Herbert Henry (H. H.) Niles (1891-1918)

The burial location (above|) and inscription (below) for Driver H. H. Niles

Herbert Henry Niles and his parents

Herbert Henry NILES (1891-1918) was one of seven children born into a fishing and seafaring family with origins stretching back to Devonport and Cornwall. At the time of his birth, the family were living in the Deptford / Greenwich area.

Research to date would suggest that Herbert, the eldest son, broke with the family tradition by serving in the army.  We are not sure why this was the case, as other male members of his family attended the Greenwich Hospital School to undertake naval training, and seemed to go on to serve in the Royal Naval Reserve.  As you will see below, Herbert had four brothers: one died in WW1 in 1917 and another in WW2 in 1942.  

Herbert’s mother, Sophia Jane Beasley (1871-1942), married twice and Herbert was the eldest of the three sons Sophia had with her first husband Henry Herbert Niles (1864-1894). Herbert’s father was the son of a Naval “Schoolmaster” and was a Seaman sailing the route from Greenwich to Grimsby. He was lost at sea in 1894 at the age of 28.

Herbert Henry Niles was a cloth-cutter and served as a Driver in the Royal Army Service Corps Battalion 838th HT Company (supply and transport) in WW1 (Regimental number T4/240781).

The two photos below show the Army Service Corps training Depot at Grove Park Barracks in 1915 where Herbert would have been trained.

Many of the driver training instructors were ex London Bus Drivers (none in this first picture, but they were allowed to wear their white topped caps with an ASC badge). Many of these drivers were to go on to drive the 1000 old bill type London buses called up in WWI to transport troops in France.

In 1918 the Army Service Corps were awarded the prefix Royal by King George V, in recognition of their WWI service.

Army Service Corps training Depot at Grove Park Barracks in 1915

Army Service Corps training Depot at Grove Park Barracks in 1915

Death of Herbert Henry Niles

Sadly, Herbert died of the Spanish flu in Lewisham Military Hospital (Lewisham Road) the day after the war ended (November 12 th, 1918).  The image below shows this hospital, which has now become University Hospital Lewisham.

Lewisham Military Hospital

Herbert is listed on the large Brockley Cemetery Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorial and his remains are buried here under block 17 (see images at the beginning of this document). Herbert is also commemorated at the Lewisham Hospital war memorial. The surviving stones from this memorial were moved to outside the Old Library building on Lewisham High Street after WW2 damage.

Herbert left a widow (Clara Mary Ann, nee Brittan) and small child (Clara Florence May) living at 40D Armada Street, Deptford.  Herbert and Clara had married on 1st August 1915 at St Paul’s Church, Deptford and their daughter was born in June 1917, although sadly she died at the age of only two years in December 1919.  

Some information on Lewisham Military Hospital After the War

The First World War ended with the signing of the armistice on the 11th of November 1918. On 28th November 1918 the Lewisham Board of Guardians wrote to the War Office asking when they would be given back the Lewisham Infirmary building. Clearly now that the war was over the Guardians were keen to return to business as usual. Lewisham Military Hospital closed in May 1919 and was returned to the Board of Guardians. Lewisham Hospital continued to operate some of its poor law functions until the workhouse system was abolished in 1929.

Lewisham Hospital became part of the newly formed National Health Service in 1948. University Hospital Lewisham is now a major teaching hospital and is renowned for its maternity and paediatric care.

Memorial garden commemorating those who died in Lewisham Military Hospital during WW1

In 1919 a stone column and cross memorial was erected by the medical and nursing staff opposite the hospital gates to those servicemen who died in Lewisham Military Hospital and to nurses Dorothy Goodman and Helen Knibb who both died at their posts. Herbert Henry Niles is also commemorated on this Lewisham Hospital war memorial.

Sadly, this memorial was destroyed during the Second World War. The surviving stones were moved to outside the Old Library building on Lewisham High Street and are now part of a small memorial garden in front of the former public library, which is now part of University Hospital Lewisham.

The brothers of Herbert Henry Niles

Herbert had four brothers. Herbert’s brothers, John (‘Jack’) Thomas Niles and James Albert Niles, both attended Glengall Road School, London and we believe they may have gone on to the attend Greenwich Hospital School.

John (‘Jack’) Thomas Niles (1893-1965) served on Sun Tugs, Deptford, and returned to Grimsby at the age of 18 as a fisherman. His trawler was captured in WW1 by a German Warship and Jack was a Prisoner of War in Germany. After the war, Jack worked on the cargo ships in Grimsby for 27 years, he then worked in the Tug Offices, Grimsby.

James Albert Niles (1894-1942) was in the Royal Naval Reserve during WW1 and is listed as a ‘leading deck hand’. He also served in WW2, but he was lost at sea aboard SS Leo near Indonesia on a minesweeping mission during WW2.  He died on 29th December 1942.

After the death of Herbert’s father in 1894, Sophia married again in 1896. Her second husband was Henry David Grew, another seafaring man, a fisherman working between Greenwich and Grimsby. They had another four children, listed below, one of whom was the grandmother (Ellen Sophia Grew) of one of the authors (Lucy Henry). 

Henry Grew (1897-1978) attended Greenwich Hospital School. (Royal Hospital Schools including Trafalgar Quarters, School for Sons of Seamen, Romney Road, Greenwich). He served on HMS Ganges and various other ships until 1927. Henry’s service number was J24242.

Albert Edward Grew (1899-1917) attended Greenwich Hospital School and served on HMS Ganges and then H.M. Trawler “Thuringia”. Albert was in the Royal Naval Reserve and served as a ‘deck boy’ on H.M. Trawler “Thuringia”. He was killed in action off Youghal on the 11th of November 1917 after the ship was torpedoed by a German U-Boat.  

On the 11th November 1917 the small Admiralty trawlers THURINGIA and HARLECH CASTLE were engaged in escorting the tanker ALCHYMIST towards a local convoy route. All three vessels were 12 miles south of Mine Head on a SW course when HARLECH CASTLE was suddenly rocked by an explosion which emanated from the direction of THURINGIA. There was not the slightest sign of the little vessel or her crew. The convoy later reported spotting a submarine some three miles astern of the convoy. This was later confirmed by the armed yacht BERYL. 

