Charles Laughton-Actor

[Steve Bramley]

Gloria,

I'm pretty sure that the Hunts Cyclists were based in and around Louth in Lincolnshire during 1915. I vaguely remember several mentions in the Louth and North Lincs Advertiser for the period. I seem to feel that one of the 'snippets' describes some sort of 'show' in the town, i'll try and remember to look next time I'm in Louth.

S.

[gporta]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the information. If you come across something interesting the next time you are in Louth, let me know.

Your location in Louth is most interesting as EA James doesn't mention any specific one of the 2/1st Hunts Cyclists before 1916. The ones he mentions in "British Regiments 1914-18" are the following:

- 1916: Sutton-le-Marsh, near Mablethorpe

- March 1917: Alford

- July 1917: Chapel St. Leonards

- May 1918: Skegness.

Gloria

[Steve Bramley]

I'm not one hundred percent certain that it was the Hunts Gloria, but I will check next time i'm in Louth,

S.

[gporta]

Steve,

Thanks anyway for the info. Let me know if you come sometime across any mention of Hunts Cyclists at Lincolnshire

I'm posting now a few more documents related. I'll go through my files and if any of these documents rings any bells to anyone, feel welcome to comment.

First, Laughton's entry in the Stonyhurst War record (1914-18). The entries were made from information provided by the family or person to Stonyhurst College. Sadly, this entry brings little information.

Follows a photocopy from the same book showing images from the annual OTC inspection which took place in May 22nd 1915. Since Laughton was at that time in the School and in the school's OTC it's pretty likely (unless he was ill that day, etc...) that he is one of the boys there.

I'm going through my dusty files and will post more stuff in days to come.

Gloria

[gporta]

Here's Charles Laughton's MIC. There are about a dozen "Charles" or "C." Laughton MiCs and since none of these cards mentioned the Huntingdonshire Cyclists, it was a tough guess.

Fortunately, mentions of the 7th Northamptonshires later appeared in other sources (one actually mentioning 24th Division as well!), including the definitive mentions in the 2/1st Hunts Cyclists Battalion orders where he is listed with his 48603 -4th Bedfords- number).

Incidentally, in the 2/1st Hunts Cyclists Battalion orders of summer 1918, Laughton is occasionally mis-spelt as "Lawton" and "Loughton"... the later to occur again some years later in a review of his professional Stage debut in Gogol's "the Inspector General" (1926, Barnes Theatre)... And yes, I tried these alternative miss-pellings in WO 363, etc (no luck, or hopefully, bad research)

Gloria

[gporta]

...And here is his entry in the Medal Rolls. He was posted to Class Z on demobilization. (to know what Class Z was about, check this page in The Long Long Trail)

Gloria

[Guest mruk]

Thanks for the effort you have put in to this thread, Gloria. It is most appreciated

I have some quotes here taken from the War Illustrated of April 1915, and though not directly linked to Charles Laughton, the captions give an idea of the war the Cyclists Battalions were fighting at the beginning. Unfortunately, I can't reproduce the images, but does anyone know if the nature of combat changed for the Cyclists as the war moved on in terms of technology? I'd be particularly interested on anything with regard to the the 7th Hunts Cyclist Battalion, one of the units which Laughton served with, rather than going off-topic, but surely the entire war was not conducted on bicycles?

OUR WHEELED WARRRIORS: CYCLISTS IN TRAINING

"Cyclists battalions are playing a great part in the war, and there are thousands of these warriors on wheels in training. Amember of the 2nd London Cyclist Corps [Reserve] sniping from an entrance to a village."

"An outpost position. The machines are screened from aerial observation with straw. Men of the 9th Hants Cyclists in training."

"Cyclists as entanglements and barricades. Men of the 9th Hants Cyclists practising a method of stopping cavalry or armoured motor-cars by piling up their machines. [inset] Bivouac after a mimic battle im prepation for the front. Men of the 25th London Cyclist Corps resting during training manoevres. Two non-coms are studying a map."

Kind Regards,

Dave

[gporta]

Dave,

Thanks for the information. Cyclists troops enjoyed attention from the end of the 19th Century to the end of the Great War. Most Cyclist units -and Yeomanry units converted into Cyclists ones during WW1- were raised within this period, but eventually disappeared as such in 1919 and 1920: the realities of industrial warfare made the advantages of cycling troops seem small in comparison with, say, tanks and other armoured vehicles.

