Trench Lincs 19th April 2026

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Good Morning,

Amazingly, it’s Sunday once again, and this last week was a change of sport for me from football to cricket. It is always a pleasure to be at Trent Bridge at the start of a new season, and last Monday, I was there to watch Notts wrap up a comfortable win against Glamorgan in the County Championship. Let’s hope the weather holds now into May.

My visit to Trent Bridge leads me on to another cricketing story. Do you remember R C ‘Jack’ Russell, the England and Gloucestershire wicket keeper of the 1990’s?

Not only was Russell a remarkable talent behind the wicket, he is also an artist of some repute, and apparently, a collector of militaria and medals to men of the Gloucestershire Regiment. Sadly, he sold his collection on the 15th April at Noonans. Here is the blurb for the sale, which I only spotted on the 14th.

“The Military Cross awarded to a member of the Gloucestershire Regiment who was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on July 1, 1916 is to be sold as part of the collection of famous wicket-keeper Jack Russell M.B.E. in an auction of Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria at Noonans Mayfair (16 Bolton Street) on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Awarded to Graham Bromhead Bosanquet, who was born in Liandinabo, Herefordshire and was killed in action at Ovillers on the first day of the Battle of the Somme - it is estimated to fetch £5,000-£7,000.

Graham B Bosanquet MC - and below, his medals.

The Jack Russell collection of 135 medals, which focusses on the Gloucestershire Regiment is expected to fetch in the region of £100,000. 

Robert Charles ‘Jack’ Russell was born in Stroud, Gloucestershire, in 1963, and made his First-Class debut for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in 1981. Soon recognised as the finest wicket-keeper in the country, he played his first Test Match for England against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in August 1988 and came within a single shot of making a Test century on debut. The following year, with Australia the tourists for the Ashes, he cemented his place in the England team, and with 314 test runs at an average just under 40, including an unbeaten century at Old Trafford, to go with 18 dismissals behind the stumps, he finished the season as England’s player of the series. The following year he was named as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year.

As Oliver Pepys, Auctioneer and Medal Specialist (Associate Director) Noonans commented: “The 1990s were, in general, lean years for English cricket, and it quickly became apparent to the England selectors that they only had two Aces to play: one was the world’s best wicket-keeper in Jack; and the other was the only world-class batsman who could competently keep wicket in Alec Stewart. And so, a familiar pattern took hold – Jack would be selected for England, would remind everyone of his undoubted brilliance behind the stumps (and more than competence with the bat in hand), and then be jettisoned to make way for an extra batsman or bowler as yet another series slipped away. There were some notable and glorious highlights along the way, in particular his match-saving marathon fourth-innings partnership with Michael Atherton against South Africa in Johannesburg (the same match in which Jack took a world-record eleven dismissals behind the stumps), and a Test Match Century against India at Lord’s, but more often than not the paucity of talent in the England team meant that he was left out. Appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1996 Birthday Honours’ List, he played the last of his 54 Test Matches for England in the Caribbean in 1998 – he should (and in a stronger team would) have played many more.”

He continued: “However, England’s loss was Gloucestershire’s gain, and over the next few years Jack was at the forefront of the county’s success in one-day cricket, winning four Lord’s finals in a row. I first saw Jack play live in the summer of 1999, in the first of these finals, against Yorkshire: standing up to the stumps to the Gloucestershire fast bowlers, and directing affairs in his trademark battered old sun-hat, he had an aura around him, and was clearly still the finest purveyor of his craft in the land.”

He finished: “Cricket aside, Jack is today equally famous as an Artist, with his own gallery in Chipping Sodbury. He has a wide portfolio of subjects that include the buildings and countryside of Gloucestershire; sporting and military personalities; and of course, the cricket grounds of England. What he is less well known for, until now, is his interest in Military History, particularly the history of his own county regiment, the Gloucestershire Regiment (formerly the 28th and 61st Regiments of Foot). His collection of Medals to the Gloucestershire Regiment tells the story not only of this fine old Infantry Regiment and its major actions, but also, and perhaps more fittingly, the individual stories of some of the men of the Glorious Glosters. It is by their deeds that they are known.”

