks etc. - and ammunition for the army to eventually fight to a victorious conclusion. In conjunction with this, the army needed to learn to fight ‘smarter’, embrace new technology and learn new skills and then to put them into practice – of which firing ‘off the map’ was one such new skill that really became effective from late 1917.
If you have any thoughts or questions about the performance of the British Army from 1914-18, please do drop me a line.
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS.
Next event - Lincoln & North Lincolnshire Branch, WFA - Monday, March 23rd 2026 - Doors open 7.00pm for 7.30pm start - Royal Naval Association Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG.
March 23rd - Chris Finn presents "Aviation in the Dardanelles and Gallipoli Campaigns".
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Next Meeting - Spalding & South Lincolnshire Branch, WFA – Thursday March 26th, 2026 - Doors open 7.00pm for 7.30 pm start - Spalding Baptist Church, Swan Street, Spalding, PE11 1BT.
March 26th - John Chester presents "Honour & Tradition".
The Great War saw men flock to the recruiting offices, ready to join up and go and fight the foe, led by our great military leaders. This talk takes a look at how tradition and honour affected some of the thoughts and ideas these leaders had on what constituted the way to 'do' this war, and how good some of their decisions weren't.
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The East Midlands (Nottingham) WFA branch will hold their next speaker event on Friday 10th April 2026 at 7.30pm. The branch meets at St. Peter’s Church Hall, Church Street, Ruddington, NG11 6HA.
The speaker on this night is Phil Drabble, and his talk is – “Travels With A Tiger – The Western Front.”
I assume this is regarding a man in the Leicestershire Regiment, and should be of interest to Steve Baldwin and pals in Melton Mowbray.
Everyone welcome.
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The Leadenham Military History Group’s next meeting will be on Tuesday 24th March at 7.30pm at Leadenham village hall.
Again, this evening will be a two-part event.
SHOW and TELL: FROM CUT to THRUST by John Goacher. The evolution of British Army Swords and Swordsmanship in the 19th Century, with some genuine examples to look at.
PRESENTATION: THE LINCOLNSHIRE YEOMANRY by Michael Credland. The history of the regiment, particularly in the Great War. Richly illustrated including unpublished photographs.
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The Friends of the Lincoln Tank Group continue their 2026 season in April. 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.
Thursday April 30th - Jo Costin will talk about “The Cambridge Kitcheners”
A look at the men of Cambridgeshire who volunteered for the New Army following Lord Kitchener’s famous recruiting campaign.
The Royal Naval Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln. Doors will open at 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start. An entry charge of £5 is payable on the door. Refreshments will be available at the bar and we will have our usual raffle. There is ample car parking available on site.
Don't forget, you do not have to be a member of FoLT to attend. Everyone, old, young, male, female will be welcomed. Just pop down on the night. I do hope you can make it and I will see you on the night.
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A third group who meet at the Royal Naval Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG, is the Lincolnshire Aviation Society. The next meeting of LAS will be held on Thursday 19th March 2026 with a start time of 7.30pm.
The speaker on this occasion is LAS Chairman, Chas Parker, who will speak about ‘Spotting in the Seventies.’
Chas has updated me on the event and he comments; 'My presentation at the LAS is a journey through my 35 mm slide collection (remember them?). I've previously covered the late 1950s (donated by friends no longer with us) through Farnborough and Battle of Britain airshows to the 50th Anniversary of the RAF in 1968. This time I'm covering more airshows and airport visits running up to the Royal Review of the RAF in 1977. Guests welcome - £3.00 for non-members.
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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.
April 8th Andy Stuart
'Tales from the Great War.' The story of Arthur Walton, my grandad.
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I am very pleased to be able to let you have details of the next two Trench Lincs/Lincoln WFA outings for March and April.
On Friday March 27th, there will be a self-drive group outing to The Royal Armouries in Leeds. Please register with me if you would like to go – everyone welcome.
I will then organise car sharing if required. I know that the train from Newark is also a good option.
Royal Armouries Museum | Royal Armouries click on the website link.
There are 1,200 payable car parking spaces on site but admission to the museum is free.
Armouries Drive
Leeds
LS10 1LT
[Four booked in so far]
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Then, on Friday 24th April at 13.00h, I have booked a group visit to the WWII Fighter Control Room at RAF Digby, near Sleaford, Lincs.
As this is an operational RAF base, you will need to register with me, and drivers will need to give me details of their cars – Registration, make, model and colour. You will also need photographic ID with you on the day – driving licence, passport etc.
