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The Western Front Association North Wales Branch |
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Meeting held at Craig y Don Sports and Community Centre, Queens Road, Llandudno, LL30 1TE |
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Saturday June 8th 2.30pm |
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Agenda: 1. Introduction and welcome 2. Remembrance, Exhortation and One Minute Silence 3. Information 4. Presentations 5. Next meeting |
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1. Introduction and welcome Darryl Porrino (Chairman) opened the meeting by welcoming all present (20). Apologies for absence received from 7 members. |
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2. Remembrance, Exhortation and One Minute Silence Darryl asked the meeting to remember:- 9181 Private William Chatwin, 2nd Royal Welsh Fusiliers William, born 1887, a labourer from Birmingham, enlisted into the regular army in 1906. He was mobilised at the outbreak of war and went to France in August 1914. In August 1915, he was sentenced to 3 years penal servitude for leaving his post. His sentence was later reduced to 1-year hard labour through gallant service in the field. He was killed in action on the 22nd of June 1916, when the German’s blew a mine under his battalion’s trenches at Givenchy (known as Red Dragon Crater). He is buried at Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, Pas-de-Calais, France. Darryl then read the Exhortation and led the meeting in the Minutes Silence. |
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3. Information Future meetings.
Branch Website Please continue to support the branch website by logging in to www.nwwfa.org.uk and contribute new content via Darryl on the branch email, Last month’s presentation Darryl reported that he had received a further supply of books by last month’s speaker, Phil Carradine and they were available for £10 per copy. Stand To Darryl advised the meeting with regards to further frustrations in getting branch articles published in the Stand To magazine and had been informed that the branches latest article had been once again been reduced in size. D-Day commemorations Bridget Geoghegan set up a presentation box featuring “bio cards” and poppy crosses of local North Wales servicemen who are primarily commemorated on the British Normandy Memorial. Keith asked the meeting to remember “Two Tommies”, former work colleagues from Brymbo Steel Works who were both present at D-Day. He presented their cap badges, gifted to him and worn by them on “The Longest Day”. Keith recorded their exploits on D-Day. Both veterans requested anonymity. |
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4. Presentations The day’s meeting was an open meeting, where members and guests were invited to give a short talk on their chosen topic. First to speak was Alan Cooper: Trenchmapper In 2005 a group of volunteers came together to scan thousands of trench maps, aerial images and sketches from the Imperial War Museum’s collections. Using the latest georeferenced technology these maps and images can be overlaid over modern-day maps, with thousands of locations searchable by place, trench name, road, trench co-ordinates, even burial grounds. The Western Front Association (WFA) has now made “Trenchmapper” available to members and non-members on its website. (Members can download a small number for free each month). Alan told the meeting how he became involved in the project: Alan opened his talk by telling the meeting about his earliest memories of visiting the battlefields of France whilst enroute to family holidays in Italy, first with his parents and then with his own family, and later, stops on the Somme, as his interest grew. Through Covid, Alan began to listen to “The Old Front Line”, the podcast of renowned WW1 historian and battlefield guide, Paul Reed. Later, Paul tweeted for volunteers to help geotag ww1 trench maps and with Alan’s knowledge as a cartographer, it was an easy step for him to become involved in the WFA’s up and coming project, “Trenchmapper”. Alan spent several minutes demonstrating the various search facilities of “Trenchmapper” with a live demonstration. The opacity slider allowed the user to view “through” from a trench map to its modern-day equivalent below! A short video followed, demonstrating some of the program’s other capabilities. Alan informed the meeting that a further 1,200 German trench maps are currently being added to “Trenchmapper.” The Immortals The second speaker of the day was Roy Pierce, whose first subject, lice, had most of the audience itching and scratching as his talk developed. Roy explained that not until he had read the final line of a poem, “The Immortals”, by war poet, Isaac Rosenburg, did he realise that it was about lice! A subject Roy suggested was not often portrayed or captured in films of the Great War. The “itching” got underway