Good Morning,
I hope today’s TL finds you well? I think you will find articles of interest below, many of which have come in this week from both new and regular contributors, who, as the weather improves, are getting out and about once again.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS.
Next Meeting - Lincoln & North Lincolnshire Branch WFA - Monday, March 31st - Doors open 7.00pm for prompt start at 7.30pm - Venue: Royal Naval Association Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG.
Guest Speaker for the evening, Andrew Moody, presents "The Great War on the Silent Screen."
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 - which runs for around 60 minutes excluding a break for refreshments and questions - we will look at films such as The Lost Battalion, Ypres, Mons, The Big Parade, Wings, Tell England, Journey's End, Splinters and more! This view of history made for the silver screen is something completely different from our usual fare, and is not to be missed, but, should you be unable to attend, don't worry, you will have another chance to see it at Spalding Branch WFA on April 24th.
++++++++++++++++++++++
The East Midlands (Nottingham) WFA Branch meets again on Friday 11th April at 7.30pm at St. Peter’s Church Hall, Church Street, Ruddington, Nottingham, NG11 6HA. All welcome.
The April speaker is Shaun Higgins who will present – ‘Strange Meetings’ The life of Wilfred Owen MC, in his own words.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Next Meeting - Spalding & South Lincolnshire Branch, WFA - Thursday, March 27th - Doors open 7.00pm for prompt start at 7.30pm - Venue: Spalding Baptist Church, Swan Street, Spalding, PE11 1BT.
Guest speaker for the evening, Steve Warburton, presents: "First In, Last Out; Brig Gen C H T Lucas (87th Brigade, 29th Division) at Gallipoli".
Steve Warburton hails from Peterborough and is a history teacher and experienced public speaker who has undertaken extensive research of the career of Brig-Gen C H T Lucas, which forms the basis of a number of talks. He is also a former Chairman of the Cambridgeshire Branch of the WFA.
In this evenings talk, Steve uses excerpts from CHTL’s diaries and letters home as well as photographs he took on the Gallipoli Peninsula, all in the context of a survey of the Campaign. CHTL was one of the 12 officers from the 29th Division who survived to experience the full Campaign from landing (April 1915) to evacuation (January 1916). CHTL went on to command the 87th Brigade until early 1918 when he was promoted to command the Machine Gun Training School, briefly returning to the 87th before being given a division in Autumn1918.
In 1919 whilst commanding the Fermoy Brigade in Ireland he was captured by the IRA but escaped after several weeks in captivity, during which he "charmed" his IRA captors into sparing his life, as well as costing them a fortune at cards and the drinking of copious amounts of whiskey!
This is a fascinating story of skilled leadership, coupled with a large dose of good fortune as CHTL escaped injury or death on several occasions by the narrowest of margins. After hearing his full life story, the cause of his final demise will surprise you!
,
+++++++++++++++++++++++
The Leadenham Military History Group’s next meeting will be on Tuesday 25th March, at Leadenham Village Hall with a start time of 7.30pm.
This evening will be a Navy night with two speakers.
Presentation: Herbert Cheffings, leading seaman – based on the memoirs of this local man who took part in the Battle of Jutland and operations in Somaliland - by Alison Gibson.
Presentation: HMS Hermes and her role in the Fleet Air Arm 1959-1984, by Simon Hudson.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The next meeting in the 2025 series of lectures at the Friends of the Lincoln tank Group will be held on Thursday 24th April when my good friend, David Moore, will present "Taking Refuge – 16th Tank Battalion Graffiti Discovered at Gouy-en-Artois.”
All meetings are on a Thursday night at the Royal Naval Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, with a 7.30pm start time. A warm welcome awaits.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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.
Full details to follow shortly.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The next outing for those in the Lincoln area, although everyone is welcome who wants to make the journey, will be to the Newark Air Museum, Drove Lane, Newark, NG24 2NY. Home Click the link to see the museum website.
The date is Wednesday 26th March at 10.30am. The cost of entry is £11.50 or £10.50 for the over 65’s. There is a café, shop and toilet facilities on site, and for the nimble visitor, there will be the chance to climb inside some of the planes including the Vulcan and Shackleton.
As it is a booked group visit, I have to confirm the numbers prior to the date, so please let me know if you will be attending. Thank you. [Party size is currently 16 – Ed]
I look forward to hearing from you.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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 6 strong) please just book your train ticket and let me know.