Would love to see a good turnout, and new faces are especially welcome. I look forward to hearing from you.
[Nine booked in so far]
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We return now to an abiding theme of the Great War and Trench Lincs, the Old Contemptibles. The men of 1914, who served in the original British Expeditionary Force from August to November 1914, were known as the Old Contemptibles, based on a supposed comment from the Kaiser, who was so exasperated with the fighting performance of the BEF, that he is alleged to have said in frustration, ‘Who will rid me of this contemptible little army.’
The men of 1914, wore this comment as a badge of honour, and after the war, formed Old Contemptible branches across the UK, where old comrades could meet up and share a yarn or two.
As the surviving men of 1914 died off through the 1970s and 1980s, the OC branches started to close down and lay up their standards and Rolls of Honour in their parish churches.
In more recent times, men like Andrew Thornton, have kept their memory alive and the work that Andrew in particular has done, has been instrumental in bringing the story of the OC’s back to the forefront of memory and remembrance.
Another man who has been prominent in detailing the activities of the Peterborough branch of the OC’s is my old mate, Matt Colley.
This week, Matt has let me have details of two recent OC discoveries. The first is the blog post from Andrew Thornton of local Lincolnshire interest, concerning the Grantham OC branch and a lengthy article that appeared in the Grantham Journal in July 1970.
The Journal states; ‘24th July 1970 – “The Chums are Now Just Four.”
“Following the news of the death of Chum J. Harder, D.C.M., of Barrowby, reported elsewhere in this issue, Grantham Branch of the Old Contemptibles’ Association has been reduced to just four members.
Of the four, two are founder-members, Chum C. C. Hanks, D.C.M., the Chairman, and Chum Fred Dixon, President and Secretary. The others are transfers from other branches, Chum J. Gillespie, D.C.M., and Chum F. H. Deary, M.S.M., Treasurer.
Recalling the reduction in their ranks, Chum Dixon comments: “Another old soldier has passed on… the people of this age have forgotten 1914 and the five years that followed. I suppose we cannot blame them; they know nothing of the suffering of those days.”
HIGH POSITIONS
He added that “from this small Branch two hold high positions in the North-East Midland Area – Chum Deary being Area Treasurer, and myself Secretary and President for the third time.”
Chum Dixon went on to comment that at 74 he was one of the youngest members of the Old Contemptibles… “so it is understandable that there are now so few left.
Most towns are honoured to acknowledge the particular Branch in their midst, and it seems only right that a record should be kept of this Branch and added to the history of the town of Grantham for future reference.”
Grantham Journal – 24 July 1970.
Survived the ‘Titanic’ Disaster; Dies at 84
“A man whose life had been full of travel and adventure, died at his home, 9, Westry Close, Barrowby, on Sunday.
Mr John (Jack) Harder, aged 84, ran away from home to join the Merchant Navy at an early age, and was one of the few survivors of the “Titanic,” which struck an iceberg in April, 1912, with the loss of many lives.
He later served in the regular Army and was called up from the Reserves to become one of the Old Contemptibles early in the First World War. In 1917 he was awarded the D.C.M. and the following year he was invalided out of the Forces.
A regular member of the British Legion, both at Grantham and Barrowby, Mr Harder was escort to the colours on many Legion parades.
Until his retirement 17 years ago he was employed in a civilian capacity by the Air Ministry at R.A.F. Spitalgate.
FUNERAL
Cremation was at Grantham on Wednesday, the Rev. E. R. G. Harris of Barrowby officiating, and immediate mourners included the widow; Mr and Mrs H. Fish, Mr and Mrs J. Leeson, Mr and Mrs H. Bell and Mr and Mrs C. Burton, sons-in-law and daughters; Mr D. Fish, grandson; Mr Dixon, Mr Hanks and Mr Porter; and members of Barrowby Branch of the British Legion and Grantham Old Contemptibles.
Floral tributes were from Flo; Norah, Con and Jean; Floss, Horace, grandchildren and great grandsons; Win, Ted and family; May; Gladys, Jean, Hugh and Janice.
Dot, Sam and family; John and Pauline; all old comrades of Barrowby British Legion; Jane, Harold and Liz; Derek, Eilleen and family; Mr and Mrs A. L. Burton, Mr and Mrs E. Burton.
Funeral arrangements were undertaken by Messrs. John Hall and Sons, St Peter’s Hill, Grantham.’
