Trench Lincs 2nd August 2026

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Good Morning,

It has been another busy week and Sunday has arrived once again, and still we await some much needed rain.

I spent a day at Trent Bridge on Tuesday when Notts comfortably beat local rivals Leicestershire and caught up with old friends from north and south to remember 60 years of friendship.

Trent Bridge cricket ground looking splendid in the sun.

Last Sunday, I was at Heckington Show once again and it was good to catch up with chums old and new. Mike Credland’s and John Kirk’s collections of weaponry and uniforms were on display and although I have seen many of the artefacts before, the splendour of their stands never fails to amaze.

As a pensioner now, I am always available for a free lunch! And the hospitality shown to me last Wednesday at the Woodhall Spa Probus meeting was excellent. After the splendid lunch, I gave the attendees a short talk about the development of the tank and Lincoln’s role in the process – it seemed to go down well.

I mentioned last week that I had recently attended a grandson’s 10th birthday party. The party was held at a wider family members home in Lincoln, one that I hadn’t visited before. On the hall wall was an original Lincoln City Share Certificate from May 1901, when the home owners grandfather had bought one 10 - shilling share in the club.

Given that Lincoln City will be playing in the second tier of English football next season, the first time since 1961/2, it is amazing to think how the finances of football have changed in the last 125 years. Raising £500 today by selling 1,000 shares wouldn’t pay the half time tannoy announcer! How times have changed, and what a great piece of local history to have in your family.

As ever, you will find a wide array of articles below, including the run up to the outbreak of war in August 1914, and I hope you find something to tickle your fancy!

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS.

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

Please note that there is NOT a speaker event in August.

Next Event - Lincoln & North Lincolnshire Branch - Western Front Association - SUNDAY, August 16th, 2026 - Annual Memorials Tour led by Branch Chairman, Mike Credland

Lincoln Branch Chairman Mike Credland will once again be leading our Annual Memorials Tour on Sunday, August 16th, which this year will start from THE LINCOLNSHIRE POACHER, BUNKERS HILL, LINCOLN, LN2 4QT.   Please arrive at 10.45 am for an 11.00 am start.

These tours are always very interesting, calling as they do at a selection of local memorials, chapels and churches where Mike, who as we all know is extremely knowledgeable on the subject, will regale us with stories of their creation, and the life and times of selected people commemorated on them.  Wary as we are of the increased cost of fuel, this year's tour will be more compact than those of previous years, covering fewer miles while still cramming in some interesting locations along the way.  Route maps and directions will be issued to participants on the day, and the tour will finish at approximately 2.30 pm.  We very much look forward to seeing you on the day.   

I have also recently received from Peter Garland, confirmation of the Lincoln WFA meetings until the end of the year.

September 28th - Nick Shelley presents: "Motorcycle dispatch riders in 1914".

October 26th - James Handley presents: "SMS Seydlitz; the ship that refused to die".

November 30th - Dr Scott Lindgren presents: "The Coastal Raids of 1915".

December 3rd (Thursday) - Annual Show n' Tell Evening (in partnership with Friends of Lincoln Tank). Attendees are invited to give 10 minute presentations on items of interest relating to The Great War.  Free event, followed by a XChristmas Buffet Supper. 

December 21st - Jonathan D'Hooghe, MA, presents - "The Ottoman Empire in World War 1".

Please note that speaker events are all Monday nights as usual. It is just the shared Show n’ Tell evening with FoLT that will be on a Thursday.

Finally, the Lincoln WFA Annual Christmas Lunch will be held on Saturday 12th December at the White Hart Hotel - £25pp. A three-course meal excluding drinks.

21 out of 25 seats are already booked. Drop me a note without obligation at this stage, if you would like to attend this always excellent event.

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The next meeting of the Friends of the Lincoln Tank Group will be held on Thursday September 10th at the Royal Naval Association Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG at 7.30pm.

There is no speaker event in August.

On Thursday September 10th, Peter Jacobs will present – “By His Majesty’s Command – The Military Cross.”

Talk Title – ‘By His Majesty’s Command – The Military Cross’

Firstly – It is ordained that the Cross shall be designated “The Military Cross”.

The words are taken from a Royal Warrant dated 28th December 1914. Until then, other than the Victoria Cross (Britain’s highest award for gallantry and only awarded in exceptional circumstances), there had been no distinction available for junior officers and warrant officers who had demonstrated acts of bravery during the opening months of the First World War. But that was about to change and so came the much-needed Military Cross. By the end of the war more than 37,000 crosses had been awarded and behind each award there is a story to discover. Here, Peter Jacobs talks about the Military Cross during the First World War and the stories behind some of those awarded it.

