Tuesday 23 December 2014

The Somersets and the Christmas Truce


Not a shot or a shell...

Soldiers of the Somerset Light Infantry, had, over the years fought all over the world, most famously perhaps in Afghanistan, but also in Egypt and India. In the early months of the Great War, however, the men of the 1st Battalion faced a situation none of their predecessors had experienced as they became involved in one the most curious incidents of WW1

 The story of the Christmas Truce of 1914 is well known, images of enemies meeting in no-man’s land, trading cigarettes and (possibly) playing football provide a stark contrast to the other, more familiar, images of horror and destruction from World War 1. Less well known, perhaps, is the role played by local men of the Somerset Light Infantry in the truce and how much evidence still remains, both on the Western Front and perhaps in local family histories.

 
(Based on the War Diary of the Somerset Light Infantry held at the National Archives UK - the blog posts - CB Prowse - Le Cateau to Prowse Point & Welcome to Plug Street give the background by telling the story of the Somersets from August-November 1914)


 

By the end 1914 the men of the Somerset Light Infantry were in trenches in Ploegsteert Wood (known to the men as Plug Street). Travelling south from from Ypres you pass first Wyschaete (White Sheet) where a young Adolf Hitler served and drop down through Mesen, ( Messines Ridge). The War Diary of the Somerset’s, a day to day record of events during the conflict, which is held in the National Archives in Kew, records them battling the weather for much of the month of December, almost constant rain causing some areas of Trench to be abandoned and most  entries beginning with a typically English comment on the weather. They can have had no idea what a dramatic change the end of the month would bring. The 1914 front line is marked today by Prowse Point cemetery, the only cemetery in the area named after an individual; Major Charles Prowse, he led a heroic stand by the Somerset’s in October, winning both a D.S.O and a promotion as the British Expeditionary Force fell back in the face of a ferocious German advance, he was later killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, as he headed to the front line to support his men. By the middle of December 1914 he was on sick leave.

Ploegsteert Wood - as seen in early 1915 - from Times Illustrated History

Prowse Point Cemetery - water marks 1914 Front Line
 

 The events that may have provided the motivation for the truce actually began a few days earlier, on the 19th December. The Somerset’s launched an attack on German lines that was tragically typical of so many during the early years of the war. The target area, a heavily defended area known as the “Birdcage” due to the amount of barbed wire surrounding the fortified position was shelled in advance by the British artillery but, as so often happened during the early years of the Great War the bombardment failed to destroy the German defences. Worse was to follow as the attack began, men advanced out of sodden trenches across broken ground armed with improvised mattresses to cover the wire, but the war diary commented “ after the leading platoon on the right had advanced about 40 yards a howitzer shell of ours burst among them and did great damage “. The attack ended in failure and there were 35 casualties, including an unfortunate Captain Bradshaw who, the diary notes “died after about an hours suffering “. Less than a week after this disastrous attack the men who survived would be back in the same place, this time under very different circumstances.
 
No Man’s Land, the area fought over on 19 December and then the meeting point on Christmas Day 1914

Over the next few days some of the men killed in the failed attack were buried but many still lay in no-man’s land. Collecting the bodies would be impossible as snipers waited for anyone who placed themselves in the open; indeed a Lt Moore was killed while trying to inspect enemy positions in the aftermath of the attack. The fate of these men would usually be an unmarked grave and later an inscription on a memorial to the missing such as the Menin Gate. This was a constant fear of the men fighting in the trenches; they feared being “atomised” and their families having no certainty of their fate or grave to visit, a desire amongst the surviving soldiers to prevent this happening to their fallen colleagues would be a key factor in the events of the next momentous days.