As Jack Russell said in the catalogue foreword: “From an early age, I have always had an interest in history, and in particular military history. Being a Gloucestershire boy, I naturally took a strong interest in my own county regiment. The passion intensified during my teenage years when my driving instructor, Seargent Henry Pegler, would tell me stories of his involvement at the Battle of Imjin River where the regiment fought its famous action, and where he himself was badly wounded and taken prisoner of war. When abroad on tour with the England cricket team I would always try to spend as much time as I could visiting the nearest battlefield or military site and, whenever possible, pay my respects to any military graves that I could find. I always found this very poignant as it is the experiences of the men themselves that hold the greatest fascination for me. What were their experiences like? What was it like to be in the heat of battle? If I hadn't been fortunate enough to play cricket and paint pictures for a living, there is no doubt I would have ended up being a soldier.”

He continued: “I started collecting medals around thirty years ago. Initially I collected to all regiments, but I soon focused my attention on my home county regiment, trying to cover each battalion and as many campaigns as possible. I suspect it may happen with most collectors, but for me it has now come to a point where I feel it is time for a change in direction. I feel that I have got as close to the regiment and its fighting men as I possibly could, and it is now the time to hand them on to other collectors to take guardianship and look after these extraordinary men’s medals for the next stage of their journey. In which direction will my collecting go now? I'm not entirely sure. My Gloucestershire roots are strong so I may start collecting medals to Gloucestershire men who fought in other regiments. I may even narrow it down to soldiers from my hometown, Stroud. Who knows? However, I am certain that my passion for military history will continue to grow – with me it is an addiction! Finally, a message to the new custodians of the medals in this collection: I hope you enjoy their company as much as I have.”

A self portrait - Jack Russell.

You can view his gallery of work by clicking here Originals Archives - Jack Russell

STOP PRESS - The Jack Russell sale grossed £74,000. Bosnaquet's MC made £6,000.

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Sadly, it’s been a traumatic week in my household. Ruby, 2014-2026, the latest in my line of working black Labradors, passed away on Wednesday following in the footsteps of Megan 1987-2001, and Jess, 1996-2010.

A day in the shooting field without a working dog is like trying to play the piano without arms, it just doesn’t work. Man and dog working in harmony pursuing good sport, love and companionship, is something that the so called Animal Rights fanatics will never understand.

This time, it’s not just me and my wife who are affected, all of our grandchildren have been born during Ruby’s life and there were a lot of tears shed last Wednesday.

Will there be another? The jury is out at present but watch this space.

Ruby – 22.02.2014 to 15.04.2026.

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS.

Next event - Lincoln & North Lincolnshire Branch, WFA - Monday, April 27th 2026 - Doors open 7.00pm for 7.30pm start - Royal Naval Association Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG.

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. 

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Next Meeting - Spalding & South Lincolnshire Branch, WFA – Thursday 23rd April, 2026 - Doors open 7.00pm for 7.30 pm start - Spalding Baptist Church, Swan Street, Spalding, PE11 1BT.

April 23rd - Chris Finn presents "Aviation in the Dardanelles and Gallipoli Campaigns".

In this evening's talk, Chris will examine how the British, French and Turkish forces' developed their application of airpower in a complex campaign, fought in a hostile environment, and with meagre resources when compared to the Western Front.  He will be discussing not only the technology and tactics, but also the environment, enemy and command personalities and cultures in a talk which first saw the light of day when Chris presented a brief introduction to air power at Gallipoli as a "stand" during the highly successful Lincoln Branch battlefield tour of Gallipoli in 2022 led by our good friend Dudley Giles.

The aircraft available were very early machines such as the Wight Pusher, Short 135 and Sopwith 807 floatplanes along with BE2c, Maurice Farman and Breguet B2 landplanes which were flown with great skill by characters such as Commander Charles Rumney Samson RN, Commodore Roger Keys RN and Wing Captain Frederick Sykes RNAS who did a remarkable job of undertaking photographic reconnaissance flights over Gallipoli.  The Turks were flying even more primitive types; witness Flt Lt Cemal Bey flying a Bleriot XI-2 during the campaign! 

Christopher Finn joined the RAF in 1972 as a navigator. He flew predominantly the Buccaneer and was an electronic warfare, weapons and tactics specialist.  During Operation GRANBY he was, as a newly promoted Wing Cdr, the UK’s “SO1 Bucc” in the Coalition Air HQ in Riyadh.  His final flying tour was as the Officer Commanding the Navigator and Airman Aircrew School.  A graduate of the Joint Services’ Defence College he gained an MPhil in International Relations at Cambridge University in 1999 and went on to be the Director of Defence Studies (RAF).  From his retirement in 2005 to 2015 he was a Senior Lecturer in Air Power Studies at the RAF College Cranwell.  Chris is an Accredited Battlefield Guide, specialising in airpower and combined operations.  He lectures extensively on RAF and airpower history, but can turn his hand to most military history subjects, and is also a volunteer guide at the BBMF and both a guide and lecturer for the CWGC.