The Speaker – Peter Jacobs

PETER JACOBS served in the Royal Air Force for thirty-seven years as an air defence navigator on the F4 Phantom and Tornado F3, after which he completed staff tours at HQ 11 Group, HQ Strike Command, the Ministry of Defence, and the RAF College Cranwell. He has written twenty-three books on military and aviation subjects, and as well as being a keen historian he has collected military medals for forty years.

Everyone welcome, especially new faces. You do not need to be a member of FoLT to attend meetings, but members of FoLT pay just £10 a year and receive £250 of membership benefits from Ancestry and the British Newspaper Archives. It is well worth joining.

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Next Event - Spalding & South Lincs Branch, WFA Thursday August 27th at 7.30pm.

Spalding & South Lincolnshire Branch WFA continues to meet at the Spalding Baptist Church, Swan Street, Spalding, PE11 1BT. Meetings continue to be held in the evenings of the fourth Thursday in the month, and doors open at 19.00 hours for a 19.30 hours start.  Meetings are held in a pleasant main room of the Church and there is ample - unrestricted - on street parking in front of the building. Free refreshments are served at the end of the meeting. Finally, please note that, for security purposes the main double front doors are kept locked as we cannot monitor them from our meeting room, therefore, you may need to ring the doorbell located on the single door to the right of the main double doors in order to gain entry.   

August 27th - Nick Shelley presents "Motorcycle dispatch riders in 1914". 

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The East Midlands (Nottingham) WFA branch will hold their next speaker event on Friday 14th August 2026 at 7.30pm. The branch meets at St. Peter’s Church Hall, Church Street, Ruddington, NG11 6HA and all visitors will be made very welcome.

The speaker on this occasion is Paul Cobb who will talk about the “Attack at Fromelles 19th/20th July 1916.”

This was a disastrous diversionary attack designed to draw German reserves away from the Somme battlefields. The newly arrived Australian 5th Division and the British 61st (2nd South Midland) Division were tasked with an unsupported assault over ground that had been fought over in May 1915. The result, as in 1915 and the other horrendous diversionary attack at Gommecourt on 1st July 1916, was a very bloody fiasco.

I have Paul’s book on my shelves and have visited Fromelles on many occasions. Now famous for the recent discovery of a mass grave of primarily Australian soldiers buried by the Germans after this attack. The CWGC constructed a brand new cemetery, Pheasant Wood, at Fromelles to accommodate the remains of the men discovered here.

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The Leadenham Military History Group’s next meeting will be on Tuesday 25th August at 7.30pm at Leadenham village hall.

There will be a two part event on this night, starting with a continuation of the Biography series.

Tim Sisson will present a biography of the 47 year career of the un-killable soldier - Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart VC.

Following the presentation there will be the Leadenham Military History Annual Quiz.

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Another 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 20th August 2026.

Dave Bentley will talk about – “Tornado Operations in Germany 1980’s/1990’s”

Everyone welcome especially new faces.

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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.

August 12th David Lister

'Jerry doesn't like UP!'

Germany is often seen as the leader in Rocket technology during the Second World War. In reality, Britain used rockets far more widely and consistently than the Germans. This has largely been ignored and confused by post-war commentators simply due to naming conventions. Find out more, and Peterborough's links (small that they are) to that story.

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Melvin Dobbs has been out and about once again and writes;’ I have been busy with the car show season, but one of the meetings took me and my Mustang to Leamington Spa for a few days and whilst there, I attended a classic car meeting at the Blue Lias (a canal side pub) at Stockton, near Southam.

I took the opportunity to explore the local village church of St. Michael which features a clock within the tower as a memorial to the Parishioners who fought in World War I.

Inside there is a wood framed memorial tablet stating that the clock was placed in the tower to Honour all Men of the Parish who served in the Great War 1914-1918 and in memory of those who gave their lives.

There is also a tryptic style Roll of Honour Memorial again listing those who served (and died) in both World Wars.

Also a lovely stained glass window depicting Sacrifice and Victory in Memory of those of the Parish who laid down their lives in both Wars.

Finally, outside in the churchyard is an ornate Cross Memorial to Captain Gilbert Lewes Parker of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment who died in the second Boer War while defending the Diamond Mines in Kimberley.’

Thank you Melvin. Certainly a church worth visiting.

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Ian Prince has also been travelling and sent this report from the south coast.

‘During July whilst on holiday in Dorset I took the opportunity to visit Nothe Fort, one of several coastal fortifications constructed to defend Weymouth and Portland harbours. They were all elements of the ‘Palmerston Forts’ defensive works erected during the Victorian period.

The Fort is one of the best preserved and presented examples of its type. It is atmospheric and has stunning views of the surrounding area, a museum that I highly recommend visiting.