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.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Do you fancy a day out in London? Bill Pinfold has kindly tipped us off to a free exhibition that is currently on at the London Archives, 40 Northampton Street, London, EC1R 0HB, until 30th October.
The London Archives’ – “London in World War II” exhibition allows attendees to view contemporary photographs, pore over the official air raid records and examine in great detail, blitz damage to individual streets and houses.
Click here to view the website London in the Second World War | London Archives
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Please click on this link to read the latest edition of The Tiger
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Following on from last week, we start with Tony Nutkins, who kindly comments; ‘Thanks for a tour de force of an edition of Trench Lincs this week. The contributions from yourself, including putting together the vast amount of pieces from contributors, is immense in scale, scope, interest and detail. Enough to occupy me for some considerable time during the week.
As regards the dumbing down, putting aside and effectively "losing" exhibits from displays and museums and memorials by shameless, nameless faces, I find it disgraceful.
The UK as it is, evolved over centuries and what happened in the past shapes where and how we are today. If we lose sight of that and the objects, written and catalogued materials, and memorials recording and recalling our history are conveniently assigned to a darkened warehouse and disposed of covertly as seems to be the case, then apart from losing sight of where we are now, we lose sight our future. If we forget and erase the past, we have no future as we shall not know where we came from.
Some of what happened in the past, of course, was less than something to be proud of, if we are honest, but that's exactly how we learn to do things differently. The good that was done over the centuries and the deeds of those, both good and bad, are there to be studied and learned from and that is why we must remember, recall, categorise, memorialise and keep it all for future generations to understand where they came from.
To quote Shakespeare from Julius Caesar, "The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones". We would do well to remember that and make it our duty to remember and recall, study and record both the good and the bad parts of our history. Sadly, the "woke" fraternity are unable to understand or accept this as they have no concept nor understanding of why the past should be remembered, recorded and the better parts celebrated, the lesser parts remembered and recorded also.’
[Tony’s reference to Shakespeare is very apt, given this last week, the Trustees of Shakespeare’s legacy have announced they are going to ‘de-colonise’ his body of work as it is ‘racist and too white’ – You really couldn’t make it up! – Ed]
Tony continues; ‘On another point, I wonder if you would be willing to undertake the research on this soldier whose British War Medal was found in a box of tools that belonged to Lynne's late brother in law. No one in the family knows of the man nor where the medal came from or how it got to be there.
Whilst he is a "First Day of the Somme" death, "Died", and not KIA or DOW, suggests that his death was either due to an accident or perhaps from disease. What do you think?
He is 10909 Private G. E. Drane 2nd Battalion South Wales Borderers died 1/7/1916 buried Ancre British Cemetery (Beaumont Hamel) Somme France grave ref: II.C.10.’
Taking up the challenge on Tony’s behalf, I discovered that George Edward Drane was a pre-war regular soldier, whose wife, Margaret, was able to claim a war pension after his death.
George Drane’s Medal Index Card showed that he was overseas in China and on September 23rd 1914 he entered ‘Theatre of War 5{H} (Asiatic)’ – This was specifically noted for men of the 2/SWB who served at Tsing-Tau. (Tsingtao)
A short history of the 2nd Battalion South Wales Borderers from the LLT reveals that:
2nd Battalion
August 1914 : in Tientsin, China.
23 September 1914 : landed at Lao Shan Bay for operations against the German territory of Tsingtao.
4 December 1914 : embarked at Hong Kong, landing at Plymouth 12 January 1915.
12 January 1915 : came under orders of 87th Brigade, 29th Division. Moved to Rugby.
17 March 1915 : embarked at Avonmouth for operations at Gallipoli. Landed at Cape Helles 25 April 1915.
11 January 1916 : moved to Egypt on ship “Scotian”, landing at Alexandria on 13 January and moving to Suez.
10 March 1916: departed Alexandria for France, arriving Marseilles 15 March.
George Drane’s Medal Index Card also reveals that he was indeed Killed in Action (KIA) on 1st July 1916 in the opening attack by battalions of the 29th Division at Beaumont Hamel on the Somme.
I have attached below his MIC and entry from the Register of Soldier’s Effects, which shows his back pay and War Gratuity being paid to his wife.