This is the entry in the UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921, for Albert Edward Grew:

“GREW, Deck Boy Albert Edward, 958.S.B.D. R.N.R. H.M. Trawler “Thuringia”. Killed in Action off Youghal 11 Nov., 1917. Age 17. Son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Grew, of 365, Convamore Rd., Grimsby. 27.”

The THURINGIA and Deck Boy Albert Edward GREW RNR SBD 958

H.M. Trawler “Thuringia” 

Albert is remembered at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Chatham Naval Memorial.  He had not yet turned 18 when he died and was the favourite brother of one of the author’s grandmother (Lucy’s grandmother).

A.E. Grew listed under the heading ‘BOY’ on the Chatham Naval Memorial  

Herbert also had two younger sisters:

Ellen Sophia Grew (1902-1997) married a Grimsby inshore fisherman Robert Parrott and was the grandmother of one of the authors (Lucy Henry). 

Elsie Louise Grew (married name Waring) (1911-2002) married a professional footballer, Jack Waring.

_________________________________________________________________________

This information was written and researched by Susan Hampson (compiler of family history for the Parrott family) with contributions from Lucy Henry (great niece of Herbert Henry Niles).   

November 2022

Dudley Granville Brown World War One fighter pilot

Dudley Granville Brown was a Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot who died in December 1918 when his plane crashed. Unlike most casualties of war, he is honoured in the Ladywell section of Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries with a grand civil memorial. 

Dudley Granville Brown World War One fighter pilot (photo courtesy of Findagrave)

Dudley Granville Brown was born on 2 July 1899 in Norwood, South East London, the only son of  Cecil Reyner William Brown (1874-1928) and his wide Emily (nee Dye 1874-1930). The couple also had three daughters Joyce (older than Dudley), Ilene and Cecily Millicent (younger sisters). Cecil was a clerk in the hydrographic department at the Admiralty, as was his father James Joseph Brown, before him. He married Emily in 1897 and he was also declared bankrupt the same year. Despite this, he continued to work at the Admiralty. 

In 1901, the family lived at 26 Clifton Road, Croydon. By 1903 the family had moved to 159 Wellmeadow Road, Catford where Cecily was born, and by 1914 the family were living in Granville House, 56 Lewisham Park, Lewisham.

After leaving school, Dudley became a bank clerk. He enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) on 8 August 1917 as an Air Mechanic D.G. Brown 3rd class. 

Initially the RFC only accepted men who were already qualified pilots as flying officers. This limited the intake to well-off individuals, often aristocrats. But this changed due to the increased demand for pilots as the air war developed and the pilot’s role changed from reconnaissance to an offensive one. As a result, army officers were sometimes trained for the role and air mechanics like D.G. Brown also had opportunities to become pilots. 

Air Mechanics usually maintained their aircraft, so men with technical skills were often recruited to this role. However, they were not only ground crew. Some of them volunteered to act as air crew which meant they flew in the planes, usually as a gunner. Part of the appeal of flying was that they would receive “Flying Pay” on the days they flew. (The pay for ranks was much lower than for officers). But doubtless the prestige and let it be said, the glamour, of being a pilot was also attractive to many.

He became a flying officer, 2nd Lieutenant, on 12 December 1917.  He flew a Sopwith Camel-a single seat biplane fighter aircraft- introduced on the Western Front in 1917. On 30th March 1918 he was wounded in combat (wrist injury) while flying in France. This incident is mentioned in passing by Guy Mainwaring Knocker in his diary, subsequently published as The Diaries and letters of a World War One fighter pilot in 2008 by his grandson Guy Burgess. Knocker flew with No 65(Fighter) Squadron, so it seems that D.G. Brown was also in 65 Squadron. 

Dudley Granville flew a Sopwith Camel-a single seat biplane

The squadron had been formed in June 1916 as a fighter squadron, and was sent to France in March 1917 where the pilots were involved in the Battles of Arras. By the time D.G. Brown was wounded, the squadron was involved in the Third Battle of Arras trying to hold back the German army’s first major offensive, Operation Michael, for two years. 

By December 1918, he was back in England at Feltwell Norfolk, which holds an R.A.F. base 10 miles west of Thetford. On 20 December, Dudley was killed in a mid-air collision with another machine during fighting practice near Hethwold. He lost control of the aircraft and it dived into the ground. He was just 19 years old. His instructor Captain Philip Everard Graham March M.C. was also killed. He was 23 years old. Air Mechanic 1st class Alfred Charles Sellwood was also killed with Captain Marsh. 

Dudley Granville Brown was buried in Ladywell cemetery and both his parents were later buried with him. 

A few months later, Captain Marsh’s daughter was born. 

{FoBLC thanks Julie Robinson for this article]

Serjeant Thomas Charles Joslin: a Soldier of the Great War.

The Grave of Thomas Charles Joslin lies a short walk from the entrance to Brockley Cemetery along a shady side path. 

1881 -Thomas Charles Joslin was born in Holborn, London, on the 12th July 1881 to parents Thomas Joslin, a Gold Refiner by trade and his Mother Ellen Joslin nee Dawe. 

1903 - Thomas enrolled as a private in the Victoria & St George's Rifles. Volunteer battalion of the Kings Royal Rifle Corps.

1909 - Thomas married Beatrice Blanch Block (Beatie) on the 31st July at St Dunstan in the West, in the City of London. His occupation was a Publisher's assistant. 

Beatrice Blanch Joslin

1913 – The birth of their only child Irene Beatrice Joslin known as Reni, whilst living at Waller Road New Cross

WW1 – at the start of hostilities Thomas enlisted at St Pauls Church Yard,  Deptford, joining Kitchener's New Army. He was assigned to the 6th (Service) Battalion of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (D.C.L.I.) under command of the 43RD Brigade in the (Light) Division. 