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What a wonderful generation of men and women they were. Fiercely patriotic and loyal to God, King and Country regardless of whether they had Labour or Conservative sympathies.
For Jack Harder to have survived the duration of the war as an OC, and to have survived the sinking of the Titanic too, is truly remarkable. A generation of adventurers who never shirked their duty and who really did put the Great in Britain.
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I turn now to Matt Colley’s ongoing work into the men who formed and ran the Peterborough branch of the Old Contemptibles.
You will recall that late last year, Matt and his band of merry men, held an exhibition in Peterborough to commemorate the area’s OC’s.
On the day that I attended the exhibition, I met many very interested visitors to the exhibition who often had family information to share. Without this event, none of this information would have been forthcoming. As a result, Matt has recently paid a visit to an elderly gentleman that has led to the discovery of three new photos.
Matt takes up the story; ‘I have received this from Joseph Woodward, aged 96, who is the son of Alfred Woodward a Peterborough Old Contemptibles’ association chum.
It’s the first time any of us have seen the phrase “and District”!’ [See group photo above – Ed] Matt continues; ‘I can see that each man is wearing his OCA Badge - which the standing order was “Do not polish”.
In the second row from the back and three in from the right is Joseph’s father - Alfred Woodward.
Joe told us that his father used to go out on a Sunday night to the five pubs in Castor and Ailsworth with his friend Sidney Pearson - another OCA chum! Not the kind of information I would find with online research.’
First-hand accounts are like gold dust, and Matt’s ongoing work that has led to meeting Joe Woodward must be considered as 22 carat gold dust.
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That leads on nicely this week to my next mention of a first-hand account. For just £1, I picked up a book recently at the Leadenham Military History group and it too has turned out to be 22 carat gold dust for the information and maps that it contains.
Lieutenant General Sir John Glubb KCB, CMG, DSO, OBE, MC went on to make his name as Commander of the Arab Legion in Transjordan from 1939 to 1956 where he earned the soubriquet, ‘Glubb Pasha’. But in November 1915 aged 18, Lieutenant John Glubb, arrived on the Western Front as a subaltern in the 7th Field Company, Royal Engineers.
Lieutenant Glubb served in the Ypres Salient, on the Somme, at Arras and at Cambrai eventually commanding his company until grievously wounded in August 1917. Glubb spent nearly a year in various hospitals until re-joining his old unit in July 1918 to share the final victory of the British Army on the Western Front.
In the introduction to the book, Glubb writes; ‘In 1975, when I was looking through some boxes of papers, I came across a bundle of old exercise books, full of faded writing in pencil. They were the diaries which I had kept from 1915 to 1918, while I was serving in France and Belgium in the First World War. Reading them again after sixty-years, they conjured up before me the vivid scenes and emotions of those early years.’
He continued; ‘I have endeavoured to avoid up to date comment, and simply to copy out verbatim the daily jottings of a young soldier, in all their simplicity, innocence and schoolboy language…’
The fact that his diaries have not been edited or updated, makes his comments and observations so valuable. His original maps have been put in a printable format, but follow his sketches, and are of great interest to train enthusiasts like Bill Pinfold, as they show in detail the narrow gauge railways that his company built across the Somme.
Lieutenant Glubb was near High Wood on the 14th of September 1916 when he first saw a tank. His observation as to this moment in history is memorable for all tank enthusiasts, especially those with a Lincoln background.
Glubb wrote; ’14 September – This afternoon was to me one of the rare occasions when the war has been dramatic and exciting. I was quite thrilled watching the long streams of troops and wagons pouring up the Mametz Road. Then, all of a sudden, I heard a strange noise, accompanied by shouts and cheers, and saw the most extraordinary-looking vehicles approaching, with men sitting on them cheering. They were a kind of armoured car on caterpillars and each towed a sort of perambulator behind it. They are said to be the new assault wagons, called tanks. I don’t know if the Germans knew about them, but the secret has been very well kept on our side. None of us had any idea of their existence.’
Glubb’s youthful excitement and description comes across clearly. He goes on to describe the attack on the 15th between Flers and Courcelette, and his boyish and somewhat naïve description of the death, corpses, mud and devastation have to be read to be understood.
I have always had a fascination with post-war memoirs of men who served and survived, but many were written with book sales in mind in the 1920s and 30s, whereas, Glubb’s jottings are those that he made at the time sitting by candlelight in his little 9 foot by 6 foot dug out, where as an 18-year old, he was looked after by his servant, Donaghie.
