Marian Allen

[MichaelBully]

I was wondering if anyone has a copy of this anthology from 1918 and could look something up for me. I know that two of her war poems were published in the 1981 Virago Press collection 'Scars Upon My Heart'.

I am trying to establish whether or not Marian Allen had a connection to Sussex at all.

Regards

Michael Bully

[jon_armstrong]

She was originally from Australia, but the family moved over and lived in Oxford. During part of the war she worked in London, and stayed there for some years afterwards before moving back to Oxford where she died in 1953.

[MichaelBully]

Thanks Jon, no apparent Sussex connection? I am planning a talk in Hove on Rememberance Sunday, and was going to get a lady who is interested in poetry to read out a poem or two by Marian Allen. I might have a bit of a re-think.

best wishes

Michael Bully

She was originally from Australia, but the family moved over and lived in Oxford. During part of the war she worked in London, and stayed there for some years afterwards before moving back to Oxford where she died in 1953.

[jon_armstrong]

Not that I know. A bloke called Brian Smith has done a lot of research into her life, and I have been researching her boyfriend/fiance Arthur Greg, so we've swapped information in the past - me giving him things on Marian he didn't have and him giving me things on Arthur I didn't have.

He has a website - http://marianallen.website.orange.co.uk/ - but it only contains a small sample of the things he has discovered about her.

[MichaelBully]

Thanks for the information Jon, appreciated. It would be great to see if 'The Wind on the Downs' could be reprinted. I know that Cecil Woolf Publishers are reprinting monographs so perhaps they would be interested. Regards

[MichaelBully]

I have been looking at 'The Great War in British Literature' by Adrian Barlow, part of the Cambridge 'Contexts in Literature' series.

There are two Marian Allen poems included and one is very orientated towards Sussex:

The Wind on the Downs

I'd meant to write to you about the Downs.

And of the white chalk roads that stretch away

To distant views of the huddled Sussex towns

And windmills standing sentinel and grey.

I'd meant to climb until I saw the sea,

The channel lke a silver ribbon shine;

And feel the Down wind blowing strong and free,

And hear the guns from the far battle-line

Again I stand upon the wind-swept grass.

Six months ago so stilled and white with frost;

SInce the your strange adventure came to pass,

For as I wander on the Downs I see

Your shadow in the wind chase after me.

[MichaelBully]

Found a copy of a work titled ' Sussex in the First World War' by Keith Grieves, published by the Sussex Record Society, 2004. In a chapter titled 'County Patriotism and Poetry', there are three Marian Allen poems. Seems that she lived-for a time at least- at Ditchling in West Sussex, and the three poems relate to the Sussex Downs and loss in the Great War. Will type them out and place on this thread, they are very moving starting with this one: Also called 'The Wind on the Downs' which is puzzling as another book has a different Marian Allen poem quoted with the same title:

The Wind on the Downs

The wind on the Downs is blowing, the grass is growing,

The valley is spread;

Below and away at my feet, green-hedged and sweet,

Grey walls, roofed red.

The larks on the Downs are singing, the sheep-bells ringing,

Over the sky,

Wind swept by winds from the sea, all telling me

You did not die.

Up on the Downs the guns mutter, rumble and utter,

Echo and pass;

Spirits of those who fell fighting, happy uniting,

Borne on the air;

Beloved by us, living they fought for us, dying they thought of us,

Falling so fair.

Here on the Downs you have found me, you hover round me,

You never fail;

I am left, knowing your story, proud of your Glory;

Glad spirit, hail!

This poem is taken from Marian Allen The Wind on the Downs Poems (1918) 39-40

[MichaelBully]

Have managed to consult the anthology 'The Wind on the Downs' by Marian Allen (1918) at The British Library

Some very moving poems there, but sadly no autobiographical introduction about Marian Allen's life.

A number of poems are not titled, so this seems to explain why the name 'The Wind on the Downs' can be given to more than one poem.

http://catalogue.bl.uk/F/771PYIRHHQUA97PVSGMVJN5AF2UV22QSQV5D41PHHPDJU3XL4E-67073?func=full-set-set&set_number=138087&set_entry=000001&format=999

[ceebee]

Michael

After reading your earlier posts I came across another poem by Marian Allen titled The Wind on the Downs. Your last post helps to explain my initial confusion about the title. Anyway, here is the poem.

The Wind on the Downs

I like to think of you as brown and tall,

As strong and living as you used to be,

In khaki tunic, Sam Brown belt and all,

And standing there and laughing down at me.

Because they tell me, dear, that you are dead,

Because I can no longer see your face,

You have not died, it is not true, instead

You seek adventure in some other place.

That you are round about me, I believe;

I hear you laughing as you used to do,

Yet loving all the things I think of you;

And knowing you are happy, should I grieve?

You follow and are watchful where I go;

How should you leave me, having loved me so?

We walked along the tow-path, you and I,

Beside the sluggish-moving, still canal;

It seemed impossible that you should die;

I think of you the same and always shall.

We thought of many things and spoke of few,

And life lay all uncertainly before,

And now I walk alone and think of you,

And wonder what new kingdoms you explore.

