Database of entertainers

[Kate Wills]

Thankyou for posting that Nigel; and as Leonard Sachs would have yelled on The Good Old Days, gavel in hand:

Once again, laidees and gentlemen The Woodsnippers

[NigelS]

Kate, That's brilliant - I hadn't thought of trying a search with the space!

I'm pretty certain that the rehearsal shots and that of the troupe in the car were taken outside Byfleet Village Hall - compare the building porch and the downpipe (!) visible (just) in the background at 01:56 with these photos Here & Here. So maybe this was filmed before one of the concerts there described in article and the officer might well be Lt. Kernley. The film is also very interesting in that, at about 00:56, 01:25 and again at about 3:50 it shows the fabrication of what look like large aircraft wing struts, followed by what Pathe describe as 'Women sanding a long curved thing; like a vertical section of cylinder; 1 woman kneels in middle; others lean over sides' and then 'Next; a bizarre shot of 3 women standing inside a circle that looks like Erector set. --some expressionist vision.' I believe these are parts of an aircraft fuselage, and from the size, show the construction of another of WG Tarrant's wartime projects, The Tarrant Tabor ( Click) which was claimed at the time to be the largest aircraft yet constructed. Only one was ever built and it crashed on its maiden flight at Farnborough killing two of the crew of six on the 26th May 1919, so it is likely that construction would have been fairly well advanced at the time of the Byfleet concerts in February of that year when the film was probably shot.

Could it be possible that the final shots show 'the graceful minuet, charmingly executed by Miss Passmore and Miss Barrow' ?

My Gran was born in, and before she married, lived at Byfleet, so its odd to think that if she hadn't joined the WRAF as a typist, she might well have ended up working at Tarrant's - although, so far as I'm aware, she had no aspirations to be on the stage, so would have been unlikely to have become a Woodsnipper, but who knows!

NigelS

[Kate Wills]

Glad you enjoyed that Nigel. Hopefully, the points you raise about the aircraft assembly work will draw further discussion in the War in the Air section.

The Woodsnippers were members of the Women's Forestry Corps. Fellow member ASHleigh very kindly sent me a cutting showing the group in rehearsal, which could easily be a still from the film. The caption says "The girl carpenters' concert party from France, appropriately known as 'The Woodsnippers', rehearsing for their first performance in England after demobilisation".

Could the officer be 2/Lt Herbert Arthur Kennerley, formerly Sgt 444895, of the Labour Corps? He gave his occupation as Theatre Manager on his marriage certificate on 16th June 1914, at Emmanuel Church, Paddington.

[NigelS]

So, reading between the lines, it looks as if the work of the Women's Forestry Corps, at least in this case, were extended beyond straight forestry, as, although carpentry involves working with wood, in my view, it's not strictly speaking 'forestry'. That said, the forestry aspect might tie in with the 'Sufficient timber was secured' comment in the newspaper article. I'd agree From MICs 2/Lt Herbert A Kennerley of the Labour Corp does look the most suitable (only?) candidate, and his pre war occupation certainly fits. Can't help wondering what his wife might have thought about his involvement with a girls' concert party, although doubtless it would have been completely honourable, and I'm not sure from the footage that shows them at work, that they would have stood for any messing about from either him or their audiences!

NigelS

[bobpike]

Kate,

Is this of interest?

Bob

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 3452, 24 January 1918, Page 2

A military career which must be nearly a record is that Mr R B Sarsfield, late of the 111h Battalion A I F. Mr Sarsfield is a singer who has played in vaudeville in all corners of the world, and his intention was to run a combined vaudeville and picture show through New Zealand with headquarters in Christchurch but on Thursday he was again accepted for service, so the venture must necessarily be indefinitely postponed. Mr Sarsfield fought in Mexico for Madero against Diaz in 1910. He also served with the Canadian Engineers, the American Marines and four years with the Cheshire Engineers. In addition to that be served with the Australian forces in France receiving his discharge in Tasmania only ten days ago, and now he has been passed as fit for the New Zealand armv. "Sarsfield" is this singing soldiers stage name. His proper name is

Mr R. B. Pinchin.

