Trench Lincs 6th September 2026
Email me at trenchlincs@gmail.com to become a subscriber and receive TL each week complete with all photos.
Good Morning,
I am just back from France last night and will report fully on the tour next Sunday. Needless to say, we had an excellent visit to the 1915 battlefields of Neuve Chapelle, Aubers Ridge, Festubert, Loos, including the Hohenzollern Redoubt, and the 1916 battle at Fromelles. In addition, we headed into Bethune with its fascinating town cemetery, and followed in the footsteps of David and Joseph Rear who were both killed in tragic circumstances serving with 4th Lincolns.
I hope that you have all had a successful and fulfilling week and I look forward to hearing from you.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS.
Next Meeting - Lincoln & North Lincolnshire Branch, WFA – Monday 28th September 2026 - Doors open 7.00pm for 7.30pm start - Royal Naval Association Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG.
Nick Shelley presents a new talk, "Motorcycle Despatch Riders in1914", based on the book "Two Wheels to War" published by Helion in 2017, researched and written by Nick and his brother Martin.
"In 1914 the Army had just begun to mechanize the work of despatch rider signallers. So when war was declared in August 1914, urgently and at high pace, hundreds of volunteer motorcyclists, many riding their own machines, were recruited to join the BEF in France. Against all odds, they not only helped to save the BEF during the Retreat from Mons, but also helped to prevent the fall of Paris in September. Furthermore, from October 1914 they played a part in keeping the BEF intact when the opposing armies dug in across Belgium and France to create the Western Front.
Nick Shelley's talk tells the story of those 1914 motorcycle despatch riders through the eyes of just one Signals Company - the motorcyclists, officers and men of the Signals Company attached to 5th Division.
The talk originated in Nick's partnership with his brother. Martin Shelley, deeply knowledgeable about early motoring and enthusiastic about vintage vehicles, decided to research the brothers Cecil and Alick Burney. They founded a motorcycle firm in 1912, and Martin knew they were among the very first to answer the Army's call for motorcyclists by bringing motorbikes they had designed and built to the service of the Army. Less than 3 weeks after enlisting they came under fire at Mons. Between the heatwave in France in August, and the harsh Christmas weather in Flanders, 400 motorcyclists followed the Burneys to France.
Nick and Martin's research identified the Burney brothers' exact contribution to this campaign, and found much evidence about the original 12 motorcyclists attached to 5th Division, their friends and families, and their colleagues in arms. His story about them is illustrated with original photographs and documents from many sources, including letters from the front.
Just as the motorcycle despatch riders were not trained soldiers, Nick Shelley is an amateur historian. He studied English literature at Cambridge and worked with offenders as a Probation Officer for many years. Later he retrained in civil law, and for a few years before retirement had a successful legal practice dealing in legal costs, making many court appearances, either as an advocate or as an expert witness. In his spare time, he rode and tinkered with 1920's motorcycles and enjoyed researching the lives and achievements of early motoring pioneers, such as the despatch riders. The project was not only on paper - Nick and Martin built connections with many of the motorcyclist’s families, including six of their sons and daughters and other family members who shared first-hand knowledge of these men."
Nick recently presented this talk to Spalding & South Lincolnshire Branch, WFA, where it went down extremely well, attracting a larger than normal audience for the branch. At the heart of the talk are the photographs and highly descriptive letters home (which in 2026 should come with a "listeners discretion is advised" warning as they are at times pretty graphic in their description of events) -written by Captain W H L Watson which he published in his - initially uncensored - classic first published in 1915, "Adventures of a Despatch Rider" in which he tells the story of the 12 despatch riders - with nicknames like "Huggie", "Spuggy" and the ironically named "Fat Boy" - of 5th Signals Company. This is a talk not to be missed!
Nick will have copies of the book "Two Wheels to War" written by his brother and himself for sale at £20.00 per copy. Hardback, 296 pages, fully illustrated and containing the full biographies of the men, their machines, and more besides. One for every WW1 historian’s bookcase.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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.
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.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Next Event - Spalding & South Lincs Branch, WFA is on Thursday 22nd October 2026 at 7.30pm.
Full details to follow shortly.
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.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
The East Midlands (Nottingham) WFA branch will hold their next speaker event on Friday 11th September 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.