Finally, the Branch would like to advise attendees that, by permission of the Church Elders, we have relocated our presentations from the ante-room we have used to date, to the main hall (known as "The Sanctuary") within the church.  This well decorated and attractive hall has comfortable padded seats, and speakers' presentations are clearly displayed on a very large, bright LCD screen mounted on the end wall.  This system has been used for church services and other events for a while now, and works very well.  The Branch first tried it at our March meeting and both the audience, and speaker, were greatly appreciative of it.  So, if you are attending, and we hope you will, please don't go to the ante-room, or you might find yourself recruited into the church choir!  

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The East Midlands (Nottingham) WFA branch will hold their next speaker event on Friday 8th May 2026 at 7.30pm. The branch meets at St. Peter’s Church Hall, Church Street, Ruddington, NG11 6HA.

The speaker on this night will be Mike Coyle who will present – “Comparing the Somme 1916 with Arras 1917.”

Everyone welcome.

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The Leadenham Military History Group’s next meeting will be on Tuesday 28th April at 7.30pm at Leadenham village hall.

CHANGE OF PROGRAMME.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, James Handley will now present his talk on the Battle of Marston Moor in October.

On April 28th, there will be a two-part event.

Biography: Sir Walter Cowan, Bt., by Tim Sisson. A brief history of one of the oldest men to see active service in the 20th Century.

Presentation: Dowding: a debt unpaid, by Tim Willbond. The poor post-war treatment of one of the country’s finest leaders, and how his legacy is continued today.

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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”

The next FoLT talk will be held on Thursday the 30th April when we will welcome Jo Costin to speak on “Cambridgeshire Kitcheners”.  In her own words:

“In the opening months of the First World War, 1,500 men from Cambridgeshire (town and county) joined up together to form the Cambridgeshire Kitcheners or 11th Suffolks. They came from a variety of occupations, though unlike many other Pals battalions, the majority were agricultural workers. Following training in England, they went overseas in January 1916, and saw action in some of the bloodiest battles of the war. This included the Somme, when 188 were killed on 1 July alone. However, this was not the end of their story. They saw significant action in 1917, during the battle of Arras, and in 1918 were caught up in the chaotic retreats during the German Spring Offensives, and the later Allied counterattacks. The list of battles, however, is only a fraction of their story. A mixture of official sources, newspaper accounts, personal documents, and family history sources like census records combine to give a fuller picture of what the men in the battalion experienced”.

We shall, as usual, meet at the Royal Naval Club on Coulson Road, Lincoln.  Doors will open at 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start.  Entrance is £5 payable on the door on the night.  There is ample car parking at the club, and refreshments can be obtained at the bar.  Everyone is welcome to attend and there is no need for you to be a paid up member of FoLT.  Just come down on the night to receive a warm welcome.  I hope you are able to support us.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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 Bollingbroke Castle. [NB – I gave this date as the 24th last Sunday. My apologies – Ed]

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 Bollingbroke 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.

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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.

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Steve Baldwin writes in to say; 'Once again while reading your excellent weekly Trench Lincs, my interest was raised by one of the included articles which has led me to comment. 

I refer to Melvin Dobbs outing recently.

I notice he visited the “On Freedoms Wing's” memorial and some of the Churches in the area.

Unfortunately, one church that he didn't visit was St. Germain Church in Thurlby. If he had gone there and spent a little time in the graveyard, he might have come across the grave of a certain George Harrison. This man does not have a link to the Liverpool band you might be thinking about, but he did have a link to the "On Freedoms Wing's" memorial.

The Australian Flying Office George William Marshall Harrison was the Observer (Navigator) on the fateful last flight of Lancaster R5689 (VN-N).

George and three other crew members, Sgt. S.C. Garrett, Flight Sgt. J.R. Gibbons and Sgt. H. Male, were killed as they returned from a Mine Laying operation and the Lancaster suffered the loss of two engines.