Westlakes’ book, British Battalions on the Somme’, records that the 2/SWB “Attack on Beaumont Hamel. Objective Y Ravine – left start positions at zero – soon cut down by machine gun bullets, most in leading waves would not get much further than their own wire. Those that did reach the German lines, were quickly killed – Casualties 372.”
I think that Tony has a very special medal in his possession, there won’t be many medals belonging to men who served in China, Gallipoli and France!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Peter Garland was quick off the mark following my piece about William Tickle last week, the 17 year- old boy who died in the same attack at Ovillers as my great uncle.
Peter writes; ‘Concerning the story of Private William Cecil Tickle, his service with the 9th Battalion Essex Regiment, and his death at Ovillers at 17 years of age. Trench Lincs readers may be interested to know that, as well as featuring on one of Royal Mail's commemorative WW1 stamps, that very same photograph of a smiling William also appears on the dust cover and spine of Richard van Emden's book, "Boy Soldiers of the Great War". However, strange to report that, even though his photo is used for the dust cover illustration, there is absolutely no mention of William anywhere in the book.
Richard van Emden's research into the story of underage boys serving in the British Military lead him to reveal that over 400,000 served, and while he could not possibly mention them all in the book - the fully revised final edition of which was recently published - you would have thought he would mention the lad chosen to feature on the dust cover!’
A very good point well made Peter, and if you read the In Memoriam below, you will see that I have uncovered another 16 year old who gave his all whilst serving with the Lincolnshire Regiment.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
David Gray from the Peterborough Military History Group has very kindly taken to Trench Lincs like a duck to water, and this week has submitted two pieces for us.
The first involves a topic that we are all aware of through novels like War Horse, but is a topic that we may not have a lot of detail to hand, namely the acquisition of horses by the state at the commencement of the Great War.
David’s work is below;
Horses for the First World War
Hidden out of sight, behind a chain link fence at the Westgate end of Lincoln Road, Peterborough, is the site of Sexton, Grimwade and Beck’s Horse Repository. This is probably better known to those few people who know it was a site containing stables, as Hobson’s Repository. The former Hobson's Repository site within the area bounded by Lincoln Road, Russell Street, Cromwell Road and Westgate had its entrance between numbers 24 and 28 Lincoln Road, and was cleared and turned into a car park sometime in the mid to late 70’s, for the use of staff working at Queensgate shopping centre.
A report in the Peterborough Evening Telegraph gives us the following information regarding its use by Peterborough’s summer play-scheme and gives us a description of the site:
“In 1971 the Hobson’s horse repository became available. This was an area of stables between Cromwell Road and Lincoln Road which had been used in years gone past by livestock traders keeping animals overnight before they were sold at the cattle market in Peterborough either on Wednesday or Saturday.
The area was owned by the council and was perfect for our objective of adventure play. There was an area of about 20 individual stables around a central courtyard. At the beginning of summer, we allocated each stable to a group of children who could then build a den and decorate them in any way they wanted. Hence the nails, hammers and building equipment”.
Above: An entry in a contemporary Business Gazette confirming that Sexton, Grimwade and Beck’s repository is the same location that later became Hobson’s horse repository.
The cattle market, which was situated in the Northminster area behind the old Embassy theatre, closed in the early 70’s, so it is reasonable to assume Hobson’s horse repository closed around the same time. As we know the children took over in 1971, so that would fit.
For our purposes we are only interested in its time under Sexton, Grimwade and Beck during the First World War.
Above: This is the wall where the cars are parked at the bottom of the repository marked with the red dots in the previous photo. We can see the concrete floors of each stable, grooved to help water runoff and aid grip for the metal horseshoes. In the gaps between the concrete we can just make out the bottom layer of bricks which formed the dividing walls.
Most amazing of all we can still see the metal rings high up on the wall of each stable on which the horses were tethered.
Horse Requirements
At the beginning of the war, the War Office had a number of representatives in the district engaged in collecting horses for the purposes of supplying the Peterborough Battery and the Northamptonshire Imperial Yeomanry, also for transport and ammunition purposes. The work was being rushed ahead with great speed during the first week of the war because the various forces could not be mobilised until they had been supplied with mounts.