Because Glubb has mentioned so many of his comrades, both officers and rankers, by name, I have now begun the task of trying to research them all. I started with his Batman, Donaghie.
7th Field Company RE, served with 50th (Northumbrian) Division, a Territorial Force division from the North-East of England. Sure enough I was able to nail down a Medal Index Card for one Private David Donaghie of the 1st/6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry of 50th Division.
Glubb very fortuitously lists all of the officers in his Company.
Officer Commanding – Captain J A McQueen
2nd in command – Lieutenant J B Glubb
Supernumerary – 2nd Lieutenant H A Baker
No. 1 Section – 2nd Lieutenant R E E Chaplin
No. 2 Section – 2nd Lieutenant R B Wade
No. 3 Section – 2nd Lieutenant J B L Thompson
No. 4 Section – 2nd Lieutenant J F Slattery
I think that I have a substantial amount of work ahead of me!
John Glubb gives very biographical descriptions of his men and fellow officers and was not afraid to be critical, assuming of course, that no one was likely to ever read his diaries. He also makes no excuses for the fact that his father was Brigadier General Glubb, Chief Engineer to 3rd Corps, and later knighted and promoted Major General and Chief Engineer of Plumer’s 2nd Army with his HQ at Cassel.
Serving near to his father when in Belgium and France, this leads to some rather amusing comments which must be unique. ‘9 August (1916) – Dad came over and fetched me away after lunch in the car. I had a ride with him after tea, and then back by car next morning, as we are just off down to the Somme.’
And; ’26 December (1916) – Dad sent a car to fetch me. It arrived at 4pm and we had a long and difficult drive to Cassel in darkness and fog. I very much enjoyed the drive, as it was the first time for four months I had seen houses standing, and civilians and women. Doullens was a joy to me. The pavements shining and wet, the people bobbing past with umbrellas, the lighted shop windows, the women, wearing smart clothes, paying for their purchases in the shops.
It is like paradise waking up in Cassel after four months on the Somme front; hearing from bed a cock crow, the birds singing, and seeing a tree waving in front of the window.’
The simplicity of Glubb’s writing comes across, and today, we can only marvel at how he was seduced by sights that we all take for granted, a well-dressed woman, or a tree waving in the breeze.
I had a quick look on Amazon, and the book is available as a paperback or on Kindle, and if you are an avid reader, I can really recommend this book to you.
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As I have mentioned before, Mike Credland will regularly say that ‘you don’t have to go to France to find the Great War, it’s all around us if you look for it.’
This is exactly what happened to me last week. I drove into Newark to carry out a few errands and parked on Appletongate so as to walk towards the market place. This route takes me past the town’s war memorial which sits in the grounds of the parish church. I was heartened to see a class of pupils from Queen Elizabeth’s High School having a lecture and discussion at the memorial. It is good to think that schools are not just talking about memorials and remembrance in November of each year.
Having finished my tasks, I called in to a café for a coffee and there I noted a sign telling me about an exhibition at the town hall displaying the work of Nottingham born artist, Robert Kiddey (1900-1984)
Apparently, Kiddey had moved to Newark in 1931 where he remained for the rest of his life, working and teaching in the town.
Having a half hour up my sleeve, I went to the town hall to visit the exhibition. The first thing that I read about Robert Kiddey was that he had served in WWI, and that his post-war work was heavily influenced by his service. I did note that he would have only turned 18 in 1918, and therefore, unless he lied about his age, he was unlikely to have seen a great deal of service overseas.
I had a word with one of the museum guides, and another lady, who I think was probably the curator, joined us for a chat. I mentioned the wonderful photos that exist of the 8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters, on parade in the market place in front of the town hall in August 1914 when the local Territorials were mobilised, and as the conversation turned towards Robert Kiddey, the curator told me that he had been a despatch rider.
The 8th Sherwood Foresters in Newark Market Place, August 1914. The town hall is the impressive building - rear right.
I took her words at face value, but on returning home, I was unable to find a Medal Index Card for Robert Kiddey, which suggests to me that he did not serve overseas during the war. The only reference that I found for him was that he served in the 51st Graduated Battalion Sherwood Foresters Training Reserve – which fits with him having been conscripted on or around his 18th birthday. Of course, it is possible, that whilst in training, he was taught to ride a motorcycle, but I don’t think he was a fully-fledged despatch rider.
