19 replies to this topic

[high wood]

Miss Violet Grant of Lichborough Hall, near Towcester undertook a tour of the battlefields in the early 1920's. I have no idea why as I cannot find any evidence of any close relatives being killed so she may  have just been curious. No matter, she went, she took some photographs and here are some of them.

The first appears to be in Flanders, outside the "English Church", note the sign saying Kursaal.

A much decorated chaplain.

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[high wood]

A stop for lunch.

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[Terry_Reeves]

It looks like she might have gone  on one of the St Barnabus Society's battlefield pilgrimages  (see right hand of the first pair of photographs). The society was formed by a New Zealand padre the Rev. H. Mullineux and conducted tours for bereaved relatives on the Western Front as well as Greece, Gallipoli and the Holy Land during the 1920's. The society established a number of hostels and also helped raised funds for relatives who would ordinarily would not have been able to afford to go.


TR

[high wood]

Superb work Terry, thank you for the information. I was unaware of the St Barnabus Society's battlefield pilgrimages. I am not sure if money was an issue for the Grants of Lichborough though as they were a well to do family.

Simon.

Ruined tank, sorry about the poor quality photograph, it was one of Violet's.

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[Wayne Saillard]

Hello Simon,

One such pilgrimage organised by the St Barnabus Society called at Malta on 7 May 1936, enroute to Gallipoli and  Salonica, aboard the s.s. LANCASTRIA.  

Among the 600 passengers were Field Marshall Sir William Birdwood, Captain Unwin V.C.,  and Admiral of the Fleet Sir Rogers Keyes.  A dinner was held at the Osborne Hotel in Valletta - which still holds a menu from the occasion !!!  

An account of this particular pilgrimage was published under the title  THE SHIP OF REMEMBRANCE.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Wayne

[high wood]

Thank you for that Wayne. I am not sure if Violet Grant got to Gallipoli as there are no photographs that show Gallipoli. She seems to have taken pictures only sporadicaly, only one picture at Verdun for example, no cemeteries anywhere. This is a Cameronian (Scottish Rifles) soldier.

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[JoMH]

From Men of Faith and Courage - The Official History of New Zealand's Army Chaplains.  By J. Bryant Haigh -

MULLINEAUX, M (MC) (Ch. C1. 1V) C of E.
No1 NZ Field Ambulance
No 2 NZ General Hospital
2Bn Entrenching Group

pgs 76, 77, 79

"The 2nd New Zealand Entrenching Battalion was thrown separately into the line in a vain attempt to halt the German thrust in May 1918 and fought apart from other New Zealand units and not under New Zealand Division's control.  On the first day, the RAP was struck by German fire and the Battalion's medical officer - Capt J.K. Venables MC - was mortally wounded and most of his staff killed.  The RAP, under enemy fire for the rest of the Battalion's heroic two day fight, was run by Chaplain Matthew Mullineaux, who later received an MC for his gallantry and devotion to duty.  Mullineaux was an Englishman, born in 1870, who had worked his passage to New Zealand aboard the SS Moana.  Although an ordained Anglican clergyman (MA of St John's College, Cambridge) he was better known on the playing fields of England as a top rugby footballer of the Blackheath Club.  He played halfback in the 1896 British team that toured South Africa, the team that lost only one of the twentyone games played.  In 1899 he played halfback and was also manager of the British team that toured Australia, winning 18 of the twentyone games played.  His ability on the rugby field so impressed the Australians that 'Banjo' Paterson, the Australian balladier, wrote a poem about him:

"THE REVEREND MR MULLINEAUX
I'd reckon his weight as eight-stun-eight,
And his height at five-foot-two,
With a face as plain as an eight-day clock
Game as a bantam too,
Hard and wiry and full of steam,
That's the boss of the English team,
Reverend Mullineaux.

Makes no row when the game gets rough -
None of your 'Strike me blue!'
'Youse wants smacking across the snout!'
Plays like a gentleman out and out
Same as he ought to do,
'Kindly remove from off my face!'
That's the way he states his case,
Reverend Mullineaux.

Kick!  He can kick like an Army mule -
Run like a kangaroo!
Hard to get by as a lawyer-plant,
Tackles his man like a bulldog ant -
Fetches him over too!
Didn't the public cheer and shout
Watchin' him chuckin' big blokes about,
Reverend Mullineaux.

Scrimmage was packed on his prostrate form,
Somehow the ball got through -
Who was it tackled our big halfback,
Flinging him down like and empty sack,
Right on our goal-line too?
Who but the man that we thought was dead,
Down with a score of 'em on his head,
Reverend Mullineaux.