The full size Lancaster sculpture is a memorial to these four airmen, and through them the rest of Bomber Command and will be officially opened over the weekend of 15-17th May. Tickets for the various events for the opening can be obtained through the following Facebook link - https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1381987727296547&set=pb.100064559985007.-2207520000

Thank you Steve for the tip off.

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As you will expect by now, Arthur Wood has provided more photos from his extensive collection of Victoria Cross winners, and my mention last Sunday of Wilfred Wood, prompted Arthur into action.

Arthur notes; ‘…that Wood was cremated at Stockport, and as Bill Roffey mentioned last week, there is a pub named after him.’

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Over the last two weeks, there has been mention of British body armour worn in WWI. I had noticed a set on display at the Royal Armouries and this spurred Dave Moore to drop me a line.

Dave writes; ‘Anyway, the reason I respond now to last week’s Trench Lincs (apologies again for the late reply) is to do with the piece on the body armour worn by British soldiers.

I knew I had read a story somewhere that I’d used during a tour, with a reference to the same type of armour. It’s taken me a couple of days but I’ve found it for you.

It is from a book called ‘The Fighting Mascot’ written by Tommy Kehoe who was a boy soldier in the 5th Kings Liverpool regiment. Published in 1918 it must’ve been one of the first personal accounts to be available.

I’m quite pleased that you’ve made me recall this as I’m taking an RBL bus from Merseyside over to Flanders in a couple of weeks and will now use some extracts from the book.

Here’s the snippet about wearing body armour: (Chapter V pages 36/37)

“Before long a wind sprang up that blew the gas away, and we pulled off our masks, glad to breathe the fresh air again. Oh, how good that fresh wind was in our faces! We got together in little groups and talked over the fight. One lad named John Goldstein, from London, showed us a steel breastplate he was wearing under his uniform. He said his father had sent it to him hoping it would save his life. “And it has saved it,” Goldstein said. “Look here.”

He struck a match and showed us a dent in the breastplate close to his heart, and a little above it he pointed out a scratch. “The dent’s where a bullet struck,” he said. “Knocked me flat on my back, but that’s all the harm it did, thanks to my old man at home. And that scratch I got from a Boche bayonet. The Hun ran at me and jabbed me hard. Must have thought I wasn’t human when his bayonet wouldn’t go through. He’s out there near the wires now, what’s left of him. I got him.”

I can thoroughly recommend the book.’

I have to admit that I was not aware of this book, but found it for sale on Amazon Books at £26, it was out of stock with ABE Books, but remarkably, you can download the book for free by clicking on this web link.

the fighting mascot the true story of a boy soldier by tommy kehoe

Dave is a regular visitor to France and is a member of a French archaeological association that excavates WWI tunnels and trenches and he continues; ‘I’ve just had a few days in France to meet a new baby arrival into my “adopted” French family near Arras.

I also attended the annual meeting of Le Souvenir Francais branch at Béhagnies. Some excellent lectures by the members, with one particularly emotional presentation by a lady that was born into a concentration camp in 1943. She played a video of her mother being interviewed in the 1980’s that told her story of helping the resistance before being sent to Poland. She even had a little woollen dress that was made for her by prisoners in the camp. (photo attached.) Some of the footage and photos shown makes you wonder how any of them survived. I’ll try and get a copy of her video story and translate it. Then maybe give a presentation in the future sometime.

Photo shows ‘Nelly’ aged 83 with her dress, alongside M Xavier Deuneville president of Arras SF branch.’

Considering the location and circumstances of Nelly’s birth in 1943, she does look remarkably well for 83!

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Chas Parker spotted an article of interest with a Lincolnshire connection and comments; ‘This  History & Archaeology.  I thought that it might be of interest.’

I hope you can easily read the article?

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Steve Eley, married to my daughter Lizzie, was away with his family in Northamptonshire, where, being a dutiful and well-trained son-in-law!, he spotted a war memorial in the grounds of Delapre Abbey – and remarkably, the memorial happened to have a Lincolnshire twist.

Operation Exodus was the 1945 operation to fly home British prisoners of war from Europe. On April 26th 1945, a Lancaster from 50 Squadron, based at Skellingthorpe in Lincolnshire, flew 27 repatriated prisoners to Aylesbury. On the return trip, what appears to have been pilot error, saw the aircraft hit overhead wires before crashing and killing five of the seven-man crew.

Here are Steve’s photos of the explanation board at the site of the crash.

