Comforts, Tobacco, Books and a Musical Instrument

[alantwo]

I thought members might be interested in a list of provisions that were placed on board SS Ionian when it left Devonport for Egypt on 3rd July 1915. A number of these lists can be found in the embarkation records at the National Archives and I chose this example because it has quite a mixture of units, locations, and ranks. There is no description of what the comforts consisted of, though bonded tobacco is obvious and on page 2 there is a musical instrument for E Addington of the Hertfordshire Yeomanry, although I think this is probably No.1673, Private, Frank Addington. but happy to be corrected. There are a number of spelling mistakes, Lieutenant Corble, for example was 90th Heavy Battery not 9th.

There is probably quite a lot that can be expanded upon, who, what, where etc., and as for locations, I would be interested in Strader Farm, where is this on Malta and what was the Reverend Sim doing there?

For reference my photographs of the file at the NA at Kew.; I can post other lists if this proves of interest.

Regards

Alan

Edited 6 May by alantwo

[PRC]

8259 Lance Corporal Frank Gifford, 2nd Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, was taken prisoner on the 29th April 1916 at the Fall of Kut, having been part of the besieged garrison since the start of December 1915. He wasn't released until the end of the war.  He was serving with the 2nd Battalion when it deployed to Mesopotamia.

Captain Charlie Valentine Lanyon is shown as 2nd Norfolks, who were in Mesopotamia, but also as M.E.F. - Mediterranean Expeditionary Force I assume given the locations of some of the others who are shown as M.E.F. There were no units on the Norfolk Regiment in the M.E.F. at that time - the 1/4th and 1/5th wouldn't sail from the UK until the 29th July 1915. Originally commissioned from Sandhurst into the Regiment in 1899, the July 1915 British Army Monthly List shows him on the strength of the 2nd Battalion and with seniority as a Captain of the 3rd February 1906. (Column 985) https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/119508721 Captain C.V. Lanyon, (and his horse) was part of the Officer establishment of the 2nd Battalion when it sailed from Bombay on the 8th November 1914. He is shown as one of the wounded of the Battalion in the action at Shaiba on the 14th April 1915. (Battalion War Diary). I suspect M.E.F. is a mistake. He was not among the besieged at Kut.

Captain and Adjutant G de Grey was with the 2nd Norfolks when they sailed from Bombay, (along with his horse!). George de Grey would eventually rise to command the 1st Battalion. In 1929 following the death of his father he became the 8th Baron Walsingham.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_de_Grey,_8th_Baron_Walsingham

Corporal Haynes, 2nd Norfolks could possibly be 7788 Corporal Alfred Last Haynes,, 2nd Battalion, who landed in Mesopotamia on the 15th November 1914. Would re-enlist with the Norfolks post war, (service number 72705) before going on to serve in the Leicestershire Regiment, (service number 5765211), receiving the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 1927.

Cheers,
Peter

[charlie962]

5 hours ago, PRC said:

was taken prisoner on the 29th April 1916 at the Fall of Kut, having been part of the besieged garrison

As was Major HG Thompson c.o. of the 1/5th Hants Howitzer Battery.

There are possibly others.

[alantwo]

15 hours ago, PRC said:

8259 Lance Corporal Frank Gifford, 2nd Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, was taken prisoner on the 29th April 1916 at the Fall of Kut, having been part of the besieged garrison since the start of December 1915. He wasn't released until the end of the war.  He was serving with the 2nd Battalion when it deployed to Mesopotamia.

Captain Charlie Valentine Lanyon is shown as 2nd Norfolks, who were in Mesopotamia, but also as M.E.F. - Mediterranean Expeditionary Force I assume given the locations of some of the others who are shown as M.E.F. There were no units on the Norfolk Regiment in the M.E.F. at that time - the 1/4th and 1/5th wouldn't sail from the UK until the 29th July 1915. Originally commissioned from Sandhurst into the Regiment in 1899, the July 1915 British Army Monthly List shows him on the strength of the 2nd Battalion and with seniority as a Captain of the 3rd February 1906. (Column 985) https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/119508721 Captain C.V. Lanyon, (and his horse) was part of the Officer establishment of the 2nd Battalion when it sailed from Bombay on the 8th November 1914. He is shown as one of the wounded of the Battalion in the action at Shaiba on the 14th April 1915. (Battalion War Diary). I suspect M.E.F. is a mistake. He was not among the besieged at Kut.