Nick Shelley presents a new talk, "Motorcycle Despatch Riders i 1914", based on the book "Two Wheels to War" published by Helion in 2017, researched and written by Nick and his brother Martin.
"In 1914 the Army had just begun to mechanize the work of despatch rider signallers. So when war was declared in August 1914, urgently and at high pace, hundreds of volunteer motorcyclists, many riding their own machines, were recruited to join the BEF in France. Against all odds, they not only helped to save the BEF during the Retreat from Mons, but also helped to prevent the fall of Paris in September. Furthermore, from October 1914 they played a part in keeping the BEF intact when the opposing armies dug in across Belgium and France to create the Western Front.
Nick Shelley's talk tells the story of those 1914 motorcycle despatch riders through the eyes of just one Signals Company - the motorcyclists, officers and men of the Signals Company attached to 5th Division.
The talk originated in Nick's partnership with his brother. Martin Shelley, deeply knowledgeable about early motoring and enthusiastic about vintage vehicles, decided to research the brothers Cecil and Alick Burney. They founded a motorcycle firm in 1912, and Martin knew they were among the very first to answer the Army's call for motorcyclists by bringing motorbikes they had designed and built to the service of the Army. Less than 3 weeks after enlisting they came under fire at Mons. Between the heatwave in France in August, and the harsh Christmas weather in Flanders, 400 motorcyclists followed the Burneys to France.
Nick and Martin's research identified the Burney brothers' exact contribution to this campaign, and found much evidence about the original 12 motorcyclists attached to 5th Division, their friends and families, and their colleagues in arms. His story about them is illustrated with original photographs and documents from many sources, including letters from the front.
Just as the motorcycle despatch riders were not trained soldiers, Nick Shelley is an amateur historian. He studied English literature at Cambridge and worked with offenders as a Probation Officer for many years. Later he retrained in civil law, and for a few years before retirement had a successful legal practice dealing in legal costs, making many court appearances, either as an advocate or as an expert witness. In his spare time, he rode and tinkered with 1920's motorcycles and enjoyed researching the lives and achievements of early motoring pioneers, such as the despatch riders. The project was not only on paper - Nick and Martin built connections with many of the motorcyclist’s families, including six of their sons and daughters and other family members who shared first-hand knowledge of these men."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Leadenham Military History Group’s next meeting will be on Tuesday 22nd September at 7.30pm at Leadenham village hall.
The speaker on this occasion is Chris Finn. His talk is entitled – “Fly Navy, Walk Sideways – A Crab’s Time with the Fleet Air Arm.”
Chris’ amusing and informative account of his time as an RAF pilot under the wing of the Senior Service.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
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 17th September at 7.30pm.
The speaker is Sean McCabe who will speak about “The Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War 1968.”
Everyone welcome especially new faces.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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.
September 9th Jerry Porter
'Goodnight Darling, God Bless You.'
The talk tells the story of a mother (Jerry’s great grandmother) who lost a son.
Based on a wealth of primary source letters, photos and artefacts passed down in the family, it illustrates her life on the home front, two of her sons’ preparations for deployment overseas, the younger one’s brief service in the front line and his mother’s perhaps surprising reaction to the news that he has been killed in action. It also covers her own experience of coming under enemy attack, and her visits to France in the early 1920s to visit her son’s grave.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Two weeks ago it was the 112th anniversary of the BEF firing its first shots of the Great War on 23rd August 1914 at Mons. However, I chose to report on Japan’s entry into the war which occurred on the same date.
Last week we picked up on the fighting at Mons, courtesy of Matt Colley’s excellent piece about Francis Grenfell VC. The 200 mile retreat from Mons to the Marne was a harrowing experience for the men who undertook the march, many of them Reservists recalled to the colours and not fully fit, and marching throughout August, in extreme temperatures.
It was during the retreat, that local Lincolnshire hero, Sir William Robertson, as Quarter Master General, made his name by ordering his supply troops to deploy stockpiles of food, water and ammunition on the side of many roads as the troops marched south. The ability to resupply the retreating men of I and II Corps was only made possible by the fighting rear-guard actions of several battalions, who held up the German advance, often for many hours, which allowed the BEF to keep a 10-mile gap between the stragglers and the advancing German hordes.