Over the railway line, across the grass,

While up above the golden wings are spread,

Flying, ever flying overhead,

Here still I see your khaki figure pass,

And when I leave the meadow, almost wait

That you should open first the wooden gate.

[jon_armstrong]

This is who she is writing about...

[ceebee]

And here is Marian

[ericthornton]

Very romantic poetry and quite sad. Her love and loss were obviously great.

Regarding the photos: is that the acorn and oak leaf Cheshire Regiment lapel badge on his uniform, suggesting he moved from the infantry to the RFC?

I may be being fanciful but I was struck by the contrast in the two photos. In the one a proud fresh faced young service man but the in the second the face seems to suggest a physically and emotionally drained man. There appears an air of tired resignation to the features as if he's aware he'll not be returning home.

ET

[jon_armstrong]

[All from memory as I don't have my records with me - I have a lot more at home]

The officer is Arthur Tylston Greg.

He was educated at Rugby, and had finished his first year at New College, Oxford, when war was declared. One of his friends from Oxford was Marian's elder brother Dundas Allen.

His father Ernest William Greg commanded the 7th Cheshires when war broke out (although he was too old to go to Suvla with them and moved to a recruitment role), and his uncle Robert Alexander Greg commanded a reserve battalion of the same regiment, so Arthur was almost inevitably commissioned into the Cheshires.

He went to France in October 1914 and was atached to the Sherwood Foresters. At the end of 1914 he was sent home ill, but early in 1915 was back at the front, this time with the 1st Cheshires. He was shot in the jaw at Ypres and lost a lot of his teeth. After recovering he spent time working as an instructor back in the UK.

During 1916, probably influenced by Dundas Allen who was already serving with them, he volunteered for and joined the RFC. After training he was posted to 55 Squadron, who were issued with the new DH4 machines. On 23 April 1917 he was killed in action on his first operational flight, returning from bombing an ammunition dump. His observer was wounded and from memory I think died the next day.

His younger brother Robert Phillips Greg aslo served with the Cheshires and was mortally wounded just over a year later when his dugout was shelled. He had only been at the front something like a fortnight.

His youngest brother Alec eventually donated the family estate at Styal, Cheshire, to the National Trust just before the Second World War.

[ericthornton]

Jon,

Thanks for that......it explains much and adds to the context of the poetry.......... facinating stuff.

cheers, ET

[MichaelBully]

Thanks ever so much guys for the information. This really is GWF at its best. Sharing information about lesser known aspects of the Great War. I am certainly keen to highlight 'The Wind on the Downs' and hope that one day the anthology will be reprinted, and other people will be given a chance to read Marian Allen's poetry and to acknowledge how severe the loss of Arthur must have been to her.

[Seany]

They are an old Cheshire family who did well in the industrial revolution - Quarry Bank mill at Styal in Cheshire - near to Manchester airport - was their first.

His father Ernest William Greg commanded the 7th Cheshires when war broke out (although he was too old to go to Suvla with them and moved to a recruitment role), and his uncle Robert Alexander Greg commanded a reserve battalion of the same regiment, so Arthur was almost inevitably commissioned into the Cheshires.

[MichaelBully]

I am going to write to a couple of publishers to see if there is a chance of re-publishing 'The Wind On The Downs' anthology. Will keep this thread updated concerning responses that I get.

Also will be giving a talk about local Great War related research on 10th September 2011 and hope to find someone -ideally a woman - to read out a couple of poems from 'The Wind On The Downs' which have obvious connections to Sussex.

Thanks again to everyone who has contributed to this thread.

[MichaelBully]

Wondering how pals research is going regarding Marian Allen? Just heard that The Poetry Society have been working on a project relating to 'The Wind on the Downs' .

Anyone know what happened to the Marian Allen site mentioned in post #4? The link doesn't seem to be working.

Regards

Michael Bully

[jon_armstrong]

Wondering how pals research is going regarding Marian Allen? Just heard that The Poetry Society have been working on a project relating to 'The Wind on the Downs' .

Anyone know what happened to the Marian Allen site mentioned in post #4? The link doesn't seem to be working.

Regards

Michael Bully

I think he discontinued it when he created the Wikipedia page for her.

There is currently an exhibition at Quarry Bank Mill about the three Greg children who were involved in the war, and Arthur's relationship with Marian plays a significant part in it. I think it runs until November.

[MichaelBully]

Thanks- have checked the Wikipedia entry for Marian Allen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_Allen

Interesting. No mention of Marian Allen's connection to Ditchling, Sussex.

With the Poetry Society taking an interest, should mean that the chances of a re-print of 'The Wind on the Downs' becomes more likely.

I think he discontinued it when he created the Wikipedia page for her.

There is currently an exhibition at Quarry Bank Mill about the three Greg children who were involved in the war, and Arthur's relationship with Marian plays a significant part in it. I think it runs until November.

[MichaelBully]

The Poetry Society has taken an interest in Marian Allen's work, featuring one of her poems from 'The Wind on the Downs' on their website with an accompanying animation.

http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/education/fww/fwwpoetry/