high wood Posted 19 June , 2009 Share Posted 19 June , 2009 Miss Violet Grant of Lichborough Hall, near Towcester undertook a tour of the battlefields in the early 1920's. I have no idea why as I cannot find any evidence of any close relatives being killed so she may have just been curious. No matter, she went, she took some photographs and here are some of them. The first appears to be in Flanders, outside the "English Church", note the sign saying Kursaal. A much decorated chaplain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 19 June , 2009 Author Share Posted 19 June , 2009 A stop for lunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 19 June , 2009 Share Posted 19 June , 2009 It looks like she might have gone on one of the St Barnabus Society's battlefield pilgrimages (see right hand of the first pair of photographs). The society was formed by a New Zealand padre the Rev. H. Mullineux and conducted tours for bereaved relatives on the Western Front as well as Greece, Gallipoli and the Holy Land during the 1920's. The society established a number of hostels and also helped raised funds for relatives who would ordinarily would not have been able to afford to go. TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 19 June , 2009 Author Share Posted 19 June , 2009 Superb work Terry, thank you for the information. I was unaware of the St Barnabus Society's battlefield pilgrimages. I am not sure if money was an issue for the Grants of Lichborough though as they were a well to do family. Simon. Ruined tank, sorry about the poor quality photograph, it was one of Violet's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Saillard Posted 19 June , 2009 Share Posted 19 June , 2009 Hello Simon, One such pilgrimage organised by the St Barnabus Society called at Malta on 7 May 1936, enroute to Gallipoli and Salonica, aboard the s.s. LANCASTRIA. Among the 600 passengers were Field Marshall Sir William Birdwood, Captain Unwin V.C., and Admiral of the Fleet Sir Rogers Keyes. A dinner was held at the Osborne Hotel in Valletta - which still holds a menu from the occasion !!! An account of this particular pilgrimage was published under the title THE SHIP OF REMEMBRANCE. Hope this helps. Regards Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 19 June , 2009 Author Share Posted 19 June , 2009 Thank you for that Wayne. I am not sure if Violet Grant got to Gallipoli as there are no photographs that show Gallipoli. She seems to have taken pictures only sporadicaly, only one picture at Verdun for example, no cemeteries anywhere. This is a Cameronian (Scottish Rifles) soldier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoMH Posted 19 June , 2009 Share Posted 19 June , 2009 From Men of Faith and Courage - The Official History of New Zealand's Army Chaplains. By J. Bryant Haigh - MULLINEAUX, M (MC) (Ch. C1. 1V) C of E. No1 NZ Field Ambulance No 2 NZ General Hospital 2Bn Entrenching Group pgs 76, 77, 79 "The 2nd New Zealand Entrenching Battalion was thrown separately into the line in a vain attempt to halt the German thrust in May 1918 and fought apart from other New Zealand units and not under New Zealand Division's control. On the first day, the RAP was struck by German fire and the Battalion's medical officer - Capt J.K. Venables MC - was mortally wounded and most of his staff killed. The RAP, under enemy fire for the rest of the Battalion's heroic two day fight, was run by Chaplain Matthew Mullineaux, who later received an MC for his gallantry and devotion to duty. Mullineaux was an Englishman, born in 1870, who had worked his passage to New Zealand aboard the SS Moana. Although an ordained Anglican clergyman (MA of St John's College, Cambridge) he was better known on the playing fields of England as a top rugby footballer of the Blackheath Club. He played halfback in the 1896 British team that toured South Africa, the team that lost only one of the twentyone games played. In 1899 he played halfback and was also manager of the British team that toured Australia, winning 18 of the twentyone games played. His ability on the rugby field so impressed the Australians that 'Banjo' Paterson, the Australian balladier, wrote a poem about him: "THE REVEREND MR MULLINEAUX I'd reckon his weight as eight-stun-eight, And his height at five-foot-two, With a face as plain as an eight-day clock Game as a bantam too, Hard and wiry and full of steam, That's the boss of the English team, Reverend Mullineaux. Makes no row when the game gets rough - None of your 'Strike me blue!' 'Youse wants smacking across the snout!' Plays like a gentleman out and out Same as he ought to do, 'Kindly remove from off my face!' That's the way he states his case, Reverend Mullineaux. Kick! He can kick like an Army mule - Run like a kangaroo! Hard to get by as a lawyer-plant, Tackles his man like a bulldog ant - Fetches him over too! Didn't the public cheer and shout Watchin' him chuckin' big blokes about, Reverend Mullineaux. Scrimmage was packed on his prostrate form, Somehow the ball got through - Who was it tackled our big halfback, Flinging him down like and empty sack, Right on our goal-line too? Who but the man that we thought was dead, Down with a score of 'em on his head, Reverend Mullineaux. "Mullineaux had served for a time as a Royal Naval Chaplain before coming to New Zealand. He went to France with the 23rd Reinforcements in April 1917 and before joining the entrenching battalions had served for a time with 1 New Zealand Ambulance and 2 New Zealand General Hospital. He took his discharge from the New Zealand Army in England in September 1919. The citation to his MC read: 'During two days hard fighting, when the Medical Officer had become a casualty early on the morning of the first day, Rev Mullineaux took charge of the Regimental Aid Post, dressed the wounded and supervised their evacuation. The RAP was subject to very heavy high explosive and gas shellfire for twelve hours, and but for his skill and excellent dispositions, serious congestion would have occurred. Hs untiring energy and cheerful service in providing comforts for the troops under most adverse circumstances were of the greatest value to all ranks of the battalion." Joanna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 19 June , 2009 Author Share Posted 19 June , 2009 Joanna, thank you for the information about Rev Mullineaux. Do you think that that is him in the photograph? Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 19 June , 2009 Author Share Posted 19 June , 2009 I am not sure what the story of the fox is but here is a close up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoMH Posted 19 June , 2009 Share Posted 19 June , 2009 Hello Simon, Hard to say whether that's Mullineaux in the 2nd photo. He looks quite short, 'plain' (or just waiting for Violet Grant to take the photo), and he could be about 50. Do his decorations give anything away? There's no photo of him in Men of Faith & Courage to compare. They are fascinating images. Do you have a more precise idea of the date? Joanna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockney tone Posted 20 June , 2009 Share Posted 20 June , 2009 Simon, wonderful photos, thank you very much for sharing them with us. Regards and best wishes, Scottie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 20 June , 2009 Author Share Posted 20 June , 2009 You are welcome. This photograph seems to have been taken at lichborough Hall and seems to show the servants, two of whom are wearing silver war badges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 20 June , 2009 Share Posted 20 June , 2009 I just wonder is Miss Grant was a helper on the trip. She, and one of the other ladies, appear to be wearing some sort of badge in their hats. TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoMH Posted 20 June , 2009 Share Posted 20 June , 2009 Is Violet Grant one of the ladies in posts 2 and 4? If so, which one? Does anyone else have an opinion on the likelihood of the padre in the photo be Mullineaux - given his description in Banjo's poem? Joanna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 22 June , 2009 Share Posted 22 June , 2009 One such pilgrimage organised by the St Barnabus Society called at Malta on 7 May 1936, enroute to Gallipoli and Salonica, aboard the s.s. LANCASTRIA. Presumably the same Lancastria sank a few years later with massive loss of life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 22 June , 2009 Share Posted 22 June , 2009 A bit of Googling shows that in 1922, she married Alexander de Clanay Rennick, whose MIC shows service with the Indian Base Remount Depot, arriving in France November 1914. Perhaps her tour was more to do with him, his fallen comrades, etc., than her own experiences? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 22 June , 2009 Share Posted 22 June , 2009 a photo of Lichborough Hall is included on the village cricket team's website http://www.litchboroughcricketclub.co.uk/h...ection_six.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarylW Posted 6 February , 2012 Share Posted 6 February , 2012 Found this interesting older thread via a forum search for 'St Barnabus Hostels' Came across a snippet in the EYR journal The Snapper from 1926 advertising a trip to Gallipoli and Salonika Interesting that although the trip was £25, anyone (within the regiment I assume) who could not afford to pay that was advised to write in and state what they could afford. Did the St Barnabus Hostels pay the shortfall, or did it come out of regimental funds I wonder. Accomodation was first class only so maybe they were a little selective about who they did help as in '...in a suitable case the balance might be made up...' £25 was a lot of money back then The Saint Barnabus Hostels are organising a pilgrimage to Galipolli and Salonika starting from London 25th August, and returning 12th September If this should reach the eye of any near relative of one of those of the regiment whose grave is out there, who may wish to join the pilgrimage, will he or she write to Major H F Wailes, at the Barracks, Beverley The cost of the trip is £25, but if this sum cannot be afforded, it should be stated how much the writer is prepared to pay, and in a suitable case the balance might be made up. The trip will be made on the s.s. Stella Italia (13,000 tons); accomodation is first class only and places visited are Salonika, Lemnos, Kelia Bay, Constantinople, Cape Helles, Athens and Trieste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 6 February , 2012 Share Posted 6 February , 2012 In the image of the Scottish Rifles soldier he appears to be wearing an Austrailian tunic...using up war supplies? Lovely and interesting images...love the fox. TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leigh Mc Posted 29 February , 2012 Share Posted 29 February , 2012 In the image of the Scottish Rifles soldier he appears to be wearing an Austrailian tunic...using up war supplies? Lovely and interesting images...love the fox. TT Fantastic eye. I noticed the same thing and was going to post it when I saw you'd beaten me to it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattgibbs Posted 4 February , 2020 Share Posted 4 February , 2020 On 19/06/2009 at 20:25, JoMH said: Hello Simon, Hard to say whether that's Mullineaux in the 2nd photo. He looks quite short, 'plain' (or just waiting for Violet Grant to take the photo), and he could be about 50. Do his decorations give anything away? There's no photo of him in Men of Faith & Courage to compare. They are fascinating images. Do you have a more precise idea of the date? Joanna The photographed padre is wearing the MC ribbon as his most 'senior' decoration so it could be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 4 February , 2020 Share Posted 4 February , 2020 A fascinating thread. Revd. Mullineaux was obviously talented in many fields. A pedantic question: Is 'St. Barnabus' correct, or should it be the more widespread 'St. Barnabas'? I think the sign in the second photograph reads 'St. Barnabas'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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