Charles Laughton-Actor

[gporta]

Hi again, Steve,

I've been examinating the full record of George swain as sent by you, plus searching some photocopies at home.

Of the interesting bits, one is that George was evacuated on a ship after being wounded. His scalp wound was, unlike Charles' gas case, a "Blighty". He also seems to have been along those catching the 1918 influenza epidemic while recovering.

I can read the "posted to 4th Battalion", but I don't see a "Bedforshire" or "Bedfords" note. Still, since the Huntingdonshire regimental number is the same as the Bedforshire number in the Medal card, it fits in place, as you say.

Another thing is that he is recorded as a member of B Company. Since the War Diary of the 7th Northants only mentions "a number of casualties" in D company. It is obvious that apart from some men in D company, there were more casualties than that

In fact, the diary of the 73rd ambulance (WO 95/2202) tells us that:

Of these "about 360" casualties received by the 73rd Ambulance, it is to be assumed that "a number" of them were from the 7th Northants. Again, while understanding that officers in charge of the records might have more urgent things to deal with than writing reports, one regrets that, while Officer casualties are duly noted, casualties of ORs under their command are not.

The brief report gathered by Laughton's wife Elsa Lanchester in 1938 (while he was still alive) seems to have rather accurate data. For instance, she wrote that he was sent "straight to the front", and George Swain's papers coincide with this: havind disembarked on August 10th, and joining the 24th division "Rfmt" (Reinforcement?) camp by the 18th, and the 7th Norhamptonshires by September 8th certainly suggests that little time must have been spent in Etaples... My guess, whatever extra training George and Charles took during those "transit" days must have been a rather straighforward preparation in the planning for the impending battles. The battalion diary for these days suggests rest, reorganization and training, too:

September 7th 1918 Lens Sector

Battalion relieved by the 9th Royal Sussex Regt (73rd Brigade, 24th Division), and proceeded to new quarters at Marqueffles Farm. Accommodation, Nissen Bow huts. Condition of camp good.

September 8th 1918 Marqueffles Farm

Day spent in cleaning and bathing, etc.

September 9th 1918 Marqueffles Farm

Training (with view to semi-open warfare) under company arrangements, followed by opening stages of the competition in general work, to be decided this week. First stages field firing.

September 10th 1918 Marqueffles Farm

The day devoted to all round training (with lectures on varied subjects), and shooting competition.

September 11th 1918 Marqueffles Farm

Training in wiring, bayonet fighting, close order drill, open order drill, and fire and movement.

September 12th 1918 Marqueffles Farm

Route march via Bouvigny, Gouy Servins, Verdrel, etc.., and back to Marqueffles. Weather bad. Night operations.

September 13th 1918 Marqueffles Farm

Training in all subjects under company arrangements.

It's also rather likely that the "gassed one week before armistice" which Ms. Lanchester quotes might be accurate and not be on the "wounded on the First day of the Somme/the last day of the war" type of "family legend", as the action in November 4th takes place after nearly two weeks after the previous one in which the battalion was involved (the days in between being dedicated to training and other assorted preparations for the action on November 4th).

For context, I'm adding a bit of info about the events of this day. The book "From Amiens to the Armistice" mentions that German artillery would be active shelling BEF divisions in their forming-up positions, but also mnentions that there was a thick ground mist up to 9.00 , which "gave the attacking infantry a certain amount of cover and tended to reduce casualties".

Also, here's the excerpt from the 73rd Division's diary for the action. I must say that the Brigade's "bird's eye" view of the action helps getting a clearer view of the events:

[Stebie9173]

Gloria,

I was up at Colindale this week, and whilst the quest for Charles' wounding wasn't top of my list, I did get a little time to look for him, with the usual mixture of bad news and a bit of good news.

The good news is that I found George Swain's name listed in the wounded:

Weekly Casualty List published 17-12-1918, Daily List of 14-12-1918

The bad news is that Charles isn't on the same list, nor could I see him in the time I had.

Steve.

[gporta]

Thanks for checking it up, Steve! (and excellent news!)

I speculate if 42958, E. Davey coud be the "E. Davey" numbered 48581 from the Huntingdonshire Cyclists' D company... How many other of these casualties could be from the 7th Battalion, I wonder?

In your experience... is the Weekly Casualty List a comprehensive one, or there are "misses"? Or maybe a "gas" case could be considered too slight a casualty to be recorded? At any rate, from the 73rd Ambulance's entry, I have the impression that there were casualties left "out of the inkwell" as it were, in the Weekly Casualty List. I've read that the casualties in the Last Hundred Days were on par -or nearly- with those of the Somme and Passchendaele battles of the previous years.

I recall checking Scarborough local papers long ago (both in situ and at Colindale), to check casualties, but it seems that, by late war, only the dead ones were mentioned in the press, so no clues from there, either.

Incidentally, I see from George Swain's Pension record that he "enlisted" in Bradford in September 1916... Was it an ordinary proceeding -I mean, bureaucratic- prior to being called up (For George still had a few months ahead to his 18th birthday)? Or enlisting prior to the compulsory date a way to avoid a certain "stigma" about being a Conscript?

[gporta]

A member of the training staff at Catterick remembered Charles as a young recruit and, among other things, he said that "We tried to show him how to put on his puttees, but he never seemed able to manage to look smart in them"

I came recently across a picture of Charles in "putees". It was taken during the shooting of "Rembrandt" (1936) and either Laughton or the costume designer decided that it was appropiate for the Dutch painter to don putees (or something very similar)

I'd say that, apart from the unorthodox turn under the shoe, he wears them quite correctly.