One battalion which excelled in this rear-guard action, but suffered complete destruction as a result, was the 2nd Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers and their famous stand at Etreux,
The 1st Battalion was stationed in Burma at the outbreak of war and the 2nd Battalion was in barracks at Aldershot, where they came under the command of 1st (Guards) Brigade of the 1st Division. They landed in France on 14th August and marched to take up their position just east of Mons.
Following the initial withdrawal from Mons, the stand of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers, at Étreux on 27th August 1914 is one of the most remarkable episodes of the opening weeks of the First World War.
Taking place during the desperate British retreat from Mons, the action was not a conventional battle with clearly defined objectives and carefully prepared positions. Instead, it was a rear-guard action fought by a relatively small force of Irish soldiers who were ordered to hold back the rapidly advancing German army and give the rest of the British Expeditionary Force time to escape. The Munsters’ resistance came at an enormous cost. By the end of the day, the battalion had been virtually destroyed as a fighting formation.
As already noted above, the 2nd Royal Munster Fusiliers were a regular army battalion, based at Aldershot when war broke out in August 1914. The outbreak of hostilities brought reservists rushing back to the colours, and the battalion was brought up to approximately 27 officers and 971 other ranks before leaving England on 13th August. Ten days later, the British Expeditionary Force fought its first major battle against the Germans at Mons in Belgium.
The battle of Mons was tactically successful in many respects, but the wider strategic situation rapidly deteriorated. The French armies were withdrawing, and the enormous German advance threatened to turn the British position. The BEF therefore began what became known as the Great Retreat. British soldiers marched southwards through Belgium and northern France, exhausted by heat, lack of sleep and the constant threat of German pursuit. The Munsters, having only recently arrived on the Continent, were caught up in this enormous withdrawal.
On 27th August, the 2nd Munsters were given the difficult task of covering the retreat. Their orders required them to hold their position and delay the German advance, withdrawing only when ordered or when their position became untenable. The importance of their task was considerable: The British formations withdrawing to the south needed time to put distance between themselves and the German forces pursuing them.
The Munsters’ position lay in the countryside around Oisy and Étreux, close to the Sambre Canal. Two troops of the 15th Hussars were also involved in the operation. The countryside was quite different from the deep static trenches that would later become associated with the Western Front. Hedgerows, orchards, villages, roads and small fields provided both cover and obstacles, making movement difficult and creating opportunities for units to become isolated.
During the morning, German forces began pressing heavily against the British rear-guard. The Munsters fought stubbornly, falling back as necessary while attempting to maintain cohesion. They eventually occupied positions nearer Étreux. The battalion’s companies became involved in fierce local fighting, with some units becoming separated as they attempted to carry out their orders through the maze of hedges and fields. The contemporary account of the action describes the violence of the fighting, with German attacks repeatedly meeting determined resistance from the Irish soldiers.
One of the most significant problems was that the Munsters became isolated. Orders for the wider British withdrawal were issued, but the battalion did not receive them. As neighbouring British units withdrew, the 2nd Munsters were left increasingly exposed. By the afternoon, German forces were moving around their flanks and cutting off their route of escape. What had begun as a deliberate rear-guard action was becoming a fight for survival.
The Germans greatly outnumbered the isolated battalion. Contemporary accounts and later histories give somewhat different figures for the exact strength and casualties, but there is no doubt that the Munsters were confronted by overwhelming numbers. Captain H. S. Jervis, one of the surviving officers, later described the battalion as being attacked from three sides and facing odds estimated at between six and eight to one.
The fighting continued for hours. The Munsters repeatedly resisted German pressure, withdrawing towards an orchard near Étreux. Their ammunition was eventually exhausted. With their position surrounded and their ability to continue the fight gone, the surviving men were compelled to surrender. The action had lasted for approximately fourteen hours and had delayed the German advance, allowing other British formations to continue their withdrawal.
The casualties were catastrophic. Nine officers and 88 other ranks were killed according to the CWGC, while many others were wounded or captured. Only a fraction of the battalion remained free after the action. Different sources give different totals for survivors, partly because men became separated during the fighting and some later re-joined their comrades. One account records four officers and 240 other ranks surviving to surrender, while other sources give different figures. What is certain is that the battalion had been devastated.
Among those killed was Major Philip Charrier, who had commanded the battalion during the action. Other officers were also killed or wounded, and the losses among the experienced leadership added to the tragedy. The National Army Museum records that the battalion suffered exceptionally heavy casualties at Étreux, with its officers suffering particularly severely.
