Hello. Welcome to the September edition. This edition has one article written by Keith, and one he discovered. Caroline has an article on how Irish bogs saved the wounded in WWI on all fronts. We have another WWI medical extract from the British Medical Journal. As ever, I am grateful to our contributors, including of course the “day by day” material that Jim Morris produces and which he lets us use for the Facebook page.
Trevor
The Programme for 2015
Sept 5th: Michael Steadman – Manchester Pals
Oct 3rd: Andrew Tonge – 1914 Race to the Sea
Nov 7th: Marietta Crichton-Stuart – Alice in Wonderland and her Lost Boys
Dec 5th: Branch Social
Last month’s speaker
Harbinder Singh came to talk to us about Sikhs in the Great War. He explained the origins of the Sikh military tradition which originates from the proximity of the Punjab to NW frontier and to Afghanistan. Sikh soldiers in the (British) Indian Army were in Helmand province in 1897! In WWI, 1 in 6 of the British forces were Indian. The Sikhs represented a proportion of the Indian forces far beyond the 2% of the Indian population that they constitute.
He explained the heroic stand of 21 Sikh soldiers in 1897 at the Battle of Saragarhi where they fought to the death rather than surrender their signalling station when surrounded by 10,000 Afridi and Pashtun. He added that the “atrocities” of modern day IS are in fact nothing new, and that the same ethnic groups had been doing the same things for centuries (hence the development of the Sikh military tradition, to defend Harbinder Singh themselves).
India was also important for the supply of the British in WWI, in that 600,000 rifles were made in India, along with 44 million garments. The value of the India production was £8 billion in today’s money.
John French
1st Earl of Ypres
Keith Walker
On a recent visit to that lorry park called Kent, I took the opportunity to look at the grave of Field Marshall Sir John French. Also in Kent there is a wonderful Battle of Britain museum at Hawkinge. (www.kbobm.org ) In the museum is a room dedicated to the air war in WW1 and inside this room is a collection donated by John Giles.
John Denton Pinkstone French was born on the 28th September 1852 at Ripple Vale in the village of Ripple near Deal in Kent.
His Father was a retired naval officer, Captain John Tracy French, and together with his mother Margaret they had 7 children: Mary Ramsey, Eleanora known as Nellie in the family, Margaret, Caroline, Catherine known as Katie, Charlotte, and John. All of John’s 6 sisters married well, and they all play a big part in his later life. Some of this help was welcomed, but some was not so welcomed.
Ripple Vale
In the spring of 1866, John joined the navy. He entered the Eastman’s Naval Academy Portsmouth, and in August 1866 he was transferred to HMS Britannia at Dartmouth to do his basic training. In 1868, he reported to HMS Bristol which was based at Sheerness, as a midshipman. In 1869, he joined HMS Warrior patrolling the English channel and the Bay of Biscay. John suffered from sea sickness. He served for 2 years and in November 1870 he resigned to join the Army.
In November 1870, he joined the Suffolk Artillery Militia where he spent some time before he was gazetted on the 28th February 1874 to the 8th (Queens Royal Irish) Hussars.
Sir John French had an extraordinarily varied military career which included taking part in General Wolseley’s (b 4th June 1833 d 25th March 1913) expedition for the relief of General Gordon at Khartoum (January 1885), serving with distinction in the Boer War (11th October 1899 – 25th March 1902) and commanding the British Expeditionary Force in 1914. [Ed – Can I be forgiven for adding that he was sacked as CIGS by Asquith for making a mess of the Curragh Mutiny in March1914, just 5 months before he was in charge of the BEF at Mons?]
In 1918, Sir John was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, a post he held until 1921. In April 1921, Sir John French retired from the Army and was made 1st Earl of Ypres.
Sir John French was made Captain of Deal Castle in 1923. The captaincy is an honorary position awarded to people who had served the country. On his appointment, Sir John made Deal Castle his home, one of the features he made was a chapel to the fallen. The chapel is still there.
Sir John French’s grave Chapel in Deal Castle
Sir John French died at the castle on the 22nd May 1925. On the 25th May, he was cremated at Golders Green crematorium. After the cremation, his ashes remained in London at the Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks before a funeral service on the evening of the 26th May at Westminster Abbey. His remains were then taken to Ripple Church on the 27th May for a private burial in Ripple Churchyard.
Sir John French was survived by his wife Eleanora, nee Shellby-Lowndes, his two sons John Richard Viscount French and the Honourable Edward Richard, and his daughter Lady Essex Eleanora French.
Footnote:
Ripple Vale is now a private school.
Golders Green crematorium was opened in 1902 and is one of the oldest in Britain. The C.W.G.C has a memorial there listing 488 casualties of both wars cremated there, which include 14 V.C’s.
Sir John was succeeded as Captain of Deal Castle by Field Marshall Allenby.