Captain Sheriff, the Army Remount Officer was accompanied in a car by Mr. F. Lockwood, MRCVS. Mr. F. W. Griffin of ‘Boro Fen’, was scouring the Lincolnshire neighbourhood, in another car; Mr. Gordon J. Wilson of the Apethorpe Estate Office was busy in North Northants., and Mr. Beck and Mr. Jos. Mackinder were engaged in Peterborough and its immediate neighbourhood, sending their purchases into Sexton, Grimwade and Beck’s horse repository in Lincoln Road above. All of these officials, who were accompanied by a police officer with warrants, were buying horses at the rate of over one hundred a day. The Battery’s complement of horses was complete by Thursday 6th and the Yeomanry was expected to be fully supplied by that weekend.
The method of purchasing was that the officer examined practically every horse he saw, and if it was suitable he asked the proprietor what he wanted for it. The price was generally agreed, but if it was not, the Government purchaser took the animal at his own valuation and gave the seller an order on the Government for the amount. Twenty-seven of the Fitzwilliam Hunt horses were commandeered by the War Office; several of them belonged to Mr Norman Loder and were valued at between £200 and £300. £90 was the full amount the War Office allowed. Eighty horses rounded up in Peterborough left the Great Eastern Station for Colchester on Thursday 6th, most were heavy van horses but there were some Hackneys and draught horses amongst them, they were destined for the transport service.'
[Colchester, a garrison town, was home to a large array of Cavalry barracks, and was where my grandfather trained and was photographed as a Private in the 20th Hussars in early 1915 – Ed]
[Please excuse my self-indulgence in showing this photo of my grandfather at Colchester barracks. It is my favourite! – Ed]
David continues; 'It was not expected that any of the horses taken by the War Office would ever return as they rarely survived the rigours of war. Amongst the commandeering’s was Peterborough Alderman D. H. Redhead’s carriage horse. Huntingdonshire contributed 700 horses in five days. The Peterborough Advertiser reported:
“Sometimes the commandeering’s could be somewhat disconcerting. One of Messrs. Barford and Perkins horse trolleys [wagons] had just taken some goods to Peterborough station when a Government purchaser appeared. He said, ‘We want that horse; you might as well take it out.’
Mr Mann’s butcher boy was driving a smart little cob when he was met by a purchaser and was ordered to take the animal to the repository; not understanding the process, he was very frightened but was forced to obey. The purchaser went to Messrs. Cadge and Coleman’s yard with the idea of commandeering some corn wagons, but they were all out and the officers left without touching the trolleys which were there”.
The commandeering of large numbers of horses in 1914 soon began to create difficulty in some parts, although not intense locally. The worry was that there might not be sufficient horses for the speedy ploughing of the next year’s crop. The suggestion was put forward that in such a contingency, horses in towns should be commandeered for the service of agriculture. If they could be commandeered for military reasons, they could, with equal facility, be commandeered for seeding purposes. Peterborough was fortunate, the Army authorities were not supposed to take more than 50 percent of the farmer’s horses, but in other counties this rule was not always adhered to.
By November 1914 Peterborough had become quite a remount centre, 250 horses having already been transferred from the city to the Army authorities. The city was now a sub-centre to Market Harborough for this department of the army’s requirements.
A short article in the 25th January 1919 edition of the ‘Advertiser’ indicated that things were slowly beginning to get back to something like normality. A heading declared, “DEMOBILISATION OF ARMY HORSES,” had been inserted by the Administrative County of the Isle of Ely Agricultural Committee. “Loan of Light Draughtmares for Breeding. It is desired to encourage the breeding of light draught horses, and with this object in view a large number of the best Army Mares are being carefully selected by the board for distribution to suitable custodians for breeding purposes.” People were encouraged to apply by the 1st February. As we have seen, a great many horses had been taken by the Army in Peterborough and over the rest of the country, and millions had died on the battlefields. Farming and transport was still extremely reliant on horses at this time and it was crucial that they be replaced as quickly as possible.
It is amazing that the site of the old horse repository still exists, and for that we have to thank the owners of the Queensgate Shopping Centre for leaving it undeveloped and using it as a car park. The Centre no longer owns the site, but for now, it still remains in use as a car park.’
That is a remarkable piece of research David, and as you say, we are fortunate that the site remains available and has not been built upon.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
David, as you will be aware, was affected by the story of Eric Zonneman’s death in Ronse in September 1944. Sadly, the death of children in warfare is not a rare occurrence and whilst in email correspondence with Nadine in Belgium, David came across this further episode that took place at Bethune in 1915.