 


After a few relatively peaceful days the diary for 25 December begins with a statement that bears no similarity to any other that month; “There was much singing in the trenches last night by both sides.” The Germans had brought up their regimental band and played a number of songs, including both national anthems. At this point the ordinary soldiers seized their chance “A truce was mutually arranged by the men in the trenches” The German and British officers then met and arranged to bring in bodies still lying between trenches. The diary states “The bodies of Capt Maud, Capt Orr and 2/Lt Henson were brought in also those of 18 NCOs’ and men. They were buried the same day.” This is where a visit to the area can help us walk in the footsteps of the men involved in the truce. The body ot Lt Maud was returned by the Germans - possibly as he had reached their wire and they did not want the Somersets coming too close. His original battlefield cross can be seen in the Somerset Museum, Taunton

The grave of Captain C. C. Maud, Ploegsteert Wood Cemetery

 Apart from a few sections of front line preserved for museums very little evidence remains of the battlefields of the First World War, the sections of no-man’s land between trench lines where enemies met in 1914 are now quiet fields, the only reminder a commemorative post marking the point where the cartoonist Bruce Bairnsfather experienced the Truce. Ploegsteert Wood, though, remains just that and as you leave Prowse Point and head in to the woods the evidence of conflict is still there if you look closely; bricks from buildings shattered by shells, curving ditches that could be the outline of trenches and sticking out of the mud the spiral posts that were used to support the miles and miles of barbed wire that dominated the Western Front.

Possible trench line in Ploegsteert Wood
 

 On that Christmas Day in 1914 the bodies of the men recovered were carried from the front line about a mile back through the lines. A cemetery had been created earlier in the month near a ruined building the men had called Somerset House, today it forms part of the tranquil Ploegsteert Wood cemetery. Unlike many on the Western Front these graves were never moved during or after the war and so when you visit the cemetery you are standing in the same spot as the men involved in the truce. Here you can find the men mentioned in the diary, Captain Maud, Captain Orr and 2/Lt Henson as well as the other “18 NCOs’ and men”. To have buried their friends and comrades and then return to the front and fraternise with the men responsible for their deaths must have been nearly impossible, but that is what happened on Christmas Day 1914; “not a shot or shell was fired by either side in our neighbourhood; and both sides walked about outside their trenches quite unconcernedly…. a very peaceful day.”

Ploegsteert Cemetery – The men buried on Christmas Day 1914
 
There is little detail recorded as the actual events of the Truce in this area, certainly no football, even though UEFA have placed their memorial in the area, this may have been an attempt to avoid censure for the men involved, it is, though, certain that the men involved took the Truce as far as any group of men could have. Indeed the truce continued for some time for the men of the Somerset Light Infantry, the opportunity was taken to strengthen and improve the sodden trenches and observe enemy strengths and weaknesses, the chance to leave the mud of the trenches in safety must also have been gratefully received. On December 30th a note was received from the German soldiers in almost flawless English that shows how deep rooted the ceasefire had become in this part of the front line;

 

“Dear Camerades,

 

I beg to inform you that it is forbidden us to go over to you but we will remain fond camerades. If we shall be forced to fire we will fire to high. Please tell me if you are English or Irishmen. Offering you some cigars, I remain yours truly camerade

 

X.Y “

 

The British made no reply to this, many in the British upper staff were alarmed by the refusal to fight and threatened severe punishment for those found to have fraternised with the enemy, but the peaceful mood remained until early in the New Year, with one unfortunate exception. The Germans celebrated the turn of the year with considerable enthusiasm, including singing and lights. The time difference seems to have been a problem though. The Germans began firing guns in celebration at 11pm UK time rather than midnight, leading British gunners to fear an attack and replying with a less than festive barrage of shells.

 

Despite this, the Truce continued until well into the New Year, only ending on or around the 9th of January when the “friendly Germans” appear to have been replaced, either through a routine rotation of men or through concern that fighting spirit had ebbed away.

 

Is there more to be added to the story by people living in the west? Did any local men involved in the truce send letters or return home with stories? Are there surviving relatives of the men whose bodies were recovered on that day? Many of the graves have poignant messages added at the bottom, these were added at the request of families and although many died tragically young the ages of some men indicate they were old enough to have had families. Records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, who main the cemeteries on the Western Front give us some basic information on the men killed in the failed attack of 19th December that may provide a starting point. 2nd Lieutenant Stanley Henson was married to Minnie Henson, of Elmsett Hall, Wedmore, Somerset. Private H Miller, only 18, of Marston Road, Frome is buried in the same plot. 39 year old George James with the rather confusing address of Regent St, Spring St, New Cut Bristol and Lieutenant George Parr, son of Major General Henry Hallam Parr and Lady Parr, of Minchinhampton Glos are also there. Major General Parr had fought with the British army in South Africa and passed away in April 1914. Can more personal details be added to the existing account of the Truce?