For starters, I think that this previous thread and the links in this post will provide some interesting information about Cyclists in the Great War (not that these are the only mentions of cyclists in this forum, the search facility will show many more threads: these units attract a good deal of interest).

While the subject doesn't enjoy an extensive bibliography, there are a few books and articles devoted to it. A good way to start might be "Cads on castors: a short story of military bicicling", an article published in the 1982 magazine of the National Army Museum "Army Museum '82", covering British military Cicles from their beginnings to the nineteen-fifties.

British Military Cyclists began to exist in in the 1880s, when many Volunteers formed units on wheels and tactics were devised to give efficient military use to these increasingly popular means of transportation.

Old photographs suggest that, in order to command Cycle drill, a Cyclist needed to master, not only the skills of a soldier, but even more sophisticated skills as a cyclist, to be efficient.

I suppose that, at the start of the Great War, the personnel of Cyclist units was well trained in this regard, but possibly, as war went on, and trench stalemate proved a difficult ground to fight on wheels (but then it was not a good ground for cavalry, either), they were relegated to a secondary role.

Some, as the 1/25th Bn. London Regiment (Cyclists) were sent to India as a relay to the regular troops stationed there. Most Cyclist units remained in the UK throughout the war in coast guard duties, regularly providing drafts of trained men to other units in the front. Too often, a cyclist was drafted to reinforce an infantry unit.

Others, with luck, would be able to serve in their original role as cyclists by being drafted to the Army Cyclist corps. During the years of static warfare, Cyclists were deployed as messengers -some of them eventually employed as Military Police, too (as mentioned by G.D. Sheffield in "The Role of British Military Police on the Western Front, 1914-18, a chapter within the book "British Fighting Methods in the Great War", edited by Paddy Griffith).

I include two low-resolution images of cyclist troops, which I hope will be illustrative

(more to come)

Gloria

The theory of Cyclist warfare & tactics: 1898 volunteer cyclists demonstrate a way to resist-repel a cavalry attack.

Cyclists and trench warfare: these Cyclists going to and fro in a watery and muddy road in the Western front, 1917, may explain why these troops weren't -most of the time- able to demonstrate their skills.

[gporta]

... More on Cyclists

"...The proper way to ride a military bicycle is sitting upright and with both hands on the handle-bars. The rule is that a rider shall not salute while his machine is in motion"

This paragraph belongs to an old -undated, unidentified- magazine article ("Soldier" magazine?) titled "By Bicycles into Battle", which Mr. Martyn Smith (of the Huntingdonshire Cyclists website) kindly sent me time ago. While the photocopy-quality of the photos in the article is not very good, the skill displayed in them by the cyclists of the 25th (Cyclist) Bn. London Regiment is remarkable.

You can read the article (in Low-Res, but enough readable scans) clicking the following links:

:: Page 1

:: Page 2

Hope this is of interest.

Gloria

[Guest mruk]

Many Thanks, Gloria.

Who would have thought that bicycles could be so interesting? Certainly not me. I've never owned one, and I'm not very proficient when it comes to riding, but I have come across a couple of examples of their popularity and use since your last posting. The first--in the form of caption--looked at the role of women as postmistresses, and suggested that these women could cover anything up to forty miles a day delivering mail in the war; while the second made brief reference to the German cyclist battalion in France, and it seems that some cyclists were also used as scouts, and often went forward in advance of the troops on recce ops. Is any member aware of any encounter between the British and German Cyclist Corps, and what the outcome was?

Kind Regards,

Dave

[gporta]

Hi Dave,

While cyclists weren't able to do much during the long period of static trench warfare in the Western Front, it is true that in more mobile periods of the conflict they would indeed go ahead of the infantry in scouting roles as the Cavalry. In fact, in this thread it is said that the first British soldier to die in the war was a cyclist who had been sent to check forward positions.

In the last months of the war, Cyclists would often move ahead of infantry, as in one occasion (as mentioned in the NAM magazine article mentioned in a previous post) when, on armistice day, a british Cycling patrol reached a railway station and was able to make withdraw a group of Germans they met there. I have no mentions at hand of cyclists of enemy armies meeting but it is not an unlikely scenario.