The sacrifice of the Munsters did, however, achieve its immediate military purpose. Their prolonged resistance prevented the German advance from moving as quickly as it otherwise might have done. In the context of the Great Retreat, every hour mattered. The BEF was attempting to escape a vastly larger German force while remaining sufficiently intact to fight again. The Munsters’ stand bought precious time for the formations behind them.
There was also a striking human dimension to the episode. These were largely Irish soldiers serving in the British Army at a moment when Irish political life was deeply divided over the future of Ireland. Yet at Étreux they fought as a disciplined regular battalion under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Their conduct became an important part of the regiment’s identity and reputation during and after the war.
The surrender at Étreux did not mean that the men who survived had escaped the war. Many became prisoners of war in Germany and endured years of captivity. Those who escaped capture or subsequently returned to the colours would see further fighting. The rebuilt 2nd Munsters later served on the Western Front and suffered heavily in subsequent battles.
At this early stage of the war, a certain amount of chivalry existed, and the Germans recognising the heroism of the battalion, allowed the newly captured men to scour the vicinity, bring in their dead comrades and bury them in the orchard. At the end of the war, the IWGC, as it then was, converted the orchard burials into an official cemetery which stands to this day. The memory of Étreux remained particularly powerful within the regiment. A memorial was eventually erected in the orchard where the final stand took place, commemorating the men of the 2nd Royal Munster Fusiliers who died there. Their story became one of the regiment’s defining episodes: a battalion sent forward to delay an advancing enemy, isolated through the confusion of a rapidly changing battlefield, and ultimately surrounded after its ammunition had been exhausted.
The action at Étreux therefore deserves to be remembered not simply as a heroic last stand, but as a revealing example of the chaos and sacrifice of the first weeks of the First World War. The men of the 2nd Royal Munster Fusiliers had entered France only days before. Within a fortnight they had fought at Mons, endured the exhausting retreat and then been called upon to hold an isolated position against overwhelming German forces. Their resistance on 27th August 1914 came at a terrible price, but it fulfilled the essential purpose of a rear-guard: to delay the enemy so that others could escape.
Étreux was one of the earliest tragedies suffered by the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front. For the Royal Munster Fusiliers, however, it became something more enduring. The courage and sacrifice of the men who fought there became woven permanently into the regiment’s history. Their stand demonstrated both the determination of the pre-war regular army and the terrible human cost that would characterise the war for the next four years.
+++++++++++++++++++
The story of Francis Octavius Grenfell VC, mentioned above and over the last two weeks, has taken on a life of its own. The Grenfell family link that I published last week, caught the eye of Andrew Grantham who dropped me a line thus; ‘Well done Matt Colley, I particularly enjoyed your piece on Grenfell VC. I followed Jonathan’s link for more information and was staggered to note there were 15 of them the final two being the twins, Francis and Rivy. (no need to wonder what Mr Grenfell senior’s, hobbies included!!)
Since Phil Watson’s talk, I have been enjoying his books on the charges at Elouges and Audregnies so for me, it is all very topical.
And to Jonathan for another great Trench Lincs. They go from strength to strength and I particularly like the links if you want to dive deeper on any story. [Thank you Andrew –ed]
Special thanks also to your daughter for the Wolferton Memorial. I have a fine Royal Household Medal Group to an Estate worker who lived in the village. The village now has an infamous resident I believe, - (AM-W)!
Many thanks to you both a great diversion on a Sunday morning.’
Emails like Andrew’s make the hours spent compiling TL all worthwhile.
However, we haven’t yet finished with Francis Grenfell. I am currently reading this book………
And who should I find attending a house party with the Duke of Westminster in 1911, Francis Grenfell of course!
Francis Grenfell, second right back row.
He was a very well connected young man, as befits an officer of the 9th Lancers.
I mentioned this find to Matt Colley in the week, and off Matt went with deerstalker on and magnifying glass in hand in the best tradition of Sherlock Holmes, to see what more he could find out about the Duke of Westminster in the Great War.
Matt writes; ‘How many times does the name “Rolls-Royce” appear in twentieth Century British Military History?
Here is a slightly more unusual appearance.
The link included in last week’s TL for Francis Grenfell takes us to the “FOR EVERMORE” website which has a page on Grenfell’s VC.