The Nothe Fort Management Committee and volunteers have created an extremely well preserved, informative, and attractive historic site to visit.

An almost unique aspect of visiting the fort is that it is as fully accessible for a wheelchair user (standard size) as an able-bodied visitor. On my visit I would have found it very difficult to find a public area I could not access.

Constructed by Civilian Contractors and The Royal Engineers between 1860 – 1872. Built in a D shape, the Fort is on 3 levels; with deep magazines underground, bomb-proof casements (originally armed with 2 x 64 pounder cannons, 4 x 9-inch rifled muzzle loaders and 6 x 10-inch cannons) and soldier accommodation at ground level, on the 3rd level are the ramparts and observation/spotting positions.

In the early 1900s the muzzle-loading guns were replaced by 3 x 6-inch breech loading guns on the ramparts, these guns were more accurate had a longer range and faster rate of fire than the guns they replaced.

In the First War the fort’s guns were taken out of service in 1916, as by then there was little risk of an attack from the sea. The garrison were redeployed to either other Forts or volunteered to serve on the Western Front.

During the Second World War, the Fort was reactivated as a part of the coastal and anti‑aircraft defences protecting Weymouth and Portland Harbours. Two of the fort’s original 6‑inch guns returned to service, and an anti‑aircraft gun tower was added by the gatehouse, with four more heavy AA guns positioned just outside the Fort.

The Fort’s casemates and underground magazines were converted into an anti‑aircraft ammunition storage and distribution centre for the Southwest.

Once military use ended in 1956 and the Fort passed to local council ownership, Nothe Fort slipped into dereliction.

In 1980 Weymouth Civic Society took over responsibility for the fort through a lease with the borough council, allowing restoration work to begin with a view to developing it as a museum and tourist attraction.

In 1983, part of Nothe Fort’s underground level was secretly converted into a Local Authority Emergency Control Centre (ECC), more commonly known as a nuclear bunker, intended to keep essential operations running after a nuclear strike. Reinforced accommodation, control rooms and communications spaces were created for a small team who would have overseen disaster relief and the rebuilding of local infrastructure in the event of a nuclear strike.

The ECC was decommissioned in 1990 following the fall of the Soviet Union.

Since 1990 Weymouth Civic Society has gradually transformed Nothe Fort. The underground areas, many of which had been bricked up, flooded, or decayed, were excavated, restored, and made accessible to the public, hidden chambers uncovered, signage restored, and historically accurate displays of Victorian military life and Cold War operations re-created. These restored spaces offer visitors an exceptional historical experience, the Fort’s layered past, and the community effort behind its preservation.

The Fort is located on Barracks Road, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 8UF.

When visiting I suggest that you do not follow the Sat-Nav on to the quayside as I did, you will encounter narrow streets, bollards, and likely at least one lycra wearing cyclist. Instead turn off Rodwell Road on to Rodwell Avenue, from there to the Nothe Fort or Nothe Gardens car parks.

The Nothe Fort website is https://nothefort.org.uk/

Also at the time of our visit was an exhibition called ‘The Longest Yarn’. There were around 50 wonderfully detailed, hand knitted scenes depicting the war from the start to the end and some life size characters that were of relevance to the knitter’s family or interests. ‘The Longest Yarn’ is on display at the Fort until 24th August 2026. The exhibition is travelling around the country and is a delight to see.

Thank you Ian. It looks to be a fascinating place to visit.

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In the last couple of weeks, thanks to Matt Colley’s visit, we have learned a lot about Guernsey’s experience in both World Wars and looked in greater depth at the exploits of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry.

This week we turn our attention to Jersey thanks to a holiday report from Alwyn Killingsworth, who notes; ‘My wife and I have just returned from a very pleasant and enjoyable trip to Jersey. I noticed there have been several mentions of the island in recent editions of TL.

I believe we are all aware that the island had an active militia unit that was “called up” in WWI but, in addition to that, many islanders left Jersey travelling to the UK, and other commonwealth countries, to enlist at the outbreak of WWI.  For those interested I recommend a visit to this website Great War Roll of Honour - Main Index - Jerripedia which contains a wealth of information.

Staying in St. Helier, I was able to seek out some memorials located within the churches of the islands capital.  Along with several memorial pictures, I have also included pictures of:

The islands Cenotaph (which was sited centrally in the town park);

Memorial bench for the two world wars placed, with other such benches, around the above – apologies for these pictures. There was a fair in the park that day!;

The Liberation Sculpture.  Designed by Philip Jackson, this bronze sculpture was erected to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Jersey in 1945.  It depicts a group holding the Union Flag, at the centre of a fountain with 12 water jets, each representing one of the islands 12 single parishes.

A single memorial to those who fell in the Boer War.

St. Helier Cenotaph.