Inscription on a gravestone – Ploegsteert Wood Cemetery
 

 



 

 
 

 

 

 

Tuesday 25 November 2014

Lesson plan: Tipperary and Censorship

A diversion from the usual posts but one that may be of interest to any teachers who are following - I would use the below with Year 9 - it assumes they have access to a PC and I would have a discussion about what censorship is, possibly linking it to today and ask for ideas about what should be censored in the trenches and why (see last link for more)

Have a look at the small article below - it is taken from Punch magazine in November 1914 - answer the following questions



1) Fill in the missing words

2) Why might they have been censored? Was this a sensible decision?

3) What point is the writer making about censorship in the First World War?

For staff - there are 2 links below - the first one is from R4 Today in 2012 about the history of the song

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9689000/9689513.stm

The second one contains the lyrics:

http://www.firstworldwar.com/audio/itsalongwaytotipperary.htm

further activities - censor a letter - I get students to write a "no holds barred" account of trench life containing all the dangers and irritations - it can be a good revision piece - it is then passed to a partner who censors it using the criteria discussed earlier - (I ask them to highlight/put a thin line through parts to be censored so they can still be read later)

The postcard below has been through the field censor process so can be shown as an example:






Further links can be made to music in WW1 - see link below - recruitment and morale

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z3ypr82

and also the role that the postal service played in WW1 - there's a section on censorship in this article as well

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zqtmyrd









Sunday 23 November 2014

The Problem of the Mons Star

A brief blog post but too long to tweet - but in a year of centenaries one was passed last night that some many have missed - to be awarded the Mons Star you needed to have served before 22 November 1914 - to gain the clasp you needed to have come under fire during this time - follow the link below to an image and details of the awarding criteria for it and all the campaign medal relevant to the Great War

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/medals/ww1-campaign-medals.htm

Relatively few were awarded compared to other medals due to the nature of the BEF at this time - even fewer of these men were still serving on the front line by 1918 - but George Coward - by this time of the Royal Engineers and initially of the Somerset Light Infantry was, he possessed the Star and Clasp (see a previous blog post for a review of his diary - his vivid account of Ligny/Le Cateau leaves us in no doubt about this) and it affected him in both a positive and a negative way in 1918

Just as the German Spring Offensive was beginning in March 1918 Pt Coward was diagnosed with Pleurisy and sent back, under protest from himself and superiors, to England. He notes that on the way home what he describes as his "Mons medal ribbon" is noticed by an American orderly, who is hugely impressed by this - the information is passed to a Major who writes HSC on his medical card - which meant "Medical Ship, cabin". Coward describes it as the comfiest bed he has had for some time.

Back in England, this bit of ribbon becomes a problem, keen to re-join his unit, Coward is told "you have done your bit" and that his time on the front line was over - he tries again when as he has "pals" still out there and expresses a desire to be there at the end and to escape "baby parades" with new conscripts - he is again told that no man who served in 1914 is being sent back out

A reminder that you can order the diary of Pt George Coward here:

http://www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=342

Thursday 20 November 2014

Welcome to Plug Street

The period after the battle at St Yves at the end of October until late November was a relatively quiet one for the 1st Bn Somerset Light Infantry, the 1st Battle of Ypres had was drawing to a close and the battalion spent a lot of time digging in and improving defences in a part of the front that was quiet. This was vital work as at the time they were rudimentary. In his diary Pt George Coward described the trenches themselves as a series of unconnected ditches, which made going the aid of a platoon in trouble particularly hazardous. The defences in front of the line were equally poor - consisting of lines of old tins on a wire that would make a noise and alert the defenders in the event of an enemy attack, little wonder that early in November all four companies can be found on trench digging duty and beginning a second line of defences. Some of the everyday inconveniences of trench life also start to emerge, the mud is 3 feet deep in places and makes movement difficult, the war diary decides that frost is by some margin better than rain for the men in the line.

