Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!

[michaeldr]

Douglas Jerrold’s history of the RND has a couple of references in the text and a footnote which mention the commander of the 63rd (RN) Divisional Artillery’s 223rd Brigade, whom he refers to as ‘Lt-Colonel the Rev. W. E. Wingfield, DSO.’

I’ve managed to find a couple of mentions of him in the LGs of 5th March 1918 and 8th Sept 1919, but in neither case does it make any reference to his clerical status.

Has anyone else come across this officer and can they add to our knowledge of one who must surely have been an interesting character?

Thanks in advance

Michael D.R.

[charlesmessenger]

He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery 1886 and served until 1907 when he retired as a Major without having seen active service. He then took Holy Orders and was the Curate of St Paul, Portman Square, London. He retired from the Reserve of Officers in 1914 and so volunteered for service in WW1, presumably believing that he would be more use with the Gunners than as a Padre. He was promoted Lt Col on Gallipoli and was wounded in 1918. He DSO was awarded in the 1917 New Year Honours and so there is no citation. He was also three times mentioned in Despatches. He became the Vicar of Broome in Norfolk in 1920.

Charles M

[michaeldr]

Charles,

Many thanks for the above details

I imagine that the 1920s sermons at Broome were the more interesting for the incumbent’s service with the guns

Is it possible that your sources have any more details on Wingfield’s time at Gallipoli?

I see from the LG that he was [for the first time (?)] promoted Temp Lt-Col on 6th Nov 1915 and that he relinquished that temp rank on 23rd Feb 1916 when he ceased to command a Brigade of Artillery on that occasion. Do you know which unit he served with on Gallipoli?

Best regards

Michael D.R.

[charlesmessenger]

Michael

Alas, I don't have any information of his time on Gallipoli. Perhaps Dick Flory, the Forum's Gunner expert, may be able to help.

Charles M

[michaeldr]

Charles,

Many thanks anyway

Yes, I do hope that this item catches Dick’s eye

Regards

Michael D.R.

[jhill]

I cannot add to the details of this particular case, but someone should mention for the benefit of the casual reader that the case of a clergyman serving in a non-chaplain capacity was relatively common. I have run across a small fistfull even from my area.

In most cases (presumably not this one!), young clergymen wanting to do their bit found no vacancies with the Chaplain Service, and joined the ranks.

Later in the war the Canadian Chaplain Service filled many vacancies by commissioning from the ranks.

Sorry for hijacking this very interesting thread!

[michaeldr]

An interesting observation, James; I wonder if they same held true outside of Canada?

I recall reading of one or two other cases from the UK, but not enough to call it common place (thought this may only reflect the limits of my reading)

Regards

Michael D.R.

[jhill]

An interesting observation, James; I wonder if they same held true outside of Canada?

I recall reading of one or two other cases from the UK, but not enough to call it common place (thought this may only reflect the limits of my reading)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Michael,

In the Canadian case, this snippet from the September, 1917 report of Changes in Personnel for the Canadian Chaplain Service in England might help quantify the issue.

My education has not yet progressed to the stage where I can say too much about the UK case. Certainly the Canadian service was more magnificently fouled up than the British in the early part of the war. I do believe that the initial UK establishments for chaplains were deficient. It seems this was due to a combination of a lack of foresight regarding the needs of a massive continental-style army, and the initial lack of provision for the needs of the "non C of E" denominations. The Canadians compounded these weaknesses with more of their own, resulting in too few of the right type of man on the one hand, and sometimes embarrasing surplusses of the wrong type on the other.

I hope to learn more about this by-the-by.

[michaeldr]

Thanks for that table, James; it implies a very impressive statistic -

At that time, 9 out of 12 Canadian Chaplains came from the Combatant Ranks or Units.

It gives a whole new meaning to the expression ‘the Church militant’

Regards

Michael D.R.

[jhill]

Alas! I cannot resist prolonging this thread once more. The following is a transcription of a news clipping concerning a local Victoria Cross winner. It seems clergymen were not pacifists in those days. However, there may have been some "discomfort" about the swords and ploughshares thing. At his Attestation this fellow gave his occupation as "school teacher" rather than "clergyman". Also, an earlier news article gave a more bloodthirsty account of his deed. This one seems to have been toned done a bit. I hope someone finds it interesting.

The Morning Bulletin

Edmonton, Alberta Thursday, September 12, 1918

EDMONTON V.C.

WOUNDED FOR

SECOND TIME

Lieut. G. B. McKean Has Been

Admitted to Hospital in

France

Lieut. G. B. McKean, V.C., M.M., of

Edmonton, is now admitted to the hos-

pital in France a second tme wounded,

according to a telegram received by

his wife, who is a member of the staff

in Registrar Carson's office in Cal-

gary. Lieut. McKean has been in

France since June, 1916, and previous

to his enlistment he was employed as

assistant pastor of Robertson Presby-

terian church in this city.

He won his Victoria Cross by first

tackling a German, whom he wished

to take prisoner, for the purpose of

securing intelligence, but upon another

German coming to the assistance of

the first he was obliged to shoot both.

Then he advanced on a machine gun

nest, killing several and capturing six

of the enemy.