Robert Graves rides again

[Muerrisch]

As a newcomer, I have been combing through for old threads concerning my hobby horses, enough for a three-ring circus and still some in the paddock. The old thread on Robert Graves caught my eye.

There was listed in the correspondence a group of four authors who communicated, not always amicably, about their work. To Dunn, Sassoon, Graves and Blunden it is a good idea to add Frank Richards DCM MM: he certainly a substantial correspondence with Dunn and with Graves, copies of some of which I have. Of these, Blunden was the outsider in the sense he was not a Royal Welchman by title or adoption, Richards the outsider by virtue of education, Dunn by virtue of being a straight-laced historian.

And please, the only sensible [!?] abbreviation for "THE WAR THE INFANTRY KNEW" has got to be TWTIK, pronounced twittick. Surely? Can I suggest we adopt this as a British Standard?

[Garde Grenadier]

The above mentioned Frank Richards: is he the author of the famous Billy Bunter books?

Daniel

[Muerrisch]

No, the Bunter man used Frank Richards as a pseudonym. But then Frank Richards was not his name either, which is another story, told by Robert Graves. To help matters not at all, both chaps died in the same year, and the wrong one [from my point of view] got a TIMES obit.

Who is Bunter, anyway?

[Garde Grenadier]

Billy Bunter has got nothing to do with WWI to my knowledge. He is the main character in a comical series of school stories. Very funny though!

Daniel

[Jonathan Saunders]

I am confused ... are you saying Frank Richards (DCM MM, not the one of Bunter fame) was not named Frank Richards but something else????

[Muerrisch]

Yes, here I am quoting Robert Graves, intro to one [can't remember which] of "Frank Richards's" books. Was Richards throughout his army service, fortunately. Graves did not give a name.

[Andrew Hesketh]

My brain hurts!! What's happening?

[Muerrisch]

There were two people called Frank Richards [FR], both wrote books, both died in 1961. One man called Frank Richards wrote Old Soldiers Never Die and Old Soldier Sahib. [the other one wrote the Bunter stuff under FR as a nom-de-plume]. According to his own account and an intro. by Robert Graves, the military FR was not born under that name, but took it when adopted at age of nine.

Does this help?

A bit early for a beer, I suppose, but, what the heck.

[Andrew Hesketh]

Ahhh! Yes, got it. Thanks for helping out a slow learner.

[michaeldr]

There were two people called Frank Richards

Shouldn't this say "There were two people not called Frank Richards"

??????????

Michael D.R.

[Andrew Hesketh]

Noooo!!!! I've lost the plot again!!!!!

[Muerrisch]

Oh no, not at all, they were both CALLED Frank Richards [by lots of people], but neither of them were named that at birth.

[in my capacity as a founder member of the Midlands Branch of the British Pedants].

[Andrew Hesketh]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Muerrisch]

Well, that's that interesting thread sorted. And, no, the artist was neither Frank Richardses nor Robert Graves. In fact, as far as I know, the artist did not serve in 2RWF so can be of no intrinsic interest. So there.

[Andrew Hesketh]

My next image will be a Salvador Dali - after all, this is becoming surreal.....

All the best,

Fish

[Myrtle]

The Frank Richards who wrote the Billy Bunter stories was actually called Charles Harold St John Hamilton. No wonder he decided to call himself Frank Richards.