In the same article, the tactical advantages of cyclist troops (as envisaged in the pre-Great War period) are described: "...The special utility of the cycles lay in the fact that they could traverse great distances along roads at high speed -a quality which was to be developed to the utmost. When they made contact with the enemy the cyclist were to act as infantry, with such slight changes of formation as were made necessary by the utilisation of cycles". The "but" in this reasoning is that, in bad roads or bumpy terrain, bicycles were in disadvantage (one wonders what could have happened -speculative anachronism here- if mountain bikes had existed back in 1914 ).

As an example of eficient use or armed cyclists, the article mentions that, in WW2, Japanese Cyclist troops would quickly spread in Malaya thanks to the excellence of British roads... When Japanese soldiers were temporarily detained by a destroyed bridge, they made up for such delays thanks to the speedy advance on wheels.

Gloria

[gporta]

I just came across a 1932 picture of Laughton. I think he looks very much like the young man in the 1917 2/1st Hunts group photo (well, IMHO)

(Gorgeous Lad, BTW )

Gloria

[Guest mruk]

Hello Gloria,

This is a brief quote from 'The War Illustrated' on the role of the Essex Cyclist Scouts on the coast of East Anglia. In the background is a windmill, and at the side is a small fishing boat, with the men cycling along a coastal path. It's quite a picturesque scene. [May 1, 1915. Vol. 2, No. 37] [inside Cover]

THE MODERN COASTGUARD GOES AWHEEL

"The breezy East Coast, so long the rendezvous of holiday enthusiasts, is now the scene of serious military activity. A German raid upon the shores of East Anglia is still possible, though highly impossible, but nothing has been left undone to defeat such an attempt. This...study shows a body of Essex Cyclist Scouts riding along one of the coast roads, which they patrol day and night, to give warning of the enemy approaching by sea or air."

It seems that the 'Cyclist Corps' had a wide and varied remit.

Kind Regards,

Dave

[gporta]

Dave,

Again, thank you very much for transcribing that old item of news. The description of the image makes coast-guarding look almost bucolic, and maybe secondary to the more relevant role of the British Navy in keeping Britain's shores safe. Still, German raids were far more than a distant possibility... as early as in December 1914, German warships attacked Scarborough (Laughton's home town), Whitby and Hartlepool.

The 1/1st Bn. Huntingdonshire Cyclists were already patrolling the Yorkshire coasts by the time the raid took place. This is a description of the events which appeared in the no. 14 (autumn term, 1914) of "The Huntingdonian", the magazine of Huntingdon Grammar School. In it, an old student serving in the Hunts Cyclists reports the event:

"The Raid on Scarborough"

"Old Huntingdonian Under Fire"

"Private R.E. Wooley, of the Hunts Cyclist Battalion, and old boy of the HGS, underwent an exciting experience at Scarborough during the recent bombardment by a German warship. At the time of the bombardment Pte. Wooley was passing through Scarborough on his way home for 48 hours leave, and about eight o'clock, when the bombardment commenced, he was on Scarborough Railway, where things looked rather dangerous, as shells were falling at no great distance from a large gasometer in the vicinity. The bombardment continued for nearly half-an-hour, and all the time it looked as if the station was bound to be struck sooner or later. specially as one shell dropped within 50 yards, causing many of the interested spectators on the station to seek cover. As far as could be seen from the station no great damage was done, as most of the shells fell on a hill outside the town known as "Oliver's Mount" though some did damage to property. Hundreds of people began to leave the town, and excitement and commotion were great even as far inland as York"

Note: Charles Laughton's parent's hotel, the Pavilion, was just beside Scarborough's railway station, so the owners, staff and customers of the hotel must have had a point of view and experience very close to that of Private Wooley. Charles is not very likely to have been present, as in those days he was in Stonyhurst College, the Christmas holidays for the students still looming a week ahead.

Hope this is of interest,

Gloria

[Guest mruk]

Many Thanks Gloria,

The East Coast took a bit of a pounding in December 1914, with the civilian casualty rate approaching more than 100 dead, and many more wounded and succumbing to their injuries, although as this statement from the War Office suggests, only the barest of details were released, with the loss of life greatly understated. I suppose 'morale' was one reason, and the fact that the press was effectively 'gagged', though the report differs slightly to the one which you kindly posted above, and besides the gasworks been hit in Hartlepool, a number of houses were destroyed, and the lighthouse was badly damaged at Scarborough. Whitby Abbey, where one of the Bronte's is buried, was also shelled, with the coastguard station virtually put out of action. Many more would die in the Zeppelin Raids on Yarmouth one month later. I wonder if the Norfolks and Northern Cyclists were involved in the defence?