The Battalion trained at Aldershot. By November 1914 they were at Witley, moving back to Aldershot in February 1915, initially without arms of any kind however the recruits were judged to be ready by May 1915.

The battalion landed at Boulogne on the 22nd of May 1915, the move to the fighting was delayed by lack of ammunition.

Second Battle of Ypres the division took part in the Action of Hooge on the 30th July 1915 in which it had the misfortune to be the first to be attacked by flamethrower, More than 750 soldiers lost their lives over the course of two days in the conflict. While most of the casualties in Hooge were attributed to direct fire from conventional weapons, it is worth noting that it was the use of flamethrowers that flushed them out into the open. 

1916 -   He was promoted to Serjeant.

The Somme – the Division took part if the capture of Trones Wood between the 8-14 July 1916.

The Aftermath – August 1916 a letter to Miss Reni Joslin (daughter), Shardeloes Road, New Cross, London; post marked Army Post Office 23 Aug 16, “I have been admitted into - 12 General Hospital Rouen,  on the 19th night wounded a GSW through shoulder, fractured arm, shrapnel in Leg and am going on well, letter follows at earliest opportunity, British Expeditionary Force signed Daddy” 23rd August 1916.

November 1916, Death in the sub district of South St Pancras, London on the 28th November 1916 at University College Hospital, Thomas Charles Joslin aged 35 years of Shardeloes Deptford, Sergeant 6th Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, (advertisement Canvasser) cause of death 1, gunshot wounds received on active service, 2, Septicaemia, certified by T.B. Johnston MB, informant Beatrice Joslin Widow of Deceased, Shardeloes Road Deptford, Registered 30 November 1916.

Thomas Charles Joslin, is remembered on the WW1 War Memorial at St Catherine’s Church, Hatcham, Pepys Road, New Cross

Thomas Charles Joslin, Buried in Brockley Cemetery, Plot no S.14 with his wife Beatrice her brothers William Waugh Block and Frederick George Block and sister Eliza Ann Block aged 3.

Thomas Charles Joslin is just one of the many who lost their lives during conflict, who are buried or remembered in Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries, We Will Remember Them.

Put together by Phill Barnes-Warden, FoBLC Member, with grateful help from Roger Purcell, a member of the Joslin Family.

Nurse Sophie Hilling who gave her life for her country in the 1918 Flu Pandemic

Nurses treating soldiers at a clearing station in France

Wedged between a posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross, John George Pattison and the famed educational pioneers the McMillan sisters on the Old Deptford Town Hall Board of Honour (unveiled in 1919) is the name of Sister Sophie Hilling A.R.R.C. Queen Alexandra's Imperial Nursing Reserve : a native and lifelong resident of the Borough of Deptford, who was awarded the Royal Red Cross (Second Class) for bravery, coolness and devotion to duty whilst on active service in 1917 and who died aged 34 of pneumonia in Number 72, General Hospital, Trouville, France on 12th October, 1918.

General Hospital, Trouville, France on 12th October 1918

Sophie was born Sophia Hilling in Deptford in 1884 the middle child of Samuel and Sarah Anne Hilling, who was from Suffolk. She trained as a Nurse in Birmingham between 1908 and 1912 before joining the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service (Reserve)  during WW1. Sophie was awarded the Royal Red Cross Medal, first established by Queen Victoria in 1883,  in October 1917 when she was working at the Welsh Metropolitan War Hospital in Cardiff. Hence the post-nominal after her name -Associate Royal Red Cross.

Sophie served overseas in TrouvIlle, located on the Normandy coast, France. British military hospitals were often situated on the coast so that casualties could be evacuated for longer term treatment in Britain. In the summer of 1918 she had an excellent confidential report from the Matron of 72 General Hospital where she had been working as a Home Sister. On the 10th October, 1918 she was admitted to 72 General Hospital with influenza pneumonia on the 'dangerously ill ' list  and sadly died at 22.30 on the 12th October after four years of war service. This was during the second more virulent wave of the 'Spanish' flu pandemic which was to cost the lives of an estimated 7500 members of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) during 1918.

The Matron -in-chief , BEF, Dame Maud McCarthy, recorded Sophie's illness and subsequent death in her war diary  these have now been transcribed and are available to view on line) Her Matron , Eva Cicely Fox, wrote a letter to Maud McCarthy a few days later regarding Sister Hilling's funeral,  which is the subject of a moving reading by Mark Farmer now available on You Tube -

Letters from the Front Line: Death of Sister Sophie Hilling, October 1918

On the 27th September 1919,  at a special meeting of the Deptford Borough Council, the Mayor Councillor , W. Wayland, unveiled in the Council Chamber an Honours Board erected to the memory of Sister Sophie Hilling, a native of Deptford, who died in France in October from pneumonia at the age of 34 while acting as a nurse with the forces'.

Her 'heart -broken' mother attended the funeral (her father had died in 1897) and impressed by all the wreaths on display was heard saying ' How they must have loved my Sophie'.

Sarah Hilling choose these words to be added to her daughter's CWGC headstone- (no doubt with the late War poet Rupert Brooke 's timeless epitaph in mind?)

IN FOREIGN SOIL SHE LAYS
AND IN THAT RICH EARTH
A RICHER DUST CONCEALS.

Sophie's grave lies in Tourgeville Military Cemetery, Basse-Normandie, France.

Lovingly immortalised in the 1916 trench song The Rose of No-Man’s Land, as “the one red rose the soldier knows”  Sister Sophie Hilling paid the ultimate price and is now rightly remembered for her bravery and devotion in the service of her country.

Sophie's parents are buried in Brockley cemetery.

The Royal Red Cross Medal ( Second Class) awarded to Sophie in 1917 

In memory of civilians who lost their lives through enemy air raids in Deptford, Hither Green and Sydenham in World War l

There will be an exhibition at the Deptford Lounge, Giffin  Square, SE8 4RJ, Monday 10th December – Saturday 12th January in memory of civilians who lost their lives through enemy air raids in Deptford, Hither Green and Sydenham in World War l

On display will be the information panels about the Hither Green, Sydenham and Deptford bombings in the First World War. The history of families has been researched by members of the group as part of a project to replace or refurbish the memorials in the Ladywell and Brockley cemeteries.