Church memorials. (below)

Of course, no trip to Jersey would be complete without a visit to Jersey War Tunnels, which I did. A separate report for that will follow.’

[Thank you Alwyn and the Jersey War Tunnels will appear next week – Ed]

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Stuart Ainsworth has kindly contributed once again this week, and has written a piece that has really whet my appetite.

I have driven and walked the ground from Mons to Le Cateau, walked in the edge of the Forest of Mormal and stood on the spot of the gallant action of the Guards at Landrecies, all events that took place between 22nd and 26th August 1914, but I have not followed the retreat of the BEF any further south towards the Aisne and the Marne. However, Stuart has and he writes; ‘The Affair at Nery on 1st September 1914 was one of the key rear-guard actions of the BEF during the Retreat from Mons. The First Cavalry Division was attacked by a larger German cavalry force at first light, and the heroics of L Battery Royal Horse Artillery has become a byword for heroism with 3 VC’s awarded to those that survived the initial action (although Captain Bradbury died during the subsequent action). One gun remained operational and continued firing despite the diminishing number of crew to man it and only stopped firing due to a lack of ammunition. This gained valuable time for reinforcements to arrive which combined with the dismounted survivors, routed the German forces and resulted in the capture of 8 guns and over 70 prisoners.  L battery is now known as Nery Battery and has Nery as its battle honour.

The surviving gun now resides at the IWM in Lambeth and shows clear evidence of a ferocious fight. I was fortunate to visit Nery on a recent trip which followed the Retreat all the way from Mons to the River Marne. If you ever get the opportunity to cover this ground it shows just how far the BEF had to travel before stemming the German advance at the Marne.

The nery gun at the IWM.

I have a particular interest in the work of the CWGC, investigating the fallen and the memorials to the missing. The CWGC’s rules allow for a casualty to be remembered in one place and to appear once on their database. There are some administrative exceptions. Perhaps most famously is Lt. John Kipling who for many years was listed as one of the missing on the Loos Memorial. Recent research has now confirmed that he is in fact buried at St. Mary’s ADS Cemetery and he now has a named resting place.  His name is however still on the Loos Memorial (Panel 9) and will be removed as and when the appropriate panels are replaced. However, his name appears just once on the CWGC data base.

The burials from the Affair at Nery in September 1914 uniquely break the ‘remembered once’ rule.  The personal inscription on Captain Bradbury VC’s headstone makes reference to the other two recipients of the VC that day:

L.BTY.R.H.A., NERY 1.9.1914 B.S.M. G.T.DORRELL AND SJT. D.NELSON WERE ALSO AWARDED THE VC. IN THIS ACTION.

Sgt. Nelson was commissioned reached the rank of Major and was killed on 8th April 1918 near Bethune, he is buried in the Lillers Communal Cemetery. BSM Dorrell who had served in the Second Boer War survived the war and rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel serving in the Home Guard during WWII.

Also in the Nery Communal Cemetery is a Special Memorial to 12 other members of L battery with named headstones. However, the records show that it was not possible to identify each soldier and so a duplicate Special Memorial can be found at the nearby Verberie French National Cemetery which also commemorates the action at Nery.  Five of the soldiers are buried at Verberie and seven at Nery but all the headstones are duplicated at both locations and the names appear twice on the CWGC website.

In a final unusual twist, the officers killed that day are buried in a vault with an imposing obelisk: Captain Bradbury, Major Cawley and Lt. Campbell. They are all remembered on headstones too. However, one name stands out - that of Captain The Honourable Oswald Cawley. Captain Cawley died near Merville in the Bethune area on 22nd August 1918 some considerable distance away and four years after the action at Nery. Cawley had recently been sworn in as the MP for Prestwich succeeding his father, 1st Baron Cawley.  As someone with considerable influence, Baron Cawley petitioned the authorities to have his sons buried together. After several unsuccessful attempts, Oswald’s body was moved to Nery in August 1920.  Baron Crawley’s third son was killed at Gallipoli and is buried at Lancashire Landings Cemetery.’

Stuart and I then had an exchange of emails and Stuart finished by saying; ‘We toured all the way to the Marne. The actions at Le Grant Fayt, Etreux, Cerizy, (Nery), Crepy-en-Valois and Villers-Cotterets are all interesting considering the size (small) of the area being fought over. The La Ferte-sous-Jouarre Memorial to the Missing is very impressive (if that’s the right word) covering the missing from the retreat including the first Shot at Dawn – I have often wondered how a SaD becomes missing?

Another evocative place is Audregnies where the Cheshires stemmed the tide of German advance and saw cavalry action with the 9th Lancers and 4th Dragoons – here another couple of VC’s were won and a disaster due to agricultural rather than military barbed wire occurred. It is an easily accessible battlefield and provides good information.’