"Mullineaux had served for a time as a Royal Naval Chaplain before coming to New Zealand.  He went to France with the 23rd Reinforcements in April 1917 and before joining the entrenching battalions had served for a time with 1 New Zealand Ambulance and 2 New Zealand General Hospital.  He took his discharge from the New Zealand Army in England in September 1919.  The citation to his MC read: 'During two days hard fighting, when the Medical Officer had become a casualty early on the morning of the first day, Rev Mullineaux took charge of the Regimental Aid Post, dressed the wounded and supervised their evacuation.  The RAP was subject to very heavy high explosive and gas shellfire for twelve hours, and but for his skill and excellent dispositions, serious congestion would have occurred.  Hs untiring energy and cheerful service in providing comforts for the troops under most adverse circumstances were of the greatest value to all ranks of the battalion."


Joanna

[high wood]

Joanna,

thank you for the information about Rev Mullineaux. Do you think that that is him in the photograph?

Simon.

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[high wood]

I am not sure what the story of the fox is but here is a close up.

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[JoMH]

Hello Simon,

Hard to say whether that's Mullineaux in the 2nd photo.  He looks quite short, 'plain' (or just waiting for Violet Grant to take the photo), and he could be about 50.  Do his decorations give anything away?  

There's no photo of him in Men of Faith & Courage to compare.

They are fascinating images.  Do you have a more precise idea of the date?

Joanna

[cockney tone]

Simon,

wonderful photos, thank you very much for sharing them with us.

Regards and best wishes,
Scottie.

[high wood]

You are welcome.

This photograph seems to have been taken at lichborough Hall and seems to show the servants, two of whom are wearing silver war badges.

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[Terry_Reeves]

I just wonder is Miss Grant was a helper on the trip. She, and one of the other ladies, appear to be wearing some sort of badge in their hats.

TR

[JoMH]

Is Violet Grant one of the ladies in posts 2 and 4?  If so, which one?

Does anyone else have an opinion on the likelihood of the padre in the photo be Mullineaux - given his description in Banjo's poem?

Joanna

[ianw]

One such pilgrimage organised by the St Barnabus Society called at Malta on 7 May 1936, enroute to Gallipoli and  Salonica, aboard the s.s. LANCASTRIA.

Presumably the same Lancastria sank  a few years later with massive loss of life.

[Stephen Nulty]

A bit of Googling shows that in 1922, she married Alexander de Clanay Rennick, whose MIC shows service with the Indian Base Remount Depot, arriving in France November 1914. Perhaps her tour was more to do with him, his fallen comrades, etc., than her own experiences?

[Kate Wills]

a photo of Lichborough Hall is included on the village cricket team's website http://www.litchboroughcricketclub.co.uk/h...ection_six.html

[CarylW]

Found this interesting older thread via a forum search for 'St Barnabus Hostels'

Came across a snippet in the EYR journal The Snapper from 1926 advertising a trip to Gallipoli and Salonika
Interesting that although the trip was £25, anyone (within the regiment I assume) who could not afford to pay that was advised to write in and state what they could afford. Did the St Barnabus Hostels pay the shortfall, or did it come out of regimental funds I wonder. Accomodation was first class only so maybe they  were a little selective about who they did help as in '...in a suitable case the balance might be made up...' £25 was a lot of money back then

The Saint Barnabus Hostels are organising a pilgrimage to Galipolli and Salonika starting from London 25th August, and returning 12th September

If this should reach the eye of any near relative of one of those of the regiment whose grave is out there, who may wish to join the pilgrimage, will he or she write to Major H F Wailes, at the Barracks, Beverley

The cost of the trip is £25, but if this sum cannot be afforded, it should be stated how much the writer is prepared to pay, and in a suitable case the balance might be made up. The trip will be made on the s.s. Stella Italia (13,000 tons); accomodation is first class only  and places visited are Salonika, Lemnos, Kelia Bay, Constantinople, Cape Helles, Athens and Trieste.

[trenchtrotter]

In the image of the Scottish Rifles soldier he appears to be wearing an Austrailian tunic...using up war supplies?

Lovely and interesting images...love the fox.

TT

[Leigh Mc]

trenchtrotter, on 06 February 2012 - 03:48 PM, said:

In the image of the Scottish Rifles soldier he appears to be wearing an Austrailian tunic...using up war supplies?

Lovely and interesting images...love the fox.

TT

Fantastic eye. I noticed the same thing and was going to post it when I saw you'd beaten me to it!