David notes; ‘The following story appeared in the Peterborough Advertiser newspaper in July 1915 under the heading:
So Don’t Forget!
Private G. Jantzen, writing to his sister at 58, Bamber Street, Peterborough, forwarded a photograph of a Belgian mother and her child who had been watching the British wounded being taken into hospital in Bethune, Belgium. [Sic – France – Ed] Madame Delvallee and her baby son Marcelle were struck by a shell and killed outright.
“I am sending you the photo of these two,” he wrote, “they were looking at our wounded being brought into hospital, and the lady was holding the baby in her arms. Then one of the shells went straight through the baby’s head and the woman’s breast, and killed them outright. I want you to put this in the Peterborough paper. They also killed a lot of our wounded. So don’t forget! We used to billet with this woman’s sister.”
David continues; ‘It looks as if Private Jantzen survived the war as he is not on the CWGC site. It’s a pity we know nothing more about him.’
Again, I couldn’t resist the challenge, so please find below two surviving records for George Jantzen.
He was 7571 Private George Jantzen, a pre-war regular soldier in the 1st Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment. He arrived in France on 13th August 1914 and is therefore, an Old Contemptible, who was awarded a 1914 (Mons) Star, a British War Medal and a Victory Medal.
I didn’t have time this week to search for George Jantzen in the 1911 and 1921 Census returns, so I will throw that out to the TL readers. Please let me know what turns up – thanks!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Matt Colley always has a keen eye for a story, and this week, he sent me this link from the Old Contemptibles blog site regarding Chum James Ives.
James Ives was serving with 120th Battery Royal Field artillery at Mons on 23rd August 1914 and was a first- hand surviving witness of the action on the 24th, when Captain Grenfell of the 9th Lancers won a Victoria Cross in helping to save the guns of 119th Battery.
I hope you will click on the link above, but Ives’ account mentions that he escaped when another artillery column passed by and he was able to hitch a lift from danger.
Ives wrote; ‘My luck changed, as I heard horses trotting, which turned out to be a gun-team, and I soon scrambled on the wagon. I should like to mention that Colonel Alexandra (sic – Major Ernest Wright Alexander, Officer Commanding 119th Battery), in charge of the Brigade, and Captain Grenfell, 9th Lancers, who came to our aid, were both awarded the V.C.”
This story stood out for Matt as he had spotted Grenfell’s VC on display at the Derby Lancers museum a few weeks ago and he kindly sent me this photo.
We are not feeling guilty about our ancestors acts of bravery and the death of the King’s enemies, so in the best Trench Lincs tradition, here are the VC citations for Alexander and Grenfell.
ALEXANDER, Ernest Wright, Major, 119th Battery RFA – 24th August 1914 – At Audregnies, whilst under attack by a German Corps, he successfully saved all the guns of his battery even though all his horses had been killed and almost every man in his detachment had been killed or wounded. With the help of Captain GRENFELL and officers and men of the 9th lancers, the guns were all withdrawn by hand.
GRENFELL, Francis Octavus, Captain, 9th Lancers – 24th August 1914 – At Audregnies, he took part in a cavalry charge against the massed German infantry. Men and horses fell and he soon found himself senior officer. Despite being severely wounded in the hand and thigh, he then assisted in saving the guns and limbers of the 119th Battery, Royal Field Artillery (Commanded by Major ALEXANDER). This was achieved by slowly turning the guns and lifting them over the dead gunners. A shell landed under a gun he was lifting but did not explode. The guns were eventually brought to safety.
FOOTNOTE: Francis Grenfell was killed in action in May 1915.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mention of Victoria Cross winners leads me to an excellent heads up this week sent in by John Pykett.
John writes; ‘Whilst looking for the report of the Coventry v Sunderland recent game (I should not have bothered) on BBC North East website I came across this sort of snippet as follows, ‘WW 1 hero’s medals united with family archive’, the Bradford Brothers.
I had a further dig on the site to see what it was about. It concerns the four Bradford brothers of Witton near Bishop Auckland Co Durham. What a remarkable family.
I would really like to learn more about them and their military story but not really sure where to start.’