Captain and Adjutant G de Grey was with the 2nd Norfolks when they sailed from Bombay, (along with his horse!). George de Grey would eventually rise to command the 1st Battalion. In 1929 following the death of his father he became the 8th Baron Walsingham.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_de_Grey,_8th_Baron_Walsingham

Corporal Haynes, 2nd Norfolks could possibly be 7788 Corporal Alfred Last Haynes,, 2nd Battalion, who landed in Mesopotamia on the 15th November 1914. Would re-enlist with the Norfolks post war, (service number 72705) before going on to serve in the Leicestershire Regiment, (service number 5765211), receiving the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 1927.

Cheers,
Peter

Peter

Many thanks for your comments. I wonder if using MEF might simply be a means to an end i.e., get it to Egypt and let them sort it out from there.

In view of your interest in the Norfolks, I noticed that a Major JS Kelly, 10th Norfolk, was on board the ship for duty with a draft of 1st KOSB of 170 men.

Regards

Alan

[alantwo]

10 hours ago, charlie962 said:

As was Major HG Thompson c.o. of the 1/5th Hants Howitzer Battery.

There are possibly others.

Charlie

Thanks for adding that. I've typed up a spreadsheet for this list, I'll add the comments you have both made, with credit, and I can include others should anyone wish to expand upon any of the entries.

Regards

Alan

[PRC]

30 minutes ago, alantwo said:

In view of your interest in the Norfolks, I noticed that a Major JS Kelly, 10th Norfolk, was on board the ship for duty with a draft of 1st KOSB of 170 men.

The same July 1915 British Army Monthly List has a Major J.S. Kelly, temporary wartime commission, with seniority in rank of the 10th November 1914. (Column 992h) https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/119508769

The Supplement to the London Gazette, 25th November 1914, (page 9961) has a Temporary Lieutenant John Sherwood Kelly, 10th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, who was to be Temporary Major effective 10th November 1914. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28985/supplement/9961/data.pdf

As Brigadier General John Sherwood Kelly, V.C., C.M.G., D.S.O., he has his own Wikipedia page.

"The four-times-wounded Kelly was not a Regular officer but a formidable and experienced commander with a combat record going back to the 1896 Matabele Revolt.

During his military career he achieved fame and notoriety for his mixture of heroic exploits and explosive temperament. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his exploits in Gallipoli in February 1916 and on 1 January 1917 was awarded the Companion of St Michael and St George (CMG). During the summer and autumn of 1917 he commanded 1st Battalion, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and was instrumental in the early success achieved during the Battle of Cambrai on 20 November for which he received the Victoria Cross from King George V at Buckingham Palace on 23 January 1918. Kelly was gassed and wounded at various times.

Prior to the outbreak of the First World War he was housemaster at Langley School, Loddon, Norfolk (England) and a member of the Territorial Force in the United Kingdom.

In November 1914, Sherwood-Kelly was gazetted a major with the 10th Norfolk regiment. He repeatedly requested a transfer and was sent to the King's Own Scottish Borderers in July 1915." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sherwood-Kelly

40 minutes ago, alantwo said:

Many thanks for your comments. I wonder if using MEF might simply be a means to an end i.e., get it to Egypt and let them sort it out from there.

I suspect the clerk compiling the list just got carried away. If it was a question of means to an end then it would have also been used for the other 2nd Battalion men - and probably everyone else on the list. There is one slight possible scenario - if say he was being medically evacuated back to the UK and was at that point being treated in Egypt, having relapsed or needing very specialist treatment that was not available in Mesopotamia or India. But even in such cases of men being treated while still in transit, I don't believe that would have been enough to have formally put them on the strength of the Mediterranean Expeditonary Force. Unfortunately the answers are probbaly in his officers records.

Cheers,
Peter

[PRC]

"Malta - the Nurse of the Mediterranean" by the Reverend Chaplain-Major Albert Glenthorne MacKinnon, published in 1916, can be found on Archive Org here https://archive.org/details/maltanurseofmedi00mackuoft/page/n5/mode/2up

The frontispiece included portrait pictures of Lord Methuen, Governor of Malta, and Lady Methuen. I suspect the references to Lord Methuen are along the same lines as the various O.C's listed, rather than for his own personal use.

This picture of the Presbyterian Chaplains in Malta appears opposite page 32.

Image courtesy Archive Org.

Cheers,
Peter