Maybe he served as part of the army of occupation in Germany?
If anyone has any further information about Kiddey and his Great War service, please let me know.
Kiddey was an immensely talented and important artist, sculptor and teacher but rather than me paraphrase his life and career, you can click on this link and read all about him, including his propaganda work in WWII.
Kiddey | Newark Guide
Robert Kiddey at work.
An example of Kiddey's work - believed to be inspired by the Great War - Divine Tragedy.
Kiddey exhibited along side Augustus John and Pablo Picasso.
Whilst in the exhibition, I spotted this plaque to Colonel Edward Henry Nicholson. It was not a name that I recognised, and looking at the dates, I deduced that he would have been too old to have served in an active role in the Great War. However, a little digging about found that Colonel Nicholson, as well as an army career, was one of Nottinghamshire’s leading educational figures in the first third of the twentieth century. Here is a short biography of his educational achievements.
COLONEL EDWARD H. NICHOLSON, Newark, M.A. of Balliol College, Oxford, has for fifty years devoted much of his leisure time to the furtherance of education in Newark and the county generally, for he has acted on the principle of realizing the value of the education he had received, and of his duty to extend it to others. It is largely due to his exertions that his native town possesses in their present advantageous form its well-known Boys' and Girls' High Schools, and its excellent School of Science and Art.
In the county he has for twenty-one years supervised the work of the Training of Teachers Sub-Committee, from its birth to the attainment of its majority. The extent of its growth may be gauged by the fact that its expenditure was in 1902-3 £131; to-day it is £11,664, and the number of intending teachers in training is nearly seven hundred, mostly at the County Centres established and maintained by the Committee at Hucknall, West Bridgford, Brincliffe (Nottingham) and Sutton-in-Ashfield. The first three of these have already reached the status of Secondary Schools, and are serving private pupils as well as County Scholarship holders. In order to aid young teachers in learning how to impart religious instruction, for which there is practically little or no provision in the public colleges, and deeming religion to be at the foundation of the building up of character, Col. Nicholson has—outside the County Education work— organized religious instruction classes in each Deanery in Nottinghamshire, which are open to all Sunday School and Acting and Intending Teachers in town or county who care to attend them. This ought to have an important influence on the welfare of some of the fifty thousand children on the registers of the County Elementary Schools. (nottshistory.org.uk)
Victorian Britons truly were a remarkable generation of ‘doers’ and achievers.
Every day is a school day, and traces of the Great War can be found all around us, we just need to look!
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A couple of weeks ago, we covered a story from Matt Colley’s nephew when he was on Bruny Island, a small island just off the south east coast of Tasmania. Now his wife has sent another tale via Matt for us to enjoy in Trench Lincs.
Matt continues; ‘Megan Colley (daughter in law of my brother, Ian Colley) has sent a photo of a plaque from Tasmania. It is in Hobart’s Soldiers Memorial Avenue, first opened in 1926, and commemorates Private Alec Campbell and is marked with a cedar tree.
Born on 26th February 1899, he enlisted on July 2nd 1915 and gave his age as 18 years and 4 months – having added two extra years. Men under 21 required parental consent, which he obtained from his father.
A picture of his father’s letter is in this article, along with Alec in 1915 and in his old age:
A month after enlisting he embarked for Gallipoli and joined the 15th Infantry Battalion. His fellow soldiers nicknamed him “the Kid’. It appears that his primary role was as a water carrier between the beach and the front lines. Conditions took their toll and by December 1915 Campbell was admitted to hospital with influenza. On his return to his unit the 15th Infantry Battalion was then evacuated and disembarked in Egypt. His health had been broken by the appalling weather and the strain of the warfare. He was then in and out of hospital until finally being discharged from the AIF in Tasmania, in August 1916 as medically unfit.
Interestingly he was charged with attempting to escape from the hospital, so he didn’t accept things lightly.
I attach screenshots showing the standard kit issued on embarkation, and the letter from both of his parents consenting to his service abroad.
This sixteen-year old was 5’ 5” tall and weighed 135 lbs on attestation and came home, having carried water from the beach to the front line (probably because his officers recognised his real age), with permanent facial injuries and damaged health. The attached picture shows him in old age.
The Australians have noted and recognised that Campbell, when he died aged 103, was thought to be the last surviving man from any nation who served in the Gallipoli Campaign.’