74359 Reginald Blennerhassett Pinchin Vaudeville artist

[Kate Wills]

Cor! Got about a bit didn't he! Thanks for that Bob.

[picklecat]

Do you have any information for a Captain (William) Seymour Hodges, Hampshire Regiment 1914-1918?

Thanks,

Fred.

My concert party database has been established for several years, and now, after some experimentation, I have now created a database of performers, the criteria being anyone in uniform who entertained their fellow servicemen, or assisted the war effort in this capacity, such as singing in charity concerts at home. The first 1023 are now entered, so I have a battalion’s worth (I suppose I could call them my own K1), and though it is probably not of much use to anyone at this stage, more will be added all the time, and I am happy to do lookups.

This first thousand are representative of the body as a whole, and include performers at concerts at home whilst in training; on troopships; on active service at the front (from impromptu mess sing-songs to organised shows), and concerts in hospitals and convalescent depots. It also includes nurses and members of the women’s services, and a few French nationals who took the stage at British organised events. Members of entertainment committees, backstage crew, scriptwriters, songwriters etc etc are also recorded.

Many Pals have already helped me enormously in my resarch, and I thankyou sincerely for your time and trouble. It is much appreciated. I hope the end result will be a boon to fellow researchers.

In the meantime, if you know, or come across anyone who entertained whilst in uniform, please let me know, and I will enter him or her onto the Performers Database.

[Kate Wills]

Sorry, drawn a blank, but I'll keep an eye out for him.

Do you have any more details?

[picklecat]

Hi Katie;

Captain (William) Seymour Hodges, Hampshire Rgt, Theatrical Manager both before and after The Great War. Manager of Marble Arch Theatre, London.

You might find this of use as well - From the Straits Times, January 15 1915 : Noted Theatrical People With The Colours':

Sorry, drawn a blank, but I'll keep an eye out for him.

Do you have any more details?

[bootneck]

I've just come across the Phollees, an officers POW concert party (possibly Bad Colberg). will post the names once I've de-chipered them.

Has anybody come across them?

regards

Bootneck

[EDWARD1]

Does this qualify

An extract from the War Diary 4th Btn Yorkshire Regiment

Proyart 19/2/1917 On the 19th the Battn moved to PROYART. On the 23rd Lt COATES sang 5 songs at the Regimental Concert....

Eddie

[bootneck]

Eddie

There seems to be a connection as there is appears to a Lieutenant W Cyril ? E Walgate, 4th East Yorkshire Regiment connected to them.

Bootneck

[Kate Wills]

Thankyou for these.

Eddie,

This may well be John Coates, one of the great classical singers, who was already in his late 40s when war began. He was an officer in the Yorkshire Regiment. Prior to the war he was much in demand on the operatic stage, including the heavy Wagnerian roles, but post war he confined himself to concerts and oratorio, including Elgar's Dream of Gerontius. He was a great champion of British composers.

::::::::::::::::::

Bootneck

Follies became a generic name for concert parties (military or civilian) before the war, in homage to Pelissier's Follies, who graduated from an amatuer troupe in the 1890s to one of the most famous professional acts in the West End; hence many groups called themselves Follies. Phollees is obviously a variation on this, and may well have been an in-joke in the camp.

[bootneck]

Hi Kate,

Thank you for the background as it is a subject I know very little about.

The Phollees line up was as follows:

2^nd Lt Herbert Pratt, 12^th Bn KRRC

2^nd Lt F J Kirkham, RFA & RFC

2^nd Lt W Cyril Walgate, 4^th Bn, East Yorkshire Regiment

2^nd Lt W J Lyon, 14^th Bn, A. I. F.

2^nd Lt J M Harmer, 11^th Bn, Suffolk Regiment

2^nd Lt H M Thompson, 1^st Bn, QRWS

2^nd Lt J H Price, QRWS & RFC

2^nd Lt M E Woods, RFC

The final member of the troupe appears to have been a lieutenant in either the Royal Inniskillen (or Irish) Fusiliers, or possibly Royal Artillery; unfortunately I cannot identify him from Cox's list and his signature is illegible.

regards

Bootneck

[Kate Wills]

Just an end of year report to note that on 31st December 2012, the Performers database held 2881 names, and the Concert Parties database held 888 groups.