[Attendees at Lincoln WFA will recall Phil Watson’s recent talk about the affair at Audregnies – Ed]

Views across the battlefield at Nery.

The Nery action officer's obelisk and inscription.

Nery memorials above and at Verberie French cemetery below.

In the best traditions of Trench Lincs, we cannot mention a VC winner without recording their citations, but first, here is the potted history of the action.

“By 30th August 1914, the German drive towards Paris had pushed the British and French southwards across the River Aisne. On 1st September at Néry, on the southern edge of the Forest of Compiègne, ‘L’ Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, which had already distinguished itself at Mons, performed another notable brief holding action. Early that morning the German 4th Cavalry Division caught up with the British 1st Cavalry Brigade. ‘L’ Battery, which was bivouacked in an orchard, came under fire from German guns at a range of less than a thousand yards. Men and horses were blown to pieces. Calling for volunteers, Captain Edward Kinder Bradbury succeeded in turning three guns on the enemy to return fire. Two were soon hit. Bradbury acted as layer for the remaining gun with Sergeant D Nelson as range setter. Nelson was soon wounded but refused to seek medical attention. When they were joined by Sergeant Major G T Dorrell, Bradbury set off to run the twenty yards to the ammunition wagon, when a shell blew off his leg. Despite this, he continued to direct fire until he was hit again. 1st Battalion The Middlesex Regiment and The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) relieved the British force and eventually captured twelve German guns. The British then withdrew with the surviving gunners and cavalrymen, just as the German infantry appeared.”

Bradbury’s citation, somewhat amazingly, is very short and to the point.

“For gallantry and ability in organising the defence of “L” Battery against heavy odds at Nery on 1st September.”

Supplement to The London Gazette of 24 November 1914. 25 November 1914, Numb. 28985, p. 9958

Captain E K Bradbury VC.

Sergeant David Nelson who won the VC in the same action has slightly more detail in his citation.

"Helping to bring the guns into action under heavy fire at Nery on 1st September, and while severely wounded remaining with them until all the ammunition was expended – although he had been ordered to retire to cover." 

Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 13 November 1914. 16 November 1914, Numb. 28976, p. 9374.

Sergeant D Nelson VC.

The third VC winner at Nery was Sergeant Major George Dorrell. Here is his citation.

“For continuing to serve a gun until all the ammunition was expended after all officers were killed or wounded, in spite of a concentrated fire from guns and machine guns at a range of 600 yards, at Nery, on 1st September.” 

Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 13 November 1914. 16 November 1914, Numb. 28976, p. 9374.

Sergeant Major G T Dorrell VC.

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Our next piece remembers another recently named family who lost five sons in the Great War. Arthur Wood, who has toured WWI cemeteries for many years recording VC winners, has also, once again, delved into his catalogue of photographs to find the headstones and memorials that remember the Shaw family.

Thiepval Memorial, France - H.J. Shaw

Arras Memorial, France - T. Shaw

Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, France - E. J. Shaw

Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli - J. Shaw

Mendinghem Military Cemetery, Belgium - J.F. Shaw

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

Thank you Arthur.

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As you know, I am always keen to help TL readers if I possibly can, and this week I received a request and a photograph from Caterina Scott. Caterina has recently been in northern France and I pointed her in the direction of Etaples Military Cemetery.

Here Caterina looked for soldiers of the Lincolnshire Regiment, and on her journey home she stopped at Cardington village church in Bedfordshire and was surprised to find a Lincolnshire Regiment soldier resting in this churchyard too.

Caterina asked if I could unravel the story.

Private Arthur Faulkner [See below about his christian name – Ed] served in the 7th battalion of the county regiment and died on 16th October 1919. He was the husband of Madline May Faulkner of Newfenlake, Bedford. I therefore presume, that having died in the UK, his body was with his wife, and hence why he is buried in Bedfordshire.

I made a search of the original IWGC grave registration records and found that his death was recorded as – Died of Wounds. Faulkner initially had a private cross for a headstone, but when his wife was offered a Portland stone headstone, she agreed and opted for the epitaph – ‘Gone But Not Forgotten’.

I tracked down Faulkner’s Medal Index Card (MIC) and this is a perfect example of how you can be served a curve ball!

The CWGC have him recorded as Arthur, but his army medal card has him listed as Albert, but the defining evidence is his service number – 43358 – which matches on both sets of records.

From this Medal Card, we can see that Arthur/Albert [I haven’t had time to check marriage records! – Ed] enlisted as early as late August 1914. He was in the second batch of 1,000 volunteers at Lincoln Race Course and thus became a Kitchener K2 volunteer, serving in the new 7th (Service) Battalion alongside Fred Burkitt, Dave and John’s father. The first batch of 1,000 Lincoln volunteers formed the K1 6th (Service) battalion and would head for Gallipoli in the summer of 1915.