Please come along with your friends and family.  The Deptford Lounge, which houses the Deptford Library, is open 8am -10pm Mondays to Fridays, 9am – 5pm Saturdays, 10am – 5pm Sundays
If you catch the 47 bus from Lewisham get off at “Wavelengths”.

World War 1 Bombing of Sydenham Road (Picture from Lewisham WW1 wiki)

PLUS there will be talk on Wednesday 9th January at 7:30pm.   FoBLC committee member and researcher Peter Mealing will be talking about the impact these bombings had on south-east London

The Friends of Brockley & Ladywell Cemeteries acknowledges the financial assistance of the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Ladywell Ward Localities Fund in this project

REMEMBRANCE and ARMISTICE DAY EVENT SUNDAY 11th NOVEMBER 2018

Friends of Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries (FoBLC)

REMEMBRANCE and ARMISTICE DAY EVENT

SUNDAY 11^th NOVEMBER  

10.45am – 12.15pm approx

Meet at the Ladywell Cemetery Cross of Sacrifice

There will be a brief introduction to the significance of the event

Following the 2 minute silence:

Wreath laying at the Cross of Sacrifice

Ladywell Cemetery

Walk to the Brockley War Memorial via

three relevant memorials

including 2^nd Lt. T. A. Challis MC of the Tank Corps

where a veteran of the Tank Regiment will lay a wreath.

Wreath laying at the Brockley Cemetery War Memorial.

Join us for all or part of the event. 

All welcome.

www.foblc.org.uk

Thomas Archie Challis MC (1893 to 3rd Nov 1918), 2nd Lieutenant 13th Tank Corps, A Coy

Thomas Archie Challis was born in Walworth in 1893 to parents Charles and Rosa. He had two elder brothers - William and Charles, a younger brother Harold and sister Isabel. Charles, Thomas' father worked as a general labourer and then as a sewerman or flusher for London County Council.
Thomas is recorded as living at 8 Larcom Street, Walworth (1901 census), 201 Franciscan Road, Tooting (1911 census) and 26 Merritt Road, Crofton Park (1918 probate calendar). Thomas was recorded as Archie on the 1901 census so that may have been the name by which his family called him.

Thomas Archie Challis MC (1893 to 3rd Nov 1918),  2nd Lieutenant 13th Tank Corps

Thomas was working as an office boy at 1911. He is recorded on his medal roll as having served as a Lt Sergeant in the ACC (Army no 13443), a Sergeant in the MGC (Army no 114414) and a 2nd Lieutenant in the 13th Tank Corps, A Coy. Thomas was awarded the Victory and British War Medals and the Military Cross. He was awarded the MC for his actions on 8th August when in action with the Australian infantry advancing between Warfusee and Harbonieres. At 8.20 that morning his tank, Mouswald, was fired on by German field guns and was hit four times and put out of action. Challis continued on foot with machine guns and the remainder of his crew.

Supplement to the London Gazette 1 February 1919

T./2nd Lt. Thomas Archie Challis, 13th Btn., Tank Corps

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty near Bayonvillers on 8 August

1918. He attacked three batteries of field guns and received three direct hits on his Tank which wounded some of the crew. In spite of this he continued to advance and endeavoured to silence the batteries with his guns. His Tank having received a fourth hit, which entirely disabled it, he got out of it and in the face of heavy artillery and machine- gun fire went forward with his machine guns and remainder of his crew and engaged the enemy. The resistance of the batteries was finally overcome, and the Tanks were enabled to continue their advance.

Thomas was wounded on the 23 August 1918 and returned to England to convalesce in Ashton Court Military Hospital in Long Ashton, Bristol. Thomas died of pneumonia and influenza at Ashton Court Hospital. The informant was M L Bryant, Commandant, Ashton Court Hospital. (information from a family tree on Ancestry.com). He is buried in Ladywell Cemetery (Plot C1884)

Photo courtesy of Find a Grave

The following is a letter written by T A Challis written whilst convalescing in Ashton Court Hospital, Bristol and printed in Dumfries and Galloway Standard 14 September 1918. (scanned in by Jackie13 on Ancestry.com). Mouswald is south of Dumfries just off the A75

‘Mouswald’ Tank in Action - Commander’s Interesting letter

The following letter has been received by the clerk of Mouswald Parish Council. The tank referred to and an aeroplane were acquired as the result of the War Loan Week in Mouswald last April:-

Ashton Court Hopsital, Bristol, 8 September, 1918

To the inhabitants of Mouswald, -

I am writing to let you know that in France I was commanding a tank named ‘Mouswald’ after your Parish, and thought therefore you would be pleased to know what good work it has done. During June and July of this year, with other tanks my tank was in reserve and in case of necessity at Heilly, just behind Morlancourt, north of the Somme river. Towards the end of July we were relieved, and did some practising with the Australian troops behind the line. These practices were to everybody’s advantage, as it was later proved in action. During one of these practices, Sir Douglas Haig witnessed my tank at work and complimented my section commander on my work. He seemed extremely delighted at the ability of my tank to turn quickly, and was also surprised at its speed. The tank was one of the latest large fighting type. We afterward were pleased to be sent into the line again, and were in action on August 8th with the Australian Infantry. We advanced between Warfusee and Harbonieres on that day, and I went forward at about 8.20a.m. We had not gone far (about 600-800 yards) when we fell among the German Field guns, who fired at us at a distance of about 50 yards. He fired 6 shots, and the tank was hit 4 times, being unfortunately put out of action with the last shot. We felt very downhearted at being put out of action so early in the show, but I knew that I had drawn fire on my tank, and so kept it off the infantry. We were certainly by no means done, however, and I took my crew forward with my machine guns. The tank was only temporarily out of action, and. If not already, soon it will be on the fighting list again. I would like to be with it as it was certainly a good tank, and I had it looked after very carefully. Unfortunately, however, I shall not be going out again just yet, as I was wounded on August 23rd when in action with another tank.