The Somersets were by this time in Ploegsteert Wood, known to the men as Plug Street and soon to witness the Christmas Truce, the area was reasonably peaceful for much of the war, the link below takes you a map produced by Capt Emdean of the Accrington Pals in 1918, but the trench lines haven't changed much over the years and the place names were those given by the soldiers based there in 1914 - note Somerset House (if you know the area well this is opposite Ploegsteert Wood Cemetery) Mud Corner - now a CWCG cemetery is also named, it is just along from Prowse Point, the front line in 1914 and in the middle of the map. Mud Corner doesn't sound a nice place to be posted but may have a marginally nicer option than Dead Horse Corner, which also features on the map.

http://www.pals.org.uk/psteert.htm#map

The image below is from the Times Illustrated History and is from the section dealing with Winter 1914. It may well be fanciful but there are elements that do match the record - the wood was still full of trees, the shattered stumps of no-mans land come later and there are images in the IWM archive that are dated early 1915 and show trenches in this area surrounded by trees. This may reflect the fact that Ploegsteert was heavily wooded and so many would survive, but shelling had died down at this time. Anyone who saw the recent War of Words on war poets would have noted however that when the shells did start flying the splinters caused by the trees being hit could cause some terrible injuries.

From the Times Illustrated History

The naming of trenches and pathways after real places is also a nice touch, there are some on display in the IWM and on the map above there are a few - The Strand can be seen below the word Ploegsteert many of the place names have a London connection, possibly because the London Rifle Brigade were close by but also due to familiarity. The grave near a dug-out is a bit chilling if it  is accurate and may explain why so many of the men killed at this time have no known grave and are recorded on the Ploegsteert Memorial.

Although the Somersets suffer few casualties they are never taken out of the line at this time, there are not enough men left to do that, it means no rest and also no new training to prepare them for attempting to take a German trench. Which would be their aim in December

Tuesday 18 November 2014

Christmas Truce brainteaser

The new Sainsbury's advert has created a lot of debate with the depiction of a full-blown football match and also with the more general issue of using the event to sell more groceries - in the local area there has been some comment about the company producing this advert also being involved in a plan to demolish the Memorial Stadium in Bristol (the clue is in the name) as part of a scheme to provide a new stadium for Bristol Rovers FC

What the debate has shown is that people care a great deal about the events of the Truce and also as a historian of sorts there has been a rewarding debate about exactly what level of proof is required when deciding the truth of an event - there are plenty of records of football matches played and scores recorded but for many that is not enough - they are based on hearsay or may have been exaggerated - follow Taff Gillingham on twitter if you have enough stamina as the debate has been going on for a fair few days as I write. From what I have seen there is evidence of informal football - Rob Schafer recently tweeted a translation from a German account where the soldier stated he had "played ball" with the English.

This also matches what I would regard in a slightly unscientific way as the most likely scenario - lots of young men standing in the open on a cold day after being stuck virtually underground may want some exercise but given the conditions recorded in the Somersets War Diary (in Ploegsteert and involved in a lengthy truce) - mud and lots of it, in addition to the damage caused by shellfire an organised match seems unlikely

To the question.

What connects the new Katherine Jenkins album, the cartoon below, the 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry and the 1914 Christmas Truce?



If answers are submitted on a postcard please ensure they are of a suitably patriotic nature and that they also meet the requirements of the field censor (see example below)- otherwise use the contact link on the blog. I will tweet the answer and update the post on 24 December

 
 


Update with answer - 23 December

The War Diary of the 1st Battalion Somerset Light Infantry contains the following entry for 25th December

"There was much singing in the trenches last night by both sides - the Germans brought up their Regimental Band and played theirs and our national anthems (same tune at that time?) and "Home Sweet Home" "

Therefore the connection is as follows - the new Katherine Jenkins album is called "Home Sweet Home" - the cartoon above contains the most famous lyric from the song and it was sung by the Somersets and the Germans opposite at PlugStreet Wood on Christmas Eve (not Silent Night)

It is a song with a surprising history - it dates from the US Civil War and was not popular with senior officers as it was felt to encourage homesickness and possibly desertion - so an interesting choice by the Germans - there are 2 links to the song below so have a listen to the lyrics yourself - the first is a more new-age Christmas version and the second an acoustic US version

Merry Christmas & thanks for taking the time to read this..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxwDs0foZqw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV3Ct4yj0eo

Friday 14 November 2014

Private Coward's Diary

Disclaimer - I have nothing to do with the publishing of this book and given the title of the blog I am naturally going to enjoy the diary of the member of the Somerset Light Infantry - if you have come here via the twitter feed of The Somersets the chances are you will too.

