J.C. Dunn - any site-seeing tips?

[xaron]

Hello,

now that I am heading towards the end of translating "The War the Infantry Knew" (see also my earlier posts) I think I might grab the chance the forthcoming week and have a look at some sites in the Béthune-La Bassée area.

Just in case somebody reads this who knows the book and can give some hints of where to go and what to see, I'd be extremely greatful.

Thanks

X.

[Muerrisch]

Cambrin. Many 2nd RWF dead.

Lieutenant George Oliver Thomas. He was born 19th January 1884 and baptised at Ellesmere, Shropshire 23rd April that year. His father was George Thomas of Messrs Thomas and Company, Calcutta. George junior was educated at Harrow School. He was originally commissioned to 3rd (Militia) RWF on 19th September 1903 and became a regular second-lieutenant 25th August 1906. Service with 2nd RWF in Burma and India allowed him opportunity to excel at polo. He played in the same battalion polo team as Stable, and was part-owner of the horse that won the Army Cup in 1911. He was promoted lieutenant 1st April 1911 and was with 2nd RWF for the 2nd March 1914 group photograph taken in Malta. He took over the appointment as Transport Officer as war loomed, in addition to being OC IX Platoon in C Company. He became a captain 21st October 1914 and appears to have succeeded to the command of A. Company when Stockwell left at the end of March 1915, and, as a substantive captain, he may previously have been given C Company when Phillips was mortally wounded 4th November 1914. Robert Graves said of him in 1915 that he was a regular of seventeen year’s service but this is not possible. According to Graves, Thomas was a fine soldier, although without much conversation beyond ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Richards reckoned him a very brave and humane soldier to his finger tips. He witnessed the debacle of the Battle of Loos in September of 1915, in which two fellow regular regimental officers (Samson and Childe-Freeman) were killed. George himself was shot by a sniper the next day, 26th September 1915. He was hit in the side of the neck despite (wrote Richards) being warned of his exposed position. Graves wrote that he seemed not to care about the risk. George Thomas was buried by the Reverend R Hack alongside Childe-Freeman and Samson in Cambrin Churchyard. His effects included 2 wrist watches, 2 pipes, an Orilux lamp and a small French dictionary. Cox and Company reported that they had three cheques drawn in his favour from fellow officers. One was £12. His father had pre-deceased him and his mother was his Executrix. He left £9,936 gross, equivalent to over £500,000 in current money depending on which means of comparison are used. In Dr Dunn’s manuscript marginalia to Robert Graves’s GTAT, Thomas is described as ‘a rich man’. One puzzle remains: The War the Infantry Knew index equates Thomas with ‘The Quail’. This is unlikely and none of the above notes assume that link. See Chapter 9 below for a full examination of the identity of ‘Quail’. Thomas has an accessible but meagre National Archive file WO 339 6541.

[Muerrisch]

Captain Arthur Legge Samson. Arthur was born 1st June 1882 at Oxford Terrace, Paddington, his father Edward a Clerk in Holy Orders. He was educated at Eton and Merton College, Oxford and became a second-lieutenant in the Regiment 3rd February 1904, lieutenant 9th September that same year and captain 27th December 1912. When war was declared he was second Captain of A. Company 2nd RWF. Geiger, his company commander, called him the ‘ … if anything over-cleanly Samson’ who ‘ … roused me (at 3AM) to have a wash in the Ladies’ Waiting Room at Verberie Station’ (1st September 1914). Stockwell, his next company commander, called him invaluable and most sound (but with) a mania for shaving. Samson had not long to wait before he commanded C Company and he was awarded the Military Cross 23rd June 1915 before being mortally wounded 25th September 1915 in the Battle of Loos. Both Richards and Graves refer to his gallantry ‘……hit in seventeen places … knuckles in mouth to stop himself crying out’. Samson’s body was recovered for burial in Cambrin Churchyard by the Rev R Hack. Samson’s father was by this time living at The Lodge, Armitage, Staffs and Samson’s executrix to his will of 18th April 1915 was his sister, a Mrs Fowler-Butler. Included in his Estate was £200 of 4½ % War Loan and his effects included: 3 pipes and 2 tobacco pouches, wrist watch, knife and chain, 45 French Francs, haversack, revolver, case and ammunition pouch, wire cutters in case. The Regiment has an oil portrait of him (above, right) commissioned after his death by ‘his sister, Mrs Schomberg’ which quotes a verse attributed to Robert Graves entitled ‘The Dead Foxhunter’ (he hunted with the South Staffordshire) and said to be in Samson’s memory. The National Archive file is available, WO 339 5910. Arthur is remembered at St John the Baptist’s, Armitage, Staffordshire.