[There will be more about the 6th Battalion in Gallipoli next week – Ed]

Arthur/Albert Faulkner’s medal card shows him being discharged in October 1918 under King’s Regulations (KR) 392 Paragraph xvi – ‘No Longer Physically Fit For War Service.’

You will also note ‘2a’ has been added in his discharge column – this refers to the Army Order awarding the Silver War Badge – the badge worn on civilian clothes by severely wounded men, to show that they ‘had done their bit.’ (below)

Now for the final twist! I also found a second Medal Index Card for Albert [All of the army records list him as Albert – Ed] and this shows that he was only awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal – from this we can assume that despite enlisting in August 1914, he did not serve overseas before 1st January 1916. We can also see that he had a period of service with the 5th Battalion of the North Staffordshire Regiment, although his medals are clearly listed in the Medal Roll of the Lincolnshire Regiment. Sadly, his Service Record has not survived, so we have to make a number of assumptions based on the surviving evidence.

Whatever the full story of Albert’s service is, we know that he served bravely, was severely wounded and discharged in October 1918, and bravely struggled on for a year before dying in October 1919.

Albert's second MIC

The Medal Roll

Thanks to Caterina for finding a ‘lone’ man of the Lincolnshire Regiment for us, and allowing me to give a little lesson in researching a Great War soldier at the same time. A very interesting case.

LEST WE FORGET.

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112 years ago on this day, the final events started to unfold which would lead to the start of WWI. With the help of the Imperial War Museum, here is the timeline of events.

2 August 1914: Germany invades Luxembourg.

Germany occupied Luxembourg as the first military move of its western campaign. Although Luxembourg was a neutral country, Germany seized control of its railways and infrastructure to facilitate its advance into Belgium as part of the Schlieffen Plan.

This was important because:

It marked one of the first territorial violations of neutral states in the war.

It demonstrated Germany’s commitment to a rapid offensive against France.

It foreshadowed the invasion of Belgium two days later.

Other notable events on 2 August 1914.

Germany presented an ultimatum to Belgium demanding free passage for its troops. Belgium refused.

Ottoman Empire secretly signed an alliance with Germany, a step that would eventually bring the Ottoman Empire into the war later that year.

Russian and German forces continued mobilizing, making a diplomatic resolution increasingly unlikely.

Why it mattered.

The occupation of Luxembourg and the ultimatum to Belgium set in motion the events that led to Britain’s entry into the war. When Germany invaded Belgium on 4 August 1914, Britain declared war on Germany, transforming a continental conflict into a broader European, and eventually global war.

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4 August 1914.

The lead up to Britain’s declaration of war

▪ At the beginning of the twentieth century, Britain was one of the greatest powers in the world, with one in four people owing allegiance to the British Crown.

▪ By 1907 Europe was split into two main camps: Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy in one – The Triple Alliance – and France, Russia and Britain in the other – The Triple Entente.

▪ 28 June 1914, Serbian-backed terrorist, Gavrilo Princip, shot dead Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. With German encouragement, this led to Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war against Serbia one month later on 28 July 1914.

▪ This declaration of war drew in allies and supporters on both sides. Germany supported Austria-Hungary and Russia stood by the Serbs.

▪ 3 August 1914, Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey addresses the House of Commons on Britain’s position in the crisis.

▪ The British government, led by Prime Minister Herbert Asquith, agonised over whether to support France and Russia or to remain neutral but it feared a German domination of Europe would result if France and Russia were beaten. A victorious and hostile Germany would threaten Britain’s security and its position in the world.

▪ Germany’s invasion of Belgium, to get to France, tipped the balance as ever since 1839 Britain had guaranteed both Belgium’s neutrality and independence.

4 August 1914 Timeline

Note: In August 1914 London, Paris and Brussels were all on the same time while Berlin and Vienna were one hour ahead, and St Petersburg two hours ahead. All times given here are local times.

Midnight – London: In the Personal Column of The Times, the advertisement “To all who call themselves English gentlemen – are you drilled and ready to defend your country?” appears. On the same page, the Austro-Hungarian Government calls on all reservists in Britain to report without delay to the Consulate-General.

6am – Foreign Ministry, Brussels: German Minister in Brussels delivers a note which informs the Belgian government that after their refusal of free passage, Germany would now be obliged to carry out measures for her own security and “if necessary by force of arms.

”8.02am – Gemmerich, German-Belgian border: First German troops cross the frontier and begin the invasion of Belgium. They meet resistance from Belgian gendarmes.