EAST COAST BOMBARDMENT-DECEMBER 16, 1914

“At 8.00 a.m. to-day three enemy ships were sighted off Hartlepool, and at 8.15 they commenced a bombardment. The ships appeared to be two battle cruisers and one armoured cruiser. The land batteries replied, and are reported to have hit and damaged the enemy. At 8.50 the firing ceased, and the enemy steamed away. None of our guns was touched. One shell fell on the Royal Engineers’ lines, and several in the lines of the 18th Service Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry. The casualties amongst the troops amounted to seven killed and fourteen wounded. Some damage was done to the town, and the gasworks were set on fire…

At the same time a battle cruiser and an armoured cruiser appeared of Scarborough and fired about fifty shots, which caused considerable damage, and thirteen casualties are reported. At Whitby two battle cruisers fired some shots, doing damage to buildings, and the following casualties are reported, viz. two killed and two wounded. At all these places there was an entire absence of panic, and the demeanour of the people was everything that could be desired.”

Please see: www.dmalcolm.demon.co.uk/genealogy/raid/htm for a list of those who died in both the sea and air raids.

Kind Regards,

Dave

[Guest mruk]

It's not exactly Charles Laughton, but this was taken from The "Snapper" ['Monthly Journal of the East Yorkshire Regiment. Jan. 1916, Vol. XI. No. 1. p.16]

"5th Cyclust] Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment

Christmas found the Cyclists still on the coast, but under much better conditions than a year ago. Many of our readers will no doubt remember lining the Lincolnshire coast trenches on Christmas Day, 1915. About 10% of the Battalion were lucky enough to be at home for Christmas, taking the six days leave granted by the Northern Command. This special leave is much appreciated by all the ranks.

On the 4th January a "high" Tea and Social was got up for the men at Headquarters by the people of Roos and neighbourhood. At Withernsea a concert was arranged for the Lancashire Fusiliers and the men of this Battalion stationed there. At Hornsea a concert party was given by Mr. J. W. Rymer and party from Hull and was very much enjoyed.

The Battalion Football League is still flourishing. Up to the time of writing, Headquarters team is top of the bill, not having lost a match. The following tables shows the positions of the various teams:

Headquarters [10 pts]

E-C [7]

A [4]

H [3]

F [2]

B [2]

C [2]

D [0]

G [0]

During December, 2nd Lts, Lowson, Lee and Wilbourn joined the Battalion. Sergts. Drewery and Tate were promoted Colour Sergeants, going to G and C companies respectively"

It seems that some of the 5th Bttn had a cushy Christmas--though I'll have to look at some later editions to see if the newly-appointed CSM of "G Company" managed to sort out his ailing football team.

Cheers,

Dave

[gporta]

Dave, looks as if "G" Company's team lost the category and descended to a lesser league

That was indeed a very interesting slice of the life of a Cyclist unit in the coast (I hope there'll be more of it). However, as lighthearted as it is (Christmas spirit and all) it must be remembered that the deployment of troops in the East Coast was no light matter: the coast could be attacked (as they were) by warships, Zeppelins and later Gothas, would come from the sea carrying bombs... I imagine Cyclists troops in those cases could only do little else than patrol the seaside and warn coastal or anti-aircraft guns in the event of danger.

Some info follows about the East coast German attack of December 16th 1914.

The victims of the attack were basically civilian. Scarborough and Whitby had no military interest. Hartlepool and West Hartlepool ports were not fortified, though among its points of military interest for the enemy they had coastal guns (manned by the Durham Garrison Royal Artillery, a Territorial Unit). These guns managed to hit and damage two of the German destroyers. There was also a destroyer flotilla and a submarine. The 3rd Bn. Green Howards were in the Hartlepool garrison , and also the 18th Bn. Durham Light Infantry, a Kitchener battalion. The damage was particularly high at Hartlepool, in loss of human lives, wounded people and damage, which in all the towns shelled was mostly civilian.

Apart from the raid on these coastal populations, the German warships laid a hundred mines in the cosat which would hit twenty vessels before the mines were cleared by April 1915.