It includes this section: “Francis, who had been in action since dawn, refused medical attention and rode back in the withdrawal before his wounds and exhaustion overcame him.
He was discovered by an old friend, the Duke of Westminster, who had been driving around the rear-guard in his Rolls-Royce searching for wounded men to bring in.
The Duke ferried Francis to a medical outpost near La Cateau. Coincidentally, Rivi (Francis’ twin Brother) was there. This was the last time they saw each other alive”.
In Lyn MacDonald’s book “1914” she mentions Major Tom Bridges of the 4th Dragoon Guards, Cavalry Division. Bridges had already been wounded in action and was attempting to re-join his colleagues but his horse had died from wounds and he was stranded. After Grenfell and his troop had ridden off, Bridges sat at the road side because he could hobble no further and Grenfell’s troop did not have a spare horse. As he looked down the road he saw the most welcome sight of his life. It was a Rolls-Royce, a blue and silver sports model and a cavalry signals officer was at the wheel. He was scouring the Countryside for stragglers. Bridges was taken to a large farm where a Red Cross flag hung from a gable.
One brave man with his Rolls-Royce saved at least two injured men from capture.’
Thank you Matt – but that is not the end of the story.
Please do click on this link to read more about the 2nd Duke of Westminster. Duke Of Westminster
Matt then discovered that the Duke’s beautiful Rolls Royce is still going strong today, and was last sold at auction for $905,000.
Click on this link to read all about the history of the car. Henderson Auctions
Well done Matt. A wonderful story.
+++++++++++++++++
A very rare WWI German artillery howitzer has been saved recently by Taff Gillingham and his Suffolk based Great War Huts group. The 10.5cm (105mm) German howitzer was presented at the end of the Great War to the village of St. Boswells in the Scottish Borders.
Taff Gillingham said; "Local veteran George Oliver took exception to it and he and his ex-service pals tipped it into the River Tweed, ironically saving it from the scrap man in the 1930s,"
Now it is on its way to Suffolk and you can read the full story by clicking here Bury St Edmunds museum saves WW1 howitzer gun from scrapyard - BBC News
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Every now and then a new WWI story emerges, one that has passed into history and is largely forgotten or unknown. It is beholden on us all to bring these stories to a wider audience, so that the sacrifice of brave men and women are not forgotten – Lest We Forget.
Jon Sandison is a man after my own heart, always beavering away to find a story and this week, I am delighted to let you know that Jon and his pals in Shetland have come up with a cracker for us. Unforunately, there is also a sting in the tale for the Western Front Association at the national level.
Jon explains; ‘I am just putting out a message here on behalf of the Cunningsburgh History Group up in Shetland. We are presently researching the loss of HMS Cheerful on June 30th, 1917 when she hit a mine whilst on convoy protection duties.
Details can be seen here: https://lostinwatersdeep.co.uk/hms-cheerful.html
Forty men were lost in this incident and there were twenty-two survivors – this is the single largest loss of life on Shetland during both World War I and World War II. We have embarked on a project to research the lost men and the survivors, to erect a memorial to commemorate the casualties and to hold a dedication ceremony sometime in June 2027. We would like to trace descendants of these men so that we can get in touch and inform them of our project and the proposed ceremony next year. At the present time, the sailors are only remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial.
Chatham Naval Memorial.
In tandem with this project, there are continual underwater diving operations to confirm the precise location of the wreck which has yet to be confirmed.
Most of the lost men came from London and the surrounding shires and a few from the northern counties, and we are reaching out to local history groups across the UK to see if they can help in tracing descendants of the lost men.
It may be that readers have information already on HMS Cheerful that would be useful for our project. If so, we would be delighted to speak with you.
Alternatively, can you suggest any further Royal Navy contacts in the London area, and indeed beyond, who could help us?
Equally, it would be appreciated if this information can be passed on to any group that you think may be able to help us with our project and in particular with identifying descendants?
I can share the details of all the London men who were lost upon request.
I have added my e-mail contact details below if anyone can assist and get in touch.
Thank you in advance for any help or guidance which you can provide in relation to this project.
I then asked Jon for a little more detail as to where they currently are with tracing the families of the sailors who died, and I was flabbergasted, but not wholly surprised, by the response from the national WFA.