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Nick Firby and I have been in email conversation recently, and Nick writes of his grandfather’s regular pre-war service with the 1st Battalion the Durham Light Infantry (DLI); ‘Firstly, the 1/DLI Warrant Officers and Senior Non Commissioned Officers Mess appears to have had a formal photo taken of the membership, along with the Battalion’s senior leadership, every 3-4 years.  These photos now reside in an album held by Durham County Records Office.  The photo, which is recorded as being taken in Nowshera, also appears several times elsewhere in the County archive, and the various copies are dated either 1914, 1916 or 1917.

Nowshera was the Battalion’s base from 1914-17, so the photo’s recorded location definitely tallies up with the recorded Regimental history. My personal belief is that the photo was taken in 1917 because: my grandfather’s service record shows he did not reach SNCO rank until October 1914 (he was initially promoted to unpaid lance serjeant in that month); my grandfather’s surviving personal papers show he was seconded to the Shere Regiment as an acting warrant officer (a Nepalese infantry battalion, which formed part of the ‘Nepalese Contingent’ loaned by the Government of Nepal for the defence of India during the War) from very early January 1916 to early January 1917; and the 1/DLI digest of service records the battalion being concentrated in mid-1917 after extensive deployed operations on the NW Frontier prior to being transferred from the 1 (Peshawar) Division to the 2 (Rawalpindi) Division later that year. Incidentally, my grandfather is standing in the middle row, fourth man in from the right; his medal ribbon is for the 1911 Delhi Durbar, and I think the badge above his rank chevrons is to denote he was a fencing instructor.

The other two photos show the location of the Indian Army camp at Chakdara in 1915; not necessarily the best quality of photos but it gives an indication of the terrain the troops were operating in.

The other confirms that the British Army abroad always like to leave its indelible mark somewhere on the local landscape. At that time, 1/DLI was split into two unequal parts with: Battalion HQ plus A, C and D Company’s (my grandfather was in D Coy) forming the British element of the infantry in the Malakand Mobile Column, which probably accounts for the ‘Malakand N W F’ written below the regimental badge; and B Company forming the same element of the smaller Mardan Mobile Column.  The ‘68th’ above the badge refers to 1/DLI’s earlier regimental number before the county regiment titles came into use (as a former Honourable East India Company regiment, 2/DLI was previously numbered 106 Light Infantry).’

A big thanks to Nick for this information and photos, as we don’t often think about or write about those battalions of the regular British Army that did not see service in France, Flanders, Salonica, Palestine or Gallipoli. Here is the potted Great War history of 1/DLI.

1st Battalion Durham Light Infantry.

August 1914 : stationed in Nowshera in India. Part of the 3rd (Abbottabad) Brigade in 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division. Remained in India throughout the war. Transferred in August 1914 to 2nd (Nowshera) Brigade in 1st (Peshawar) Division. In November 1917 transferred to 4th (Rawalpindi) Brigade in 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division.

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The very first Victoria Cross ever awarded went to Mate, Charles Davis Lucas, Royal Navy for his action on-board HMS Hecla when he picked up a live shell from the deck and threw it overboard, and was immediately promoted Lieutenant. This event took place in June 1854 at the start of the Crimean War.

Queen Victoria instituted the award of the VC for acts of great personal valour in 1856, and the warrant was backdated to June 1854 to allow Lucas to receive his medal.

A most interesting memorial plaque came my way this last week by way of a photograph from Funchal, the capital of Madeira.

This plaque commemorates one of the earliest VC’s to be awarded in 1855 to Cecil William Buckley, again Royal Navy, and the plaque had been unveiled by one of the last VC winners, Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry in 2007.

Buckley’s VC was the very first awarded to receive a citation in the London Gazette. It reads; BUCKLEY, Cecil William, Lieutenant, Royal Navy – 29th May 1855 – He landed on a beach near Genitchi, with Lieutenant BURGOYNE and Gunner ROBARTS, at a point where the Russian Army were in strength. Despite encountering considerable enemy opposition, they set fire to corn stores and ammunition dumps and destroyed enemy equipment before embarking again. 3rd June 1855 – He landed with Boatswain COOPER at the town of Taganrog and fired government buildings and stores and destroyed equipment and arms before embarking again.’

Buckley lived until 1872 and died at Funchal. In contrast, Johnson Beharry won his Victoria Cross in 2004 in Iraq, and is therefore, a very special man and well worthy of unveiling the plaque to Cecil Buckley.