While resting here in convalescence I thought I would write to you, as I felt sure you would want to know what work the tank did that was named after your parish. 

Believe me, yours very sincerely,

T A Challis, 2nd Lt, Tank Corps

Information researched, written and provided by Anne Williams, a friend of Bob Swiniarski who often walks in this cemetery.

Remembering Private Elkins, torpedoed on the R.M.S Leinster 10th October 1918 in ' Ireland's worst maritime disaster'

Located on the berm that lies between the two cemeteries on the Ladywell side pathway is found the Elkins family grave. Private Thomas Elkins ( Middlesex Yeomanry) aged 36 years, Husband of Mabel Duncan Elkins, 39, Byne Road, Sydenham, was aboard the Royal Mail Ship ( RMS) Leinster when it was sunk by a German submarine U-123 shortly after leaving Dublin on the 10th October 1918.

Thomas Elkins who was born in Poplar in 1881 was a military passenger on board R.M.S. Leinster which was sunk by two torpedoes in the Irish Sea, 16 miles east of Dublin, shortly before 10am on the morning of 10th October 1918, on its outbound journey of 68 miles from Kingstown [now Dun Laoghaire] Dublin, to Holyhead, Anglesey, North Wales. It was Ireland's worst maritime disaster.

RMS Leinster carried 771 passengers and crew and was commanded by Captain William Birch (61), a Dubliner who had settled with his family in Holyhead. Apart from Birch, the Leinster had a crew of 76, drawn from the ports of Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire) and Holyhead. Also on board were 22 postal sorters from Dublin Post Office, working in the ship's onboard postal sorting room. There were 180 civilian passengers, men, women and children

But by far the greatest numbers of passengers on board the Leinster were military personnel. Many of them were going on leave or returning from leave. They came from Ireland, Britain, Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Australia. On the Western Front the German Army was being pushed back by the relentless assaults of the Allied armies. On 4 October Germany had asked U.S. President Woodrow Wilson for peace terms. As the Leinster set sail the weather was fine, but the sea was rough following recent storms. Earlier that morning a number of Royal Navy ships at sea off Holyhead were forced to return to port due to the stormy conditions

Shortly before 10 a.m. about 16 miles from Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire) a few people on the deck of the Leinster saw a torpedo approaching the port (left) side of the ship. It missed the Leinster, passing in front of her. Soon afterwards another torpedo struck the port side where the postal sorting room was located. Postal Sorter John Higgins said that the torpedo exploded, blowing a hole in the port side. The explosion travelled across the ship, also blowing a whole in the starboard side.
In an attempt to return to port, the Leinster turned 180 degrees, until it faced the direction from which it had come. With speed reduced and slowly sinking, the ship had sustained few casualties. Lifeboats were being launched. At this point a torpedo struck the ship on the starboard (right) side, practically blowing it to pieces. The Leinster sank soon afterwards, bow first. Among those who died, including nineteen year old Josephine Carr, a shorthand typist from Cork. She was the first ever member of the Wrens (Women's Royal Naval Service) to be killed on active service.

Thomas Elkins –Middlesex Yeomanry -10.10.18 aged 36. He is buried at Grangegorman Military Cemetery (CWGC) Co. Dublin

Ironically the U Boat that sank her was herself lost soon after. The UB-123 was probably lost in a minefield in the North Sea on its way back to Germany, on or about 19 October 1918. The bodies of her commander Robert Ramm and his crew of two officers and thirty-three men were never recovered.

Another casualty of the sinking is separately remembered on a family headstone a short distance from the Elkins family grave – Dulwich born Captain Frank Winterbourn (1890-1918) London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers). He is also buried at Grangegorman.

The Friends group have been in contact with author Philip Lecane, who’s powerfully moving book on the sinking ‘Torpedoed’ tells the stories of many of the people who sailed on the last fateful voyage of the R.M.S. Leinster.

Between July and December 2018 the National Maritime Museum, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, will host a new exhibition to mark the centenary of the sinking of the RMS Leinster on 10 October 1918. The RMS Leinster was originally built for the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company to service its route across the Irish Sea, and had been pressed into service during the First World War. The sinking of the Leinster remains the single biggest maritime disaster ever recorded in the Irish Sea, and will be marked by a full commemorative programme in late 2018.

Messages, Medals, and Memorials – public art exhibition in Ladywell Cemetery Chapel Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th September 11am – 4pm

Messages, Medals, and Memorials – a public art exhibition which will be in the Chapel of the Ladywell Cemetery on Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th September 11am – 4pm, commemorates the contribution of Colonial troops and the Labour Corps to the war effort in the First World War. Though never fully acknowledged, Europe's Great War was a war of colonials and a colonial theatre of war. Over 4 million African, Indian, Caribbean and other colonial troops and personnel played a crucial role in supporting the Allied cause in World War I. The Labour Corps, formed in January 1917, grew to some 389,900 men, more than 10% of the total size of the Army by the Armistice on 11th November 1918.

In sharp contrast to notions of duty, honour and fighting for King and Country, Colonial troops and Labour corps faced a whole range of inequalities in military and non-military equipment, mobility and privileges that separated them from their white counterparts. Non-white colonial troops and labour corps were routinely segregated, closely watched, subject to curfews and other restrictions.

Messages, Medals, and Memorials through the artworks on display tells the stories of their lives before the war, their war service and their heroism, as well as the memorials that stand as a testament to their sacrifice. Nicky Scott-Francis explores the war service of the Gurkhas. Sara Scott will focus on the Sikh soldiers of the Indian Army who lost at least 174,187 soldiers during the war. Monica Wheeler tells the story of black soldier Walter Tull, whilst Louse Kosinska looks at the contribution of the North and South African Labour Corps. Elizabeta Chojak-Mysko draws attention to the Chinese Labour Corps, the soldiers of ‘menial chores’ who worked 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. Jill Rock and Jolanta Jagiello uncover the truly forgotten ‘soldiers’, Jill Rock commemorating the 210,000 Irishmen who served in the British forces, with Jolanta Jagiello highlighting Conscientious Objectors who refused to kill and were imprisoned for their beliefs fighting in the name of peace.