Jon continues; ‘Most of the 40 crew who were lost on HMS Cheerful were from the likes of London, Surrey and Kent. So the Cunningsburgh History Group here in Shetland has managed to reach out to relatives via the likes of Ancestry and Find My Past. A narrative has been built up for each crew member via service records, census data, CWGG information and so on, and in some cases, a photo secured. The research has reached out to various local Family History groups in the South-East of England, who have kindly shared a post on their Social Media pages. Also, the London Westminster and Middlesex put an excellent piece into their Journal ‘Metropolitan’.
However, it is a terrible shame that the Western Front Association nationally, when asked, were not willing to share any information about this project via their own publications. This would have had a great reach for the project. That said, local Western Front Association branches have been excellent with some sharing the profiles of the men lost via Social Media.’
An HMS Cheerful crew member photograph that has been unearthed.
Jon Sandison at the recent memorial event held at the Trig Point overlooking the area where Cheerful was lost.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nearer to home is the Lincolnshire village of Saxilby, and Steve Baldwin has recently paid a visit and sent me the following photos from the church, which also includes the Methodist chapel memorial, which was re-sited in the church when the chapel closed in 2020.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jumping over the county border from Lincolnshire into Nottinghamshire, I am indebted to John Pritchard who has unearthed this wonderful Hind family memorial, which is located on the Hind Alms Houses at Village Street, Edwalton. I was not aware of it until I received John’s email.
The Hind family, have featured regularly in Trench Lincs, and also feature in many of the talks that I give about the 7th Sherwood Foresters (Robin Hood Rifles). The family is still a philanthropic force in Nottingham to this day, and when I was playing football in Nottingham many moons ago, we often played The Monty Hind Boys Club FC.
Not only did the family suffer a number of deaths in the Great War, but they also financed the VAD hospital that was set up in the Trent Bridge cricket pavilion during the war. The pavilion is currently closed for a two-year refurbishment, and opens again next season for the visit of Australia, and I do hope that they re-hang the portrait of Jesse Hind that I have published before, and have great pleasure in doing so again.
First though, here is John’s picture of the memorial.
Jesse 'Monty' Hind.
Acting Lt. Colonel Lawrence Hind MC - below.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
This week’s finisher is from Chris at Colour by CJS once again.
Captain (acting Major) Charles Alan Smith Morris
Charles was born in Bridgend, Glamorganshire in 1895, he had three sisters and their father was a mining engineer.
He was educated at Wellington College and then Pembroke College, Cambridge where he studied law. Like many young men, he enlisted soon after the outbreak of war and was granted a commission, and joined 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment early in 1915.
Charles was deployed to France on 5th March 1915 where he served in the Regiment’s 2nd Battalion, and he was soon in action at the battle of Neuve Chapelle which commenced on 10th March. Here Charles was wounded in the leg by shrapnel on 12th March and after just a week at the front, he was transferred back to the U.K to convalesce.
When he was fully recovered he was sent to Salonika in November 1915, and the following month he was wounded again, this time in the shoulder.
By September 1916, now with the rank of Captain, he had recovered and was back in action, where just days after returning to the front he personally led a trench raid on the enemy lines.
April 1917 saw him back in France, serving with 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, and taking part in the Arras offensive.
Sadly, on 23rd April he was severely wounded leading an assault near the village of La Coulotte. A contemporary report stated that “he had been killed rallying his men”.
In reality, badly wounded, he had been captured by the enemy and taken to a field hospital where he died on 7th May 1917.
Charles Morris was 21 years old and he is buried in Point-du-jour military cemetery, Athies.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In Memoriam the Lincolnshire Regiment 6th September.
1915
1904 Corporal John Wray, 5th Battalion, aged 25. Remembered on the Menin Gate, Belgium.
11502 Private Albert Hodson, 7th Battalion, aged 35. Buried in Reninghelst Churchyard, Belgium.
10542 Private William Paterson, 6th Battalion, aged 26. Remembered on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli.
1916
15481 Private H J Huteson, 1st Battalion. Buried in bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, France.
1917
40070 Private T H C Bushnell, 10th Battalion, aged 21. Buried in Tincourt New British Cemetery, France.
39295 Private William Harland, 14th Labour Company, aged 37. Buried in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium.
1918
Nine men of the county regiment are recorded as having died on this day.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Until next week,
All best wishes
Jonathan
© Jonathan D’Hooghe
Comments