While the Germans accomplished the target of making the British feel vulnerable in their own homeland, and forcing Britain to keep men, warships and other resources out of the fighting fronts, the deaths and damage caused to undefended civilians became a strong propaganda motif (see poster below) against the cause of the Central powers.

Some sources: Stand To! magazine no. 34: "The Home Front (25): The German Navy Strikes", "The German Attack on Scarborough" Edited by James Hartington Jones, "All Quiet on the Home Front" by Richard van Emden and Steve Humphries (with a chapter on the esat Coast attacks centered in Hartlepool).

Gloria

[gporta]

More.

Here there are a couple of photos related to Scarborough during the Great War and the Laughton family.

The first one is a "Feed the guns" campaign image dated november 1918. The building behind is the Pavilion Hotel, owned by Charles' parents.

The second image is one of the Royal hotel damaged by German shells in the December 1914 attack. The hotel was purchased by Charles' younger brother Tom in 1935. Tom Laughton would remain the owner up until his retirement, when he sold it. Tom Laughton, circa 1937-8 redecorated and re-organised the hotel's restaurant & lounges, which were decorated by the painter John Armstrong, a good friend of his brother Charles, and indeed a long-time friend of Charles' missus Elsa Lanchester. A re-opening party was held in which, impromptu, Scarborian musician Eric Fenby played Delius' incidental music for James Elroy Flecker's "Hassan" while Charles quoted some long speeches of the book.

Gloria

[Stebie9173]

Dragging this topic back to the top again, afrter mention on another topic...

Gloria,

I've had a bit of a look at what seems to be a draft of men 42054 to 42066 (listed alphabetically by surname, which tends to be indicative of men grouped together for a reason), and 42065 George Swain has a service record. It does fit remarkably well with what you have already surmised on Charles Laughton's drafting to France.

In my opnion, there is a pretty good chance this is the same route that Charles Laughton took to the Front, give or take the Training Reserve Battalion (though 42054 John H Agar, also in the group, has mention of the 87th TRB as well).

Steve.

[David Filsell]

Both Bruce and Rathbone are covered (in a total of some 21 other - later famous individuals) in "Famous 1914-1918" by Richard van Emden and Victor Puick, recently published by Pen and Sword. It contains outlines of wartime careers and a brief biography. Also covered are R C Sherriff, AA Milne, Dennis Wheatley and J RR Tolkien. I have a mixed view of the overall result; the work can largely be considered as introductory to the individuals covered I think. The work leans very heavily on the individuals own writings, with additional research by the authors. Rathbone material seems to come from his own book ""In and Out of Character" and that about Bruce sems to draws heavily on "The HAC in the Great War 1914-18". Bruce apparently wrote an unpublished biography "Games, Gossip and Greasepaint and acording to Emden and Puick. But "... apart from brief exerpts that are available on the Internet, the current whereabouts of the of the original manuscript is unknown"

Must go "The Bells, the Bells".

[gporta]

Dragging this topic back to the top again, afrter mention on another topic..

Steve... That is all... Well! Very, very interesting!!! Thank you so much for it!

When I went, time ago, to the National Archives to try to find Charles' record, I considered the option of checking some of the other boys in the list, but, alas, I didn't have the time after checking all the burnt papers (including the mis-sorts) for "Laughton" and a few usual miss-spellings of the surname. But you have proved that it was a good idea.

Next time I go there I'll check all the soldiers with a known Huntingdonshire/Bedfordshire/Northamptonshire connection (it may take days, but, as you have proven, the potential finds could be real treasures, source-wise, as Swain's record is)

Time ago, I had a list from Martyn Smith, of the Huntingdonshire Cyclist website. It listed a draft of men of the 2/1st Hunts Cyclists being sent to France.

It is interesting to see that Swain is from Bradford. With Laughton, Fred Hunter and Ernest Bennet this makes for four young Yorkshiremen in the list, that we know. It is interesting to note that they are all in D company, and there's another soldier there. John H. Agar, as you say, is also in D Company and we know that he was in the 87th Training Reserve Battalion, and his number there (71561) is not too far form the number in one of the Swain's scan you posted.