The exhibition was originally funded by Southwark Council Neighbourhood Fund and is curated by Jolanta Jagiello.  The exhibition is in the Chapel of the Ladywell Cemetery, Ladywell Road, SE13 7HY on Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th September 11am – 4pm.   www.artgoingplaces.com and www.foblc.org.uk.

New Hither Green and Sydenham memorial to those who died through enemy air raids in WW1 unveiled

Commemoration of Civilian Deaths in Hither Green and Sydenham in WW1

The memorial in the Ladywell Cemetery commemorates civilian victims of enemy air raids in the First World War.

On 19th October 1917 a Zeppelin dropped a bomb on what was then Glenview Road near Hither Green station.  (The road is now part of the extended Nightingale Grove).  Three houses were destroyed and others damaged.  Two families in particular suffered badly:  the Kingston family lost seven children killed; the Milgate family lost four members – the father and three children.  They and others (a total of fifteen people) were buried in Heroes Corner.

On 19th May 1918 a Gotha bomber dropped a bomb on Sydenham Road, at its junction with Fairlawn Park.  Several shops were demolished or damaged.  Five members of the Delahoy family, father mother and three daughters, were killed as were four people in the adjoining shop.  A total of thirteen people were buried together in a public grave.

The original memorial to the victims of these two incidents was erected by public subscription at the position of the first grave.  The names of the victims of both events were recorded on the memorial slab.  Over a period of time, the slab became weathered and the names indecipherable.

The Friends of Brockley & Ladywell Cemeteries, with the agreement of Lewisham Bereavement Services, instigated a project to restore this memorial, and to refurbish the Deptford civilian memorial in the Brockley Cemetery.  The Friends group was successful in its bid for funding to the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Ladywell Ward Assembly.

The unveiling of the new Hither Green and Sydenham memorial, and the commemoration of the victims, on Saturday 21st October at 2.30pm marks the completion of the first stage of the project.

Women In Front - A Public Art Exhibition of Women's Work in WW1 Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th September 2017, 11am-4pm

Women In Front - public art exhibition commemorates the contribution of women to the war effort at home and at the front in the First World War. As the war progressed with mounting casualties and the introduction of conscription, over 1 million women were employed for the first time in occupations previously reserved for men. Over 1.6 million women worked in domestic service were now given the opportunity to move into better-paid employment.

In March 1917, the Women’s War Work Subcommittee was formed to collect materials covering the contribution of women to the war effort for a National War Museum. The subcommittee commissioned photographers Horace Nicholls, George Parnham Lewis, and Olive Edlis (covering France) to record the work undertaken by women, this culminated in an exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1918, attracting 82,000 visitors.

100 years later, Women In Front through the artworks on display, tells the stories of women’s lives before the war, their war work, and what happened to them afterwards. Nicky Scott-Francis explores the working lives of munitionettes, whilst Jill Rock concentrates on their achievements in the Women’s Football League, with Jolanta Jagiello covering the employment of female police constables to control their rowdy out-of-work behaviour. Sara Scott focuses on postal workers and Monica Wheeler on bus conductors, one of the few professions still open to women after the war, improving the working conditions of women.
Elizabeta Chojak-Mysko and Louse Kosinska tell the stories of women who had to disguise themselves as men to achieve their ambitions, whether as doctors to run a hospital for wounded soldiers or to take their pastime of flying to turn themselves into combat pilots.

The exhibition funded by Southwark Council Neighbourhood Fund is in the Chapel, Ladywell Cemetery (Ladywell Road, SE13 7HY) on Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th September 2017, 11am-4pm, as part of National Cemeteries Week under the auspices of the National Federation of Cemetery Friends.
www.artgoingplaces.com.   www.foblc.org.uk  www.cemeteryfriends.com

Guided walk on Sunday 10th September 2pm-3.30pm linking with the theme of the exhibition.  Meet at the Ladywell Chapel

Private Joseph Byrne (1897-1915) the first soldier to die at Lewisham Military Hospital remembered at Brockley Max Festival

A moving tribute song was performed by the group 1965, a Folk and Roots duo, joined by friends as part of the 2017 Brockley Max festival . The song was written by a band member whose relative fought in the Dublin Fusiliers in the First World War and who was inspired to perform it in the cemetery after finding the name of Private Joseph Byrne on the wall of remembrance located in Ladywell cemetery. In the evocative setting of the Ladywell Chapel packed audiences listened to a wonderful rendition of songs from the group. The song can be listened to via this link :
https://soundcloud.com/mark-wallis-4/dublin-fusileer

Located at the intersection of pathways that lead towards Brockley cemetery and Ivy road lies the Commonwealth War Graves Commission wall of remembrance. Joseph’s name is inscribed at the southern section of the memorial (which has recently been re-laid and relettered)

Ladywell Cemetery Commonwealth War Graves Commission Plot-‘Heroes Corner’.

Private 9058 JOSEPH BYRNE of 4th battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers died of wounds in Lewisham on 16 May 1915, aged 18.

Joseph who was born in Dublin is buried in Ladywell cemetery where his name is recorded on the wall of CWGC plot in Lady well cemetery listing those whose graves have no headstone. He was the first soldier to be buried from Lewisham Military Hospital 19 May in the Roman Catholic section.

The Kentish Mercury 28 May 1915

He is also remembered on the Lewisham Military Hospital memorial outside University Hospital Lewisham.

The local community welcomed the arrival of the first patients to the Military Hospital and within less than a month of their arrival the residents of Lewisham had organised an outing for the patients.

Local people loaned the use of their cars to transport the wounded from the hospital to Greenwich Park where an afternoon tea had been prepared for the patients. Along the route from the hospital to the park flag waving crowds gathered to cheer the wounded and distribute gifts of cigarettes and fruit. In the Kentish Mercury (4th June 1915) one soldier is reported to have said “Well it would be worth getting wounded again for this.” Throughout the war the people of Lewisham supported the hospital either through volunteering, fundraising, providing entertainment for the convalescents and supporting the newly formed local branch of the British Red Cross Society.