Here is the link to the article https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgr2zl85xvvo
I clicked on the link and made the immediate connection to Roland Boys Bradford VC. This remarkable young man was just 25 years of age when killed, but he was already an acting Brigadier General in command of an Infantry Brigade. His brother, George, also won a Victoria Cross, but I have to admit, that I was only really aware of Roland and not his three brothers.
George, James, Roland and Thomas Bradford were all decorated for their service during the First World War:
At the age of 25, youngest brother Roland became the youngest Brigadier General in the history of the British Army. In 1917 he led his brigade in the Battle of Cambrai, the first major tank battle, but was killed on the 30th November 1917. He was awarded the Victoria Cross in October 1916.
On St George’s Day, 23rd April 1918, and on his 31st birthday, George volunteered for a mission against German submarines in Zeebrugge, during which he was killed. His bravery saw him posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, and he is buried in Blankenberge Town Cemetery, Belgium.
James’ actions in the war earned him a Military Cross, but as he neared the end of a week-long battle in May 1917 he was injured and later died in hospital.
Eldest brother Thomas was the only one who returned home from the war. Afterwards he stood for Parliament twice and in 1939 he was knighted for his contribution to public services.
The Bradford brothers from Witton Park in County Durham, are believed to be the most decorated family from the North East, with two Victoria Crosses, one Distinguished Service Order, two Military Crosses, and three Mentions in Despatches between them. [Never mind the North East, probably in the UK? – Ed]
R B Bradford VC
G N Bradford VC
T A Bradford
J B Bradford
Here are their VC citations.
BRADFORD, Roland Boys, Temporary Lieutenant Colonel, 1st/9th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry – 1st October 1916 – At Eaucourt L’Abbaye, France, when a lead battalion had suffered severe casualties, including its commander, and its flank had become dangerously exposed, he took command of the battalion in addition to his own. By fearless energy and skilful leadership he rallied the attack, secured the flank and captured the objective.
BRADFORD, George Nicholson, Lieutenant Commander, Royal Navy – 22/23 April 1918 – At a time when Allied shipping was coming under increasing attack from German submarines, the Royal Navy carried out a raid which successfully blocked the entrance to the canal at Zeebrugge, Belgium. During the raid, Bradford commanded the naval storming parties embarked in HMS IRIS II. Encountering difficulties placing parapet anchors alongside the fortified mole which defended Zeebrugge harbour, he climbed a derrick projecting over the mole, waited for his moment as the ship moved up and down, and jumped with an anchor which he placed in position. Within seconds he was riddled with machine gun bullets and fell dead into the sea.
A big thanks to John Pykett for bringing this story to our attention, and it is a wonderful result, that all of the family medals are now back again in one collection.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Melvin Dobbs was out and about once again this last week and files this report for us. ‘Well, as a Spilsby born and bred lad I know what delights you encountered in St. James' Church, Spilsby [See below – Ed]
But I had never been to Gunby Hall so it was a delight for me, via Trench Lincs, to see and read the history within.
With regard to a proposed airfield on the site of Gunby Hall and estate, a new airfield was created just a few short miles away...RAF Spilsby but as lads in the 1960's we all knew it as Steeping Airfield, it lays between Candlesby and the Steepings...Little & Great. [As reported last week with regard to FM sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd – Ed]
It was another fine, bright but cold day and I was out in the Stag again continuing in the area of Folkingham, Pickworth and Sapperton making my way back to Grantham.
First stop, the Church of St. Andrews, Folkingham with Rolls of Honour for both World Wars and a Memorial Tablet.
In the churchyard there is a new Commonwealth War Grave Headstone for Private 5902 W. Patman Lincolnshire Regiment plus two private family memorial headstones, both of which have been highlighted with identifying posts. One is for George Henry Rudkin MC died 28th October 1918.
[We followed the story of Patman’s new headstone some months ago – Ed]
The other one, of which it could have been better placed, as it obscures the details of the man it Honours.
It took me a while to work out what it reads:
John Henry H. Bradley
7/ R.W.Y. REGT
Born at Folkingham
April 3.1900
Died in Ireland
Nov 21 1918
Onto Pickworth, and a stop at St. Andrews Church, with Rolls of Honour and a Memorial Tablet listing two men who I presume were members of the congregation as the Roll of Honour lists four men who lost their lives in the conflict.