9.30am – Foreign Office, London: Telegram is sent to British Embassy in Berlin where Ambassador Sir Edward Goschen is instructed to tell Germans that Britain was “bound to protest against this violation of a treaty to which Germany is a party… and must request an assurance that the demand made upon Belgium will not be proceeded with, and that her neutrality will be respected by Germany.”

11am – Royal Palace, Brussels: Official news of the German invasion reaches Brussels.

12 noon – Royal Palace, Brussels: King Albert I and his ministers draft an appeal to Britain, France and Russia for “concerted and common” military action against the German invaders. The King adds: “Belgium is happy to declare that she will assume the defence of her fortified places.”

2pm – Foreign Office, London: Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey telegraphs an ultimatum to Berlin, requesting the German government to make assurances that it would respect Belgian neutrality as guaranteed by the 1839 Treaty of London. A reply is requested by 11pm (midnight Berlin time).

3pm – British Embassy, Berlin: The 9.30am telegram from the London Foreign Office arrives at the embassy in Berlin

4.20pm – Foreign Office, London: A telegram giving the official confirmation of the German invasion of Belgium arrives from the British minister in Brussels.

6pm – British Embassy, Berlin: The 2pm telegram from London, giving the ultimatum, arrives in Berlin. After a visit to the foreign ministry, Ambassador Sir Edward Goschen requests a meeting with Reich Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg

9pm – Foreign Office, London: Telegrams warning British diplomatic and consular missions around the world of Britain’s impending declaration of war are sent out.

9.05pm – 10 Downing Street, London: Prime Minister Asquith summons Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George, and other senior members of the cabinet for consultation. They are told of an intercepted telegram from Berlin to the German ambassador falsely stating that Britain declared war on Germany at 7pm Berlin time.

9.40pm – Foreign Office, London: Another false report is received that Germany has declared war on Britain. Junior Foreign Office official Lancelot Oliphant is sent to the German Embassy with a hastily typed British declaration of war.

10pm – British Embassy, Berlin: A howling mob outside the embassy start throwing stones at the windows, breaking most of them and forcing Sir Edward Goschen and his staff to seek refuge on the first floor. A formal apology is later personally delivered by foreign minister Gottlieb von Jagow.

10.15pm – Foreign Office, London: Oliphant returns from the German Embassy to find that the report of a German declaration of war was false. A fresh declaration of war is typed up ready to be taken round to Ambassador Prince Karl Lichnowsky.

10.45pm – Buckingham Palace, London: King George V holds a Privy Council to declare war on Germany: “It is a terrible catastrophe but it is not our fault.”

11.05pm – German Embassy, London: Junior Foreign Office official Harold Nicolson arrives in the Foreign Secretary’s Rolls Royce with the new declaration of war and instructions to retrieve the one Oliphant brought earlier.

11.20pm – 10 Downing Street, London: First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill, reports to the Prime Minister and Cabinet colleagues that a wireless message had been sent to all Royal Navy warships announcing that Britain was now at war with Germany: “War, Germany, act.”

11.30pm – 10 Downing Street, London: David Lloyd George leaves the Prime Minister’s residence: “…I felt like a man standing on a planet that had been suddenly wrenched from its orbit by a demoniac hand and that was spinning wildly into the unknown.”

12 midnight – Buckingham Palace, London: King George V retires to bed after writing up his diary for the night: “Please God it may soon be over…”

12 midnight – Post Office’s Central Telegraph Office, London: The last direct cable message to Berlin for the next four years is sent. It reads “G.N.” (“Good Night.”

Key Dates – Ultimatums and Declarations of War

▪ 23 July, Austro-Hungarian ultimatum sent to Serbia

▪ 28 July, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia

▪ 31 July, German ultimatum sent to Russia

▪ 1 August, Germany declares war on Russia

▪ 2 August, German ultimatum sent to Belgium demanding unhindered passage through Belgian territory for troops

▪ 3 August, Belgium rejects German ultimatum

▪ 3 August, Germany declares war on France

▪ 4 August, Britain declares war on Germany

▪ 23 August, Japan declares war on Germany

Quotes

‘There are always clouds in the international sky.’

- David Lloyd George, British Chancellor of the Exchequer, 17 July 1914

‘We’d been playing a series of rugby football games and as a final game of the session the Germans had challenged the rest and this was to be followed by dinner at the German Club. We were all seated around the table, mixed up obviously, there was a German here and next to him there was an Englishman and next to him there was a German and next to him there was a Frenchman and so on, and so on, and we were starting the rugby football dinner, and it was very like other rugby football dinners have been from time immemorial. A bang at the door, and a runner from the French Embassy with the extraordinary news of outbreak of war… None of the chaps here had ever seen a declaration of war before, we didn’t know what we ought to do, whether we ought to seize a knife off the table and plunge it into the next chap or what! But after a little bit of discussion we decided that as far as we were concerned the war was going to start tomorrow and it wasn’t going to start tonight, and the party proceeded and that was that.’

