IanA Posted 31 January , 2009 Share Posted 31 January , 2009 This is published by Ohio University Press, 1997, and available through Naval & Military. Although the diarist joined the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, when he went to France at the very end of 1914 he was posted to the first battalion of the Black Watch. He took part in the battles of Neuve Chapelle and Aubers with them and then was transferred to the second battalion in August, 1915. He was killed on the first day of the Battle of Loos and his body never recovered. I find it difficult to view the diarist sympathetically. The 'Eton College Chronicle' was to remark, upon his death "...nor had he more than average brains" and, I'm afraid, this is quite apparent in some of his more strange observations. He remains resolutely, desperately, insanely cheerful in the face of the carnage and squalor which surrounded him. A recurring phrase is "I've never felt so happy in my life". He is also prone to writing 'Floreat Etona' whenever the spirit moves him. The value of the diary lies in its interest to those researching the Black Watch, Neuve Chapelle and Aubers: many officers and NCOs are mentioned by name and there are some sketch maps which will be unique to this book, including a rather detailed one of the area around Chocolat Menier Corner. Sotheby, although remaining manically cheerful, is sobered by the experience of battle, especially Aubers where, charging the German wire 400 yards away, out of 15 officers in the battalion, 10 were killed and 4 wounded. Sotheby came through without a scratch, having lain under the German wire for four hours before crawling back. The diary editor, Donald C Richter does a reasonable job and identifies most of the names mentioned by Sotheby and their eventual fate. One or two things amused, including a careful explanation of Oxo as 'a bullion cube'. Perhaps many soldiers, in extremis, would have cheerfully given gold for a mug of Oxo or, perhaps he meant 'bouillon'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 31 January , 2009 Share Posted 31 January , 2009 That's interesting, Lionel Frederick Southwell Sotheby figures in my research project as an Anglesey casualty. Never knew he wrote anything! His parents lived on Anglesey - his father at Menaifron, Dwyran, and his mother was the daughter of Mr Wm. Williams of Parciau, Llaneugrad. He is named on the local war memorials at Dwyran (parish of Llangeinwen) and Llaneugrad, and on the North Wales Heroes Memorial Arch at Bangor, Gwynedd. Born Burnham, Bucks 1895. Educated Langley School and Eton, went to Berlin to study German and just made it back to the UK before War broke out. Commissioned 4th Argylls Aug. 1914, but attached to 1st (later 2nd) Black Watch for his overseas service. At Aubers Ridge, during the Loos battle "was initially wounded and continued to lead his men until a grenade struck and killed him". Mentioned in Dispatches 1 Jan. 1916. No grave - Loos Memorial. I have tried the Naval & Military Press website tonight and cannot find any trace of this publication, either under Great War biographies, diaries etc. or in the site's general search engine under his or the editor's names. Can you help here? regards, LST_164 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 31 January , 2009 Author Share Posted 31 January , 2009 I have tried the Naval & Military Press website tonight and cannot find any trace of this publication, either under Great War biographies, diaries etc. or in the site's general search engine under his or the editor's names. Can you help here? I have tried too, and failed. Sorry about that. I can only assume that it was in the sale because they had a limited number of copies they wanted rid of. It is a well produced hardback edition and the ISBN is 0-8214-1178-0. The original diary is part of the Brotherton Library in Leeds. If all else fails, you can probably order up a facsimile of the original. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 31 January , 2009 Share Posted 31 January , 2009 Ian, many thanks for flagging this up - I have now ordered it via a secondhand book dealer. LST_164 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanA Posted 31 January , 2009 Author Share Posted 31 January , 2009 Ian, many thanks for flagging this up - I have now ordered it via a secondhand book dealer. That is a good result. I am very pleased to have been of help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemesis Posted 14 March , 2009 Share Posted 14 March , 2009 Ian, many thanks for flagging this up - I have now ordered it via a secondhand book dealer. LST_164 As a matter of interest do you know where Lt Sothebys Memorial Plaque is ? regards max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 14 March , 2009 Share Posted 14 March , 2009 Hi Nemesis, sorry, I know nothing whatever about his medals etc. If it's any sort of lead, the (later) family deposited his papers at the Brotherton Library, University of Leeds. The book makes no mention of his awards, but might it be possible to follow this up through the Library?? LST_164 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwin astill Posted 14 March , 2009 Share Posted 14 March , 2009 As a matter of interest do you know where Lt Sothebys Memorial Plaque is ? regards max There is a photo in the book of the War Memorial at Dwyran Methodist Church which includes Sotheby's name. Edwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemesis Posted 14 March , 2009 Share Posted 14 March , 2009 There is a photo in the book of the War Memorial at Dwyran Methodist Church which includes Sotheby's name. Edwin Thanks for reply , its been very helpfull regards max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawson Posted 16 March , 2009 Share Posted 16 March , 2009 Hi, I really enjoyed this book. I really thought I have read all first hand accounts, but little gems like this crop up, and make my day. But why was it published in the USA, surely a local publisher could a have done it, but then again he is not a celebrity! Try to get a copy, Its well worth it. Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 16 March , 2009 Share Posted 16 March , 2009 Ian, probably because the editor was an American academic from Athens, Ohio and could get the book published more easily back home (Ohio University Press, Athens Ohio). Might have had a job to persuade a UK publisher that this was a valid project, even though the content is entirely "British" in nature. There are quite a few accounts out there which deserve wider publicity - I have read very many unpublished WW1 memoirs, diaries, collections of letters etc. - but even before the credit crunch it was an uphill struggle to get decent material into print (unless you paid for it yourself). Good news is that such publications aren't defunct, and I'm awaiting news of an edition of a good RFA diary by a member of this Forum sometime this year. LST_164 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 18 March , 2009 Admin Share Posted 18 March , 2009 There is a photo of Sotheby in The Old Lie The Great War And The Public School Ethos by Peter Parker. As I'm not allowed to look at the book till Friday I can't say if he is mentioned in the text. Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemesis Posted 18 March , 2009 Share Posted 18 March , 2009 There is a photo of Sotheby in The Old Lie The Great War And The Public School Ethos by Peter Parker. As I'm not allowed to look at the book till Friday I can't say if he is mentioned in the text. Michelle Thanks Michelle Would appreciate if you could look in the book for me I live quite near to St Andrews university it may be that they might have a copy of this book regards max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Black Posted 21 October , 2014 Share Posted 21 October , 2014 Acquired this recently and just got around to reading it. My interest being the Black Watch, and as IanA says "The value of the diary lies in its interest to those researching the Black Watch, Neuve Chapelle and Aubers: many officers and NCOs are mentioned by name". A real shame all those photos he took didn't survive along with his diaries, he describes taking so many too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 21 October , 2014 Share Posted 21 October , 2014 Derek, Agreed: though maybe the camera/film did make it back home with his effects, there's no way of knowing at present. Interesting that his parents' grave at Llaneugrad churchyard on Anglesey has no mention of him. The house Menaifron where they lived was demolished, and only a gateway arch and boathouse now remain of tha former structure. The village war shrine at Ecton, Northamptonshire was built (by his mother, I think) in memory of him. Clive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Black Posted 21 October , 2014 Share Posted 21 October , 2014 Clive, we can but hope they will one day resurface. Odd that about his parents gravestone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Black Posted 17 May , 2015 Share Posted 17 May , 2015 http://newspapers.library.wales/view/4243186/4243191/53/sotheby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 28 May , 2015 Share Posted 28 May , 2015 Thanks for posting that link Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uptodat Posted 17 October , 2018 Share Posted 17 October , 2018 On 21/10/2014 at 14:31, clive_hughes said: The village war shrine at Ecton, Northamptonshire was built (by his mother, I think) in memory of him. Historic England and many others have recorded that the Ecton Shrine was funded by Lionel Sotheby's mother. I have been researching the work of the well to do ladies of Northamptonshire to support the Red Cross and Northampton War Hospital. One such was Edith Marion Sotheby, nee Scott, 1851-1921 widow of retired Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Edward Sotheby, who lived at Ecton Hall & in 1917 funded the unusual Ecton War Memorial Shrine, Northampton to honour the fallen men of the village, and Lionel Frederick Southwell Sotheby, his name being first on the roll of honour.It is sometimes recorded, eg by Historic England, that he was her son but he was actually a more distant relative, son of William Edward Southwell Sotheby (her late husband's cousin) & William's wife Margaret (nee Williams) from Anglesey, (I was interested to find this thread about Lionel as I tried to work out the the Sotheby family tree.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 29 October , 2018 Share Posted 29 October , 2018 Uptodat, Thank you for that observation. You may like to know that he has a picture and short biography in the post-war volume Northamptonshire in the Great War, and is also pictured (with Colonel FE Sotheby and others) in an Ecton book of service/remembrance still held by the parish. Clive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uptodat Posted 16 November , 2018 Share Posted 16 November , 2018 Thank you Clive. I will track down a copy of "Northamptonshire and the Great War." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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