Various displays regarding the village history and the Church, especially the war years, with reference to Charles Sharpe VC and Hallam Hardy Johnson.
[Again, we have covered Sharpe VC in recent months – Ed]
Also the discovery of Medieval wall paintings after a WW2 German raider dropped a bomb in the vicinity, I guess on a raid to Grantham and the munition factories, marshalling yards etc.
Finally, last stop was at the small church of St. Denys at Sapperton which revealed a stunning stained glass window dedicated to the memory of Corporal Cyril Rudkin, 1st Lincolnshire Imperial Yeomanry.’
Thank you Melvin.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
News now from further afield. Marcus Dunbar, a recent subscriber to Trench Lincs, has been visiting friends and family in Hampshire and found time to stop and snap this impressive town memorial which can be found in Andover.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I return now to my recent visit with Robin to Spilsby after we left Gunby Hall. First stop was the town cemetery, where there are a number of CWGC headstones and two private graves which I think you will find of interest.
The first is a headstone for Isabel and Cyril Wood (below)
who, on their deaths, had a headstone erected that also remembers their son, Corporal John Wood of the Parachute Regiment, who died of wounds in the 1956 Suez affair and is buried in Cyprus. I believe that this is a first mention of the fighting at Suez in Trench Lincs.
The second private grave (below) is for John Egremont Thimbleby who died on 29th August 1915 whilst serving with the 2nd/5th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment. The Thimbleby family were, and perhaps still are?, a notable Spilsby family. I noticed that John was buried in a substantial family plot alongside many of his family members.
The CWGC headstone of WWI origin that interested me was this one for Drummer Benjamin Boyall of the 5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. He was the son of Joseph and Eliza Boyall of Alma Place, Spilsby.
Next stop was at St. James’ church where the town war memorial sits outside of the entrance doors.
Spilsby initially intended to erect a Cenotaph but following a shortage of funds, this was abandoned and the memorial is described in Mike Credland’s book as ‘……it was decided to abandon that project and adopt an alternative scheme for a memorial cross by the church, similar in design to Sir Reginald Blomfield’s Cross of Sacrifice for the Imperial (now Commonwealth) War Graves Commission.’
Spilsby memorial cross.
The interior of the church is an Aladdin’s Cave of historical interest dating back to the 14th Century.
There is a private but accessible chapel set aside for the Willoughby family and their heirs, here lie many of the early Baron’s Willoughby, including the 2nd Baron and his wife Joan from 1349 and the 4th Baron and his wife Elizabeth from 1396. If you are near Spilsby, I do urge you to stop and take a look!
Later memorials cover all of the wars that we talk about most weeks, and I include a selection below from South Africa to WWII, Lincolnshire Regimental pictures, a memorial to the Old Boys of Spilsby school and a tablet commemorating one of Lincolnshire great explorers, Sir John Franklin.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Last Saturday 15th March, I attended the Waterloo Uncovered exhibition held at Thoresby estate in the Dukeries area of North Nottinghamshire. Sadly, I have to report that I was completely underwhelmed by the exhibition, which appeared to be more about selling Tee Shirts than showing what the archaeologists had uncovered on the battlefield of Waterloo.
Thoresby, was once the home of the Pierrepont family the Earls of Kingston upon Hull, but today it is a hotel, it is also the home of a Lancers museum, the sister museum to the one we visited in Derby in February, so all was not lost. I have been before, but it is still worth a visit and I spent an hour or so chatting to the good folk there.
In the WWI section, I spotted this superb model of a WWI tank. It is of extended length and on a platform at the rear, it had a trench mortar attached to aid in a mobile bombardment role. I am sure Richard or Alwyn or one of the other tank experts will give us a full description for next week, but is this the tank they termed the ‘Tadpole’?
Whilst my wife was back in Lincoln entertaining teenage granddaughters, I had the afternoon at leisure before meeting up with some of my family for a drink at 5.30pm, as my niece and her kids were down from the north east.
Therefore, whilst in the Dukeries, I headed for Welbeck Abbey, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Portland. The 6th Duke of Portland, 1879-1943, was President of the Nottinghamshire Territorial Force Association during the Great War and is mentioned frequently in histories of the 46th and 59th Divisions.
Sadly, the Abbey is not available to view as it is still a private home, which has now gone down the female side of the Cavendish-Bentinck family and the 7th Duke’s grandson, William Parente, Prince of Castel Viscardo in Italy, is the current owner. He is the son of the 7th Duke's youngest daughter.