I hadn’t heard of Alec (Alex) Campbell before, so looked him up in the Australian digitised service records. Here is the link
Click on the tab that says 'Digitised Item' - there are 44 pages for you to wade through!!
Here is page 1.
A big thank you to Megan for bringing this chap to our attention.
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Keith Burrell spotted a name that he recognised in last week’s ‘In Memoriam’ section and notes; ‘Jonathan, thank you for the latest edition of Trench Lincs and the mention of Corporal Herbert Vallance in the "In Memoriam' section. I am proud to have his Victory Medal in my collection, images attached.
Herbert is memorialised more than once in the Retford area alongside his brother.’
Thank you for letting us know Keith. It all adds to his story and shows that he is not forgotten.
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Who remembers Stanley Holloway? I hadn’t thought about him for years and was quite surprised to find out that he died in January 1982 aged 91.
If you are not old enough to remember Stanley; he was an accomplished singer and stage performer who was probably best known for his humorous monologues, of which the most famous is probably ‘Albert And The Lion.’
If you want to know what happened to Albert, click here! Stanley Holloway – Albert And The Lion Lyrics | Genius Lyrics
However, Mike Kennedy has reminded me of another Holloway monologue, this time with a military theme – the day before the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, when one soldier dares to question higher authority.
Sam, Sam, Pick Up Tha Musket.
It occurred on the evening before Waterloo,
As troops were lined up on parade.
And sergeant inspecting ’em, he were a terror,
Of whom every man were afraid.
All excepting one man, he were in’t front rank,
A man by t’name of Sam Small.
And he and t’sergeant were both daggers drawn,
They thought nowt of each other at all.
As sergeant walked past he was swinging his arms,
And he happened to brush against Sam.
And knocking t’musket clean out of ‘is hand,
It fell t’ground wi’ a slam.
‘Pick it up!’ said sergeant, abrupt like, but cool.
But Sam wi’ a shake of ‘is ‘ead.
Said ‘Seeing as tha knocked it out of my hand,
P’rhaps tha’ll pick t’ thing up instead.
Sam, Sam, pick up tha musket!
The sergeant exclaimed with a roar.
Sam said tha’ knocked it down reasonin’
Tha’ll pick it up, or it stays, where t’is on the floor.
The sound of high words very soon reached
The ears of an officer, Lieutenant Bird.
Who says to the sergeant ‘Now what’s all this ‘ere?’,
And the sergeant told what had occurred.
‘Sam, Sam, pick up thy musket !’,
Lieutenant exclaimed with some heat.
Sam says he knocked it down, reasonin he picks it up,
Or it stays where’t is at my feet.
It caused quite a stir when the Captain arrived,
To find out the cause of the trouble,
And every man there all, excepting old Sam,
Was full of excitement and bubble.
‘Sam, Sam, pick up thy musket!’,
Said Captain, for strictness renowned.
Sam says he knocked it down, reasonin he picks it up,
Or it stays where’t is on the ground.
The same thing occurred when the Major and Colonel
Both tried to get Sam to see sense.
But when old Duke of Wellington came into view,
Well then the excitement was tense.
Up rode the Duke on a lovely white horse
To ‘Find out the cause of the bother.’
He looked at the musket, and then at old Sam,
And he talked to old Sam like a brother.
‘Sam, Sam, pick up thy musket’, the Duke
Said as quiet as could be,
‘Sam, Sam-Sam-Sam, pick up thy musket.’,
Come on lad just to please me.
All right Duke says old Sam just for thee I’ll oblige,
And to show thee I meant no offence.
So Sam picked it up. ‘Gradely lad.’ said the Duke.
‘Righto boys let battle commence.’
To listen to Stanley and his monologue, click here Old Sam (Sam, Pick Oop Tha' Musket)
Thanks to Mike for that trip down memory lane.
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This week, for our colourised photograph, we return to the ongoing work of Chris at Colour by CJS. It just so happens, that his recent new work has featured a Lincoln born VC winner, James Upton.
Corporal James Whitbread Upton VC.
James was born in Lincoln in 1888. After a basic education, he left school and worked as a labourer in a wagon works.
Unfulfilled, James enlisted in the Army in 1906, here he excelled at musketry and sport, and became Sherwood Foresters regimental boxing champion and an excellent marksman.
James served for two years in Ireland and for five years in India, before returning to civilian life.