His rather lengthy citation reads; ‘Private Beharry carried out two individual acts of great heroism by which he saved the lives of his comrades. Both were in direct face of the enemy, under intense fire, at great personal risk to himself (one leading to him sustaining very serious injuries). His valour is worthy of the highest recognition. In the early hours of May 1 2004 Beharry's company was ordered to replenish an isolated coalition forces outpost located in the centre of the troubled city of Al Amarah. He was the driver of a platoon commander's warrior armoured fighting vehicle. His platoon was the company's reserve force and was placed on immediate notice to move. As the main elements of his company were moving into the city to carry out the replenishment, they were re-tasked to fight through a series of enemy ambushes in order to extract a foot patrol that had become pinned down under sustained small arms and heavy machine gun fire and improvised explosive device and rocket-propelled grenade attack. Beharry's platoon was tasked over the radio to come to the assistance of the remainder of the company, who were attempting to extract the isolated foot patrol. As his platoon passed a roundabout, en-route to the pinned-down patrol, they became aware that the road to the front was empty of all civilians and traffic - an indicator of a potential ambush ahead. The platoon commander ordered the vehicle to halt, so that he could assess the situation. The vehicle was then immediately hit by multiple rocket-propelled grenades. Eyewitnesses report that the vehicle was engulfed in a number of violent explosions, which physically rocked the 30-tonne warrior. As a result of this ferocious initial volley of fire, both the platoon commander and the vehicle's gunner were incapacitated by concussion and other wounds, and a number of the soldiers in the rear of the vehicle were also wounded. Due to damage sustained in the blast to the vehicle's radio systems, Beharry had no means of communication with either his turret crew or any of the other warrior vehicles deployed around him. He did not know if his commander or crewmen were still alive, or how serious their injuries may be. In this confusing and dangerous situation, on his own initiative, he closed his driver's hatch and moved forward through the ambush position to try to establish some form of communications, halting just short of a barricade placed across the road. The vehicle was hit again by sustained rocket-propelled grenade attack from insurgent fighters in the alleyways and on rooftops around his vehicle. Further damage to the warrior from these explosions caused it to catch fire and fill rapidly with thick, noxious smoke. Beharry opened up his armoured hatch cover to clear his view and orientate himself to the situation. He still had no radio communications and was now acting on his own initiative, as the lead vehicle of a six warrior convoy in an enemy-controlled area of the city at night. He assessed that his best course of action to save the lives of his crew was to push through, out of the ambush. He drove his warrior directly through the barricade, not knowing if there were mines or improvised explosive devices placed there to destroy his vehicle. By doing this he was able to lead the remaining five warriors behind him towards safety. As the smoke in his driver's tunnel cleared, he was just able to make out the shape of another rocket-propelled grenade in flight heading directly towards him. He pulled the heavy armoured hatch down with one hand, whilst still controlling his vehicle with the other. However, the overpressure from the explosion of the rocket wrenched the hatch out of his grip, and the flames and force of the blast passed directly over him, down the driver's tunnel, further wounding the semi-conscious gunner in the turret. The impact of this rocket destroyed Beharry's armoured periscope, so he was forced to drive the vehicle through the remainder of the ambushed route, some 1500m long, with his hatch opened up and his head exposed to enemy fire, all the time with no communications with any other vehicle. During this long surge through the ambushes the vehicle was again struck by rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire. While his head remained out of the hatch, to enable him to see the route ahead, he was directly exposed to much of this fire, and was himself hit by a 7.62mm bullet, which penetrated his helmet and remained lodged on its inner surface. Despite this harrowing weight of incoming fire Beharry continued to push through the extended ambush, still leading his platoon until he broke clean. He then visually identified another warrior from his company and followed it through the streets of Al Amarah to the outside of the Cimic House outpost, which was receiving small arms fire from the surrounding area. Once he had brought his vehicle to a halt outside, without thought for his own personal safety, he climbed onto the turret of the still-burning vehicle and, seemingly oblivious to the incoming enemy small arms fire, manhandled his wounded platoon commander out of the turret, off the vehicle and to the safety of a nearby warrior. He then returned once again to his vehicle and again mounted the exposed turret to lift out the vehicle's gunner and move him to a position of safety. Exposing himself yet again to enemy fire he returned to the rear of the burning vehicle to lead the disorientated and shocked dismounts and casualties to safety. Remounting his burning vehicle for the third time, he drove it through a complex chicane and into the security of the defended perimeter of the outpost, thus denying it to the enemy. Only at this stage did Beharry pull the fire extinguisher handles, immobilising the engine of the vehicle, dismounted and then moved himself into the relative safety of the back of another warrior. Once inside Beharry collapsed from the sheer physical and mental exhaustion of his efforts and was subsequently himself evacuated. Having returned to duty following medical treatment, on June 11 2004 Beharry's warrior was part of a quick reaction force tasked to attempt to cut off a mortar team that had attacked a coalition force base in Al Amarah. As the lead vehicle of the platoon he was moving rapidly through the dark city streets towards the suspected firing point, when his vehicle was ambushed by the enemy from a series of rooftop positions. During this initial heavy weight of enemy fire, a rocket-propelled grenade detonated on the vehicle's frontal armour, just six inches [15cm] from Beharry's head, resulting in a serious head injury. Other rockets struck the turret and sides of the vehicle, incapacitating his commander and injuring several of the crew. With the blood from his head injury obscuring his vision, Beharry managed to continue to control his vehicle, and forcefully reversed the warrior out of the ambush area. The vehicle continued to move until it struck the wall of a nearby building and came to rest. Beharry then lost consciousness as a result of his wounds. By moving the vehicle out of the enemy's chosen killing area he enabled other warrior crews to be able to extract his crew from his vehicle, with a greatly reduced risk from incoming fire. Despite receiving a serious head injury, which later saw him being listed as very seriously injured and in a coma for some time, his level-headed actions in the face of heavy and accurate enemy fire at short range again almost certainly saved the lives of his crew and provided the conditions for their safe evacuation to medical treatment. Beharry displayed repeated extreme gallantry and unquestioned valour, despite intense direct attacks, personal injury and damage to his vehicle in the face of relentless enemy action.’