Keith has come up with this fascinating account from the “Wrexham Advertiser” of 22nd April 1916
The Escaped German Prisoners Captured Near Wrexham
An Exciting Chase
Considerable excitement prevailed in Wrexham and district over the weekend caused by the news that four German prisoners, who had escaped from their internment camp at Frongoch, near Bala, on Thursday, had been recaptured not far from Wrexham. The prisoners must have left the camp a good time before their escape was discovered on Saturday. Search parties were promptly organised and set to work in every direction. Although the surrounding country afforded excellent hiding places, it was clear that the minute description which had been published of the men, coupled with the fact that none of them could speak English fluently, would not enable them to remain at large for any considerable time and least of all effect an escape. Information reached Wrexham about half-past five on Saturday evening that the fugitives had been seen on the broad expanse of moors which lie between the villages of Bwlchgwyn and Llandegla and Deputy Chief Constable Tippett accompanied by a special constable, motored up immediately. Meanwhile, it seems that about 5.20pm, PC Howell Edwards of Bwlchgwyn was informed by the postmaster of Llandegla, Mr Hugh Jones, that four men answering to the descriptions of the four escaped Germans had passed through Llandegla village at about half past three the same afternoon. Mr Jones had endeavoured to find the Llandegla constable, but he not being at home, Mr Jones followed the men at a distance, up to a place called Maes Maelor, about halfway between Llandegla and Bwlchgwyn. At this point the fugitives left the road and proceeded across the moors in the direction of Rhydtalog.
Mr Jones was accompanied by his young brother, Tom, and they arranged that the latter should watch the movements of the Germans whilst the other continued his way to Bwlchgwyn to obtain the assistance of PC Edwards whom he fortunately found at home. PC Edwards at once telephoned Wrexham Police Station and afterwards succeeded in obtaining the assistance of about ten men from the village, including two soldiers of the 2nd RWF. In the meantime at Wrexham, Inspector Rees organised a strong party of special constables and proceeded to take part in the search. Extending from Mold Road to Bersham Road, they gradually worked their way to Minera hills and effectually blocked the way of escape in that direction. Arrangements had been made to keep in touch with Wrexham by telephonic communication from various residences and railway stations and after operations had been in progress a considerable time, news was received that the prisoners had been caught.
The Bwlchgwyn party, under the charge of PC Edwards, having proceeded some distance along the moors, met the young man, Tom Jones, who was still at his post, vigilantly watching the movements of the Germans. Whether or not the fugitives by this time were aware of the fact that they had been “spotted,” they seemed to content themselves with lying down in the heather. The height and thickness of the heather rendered it impossible for the men to be seen, but Constable Edwards having been informed of the spot where they were seen to settle themselves down, set about surrounding the spot. The plan worked admirably and the fugitives upon looking up found a formidable ring surrounding them. PC Edwards asked them what they were doing there and received the reply they had come from Ruthin where they had been on a trip. Two of the men stated that they were Welshmen. The appearance of the four men tallied almost exactly with the published description except for the fugitive called Breakmann, who seemed to have taken the precaution of ridding himself of his “imperial” beard.
The constable told them he was going to arrest them because they were escaped German prisoners. After denying it, one remarked “It’s all right. We have made the mistake of walking in the daytime.” When near Mount Pleasant Bridge, the party were met by the motor car containing DCC Tippett and the special constable and almost simultaneously another police motor car arrived, the occupants of which were two policemen from Ruthin who had been on the track of the fugitives for over 24 hours.
The prisoners were promptly taken to Wrexham Police Station, where they arrived about 7.30pm on Saturday night. The 6ft 6in giant, named Koch, was placed in one motor and the three others in the other car. The prisoners said their intention was to make their way to Liverpool. In this they were helped by a pocket compass and a “home-made” folding map of North Wales. Upon arriving at the Police Station in Wrexham, they were asked to rid themselves of their belongings and their captors were surprised by the fact that they were plentifully supplied with money and provisions. Amongst their belongings were a large sum of money and treasury notes, amounting in all to almost £10 and various provisions including yards of German sausage. The prisoners left for Frongoch camp by the 9.25am GWR train on Monday morning. Their progress to the station was watched by a considerable crowd. There was no demonstration and they were removed to their destination without the slightest hitch.
Ed’s note. Very shortly after this article was written, the Easter Rising happened in Dublin (24th April 1916) and soon Irish internees were incarcerated at Frongoch instead of German POWs, thought German POWs returned after the release of the Irish internees in 1917. There is a centenary event being planned at Frongoch for April 2016 to mark the enforced stay of the Irish internees.
How Irish Bogs Helped Win WW1
Caroline Adams
Yes they did! That is where sphagnum moss was collected.
Sphagnum moss is a type of peat moss which was used in surgical dressings. It was effective at absorbing discharge from wounds and, being mildly acidic, also inhibited the growth of bacteria and fungi.
Teams of collectors went out in all weathers (and there is a lot of weather in Ireland) to the bogs which are found throughout the country but especially in the South and West. The moss was then cleaned, picked, graded, prepared into dressings, packaged and despatched, all by hand.
The main production depot was in the Royal College of Science in Dublin in workrooms made available by the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction. There the work was done by 120 ladies, volunteers from St John’s Ambulance. There were 44 sub-depots and numerous collecting stations around the country.
Between 1915 and 1918, Ireland supplied 905,603 surgical dressings, dysentery pads and (from waste moss) rest cushions to 58 hospitals in Ireland, England, France, Salonika, Egypt, Italy, Palestine and India.
I bet you never knew Irish bog moss was so important or that it travelled so far!
Reference:
Irish Doctors in the First World War. P J Casey, K T Cullen & J P Duignan
Tailpiece from the British Medical Journal of this week in 1915