Coward's War
An ‘Old Contemptible’s’ View of the Great War
by Tim Machin


To make one thing clear: this is his real name and this is not a more depressing version of Private Peaceful. George Coward was a Private in the Somerset Light Infantry - he joined in 1906 and had travelled the world with the Battalion in the years before the Great War, he seems to have enjoyed his time in Malta in particular and despite all that happens later argues that joining the army is a desirable career for anyone starting from his station in life, but admits he missed an opportunity to save the Battalion a lot of problems when the Kaiser passes him in the street on his way to review the Battalion in Valletta

George leaves the service in 1913 and struggles to find well-paid work before the outbreak of war, although I was interested to find he would at one stage have been the postman on the street I currently live on. This contrasts with a comrade who at one stage in 1914 states he is about to exact revenge on the Germans for costing him a well-paid job when he was called out of the reserve in August 1914 - no comment is made about defending Belgium.

George reports to the Drill Hall in Bath at the outbreak of war, re-joins his Battalion and heads off to France after a period of training.

http://www.bathintime.co.uk/image/322127/drill-hall-lower-bristol-road-c-1890

He is involved in the fighting at Le Cateau, which the Somersets refer to this as the Battle of Ligny, it is the first eyewitness account I have read (one of the reasons I set up the twitter account/blog is that the Somersets do not seem to have left many records and it seemed the centenary would pass them by) it is, to put it mildly, vivid. His account of the war at this time matches exactly that given in the war diary - both in fact and tone - for example neither has any regard at all for the standard of French railways.

I will not cover his story blow by blow - you should order the book for that, but I will summarise the other aspects he covers so you can judge for yourselves

He is injured during the action at St Yves at the end of October 1914 that gave rise to the name Prowse Point, departs to hospital and returns to the front in 1915 on the Yser. This means he is not present for the Christmas Truce, which is a great shame as a diarist would have surely have left an excellent account of the event. He moves from the front line to become a signaller (eventually moving to the Royal Engineers), which means he sees the action from close range, including the first day of the Somme but does not go over the top again. This may explain why he was able to serve from 1914-1918. He is by no means out of danger though and experiences a number of potentially life-threatening situations, including a memorably dangerous day visiting the front line with Major CB Prowse, George admires him a great deal and devotes an entire chapter to this. If you have read a number of dairies then his expertise as a "scrounger" and as a signaller may be new to you. Lovers of slang may be interested to see how many of the phrases he apologises for as army slang that a general reader would not understand are now part of regular language. He is also able to compare warfare in 1914 with that in 1918, for example the way trenches are constructed. He suffers a gas attack and there are several long and terrifying nights in the open trying to repair broken lines.

The diaries were written with an eye to being published, the editor lets George speak, there is a separate section summarising the story of the Battalion and he uses footnotes to add context about events, places and people, so if you know the story there is no interruption. The last chapter contains some strong words about those who did not serve during the war and the terms he uses to describe the people and places he came across during his travels in the army would not be used today.

Falling ill with pleurisy during the German spring offensive in 1918 he recovers and tries to get sent back to join his friends, he is told that those who went out in 1914 had "done their bit" and so is in England at the end of the war. After being demobbed George returned to Bath after and struggled to find work again, he became a member of the Old Contemptible's Association and was a regular at the Hop Pole pub, which is still in business today

On a customer service note - I ordered the book and it didn't arrive, I contacted the firm and they sent another one without asking any questions

http://www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=342




Saturday 8 November 2014

Major CB Prowse - From Le Cateau to Prowse Point









CB Prowse in 1909 - Bath in Time
Major CB Bertie Prowse became CO of the Somerset Light Infantry shortly after the Battalion arrived in France, he is one of many officers who help give the lie to the "Lions led by Donkeys" argument, his actions in the first few weeks of the war made a material difference to the fate of his men and of the course of the war in the areas he was involved in. On 1st July 1916 he became the most senior officer to be killed on the first day of the Somme, characteristically as he moved forward with his men. this means he is not buried in Prowse Point Cemetery, near Ploegsteert, the only cemetery on the Western Front named after an individual.