Victoria Cross citation (published, The London Gazette, 18th March 2005)

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I am always interested in Great War art and propaganda, and this last week, I came across two beautifully illustrated Australian recruitment posters. As many of you will know, the subject of conscription in Australia was a hugely controversial subject during WWI.

Conscription in Australia during the First World War became one of the most divisive political and social issues in the nation’s early history. When war broke out in 1914, Australia, as part of the British Empire, entered the conflict automatically. The initial response was enthusiastic, with thousands of men volunteering for the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). However, as casualties mounted, voluntary enlistments declined, and the government began to consider compulsory military service for overseas deployment. This proposal sparked intense debate that split political parties, churches, unions, and even families.

Australia already had a form of compulsory military training for home defence under the Defence Act of 1903, but this legislation explicitly prohibited conscripts from being sent overseas. Prime Minister Billy Hughes believed that compulsory overseas service was necessary to maintain troop numbers on the Western Front. In 1916, after visiting Britain and witnessing the scale of losses, Hughes returned convinced that voluntary recruitment would not be sufficient. Instead of changing the law directly through Parliament, he decided to hold a national referendum to gain public approval for conscription.

The first conscription referendum took place on 28th October 1916. The campaign leading up to the vote was bitter and emotional. Supporters argued that conscription was a patriotic duty and essential to support Australian soldiers already fighting abroad. They often framed the issue as one of loyalty to the Empire and sacrifice for victory. Opponents, however, raised concerns about civil liberties, workers’ rights, and the fairness of forcing men to fight in a distant war. Trade Unions feared that conscription would weaken labour protections, while many Irish Catholics opposed it due to resentment toward British rule, particularly after the Easter Rising in Ireland earlier that year. The referendum was narrowly defeated, with about 51 percent voting against conscription.

Despite the defeat, Hughes remained determined. The issue fractured his own Labour Party, leading to his expulsion. He then formed a new Nationalist government with conservative support and called a second referendum in December 1917. By this time, divisions had deepened. Anti-conscription activists organised mass meetings, pamphlets, and protests, while the government intensified patriotic messaging and pressure on eligible men. The second referendum also failed, this time by a slightly larger margin. Australia thus remained one of the few nations involved in the war that did not introduce conscription for overseas service.

The conscription debates had lasting consequences. Politically, they reshaped party alignments and weakened the Labour movement in the short term. Socially, they created deep rifts across class, religion, and ethnicity. Communities were divided between those who saw conscription as necessary sacrifice and those who viewed it as coercion and an infringement on democratic rights. The heated rhetoric sometimes led to violence at public meetings and strained relationships within workplaces and households.