The first soldier to die at Lewisham Military Hospital was Private Joseph Byrne of the Dublin Fusiliers. Private Byrne died on the 15th May 1915 from the shrapnel wounds he received whilst serving at the front and his funeral was held in the Roman Catholic section of Ladywell Cemetery. He was only 18 years old. The occasion was of such significance locally that photographs from the military funeral featured in the local press.

Guided Walk Sunday 20th November visiting some of the fallen from the Battle of the Somme

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The Battle of the Ancre Heights

There will be a free guided walk visiting the graves and headstones in the Brockley & Ladywell cemeteries of some of those who fought and fell during the 141 days of horror  of the Battle of the Somme (July to November 1916).  The walk will be led by FOBLC members Peter Mealing, Mick Martin and Mike Guilfoyle.

All are welcome to join, we meet at 2:00pm on Sunday 20th November at the Ladywell Cemetery entrance.  The walk will last approximately 2 hours.  The event is free though donations are welcome.

Private Graham Charles Hines Bulford (1895-1916): Soldier killed at the Somme

Part hidden by a spangle of dotted vegetation in a grove alongside one of the inner pathways close to the boundary between the two cemeteries lies the Bulford family grave.

The son of Charles and Ada Bulford of 57 Adelaide Avenue, Brockley (lying opposite the green expanse of Hilly Fields) Graham’s name appears in a 1911 London Gazette post as a Temporary Boy Clerk before he enlisted as a private in the 2nd Battalion, Eastern Ontario Regiment, Canadian Infantry (Canadian Expeditionary Force) Service number: 444226. He died in action on the Somme, aged just 21 on 12th October 1916.

Canadian Soldiers Fixing Bayonets Before An Attack On The Somme

The following extract on Canadians on the Somme is from the Veterans Affairs Canada website.
The Battle of the Somme was not a one day affair and the fighting continued, notably with a largely successful dawn attack by the British on July 14, through the summer months. In late August 1916, the "Byng Boys" moved from the muddy fields of Flanders to the Somme, where they took over a section of the front line west of the village of Courcelette. They ran into heavy fighting and suffered some 2,600 casualties before the full-scale offensive even got underway.

In the major offensive which began at dawn on September 15 the Canadian Corps, on the extreme left of the attack, assaulted on a 2,000 metre sector west of the village of Courcelette. Advancing behind a creeping barrage (a tactic which had recently been introduced by the British, a consequence of adequately trained gunners, more and better guns and more reliable ammunition), the infantry was aided by the "new engine of war," the armoured tank. There were only a few of these and they were extremely unreliable and very vulnerable to artillery fire. However, at this early stage of the war their sheer presence often threw the enemy into confusion. The attack went well. By 8 a.m., the main objective, a defence bastion known as the Sugar Factory, was taken, and the Canadians pushed ahead to Courcelette. Numerous German counter-attacks were successfully repulsed and by the next day the position was consolidated. The enemy then brought up reinforcements, the fighting intensified, and gains became microscopic.

Canadian Recruitment Poster

In the weeks that followed the three Canadian divisions again and again attacked a series of German entrenchments. The final Canadian objective was that "ditch of evil memory," Regina Trench. It repeatedly defied capture, and when the first three divisions were relieved in the middle of October, Regina Trench was closer, but still not taken.

When the newly arrived 4th Division took its place in the line it faced an almost unbelievable ordeal of knee-deep mud and violent, tenacious, enemy resistance. However, despite the almost impenetrable curtain of fire, on November 11 the Division captured Regina Trench—to find it reduced to a mere depression in the chalk. A week later, in the final attack of the Somme, the Canadians advanced to Desire Trench—a remarkable feat of courage and endurance. The 4th Division then rejoined the Corps opposite Vimy Ridge.

There were no further advances that year. The autumn rains turned the battlefield into a bog and the offensive staggered to a halt. The line had been moved forward only ten kilometres, though ground of itself was not particularly important except in terms of morale. The Allies had suffered some 650,000 casualties, and both sides had about 200,000 killed. The Germans refer to the Battle of the Somme as das Blutbad—the blood bath. One German officer described the Somme as "the muddy graveyard of the German Army," for the British it turned an army of eager, inexperienced recruits into a fighting machine on a par with those of France and Germany, but at a terrible cost in human life.

The Somme had cost Canada 24,029 casualties, but it was here that the Canadians confirmed their reputation as hard-hitting shock troops. "The Canadians," wrote Lloyd George, "played a part of such distinction that thenceforward they were marked out as storm troops; for the remainder of the war they were brought along to head the assault in one great battle after another. Whenever the Germans found the Canadian Corps coming into the line they prepared for the worst."

Second Canadian cemetery at Sunken Road, Contalmaison ( Somme, France) in which Private Bulford whose death age 21 was recorded as 12th October 1916 lies buried. He is also remembered on the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa, Canada.

Animals In Service Exhibition Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th September

The FOBLC is proud to host Animals In Service, an art exhibition celebrating the heroism of animals in the First World War.   It is part of National Cemeteries’ Week promoted by the National Federation of Cemetery Friends and the Commemoration of the Battle on the Somme, 

The exhibition will take place on Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th September from 11am – 4pm
in the Chapel in the LADYWELL CEMETERY, entrance via Ladywell Road. There will also be guided walks to selected graves at 2pm on both days.  Meet at the Ladywell Chapel.

Animals in Service - public art exhibition commemorates the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme through the huge contribution that 16 million animals in the First World War made in transport, logistics, cavalry and communications, as well as in the morale of troops. This exhibition tells the story of these animals before the war, during the war, and the lasting legacies they left after the war. The horses and camels used for transportation, the dogs, pigeons and songbirds used as messengers, together with those chosen as mascots and used in the propaganda of war. Also parasites contribution to the spread of trench fever will be considered by Sara Scott as well as the huge advances made in medicines to control epidemics after the war.