The Somersets arrived in France in late August 1914, just too late for the battle of Mons but just in time to run into the German army at Le Cateau, their part of the action started on the evening of the 25th August and is referred to in the War Diary of the Somerset Light Infantry as the battle of Ligny, in common with the rest of the BEF they suffered heavy casualties and embarked on the long retreat - marching nearly 200 miles in the next 2 weeks, with very little rest or food, being pursued by the German army.

In the chaos of Ligny/Le Cateau the Battlion seems to have split into 3 parts, Major Prowse, not then CO, seems to have gathered up many of the men and marched them rapidly through France until they could be come together again a few days later. Exactly where the men went was still being discussed in 1922, one of the letters and an accompanying map is shown here:

From the War Diary - one of a series of letter investigating the aftermath of Le Cateau





The next stage of the Somersets progress in covered in the post "The road to Ploegsteert". After the Great Retreat the Battalion was addressed by Major Prowse as they prepared to turn and face the enemy. The event was recorded in the diary of Pt George Coward who states that Major Prowse "spoke to use like a father" he seems to have been popular with the men, many of whom had served with him for years.

The race to the sea turned into the First Battle of Ypres and on 30-31 October 1914 Major Prowse lead the Somersets in a stand near the village of St Yves that caused the area and later  cemetery to be named Prowse Point

Map from 1915 showing St Yves

On the 30th October the Hampshire Regiment came under sustained attack from the German forces, the Somersets were in reserve when a report came through that the Germans were breaking through the lines and that one Platoon was wiped and a trench destroyed by a sustained artillery bombardment. Initially Major Prowse orders a platoon undet 2/Lt Braithwaite (whose trench map from a few days earlier you can see in the post Tobacco Screen) was sent to support the Hampshire Regiment, Braithwaite's force appears to have arrived just in time - they place a barricade across the road and in the words of the War Diary inflict "great slaughter" on the Germans, the next day the Royal Engineers report more than 70 dead Germans on the wire.

The situation remained critical however and at this point the diary records that at this moment Major Prowse, having personally reconnoitred the position "turned his entire Battalion against them". This instinctive reaction was effective - the houses are cleared out and in the end it was found that the Germans had evacuated the trenches

On the 31st the situation was repeated - a second German attack on the Hampshire lines a short distance from the first - as shown on a sketch map which also shows the signature of Gen A Hunter-Weston, best known from the Gallipoli campaign

Sketch map showing the German attacks on 30-31 Oct

This attack was also repulsed, with some difficulty, it was initially reported that only a few Germans had occupied a Hampshire trench but when a detachment was sent the resistance was far stiffer than expected and the force was beaten back. the diary notes that during this engagement the Somersets manage to pull 2 Germans from the trench, the diary records that 1 was shot and 1 taken prisoner. An immediate counter-attack is launched but, again, it is found that the Germans are gone. It is notable that the Somersets, unlike the Hampshires, suffer very few casualties over the 2 days.


Lance Corporal Arthur Jenkins recorded the events in 2 letter he sent home - his story is told in the most recent post - Visitors: Canadians & Kings


"We have had a fine time of it since 21 October, fighting non-stop.. we had a hand-to scrap on the 21st, I was in the thick of it"



Arthur Jenkins recalls the events at Prowse Point
I am grateful to the local historians who found this account in the book "In the company of heroes"





"By heaven aunt what a time we have had, talk about hell on earth.."


Major Prowse later recorded his own account of the action, which was added to the War Diary and is shown below - it looks as if the rank Lt Col has been written over the original rank of Major...

An account of the action in St Yves written by Major Prowse in late November 1914
 
 
 
 
 


Major Prowse became well-known as a result of the stand at St Yves, he is shown here in the Illustrated London News, alongside many of the heroes of the first few weeks of the war. (I used to work with Pt Drain's Grandson and helped him research the story.


http://www.illustratedfirstworldwar.com/item/for-valour-and-mentioned-in-despatches-iln0-1914-1205-0021-001/#


Prowse Point, as I have mentioned, is now a CWGC Cemetery, it the ditch at the front marks the front line at Christmas 1914 and the field opposite hosted the Christmas Truce, which is for another post


Thursday 30 October 2014

Mells: Lutyens and Sassoon

One of the benefits of setting up the blog has been encouraging me to visit places that had been on the to-do list for some time. Visiting St Andrews church in Mells was near the top of the list, for too long it had been somewhere I drove through on the way to Frome and the home town of Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button (Button being a very common name in the area)

The best place to start is the Talbot Inn, not least because it is close to the church - there is plenty to see here, as a man in the village shop said, Mells packs a lot of Great War into  a very small area.