At the outbreak of war his unit, 1st Battalion, Sherwood Foresters, moved to France, and as a reservist, he was re-called to the colours and was deployed to France on 4th November 1914.
For his actions during the Battle of Aubers Ridge, James was awarded the Victoria Cross.
The citation published in the London Gazette read as follows:
“For most conspicuous bravery near Rouges Bancs on 9th May 1915. During the whole of this day Corporal Upton displayed the greatest courage in rescuing the wounded whilst exposed to very heavy rifle and artillery fire, going close to the enemy’s parapet regardless of his own personal safety. One wounded man was killed by a shell whilst this Non-Commissioned Officer was carrying him. When Corporal Upton was not actually carrying in the wounded he was engaged in bandaging and dressing the serious cases in front of our parapet, exposed to the enemy’s fire”.
[Note: This was the same date and action as Corporal Sharpe won the VC in the Lincolnshire Regiment. Something we have covered in TL previously – Ed]
On home leave he married Mary Jane Chambers on 20th July 1915 and four days later was presented with his Victoria Cross by King George V at Windsor Castle.
In due course, James and Mary produced three sons.
He returned to front line service until February 1918 when he was posted to Home Establishment to take up recruitment duties.
James was demobilised in March 1919, and in peacetime it is known that he ran a social club in North London.
During the Second World War he served in the Home Guard with 12th Middlesex Battalion, and finished the war with the rank of Major.
James Upton died at Edgeware General Hospital, London on 10th August 1949, aged only 61.
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In Memoriam the Lincolnshire Regiment 15th March.
1915
9791 Private Frederick Henry Foster, 2nd Battalion. Remembered on the Le Touret Memorial, France.
1916
18422 Lance Corporal Frank Bennett, 1st Battalion, aged 25. Buried in bailleul Communal Cemetery, France.
8203 Lance Corporal F Saunders, 1st Battalion. – Ditto.
Captain George Elliott Lowes Bowlby, 8th Battalion, aged 25. Buried in Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, France. ** (See below)
Lieutenant Ronald Barclay Love, 8th Battalion, aged 23. – Ditto. –
1917
25845 Private Frederic Edward Basil Makins, 6th Battalion, aged 25. Buried in Couin New British Cemetery, France.
36815 Private H Wilkinson, 13th Labour Company, aged 21. Buried in Hull Cemetery, UK.
1918
43889 Private Arthur Perfect, 8th Battalion, aged 19. Remembered at Tyne Cot Cemetery Memorial Wall, Belgium.
241220 Private Joseph Edwin Smart, 2nd/4th Battalion. Remembered on the Arras Memorial, France.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
** With regard to Captain Bowlby, killed on this day in 1916, 110 years ago, this article appeared in the Graphic 20th May 1916 (Roll of Honour British Soldiers who have fallen)
The colonel of the 9th Battalion wrote:
"I had the pleasure of serving with your son in the 8th Battalion and again in this and manfully appreciate what loss to you will mean.
The Chaplain wrote:
Your son was always tremendously keen in his work and we all considered him one of the most zealous officers.
George Elliott Lowes Bowlby was the only son of the Reverend Alfred Elliott Bowlby and Lilian Bowlby (nee Dickinson). Alfred was the Vicar of St James’, West Streatham, Surrey.
George was born in Meerut, India, on the 7th February 1891, while his father was a missionary. He was educated at Colet Court and St. Paul’s School, Hammersmith. At the age of nine he suffered an attack of meningitis, and it was reported that it was the actions of two lady doctors, who treated him after a specialist had given up, that saw that he survived. This put his schooling back by several years.
After leaving school he first worked for Lloyds Bank and then joined the staff of Cox & Co., at Charing Cross.
Whilst working for Cox & Co., he was living at the Wellington College Mission, Walworth, and was giving up his spare time to studying for Holy Order and assisting in work with the poor. He was attending evening classes in Theology at King’s College, London, and it seemed likely that but for the war he would have been ordained as a Vicar like his father.
He was gazetted as a Second Lieutenant in the 8th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment on the 9th December 1914, and was promoted to Lieutenant on the 27th September 1915 and was made a Temporary Captain on the 28th October 1915.
He went to France on the 4th October 1915, and was killed in action by a German sniper on the 15th March 1916, whilst he was crawling along a sap to inspect a part which had been blown in.
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I look forward to hearing from you with your news and views and taking registrations for the trips in March and April.
Until next week,
All best wishes
Jonathan
© Jonathan D’Hooghe
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