I also checked the Weekly casualty lists at The British Library, and I found some of the men listed in that draft, although I didn't have time to check it as thoroughly as I'd wish. I don't saw Swain in the casualty list, and, if it wasn't due to my sight being too tired after hours of perusing microfilms , it would be interesting if Swain isn't actually listed there, as I couldn't see Laughton (this would mean that the Weekly casualty list didn't record every casualty).

Another interesting thing is Swain being wounded on November 4th. Sources usually mention that Laughton was gassed "in the last week of the war", so this might be the day.

Here's he 7th northamptonshires War Diary entry for that day:

November 4th 1918 Bermerain

B and D Companies were detailed as support to the 9th Bn Royal Sussex Regiment (73rd Brigade, 24th Division) who were to attack along the whole Brigade front from a line which had been established West of the Enlain-Villers Pol Road. Capt. A. Elliman was in command of D Company and supported right flank and Capt. B. Wright the left flank. These two Companies moved off at 3 am, crossed the river Rhonelle by bridges which had been put into position by A Company the night previous, and took their position by early morning. A and C companies remained in the positions occupied the previous night until 6 am and then moved to the rear of the general line of advance. The barrage commenced at 6 am and the Companies moved forward. D Company was caught in the Hun counter-barrage and a number of casualties were caused. The remainder were led onward and in time formed part of the front line. By 8 am they were on the high ground in front of Wargniers-le-Petit. Capt A. Elliman and 2/Lieut J. W. Tetley had both become casualties (wounded). B Company successfully eluded the counter-barrage on the left (N) flank and succeeded in establishing themselves in a position which dominated the small bridge over the river Aunelle. This bridge carried the main Enlain-Bavay Road which separated Wargniers-le-Grand and Wargniers-le-Petit and by concentrated Lewis Gun and rifle fire and by forward patrols they managed to keep it whole. The enemy was shelling the sunken roads and were sweeping the ridge with machine gun fire. The position, having become stationary, it was decided to relieve the pressure by outflanking both villages from the north. The 13th Bn Middlesex Regiment (73rd Brigade, 24th Division) was allotted Wargniers-le-Grand and the 7th Northamptonshire Regiment, Wargniers-le-Petit.

14.30 hours- A and C Companies were detailed for this duty. They were to cross by keeping their left on the main road and push through the village and then onward to the high ground East of it. C Company formed the front line under 2/Lieut. C. Pike and A Company under Capt. G. A. Williamson were in support. Machine gun fire was met with but overcome by grenades and rifle fire and both Companies established themselves well forward of the village. B Company now became support and D Company having been withdrawn from the front line went into reserve. The enemy began to shell the outskirts and roads leading to the villages which were inhabited by a fair number of French civilians. 50 prisoners were taken during operations.

P.S.: is there a higher-resolution scan of Swain's record available?

[Stebie9173]

I'm sure I can send you a copy! They do strain the eyes a bit at that size! Either PM me (though my PM Inbox always teeters close to full) or e-mail me via my profile and I'll send you copies.

Alternatively the Ancestry service and "pension" records are free in November and you can download them personally - not to mention looking for the others - Pension records are A-Z surnames (including Swain) and Service Records are A-h with rumours on I-R appearing sometime soon. If you type in George Swain into the Pension records search he is 6th on the list with allegedly 11 pages of records.

I am very confident that the mobilisation dates, transfer dates and dates to France, etc. of Swain will apply to Laughton and the other very closely numbered men in the list, and the "posting to the 4th battalion Bedfordshire Regiment for Records purposes" certainly fits.

Steve.

[gporta]

I am very confident that the mobilisation dates, transfer dates and dates to France, etc. of Swain will apply to Laughton and the other very closely numbered men in the list, and the "posting to the 4th battalion Bedfordshire Regiment for Records purposes" certainly fits.

I agree. And thanks for the information! I'll check it out as well

The sad thing is, the War Diary of the battalion doesn't record the arrival of a new draft during the relevant period, nor details the number -or type- of casualties occurred in the 4th of november, for instance. I understand that, depending on the circumstances or the officer, the entries could be quite variable. But still, it somewhat gives the impression that they didn't care for the newcomers?

[Stebie9173]

The Northamptons diaries certainly don't record as well as other Regiments, except during the odd period. The 2nd Battalions diary is reasonable, but that peters out towards 1918.

I'll sort George Swain's record out for you ASAP.

Steve.

[Stebie9173]

E-mail sent earlier this evening.

Steve.