Jill Rock explores the role horses played as cavalry on the front line at the start of the War, to being integral to the transportation of food and supplies during the war, and to their more recent role in ceremonial parades at state occasions. Dogs who were trained to deliver first- aid to soldiers stuck in the mud of no-man’s land to stabilize their wounds before medics could reach them is the focus of Monica Wheeler’s work. Whilst Nicky Scott-Francis looks at carrier pigeons, who were believed to be a faster and safer method of communication than the telephone in flying their way across tricky terrain to deliver messages to the front line. Elizabeta Chojak-Mysko concentrates on the unsung hero, the camel, who could carry a soldier and six weeks’ worth of supplies for days in the desert without water, and stay much calmer than horses under fire. Louse Kosinska draws our attention to how animals have been used to stereotype national characteristics in wars to instill fear and hatred. Lastly, Jolanta Jagiello tells the story of Winnie, the bear, who starts the war as a mascot of Canadian Army Veterinary Corps, who during the war lands up as star attraction at London Zoo, and after the war as inspiration for ‘Winnie the Pooh’. 

‘Gentlemen , when the barrage lifts’ –Rifleman Kenneth Middleton Davies QVR, killed first day of the Battle of the Somme.

Situated aside the inner pathway close to Brockley Grove lies a forlorn cross which contains the evocative lettering 'the barrage lifts' and tells the onlooker that Rifleman Kenneth Middleton Davies,  of the Queens Victoria Rifles or ‘Old Vics’ was killed in action aged 24 years in France on the first day of the Battle of the Somme 1st July 1916.  The famous quote above was attributed to a Company Commander in the 9th Battalion of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry who offered a toast before the Battle of the Somme, 'Gentlemen, when the barrage lifts'. In the week long pre-battle bombardment no less than 1,700,000 shells were fired at German positions!

British Troops going over the top on the 1st July 1916 –juxtaposed with bottom photograph of family grave in Brockley cemetery .

Kenneth Middleton Davies was born in Lambeth in mid-1891, being the eldest son of William Middleton Davies, a man of various occupations, and his wife who was born Hannah Eliza Shotter.

At the time of the 1911 census, Kenneth was living with his parents at 70 Revelon Road, Brockley, South East London, and was working as a solicitor's clerk. His army service record has not survived but it is known that he enlisted in London and his medal card states that he first saw active service in France on 9th May 1915, and was killed in action on 1st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme on which some 20,000 British soldiers lost their lives and another 40,000 were wounded. Kenneth's body was either not recovered or not identified and he is commemorated on the Thiepval the 9th Battalion of the London Regiment. Serving as a 'rifleman',  his medal card states that he was awarded the 1914-15 Star but omits any reference to the British War Medal and Victory Medal to which he also would have been entitled. Empty shell casings and ammunition boxes representing a small sample of the ammunition used by the British Army in the bombardment of Fricourt, France, on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916. [Photo courtesy of the Australian War Memorial, AWM H08331]-

The 1st July 1916  was a near disastrous day for the British Army in France. Eleven divisions of Fourth Army attacked along a 15 mile front from Maricourt  to Serre. Two further divisions of Third Army launched a diversionary attack just to the north of Serre at Gommecourt. For a week beforehand the British artillery pounded the German trenches but the Germans had been there for a long time and they had constructed deep, concrete reinforced shelters beneath their trenches and many survived the bombardment. The troops went over the top at 7.30 am but even before they had left their overcrowded trenches, many had been killed or maimed by German artillery. The Germans knew that they were coming. Once in No-Man’s-Land the artillery continued to take its toll and then the machine guns opened up on the advancing British infantry. They fell in their thousands and the attack came to a standstill almost everywhere. Survivors sought cover wherever they could find it and at night they crawled back to their own lines, often dragging a wounded soldier with them. Only in the south were any advances made with the attack on Fricourt and Mametz. Over 19,000 British soldiers were killed on this day, including 2,500 from London.

The 56^th (London) Division and the 46^th (North Midland) Division carried out the diversionary attack on Gommecourt. It was intended to draw German reserves away from the main battle further south and to pinch out the Gommecourt salient. It failed on both counts. The German defences at Gommecourt were among the strongest any British attack faced on 1^st July. Nevertheless 56^th Division’s attack on the southern edge of the salient began promisingly. The first two German lines were taken but they could get no further. 46^th Division’s attack came to grief on the uncut wire and by the end of a very bloody day, all but the dead and injured were back in their own trenches. On 1^st July, 169 Brigade, 56^th Division attacked with 5^th London and 9^th London (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) with 16^th London detailed to pass through them once they had taken their objectives and captured a German stronghold called the Quadrilateral. But events did not work out as planned. The wire had not been cut properly and there were only a few gaps in it through which the attacking troops of 9^th  London could pass and whilst they waited they were hit by concentrated machine gun fire. Despite this some did make it through and into the German trenches. At this stage the German artillery opened up with full force, plastering no-man’s land and preventing supplies and reinforcements getting across. By now the German defenders had emerged from their deep dug outs and were pouring fire on the Londoners from their strongly held reserve trenches. Even so, some of the attacking force managed to push on to Nameless Farm road, a sunken road, but this is as far as they got. To show one’s head above the 4 ½ foot bank of the sunken road meant instant death. By midday the Londoners were running short of grenades and they were under strong bombing attacks from Gommecourt Park which  forced them back.  There was little help from British artillery and the wounded began crawling back across no-man’s land.  By 2pm they were still holding parts of the German 1^st & 2^nd line and the southern part of Gommecourt Park.  But their position was doomed.  There was no further attack from 46^th Division and to the south news came of the failure of 31^st Division.  Nevertheless they continued to resist but by 4pm the Germans had retaken their 2^nd trench and had footings in the 1^st. Before dark the Londoner’s numbers had been reduced to 70 holding a small part of Ferret Trench 200 yards from Gommecourt Park and at 9.30pm the last party made it back suffering badly en route. The planned renewed attack did not take place. 

Kenneth’s name is one of 72,196  British and South African servicemen on The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, who died in the Battles of the Somme of the First World War between 1915 and 1918, with no known grave.