The immaculate churchyard houses many graves of the great and the good of the last 100 years, I was here to visit Siegfried Sassoon - who didn't die here but wanted to be buried close to his friend Mgr Robert Knox.

The grave of Siegfried Sassoon, Mells


Moving into the church, there is the impressive Horner memorial, dedicated to Edward Horner, who died in 1917 at Noyelles.


The Horner Memorial - St Andrews church Mells


 The base was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and the statue by Sir Alfred Mannings, one of the most interesting features, one often missed, is the original grave marker from France which is attached to the back of the plinth. I only spotted it as I was taking a (poor) photo of the brass plaque that records the men of the village who fell in the Great War, several of whom were in the Somerset Light Infantry
Memorial to local men who fell in the Great War
The original grave marker, the back of the Lutyens plinth
Horner Memorial - Mells


Walking away from the Talbot but towards the excellent shop and café is a second example of Lutyens architecture, the town war memorial with a beautiful inscription. There are many other points of interest in Mells and the surrounding area and I will post on this area again

Mells War Memorial
Inscription on the Mells War Memorial

Update - 22/12/14

Another visit to Mells and a chance to add a little more to the post - Mells really punches above it's weight when it comes to major WW1 memorials - The first 2 photos relate to Raymond Asquith - son on Liberal PM Herbert Asquith who was killed on 16th Sept - the memorial wreath was designed by Lutyens and the inscription by Eric Gill - it used to include the original battlefield cross and his sword, which have been removed - I think to the IWM - so would have been spectacular. When you consider the church houses the Horner Memorial it is an impressive collection for what is basically a small parish church
Asquith memorial and inscription


Asquith memorial, Mells - designed by Lutyens

The BBC World War One at home featured Raymond Asquith:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p022ng7h


There are also 2 memorials to men who died on the same day - 15th May 1915 at Hooge - both were members of the North Somerset Yeomanry




A neat summary here of what happened at Hooge on that day:

http://www.webmatters.net/monuments/ww1_bowlby_skrine.htm

Outside is the grave of Ronald Knox - a friend of Siegfried Sassoon and the reason he wished to be buried in Mells


 

Wednesday 29 October 2014

The road to Ploegsteert

Almost exactly 100 years ago the men of the Somerset Light Infantry were involved in intense fighting just north of the town of Ploegsteert, known to most British soldiers as Plug Street, on the Franco-Belgian border - I will post more on that in the next few days, but how did they get there in the first place?

Mobilised on the day war was declared the Battalion spent a few days training and then headed out the France, arriving just in time for the battle of Le Cateau, they suffered heavy casualties and, along with the rest of the BEF embarked on a long retreat through northern France. Food supplies were scarce and they often had to buy food from the locals, although the officers had a pleasant breakfast with Baron de Rothschild on the way. They frequently had to sleep in the open and move at short notice to avoid the pursuing German forces. These events were the focus of this recent episode of Lives of WW1:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03thb8x

You can follow the story day by day on my twitter feed:

https://twitter.com/thesomersets

In early October the BEF moved north - allowing French units to focus on defending France and leaving the British with shorter supply and communication roots and defending the parts of Belgium not occupied by Germany. The Schlieffen Plan was failing and the race to the sea was about to turn into the First Battle of Ypres.

The Somersets captured the village of Le Gheer on 21st October 1914, they dug in, as shown by the following trench map, drawn by Lt KGG Dennys, the scene was set for the events on 30-31 October in the area that later became known as Prowse Point
Trench map showing the position held by C Company Somerset Light Infantry, October 24 1914

Monkton Combe

Last summer I visited Monkton Combe Church- the most famous burial here is Harry Patch, local resident who served with the DCLI. He gets a lot of visitors for reasons I don't need to go into here, instead a link to a recent article which some people may not have seen:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zpmthyc

Less visited is the grave of E.S. Hiscock - it is only a few yards away but I was struck by the incredible difference in how long they lived.