Lieutenant John Arthur Childe-Freeman. This officer’s accessible National Archive file is WO 339 7550. He was born on 17th August 1890 and was educated at Wellington College 1904 to 1908. His father, Arthur John, was a Herefordshire JP. He had a twin sister who became Mrs GHC Palmer of Guisely. Commissioned into RWF 9th March 1910, he was promoted lieutenant on 14th August 1911 and appeared in the 1st RWF/2nd RWF group photograph Malta 1914. In D Company he was given XIII Platoon and went to France with the unit. His company was heavily involved in bitter fighting at la Cordonnerie Farm and by 30th October 1914 of the six company officers only Childe-Freeman remained at duty: the company was now commanded by Clegg-Hill and there were no other officers. Walwyn and Jones had been wounded, Prichard mortally so, Jones-Vaughan was dead and Mostyn sick. His promotion to Temporary captain came through three days earlier on 27th October. He was gazetted with a Military Cross (MC) on 23rd June 1915 and commanded B Company in the ill-fated attack near Cambrin, 25th September 1915. Childe-Freeman countermanded his company’s pre-assault rum ration and had it poured on the ground. Thus cheered and inspired, his men found difficulty in getting forward and only 20 or so were in position to advance over the top. At that moment he collapsed with acute heart failure and did not live to see the attack fail with tragic loss. Subsequently Private 6312 Hughes of C Company stated when interviewed 6th November 1915 that Childe-Freeman’s death was ‘heart failure, no wound, Doctor Captain Harberson (sic) must have examined him’. The Reverend R Hack buried John in Cambrin Churchyard. The National Archive file reveals that his MC went to his sisters, his effects went to his guardian, Colonel Prescott Decie JP of Tonterillas Court Hereford. (Richard Prescott-Decie was, in fact, his step-father). The effects included pipe, tobacco, cigarettes, diary, Psalms, spectacles, compass, purse and gold ring and silver cigarette case. John Childe-Freeman MC died aged 25, the last heir to the Kyre estates (this last according to his eldest sister’s memorial). He is also remembered on the Memorial at Whitbourne Church, Worcestershire.

[xaron]

Thanks for the really touching records.

By the way: When I looked up the location of some scenes of action (comparing the sketches in Dunn's book with Google Maps) I got the impression that many of these scenes are now marked with a cemetery. I'd like to know, if men usually had been buried right on the cemetery next to where they have been fatally wounded or were buried there later after having been found.

Thank you.

X.

[WilliamRev]

Two years ago my brother and I spent a day and a half on the Loos battlefield following in the footsteps of our grandfather (see avatar) at that time a private in the Territorial 5th Scottish Rifles, 19th Brigade, 2nd Division. They fought alongside the 2nd Royal Welsh Fusiliers, but held the front line trenches whilst the brigade's four Regular battalions went over the top.

We used Andrew Rawson's book "Loos - Hohenzollen", in the Battleground Europe book. The walking tour on page143 indicates a good place to park, and takes you along a very convenient tractor path right along the line where the 19th Brigade fought just east of Cambrin: it is a surprisingly small area. It is then just a short drive back to Cambrin Communal Cemetery Extension, the CWGC cemetery (just behind the church and the civilian cemetery still used by the local population), where most of the 19th Brigade dead are buried. An afternoon will enable you to do the walk and then visit the cemetery.

William

[xaron]

Hi William,

do you know, if the book (or BE series) is available in bookstores of the area?

Thank you,

best

X.

[WilliamRev]

Hi William,

do you know, if the book (or BE series) is available in bookstores of the area?

Thank you,

best

X.

I would be amazed if copies are available locally - not even good local maps are available locally we found! Best to buy all such things on the internet in advance in my opinion.

William.

[xaron]

I guess, I make my own map then, using the sketches in Dunn's book...

Thanks for forewarning me!

X.

[Muerrisch]

Unfortunately the sketch maps are easily the worst aspect of the book.

[WilliamRev]

A good 1: 25000 modern map for Loos battlefield tourists is: IGN 2405E, HERE, (but also available elsewhere I imagine).

William

[NickPS]

If you're looking slightly further afield, there's an easy ramble around the lanes and fields SE of Laventie where 2RWF fought and held the line around la Cordonnerie in the Battle of La Bassée Oct 30th - Nov 14th 1914. Nothing of spectacular interest relating to their vital stand - but it felt a privilege to be there nonetheless. Plus you can take in Fromelles during the same trip.

[Muerrisch]

"Men who lived through those days ............. look back on La Cordonnerie with a pride and awe no other name calls up"