You may recall that between 1943 and 2005, the army leased a substantial part of the abbey and used it as a Technical College for young soldiers.
I found this aerial photo online, which shows what a stunning property it is, dating back to its original build as an abbey in the 1100's.
Whilst mooching about in the estate settlement, I spotted this unusual memorial (below) erected by the 6th Duke at the end of the Boer War to the men of the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade, Welbeck Division, who served in South Africa.
Leaving Welbeck, I headed for Church Warsop where their superb war memorial stands at the foot of a small hill on which resides, the church. The drive to Church Warsop was only 10 minutes, so I tuned in to Radio Nottingham, and in that time, Nottingham Forest scored three times away at Ipswich, - sorry Robin, but that’s football! Anyway, here are my photos from Church Warsop.
Heading back down the A614, I had time to call in at Oxton village church. Oxton estate has been owned by the Sherbrooke family for many years, and this family has a long military heritage, mainly in the Royal Navy and a Victoria Cross winner.
Rear Admiral Rupert St. Vincent Sherbrooke won the Victoria Cross on 31st December 1942 when in command of HMS Onslow, he was the senior officer in command of the destroyers escorting a convoy of supplies bound for Russia. Attacked by a vastly superior German naval force, four times Sherbrooke’s destroyer squadron drove the Germans off beyond gunfire range by firing torpedoes, and despite being severely wounded, Sherbrooke stayed at his post until the threat receded and the Germans withdrew. It was due to Sherbrooke’s fortitude and bravery, that the convoy was saved and reached its destination safely.
I hope you can read Sherbrooke's full VC citation above?
The Sherbrooke family plot can be found in the village churchyard and here are my Sherbrooke family photos.
Rupert St. Vincent Sherbrooke VC
William Sherbrooke, Royal Navy.
Henry Graham Sherbrooke DSO, Royal Navy.
The interior of the church contains two fine memorials in the form of a Roll of Honour for the 14-18 conflict, and a memorial board for those men of Oxton village lost in both world wars, as well as a tablet to another member of the Sherbrooke family who served with the Notts and Derby Regiment (Sherwood Foresters), rather than the navy.
Whilst walking through the churchyard, I spotted this inscription on the side rail of Mary Wells’ grave. It remembers her husband, John Wells, who died of wounds received in the Great War, but not until 1932.
One other church that I visited was at the village of Edwinstowe, and their memorial tablet revealed four men with the same surname. This has now turned into a research project in its own right, and I hope to bring you my findings next Sunday.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Finally, for this week, (I will resume the colourised photos next week), a quiz question.
This tank sits on display at Thoresby, but what is it? I look forward to receiving your answers.
IN MEMORIAM - The Lincolnshire Regiment 23rd March.
1915
8972 Private A Buckley, 2nd Battalion. Buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France.
7636 Private Thomas Duncan Driver, 1st Battalion, aged 16. – Ditto. – (**)
1916
13040 Private Charles William Jenkins, 6th Battalion, aged 26. Buried in Wilford Churchyard, UK.
14919 Private R Glew, 7th Battalion. Buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, France.
1917
1051 Private James Beetham, 10th Battalion, aged 30. Buried in Faubourg D’Amiens Cemetery, France.
6903 Private J W Major, 1st Battalion. Buried in Baghdad War Cemetery, Iraq.
1918
Forty men of the Lincolnshire Regiment are recorded as having died on 23rd March 1918 as the German Spring Offensive intensified. Most of the dead, were from the 7th Battalion and the 2nd/5th Battalion who were in the line at Hermies.
1919
19848 Private S Sharpe, 1st Garrison Battalion, aged 41. Buried in Calcutta Cemetery, India.
9385 Lance Corporal W Dolby, 3rd Battalion, aged 29. Buried in Lincoln Newport Cemetery, UK.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
(**) Thomas Driver aged 16, was the son of William and Louisa Driver of Wandsworth, London. They chose the following as his headstone inscription – ‘HIS SHORT YOUNG LIFE WAS ENDED ANSWERING HIS COUNTRY'S CALL.
I hope you find plenty to interest you this week?
Until next week
All best wishes
Jonathan
© Jonathan D’Hooghe
Comments