The grave of E.S. Hiscock - Monkton Combe
Monkton Combe - the grave of Harry Patch



The Tobacco Screen

Update 1st Dec 2014

I was watching the interview with Henry Williamson recorded in the 1960s this evening to prepare a lesson on the 1914 Truce - I like to use his interview as you can allow students to comment on his vivid account and then add in the extra details about his life after the war - author of Tarka the Otter and his later links with Oswald Mosley - and see how their view changes.

When describing the events of 24th December he mentions that he was part of a working group sent out into no-man's land to erect a series of posts that would become part of a screen to allow men in the trenches to have a little more cover - sniping is frequently mentioned in the war diary of the Somersets at this time and seems to have caused more problems than shelling at the end of 1914.

This is a well-known story and although some aspects of his interview have been questioned I have little reason to doubt it took place - but if anyone has further evidence then let me know. He then mentions that the posts were to be covered in dried tobacco leaves that he states the Belgians had been drying on hurdles in the Autumn and then abandoned- I think it can be concluded that the Tobacco Screen referred to in the trench map is just that - a protective screen covering a trench or other important position made of tobacco leaves on  picket fence. The Germans were therefore using one in October 1914and that is what Lt Braithwaite marks on his map, the British decided to put one on place later that year. Williamson states that it was to be used to provide cover if his regiment needed to re-occupy a trench that had been abandoned due to flooding, this something the Somerset diary mentions happening in early December

I suppose to prove this we would need other accounts of these screens being erected and maybe the view of an expert in Belgian tobacco production in the early 20th Century. Here are a couple of images I found of the sort of devices used to dry tobacco and I think it is possible to imagine them being mounted on a wooden frame to provide some sort of cover, I can't imagine they would last too long though
Tobacco drying rack
Drying cabinet


There are a few accounts of improvised defences at this time - the diary of Private Coward mentions the use of tins on wire to warn of enemy attacks in the time before the mass use of barbed wire - Williamson also refers to these in his account - which can be found here (UK only I think) the section on the Truce and the 24th December starts at about 20 minutes

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p01tcyg5/the-great-war-interviews-3-henry-williamson



Original Post - 29/10/14

The image here is a trench map, taken from the War Diary of the Somerset Light Infantry (Crown Copyright)
It was drawn by Lt Valentine Braithwaite on 24th October 1914 and shows the position held by A Company on this date. Valentine is worthy of a few postings in his own right - he had already won the MC at Mons, so
more on him later

The map shows an area just north of Ploegsteert on the Franco-Belgian border and was created just after the Somersets had taken the town of Le Gheer - an action that lead to the GOC writing a note of congratulations that contained the phrase "Good Old Somersets" and gave the blog a name.

It is unusual because of one label - a German defensive point labelled B (in the middle of the map) is described as a "Tobacco Screen". If anyone has seen this used anywhere else or can explain what it is meant to denote then please get in touch


Trench map by Lt Valentine Braithwaite

The CWGC App

The new app from the CWGC is free and was launched last week - a key feature is that it allows you to seek out CWGC sites near your current location - very handy in an area that has a large number of scattered graves that are easy to miss. In Cirencester last weekend I came across an unusual memorial to a member of the 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry. It would have saved me a bit of time if the app had a feature that mentioned it was different in size and shape to other CWGC headstones, but that might be asking too much.

Sgt Harry Waters died of wounds on 25 Oct 1914 - most likely he was a casualty of the successful assault on Le Gheer that the Somersets carried out that week, but it is possible he was injured earlier - I will post again if I can find out more. Likewise if I get time I will find out more L/Cpl Jack Waters. It is in good condition but the area around could do with some TLC

Cirencester Cemetery Sgt Harry Waters


Welcome to the blog

Welcome to the blog - I will be doing a couple of things here - the primary aim is to tell the story of the 1st Battalion, The Somerset Light Infantry during the First World War - if you want to follow the story day by day then I'm on twitter - follow @thesomersets

I'll also be adding general posts about Somerset and WW1 - basically anything I find while I'm out and about in the area.

This is my first attempt at blogging - hopefully it will look more professional as the weeks progress