Although conscription was never introduced for overseas service, voluntary enlistment continued, and over 400,000 Australians served during the war. The controversy highlighted the tension between national duty and individual freedom, a theme that has remained central to Australian political culture. The failure of both referendums also reinforced the power of public opinion in shaping wartime policy and demonstrated Australia’s willingness to chart an independent path, even while fighting as part of the British Empire.

The decision not to adopt conscription led to the production of very clever and thought provoking propaganda posters. The two illustrated below, play on the desire that a man would not let his family and friends down if there was a bush fire, and that it was a ‘real’ man’s duty to defend his homeland, wife and children and that women should make this very clear to their menfolk.

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This week’s offering from Chris at Colour by CJS was chosen by me for its connection to Lincolnshire.

Private Frank Douglas Jenner Sutherland

Frank was born in Fulham, London, and his wife Ada was from Grimsby. After their marriage, Frank and Ada settled in that town.

Like thousands of other young and patriotic men, Frank enlisted early in the war and deployed to France in November 1914 with 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment.

At some point he transferred to 1st/5th Battalion, Territorial Force, Lincolnshire Regiment and served in 46th (North Midland) Division.

After almost four years of war he was killed on 29th September 1918 during the battle to cross the St Quentin Canal near to the Riqueval Bridge. The 1st/5th Lincolns attacked in the afternoon at Magny la Fosse and A Company bore the brunt of the casualties. Steve Bramley and Chris Bailey’s history of the 1st/5th Lincolns states; ‘….among the men from Grimsby who still formed most of A Company, Privates Sidney Jenkinson, Joseph Kelly, Fred Peckham, Sidney Sisson and Frank Sutherland were all dead on the battlefield.’

Frank was 26 years old and has no known grave and is commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial to the missing.

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In Memoriam the Lincolnshire Regiment 19th April.

1915

2251 Private F Darnell, 5th Battalion. Buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery, France.

14023 Private Charles Edgar Dutton, 2nd Battalion, aged 20. Buried in Bois Grenier Communal Cemetery, France.

1916

17176 Boy E Frith, 3rd Battalion, aged 15. Buried in Grimsby Scartho Cemetery, UK

11782 Private Walter Martin, 8th Battalion, aged 20. Buried in Meaulte Military Cemetery, France.

3029 Lance Corporal H E Garrill, 4th Battalion, aged 20. Buried in Ecoivres Military Cemetery, France.

3658 Private Herbert Cecil Humphries, 4th Battalion, aged 27. – Ditto. –

4172 Private George Ladbrook, 4th Battalion, aged 29. – Ditto. –

3117 Private George Hallam, 4th Battalion, aged 21. Remembered on the Arras Memorial, France.

3474 Private Charles Townsend, 4th Battalion. – Ditto. –

3059 Private Donald Massey, 4th Battalion. – Ditto. –

1917

Seventeen men of the regiment are recorded as having died on this day.

1918

51615 Sergeant William Harris, 1st Battalion, aged 28. Remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.

44612 Private Clarence Wilby Newton, 2nd/5th Battalion, aged 19. Buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France.

847 Lance Corporal F G Moore ** 10th Battalion, aged 24. Buried in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium.

49874 Private Arthur Lampitt, 1st Battalion, aged 19. Buried in Wimereux Communal Cemetery, France.

202893 Lance Corporal John Cyril Hurley, 1st Battalion, aged 19. Remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.

49951 Private J Billany, 2nd Battalion. Buried in Haringhe Military Cemetery, Belgium.

22625 Private H Cussons, 10th Battalion, aged 23. – Ditto. –

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

** With regard to L/Cpl. Moore (1918), his three-digit service number, 847, marks him out as one of the original 1,000 Grimsby Chums that formed the 10th Battalion in September 1914, and note Boy Frith in 1916, aged just 15.

I can't finish without mentioning the football! Somehow, Nottingham Forest are soldiering on in Europe and now have a two-legged semi-final to play, but the biggest congratulations are due to Lincoln City, who next season, will play in the second tier of English football for the first time since 1961 - Up The Imps!

Until next week,

All best wishes

Jonathan

E: trenchlincs@gmail.com

www.jonathandhooghe.co.uk

© Jonathan D’Hooghe