[Chris_Baker]

One I spotted yesterday, Kate:

[Kate Wills]

One of the Welsh Wails. Many thanks Chris.

[Spud Trevor]

Maybe of interest,

I recently checked the 1911 census for a Laurence / Lawrence Bradfield who was killed during August 1917 at Ypres. Although I found no reference to a theatrical career whilst with the army, on the 1911 census he is recorded as a Professional (Theatrical), I presume he was in digs because some of the other people at the same address had similar careers. See below.

Lawrence Bradfield 20 - Professional (Theatrical).

Charles Walter Hammond 34 - Carpenter (Theatrical).

Fred Davenporte 30 - Actor (Music Hall).

Lawrence who served as 552863 London Regiment (Queen's Westminster Rifles) was the son of Eustace Elphinston Bradfield, a sculptor / painter so maybe he had an artistic bent.

Regards,

Spud

[CarylW]

Kate

Do you have this one?

Liverpool Echo 28th August 1916

'Lance Corporal Joseph Quinn "Pals" has been reported unofficially as killed. His relatives have received word from the War Office that he was reported wounded on July 30. Any information concerning him would be gratefully welcomed by his relatives at 2 Alexandra-road Waterloo. Lance Corporal Quinn was in the employ of the Education Department of the Liverpool Corporation and was a member of his battalion's Concert Party'

Also Liverpool Echo 1st May 1917

'QUINN- July 30, 1916, previously reported wounded and missing, now officially reported killed in action, Lance-Corporal Joseph Quinn K.L.R. youngest son of the late Thomas and Ann Quinn of 2 Alexandra-road, Waterloo'

CWGC

Joseph Quinn

Lance Corporal

Service Number: 2650

Date of Death: 30/7/1916

Regiment/Service: King's Liverpool Regiment, 20th Bn

Panel Reference: Pier and Face 1 D 8 B and 8 C. Thiepval Memorial

Caryl

[Promenade]

Kate,

Further to Caryl's post if you wanted to take this a litlle further lodged in the Imperial War Museum are letters (55pp) written by him from the front (Ref K93/2237) which may contain more information.

Regards

Promenade

[seaJane]

Kate,

Here's a batch of material from Field Ambulance concert parties as picked up in a trawl through the Wellcome Library catalogue. Hope it's the sort of thing you're looking for. There may be more in their RAMC holdings but as I was only searching Field Ambulance I haven't checked. Let me know if you'd like me to.

sJ

-----------

[Copy of photograph of performers at 319 Field Ambulance Swastika Concert Party, 1917-1918] 1918

Arch. & MSS RAMC/774:Box 161

[Aladdin: a pantomime by members of the 85th Field Ambulance. First produced 21 December 1916 to audiences of the 28th Division on the Struma front, Macedonia] 1917

Arch. & MSS RAMC/856:Box 190

['Dick Whittington, A Pantomime' written and produced by members of the 85th Field Ambulance (3rd London), as performed in Salonika on Christmas Night, 1915] 1916

Arch. & MSS RAMC/661:Box 134

[Kate Wills]

Thankyou Jane, Promenade, Trevor and Caryl.

Jane, Yes I have made several attacks on the Wellcome Collection, and reported an error in the catalogue regarding the Swasika photo (319 <>391 FA). The Wellcome really does live-up to its name for visitors and researchers. Bring a camera, and by uplifted by the old-fashioned price list for all types of copying.

[David_Blanchard]

Hello,

You might want to look at the link of a concert party at Schwednitz POW camp.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lizzie880/SchweidnitzPOWCamp#5295482988420227314

David

[b3rn]

Kate, are you interested in Australian concert parties? Came across the Nightbirds, 8th Australian Field Ambulance.

[Kate Wills]

Thanks David and b3m.

b3m - yes Aussies welcome and already included. I'll add the Nightbirds. I have two others listed as Night Birds, belonging to the Black Watch and RE.