as Roy introduced “Pediculus Humanus Corporis”, body lice, the only form of lice known to spread disease, trench fever for example. Unlike head and pubic lice, body lice, although they feed on blood, do not live on the human body. Instead, they lay their eggs on or near the seams of clothing or bedding, crawling onto skin to “feed”, several times a day. Roy showed some graphic images of sores created by lice, demonstrating the sheer hardship that the soldiers in the trenches (on both sides) would have had to endure. He read several firsthand accounts, including the popular habit of running a candle along the seams of underwear and uniform, thus cracking the eggs. It seemed that anything that gave the men relief was only short lived. James Anson Otho Brooke, VC Roy’s second contribution was a story of coincidence and ghosts. A recent FB posting featuring James Brooke VC (on a group that Roy is a member of) instilled Roy to send – for the first time – a response. The story began with a reply from “Ginger Mike”, who announced that his sister lived in Brooke’s former home, in King’s Wells, Aberdeen. He passed on details about how the family tried to prevent the family line dying out. With two of the three brothers already dead, the third was transferred out of the Gordon’s into the Royal Navy, and served in the Far East, where tragically he died of illness! His mother, Lady Brooke, had lost all her three sons, her brother and her husband. “Ginger Mike” told Roy that after his sister had moved into the house, her youngest daughter asked her one morning, “who is Otho, Mummy?”. His sister didn’t know who “Otho” was for some time. Apparently, the spirit of Lady Brooke had often visited “Ginger’s sisters’ four children. Lt. James Anson Otho Brooke, VC, was killed in action at Gheluvelt, Ypres, on the 29th of October 1914. His citation reads: For conspicuous bravery and great ability near Gheluvelt on the 29 October 1914, in leading two attacks on the German trenches under heavy rifle and MG fire, regaining a lost trench at a very critical moment….By his marked coolness and promptitude on this occasion Lt. Brook prevented the enemy from breaking through our line, at a time when a general counter-attack could not have been organized. He is buried at Zandvoorde British Cemetery. From Toc H to Dad’s Army (via a Game of Cricket). The Life of a Soldier. Major William James Spurrell, MC, DSO. Phil Walker was next to speak, informing the meeting that his story began with a book; “and like Alice in Wonderland’s Looking Glass, we shall see how far the rabbit hole goes”. The book in question is a biography of Tubby Clayton (of Talbot House and Toc H fame), that Phil had recently purchased, however, this copy was signed by Tubby himself, together with an inscription, in memory of Colonel Spurrell. Intrigued, Phil set out to research who Colonel Spurrell was and how deep the Rabbit Hole went! Briefly, William James Spurrell was born 18 January 1893, in Crookham, Hampshire, to upper middle-class parents. His father was a surgeon and in 1901 moved the family to Aldborough in Norfolk, where William and his younger brother, Frederick, attended Gresham’s School. Phil explained that it was through the school newspaper, The Gresham, that he found a wealth of information on the Spurrell’s and the brothers’ service in the Great War. He supported his talk with some excellent photographs, including a picture of the cricket match that took place on the 18 July 1914, between the school and the Old Boys (still held to this day). Phil noted that 11 of the players involved in the match were killed during the Great War. (The former history teacher, Sue Smart, has written a book called “When Heroes Die”, about the sacrifice of the boys of Gresham School, 450 who served, of whom 110 fell. The first Greshamian to die was 2nd Lt. Frederick Spurrell, who died of blood poisoning on 19 February 1915, from a gunshot wound to his left hand. In later life William would petition for a Toc H lamp of remembrance in his brother’s name. The Fred Spurrell Lamp was dedicated (by the Sheringham Branch) and first lit on 10 December 1938. Phil then detailed William’s impressive First World War military career, spent in the same battalion. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in June 1915, 9th Norfolk battalion, 9th Infantry Brigade, 6th Division. Promoted Captain, July 1916. Phil detailed the actions of the battalion on the opening day of the Battle of Flers – Courcelette (first use of tanks), 15th September 1916 through excerpts from the battalion war diary and the divisional history. The attack failed, with the battalion suffering 18 officer and 431 other rank casualties, killed, wounded, missing or captured, accounting for most of the officers and two thirds of the other ranks. Included in the officer casualties was 2nd Lt. William Spurrell who although wounded, was awarded the MC for leading his company with great courage and determination. By December 1917, he had been promoted to major. In June 1918, The Gresham notes that Major Spurrell was wounded for a second time. On the 27 July, The Gresham mentions that William has been promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and that he has been awarded the DSO and Mentioned in Despatches for a second time. After the war, William returned to Oxford University to complete his education before accepting an appointment at the chemical company, Brunner Mond & Co, Northwich, Cheshire. He married in 1921 and had three children. His war service didn’t end with the Great War. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he became an ARP warden for Sheringham in Norfolk, and on the formation of the Home Guard, William served as the 13th (East) Norfolk Battalion commanding officer, retaining his former rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He served until the end of the war. After the Second World War, William and his wife continued their poultry farming business. They remained active in their local community and with the Toc H movement (he was a member of the Aylsham Branch). William died in 1953, aged 60. In respect of Violet’s continued involvement with Toc H, Phil chose to wear an original Toc H ladies member’s badge. Violet died in 1978, age 79. Phil recorded the couple’s incredible personalities, their great sense of duty and their dedication to the Toc H movement. Phil closed his talk by reminding his audience; “Next time you buy a book, be careful or you may fall down the rabbit hole too.” SomeKindHand, Chapter 20, October 2017 – March 2018, Buire. The penultimate talk was given by Steve Binks, who read an extract from his and his wife, Nancy’s forthcoming book, “SomeKindHand”. A subject the branch is familiar with and with no need to repeat the details here. Steve explained that with the help of friends, their first chapter has now been edited and at its “printable” stage. Steve explained that the book has been written from a series of seventeen journals and that it was a difficult process to reduce it to book format and size. He stressed that the book would not be another Great War book, but rather a travelogue with the pilgrimage to the burial grounds at the centre, with historical background of the Great War to keep the narrative in context. Steve accompanied the reading with images of their time at Buire, where he explained that Nancy’s medical conditions worsened, and made it quite painful for Steve to read. As time was against him, Steve self-edited his reading to its conclusion. Captain Edward Bosanquet, RGA As usual Chairman Darryl took the last spot and once again, time was the enemy. He told the story of Captain Edward Bosanquet, RGA, but was only able to give the merest outline to the story of Francis McDougall Charlewood Turner, of whom Darryl recently purchased a portrait photo. Darryl has sent the story of Captain Turner under a separate email to branch members and therefore it is not my intention to repeat Turner’s story here. Edward was born in Canterbury, New South Wales, Australia in 1885. He moved to England with his parents but at thirty years old, Edward emigrated to South Africa in 1915, where he bought land and became a farmer, marrying on the 26th August of the same year. His wife, Dorothy, later gave birth to a daughter, Rita. At the outbreak of war, Edward enlisted into the 2nd Battalion Imperial Light Horse, serving in German Southwest Africa under General Botha. He later brought his family back to England, where they lived with his parents in Hampshire. Meanwhile Edward obtained a commission into the RGA, attaining the rank of Captain. He was invalided out in March 1918 and offered a free passage back to South Africa but was unable to take his wife and child. He therefore waited for another opportunity. At Plymouth on the 10th September, the family boarded SS Galway Castle enroute for South Africa. Two days later the ship was torpedoed and broke her back. She was carrying 400 South Afraican walking wounded, 346 passengers and 206 crew. There was a rush to launch the lifeboats as the ship faced imminent danger of sinking. In the melee, the family were split up; their daughter was passed to a Mrs. Lace of Johannesburg in one lifeboat, as Edward and Dorothy boarded another lifeboat together. Sadly, their lifeboat collapsed, and they were both drowned! Rita survived and was reunited with her grandparents in Winchester. Ironically the Galway Castle didn’t immediately sink, leading to the conclusion that Edward and Dorothy perhaps would have survived! |
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5. Next Meeting Our next branch meeting is scheduled for Saturday 13th July at 2.00pm. The speaker will be John Crowther, who will talk and present about the Heswall Memorial. The talk will be dedicated to ex branch stalwart, Trevor Adams, who helped John with his research. |
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