- Charles James Chabot, residing in Bangkok, Siam, (present day Thailand) in August 1914

‘I remember so well that the one and only hotel at Rottingdean they had a waiter or somebody who was a German. And when the news came through by telephone to say that war had been declared against Germany, I can see him now rushing out into the road there and wringing his hands and in his guttural English saying, ‘It is madness!’ He was really shocked.’- 14 year old Arthur Hector Tevendale, after having spent the Bank Holiday of 3 August 1914 in East Sussex.

‘We didn’t know until the last moment whether or not England would come in, but we were not surprised when we heard this news, and we took it up very, very cheerfully, because after all if you are a commissioned officer in the forces you don’t want to drill all the time and learn, you want to show what you’ve learnt. On the other hand, we fully realised that the size of the German fleet was practically nothing in comparison with the almighty British fleet.’

- German naval officer Lieutenant Commander Dehn.

‘I remember we was on manoeuvres at Krugersdorp and I was walking down the road in the cool of the evening, relaxing, when a motor driver came along all grim and dirty with sand, ‘Can you direct me to brigade headquarters? England’s at war with Germany’. Well I told him where to go, but the fact that England was at war with Germany didn’t convey a thing because 7,000 miles away meant that we shouldn’t become involved.’

- Private A.K. Maydwell, serving with the Royal West Surrey Regiment at Krugersdorp, Union of South Africa, in August 1914. He would later fight on the Western Front.

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Regular readers will know of my love of colourised photos. This week I came across this original IWM catalogued photograph taken in 1918 of a British machine gun team handling and using a captured German MG08.

I hope it makes you smile. I certainly did – what a great job the colouriser has done.

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Our usual finish to the week comes once again from Chris at Colour by CJS.

Lieutenant Leonard Hammond

Leonard was born in Brazil, but the family home in the U.K was in Knockholt, Kent.

Leonard was educated at the prestigious Tonbridge School where he excelled at athletics and was in the school Cricket and Rugby XI’s.

As with many boys of his class, Leonard furthered his education overseas at Louvain University in Belgium. This university would be ransacked by the marauding Hun when war broke out in 1914.

After completing his studies, Leonard chose a career in engineering and when war was declared he was working for the Great Central Railway, but enlisted just days after war was declared in August 1914.

Leonard was commissioned and joined 10th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) and was deployed to France with his battalion in August 1915.

The battalion rotated in and out of the line until the Battle of the Somme, when on 5th July 1916, near Becourt Wood, the Battalion took part in an attack for the first time. During the fighting Leonard led a party across open ground to halt a German counter attack but was killed in the attempt.

The Battalion suffered 85 casualties that day (17 killed and 68 wounded).

Leonard Hammond was 27 years old, and today, he lies in Becourt Military Cemetery.

Postscript

His elder brother Paul died of wounds on 25th February 1916 serving with 8th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment.

Lt. Leonard Hammond.

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In Memoriam the Lincolnshire Regiment 2nd August.

1915

2413 Private A Simons, 4th Battalion, aged 30. Buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, France.

2796 Private W C Lacy, 4th Battalion.  – Ditto. –

1503 Sergeant Lingard Carr, 4th Battalion, aged 28. Buried in Sanctuary Wood Cemetery, Belgium.

2640 Lance Corporal Sam Hawley, 4th Battalion, aged 29.  – Ditto. –

1916

15146 Private G C Garner, 6th Battalion. Buried in Faubourg d’Amiens Cemetery, France.

319 Lance Corporal F Manning, 10th Battalion, aged 18. Buried in Puchevillers British Cemetery, France.

1917

240253 Lance Corporal Arthur Bee, 4th Battalion, aged 27. Buried in Philosophe British Cemetery, France.

40338 Private R C Cable, 4th Battalion, aged 30.  – Ditto. –

201227 Corporal H B Greensmith, 4th Battalion, aged 23.  – Ditto. –

1918

16840 Private Alfred Smith, 2nd Battalion. Buried in Mailly Wood Cemetery, France.

204303 Private J H Summerfield, 2nd/5th Battalion. Buried in Le Quesnoy Communal Cemetery, France

1921

4794438 Sergeant W Holland, 2nd Battalion. Buried in Sai Wan Cemetery, China.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

I am off to Suffolk today with children and grandchildren for a traditional week at the seaside and I hope you all have a great week too.

Until next week,

All best wishes

Jonathan.

E: trenchlincs@gmail.com

www.jonathandhooghe.co.uk

© Jonathan D’Hooghe