Remembering

 We Will Remember Them

On November 11 every year we remember those who have lost their lives in the service of their country. For many Novembers I have attended the Remembrance service at the local Cenotaph, and shivered in the cold while the bugle sounds the Last Post and local dignitaries lay the wreaths of poppies.  Two minutes silence at 11:00 o'clock on the 11th day of the 11th month.

I have posted about these two brave men before. I remember them with honour every November.

IN MEMORY OF

PRIVATE JOHN TURNBULL CHANDLER

175142, 5TH COY., CANADIAN MACHINE GUN CORPS WHO DIED AGE 20 ON 03 JULY 1917.

ONLY SON OF JOHN WILLIAM AND AGNES CHANDLER, OF GEDNEY DYKE, HOLBEACH, LINCS.

NATIVE OF SOUTHEA, NR. WISBECH.

REMEMBERED WITH HONOUR

BULLY-GRENAY COMMUNAL CEMETERY, BRITISH EXTENSION,

BULLY-GRENAY, FRANCE

John Turnbull CHANDLER was my mother's cousin. He was born 31 August 1896 in Lincolnshire, England, and was known as Jack.

Jack left England to learn farming techniques in Canada and settled in Grimsby, Ontario. He joined the 86^th Machine Gun Battalion of the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on 13 August 1915 at Welland, Ontario, stating that his date of birth was 1894, not 1896. At that time he was already a member of the 44^th Regiment of the Canadian Militia. His enlistment papers show him to be “apparent age 21 years 8 months”, 5’4”, fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, a member of the Church of England, and fit to serve with the Forces.
His life ended in France on 3 July 1917, serving with the Canadian Machine Gun Corps.

His obituary:

GEDNEY DYKE SOLDIER FALLS We regret to report the death in action of Pte. John Turnbull Chandler, son of the late Mr. John W. Chandler, schoolmaster, Parson Drove, and of Mrs. Chandler, schoolmistress, Gedney Dyke. 

The deceased was educated at Barbourne College, Worcester (1908) and Framlingham College (1909-1912). He learned farming and went to Canada in April 1912. He enlisted in January 1916 in Grimsby, Ontario, came over to Shorncliffe June 1916, went to France October 1916, and was killed in action July 3rd. He was only 20 years of age. He leaves a mother and six sisters to mourn his loss.

I visited his grave in France with my two sons in 2005. Perhaps the only family members to do so.

AND ALSO REMEMBERING

Herbert Leonard Darch, known to his family as Len.

Len was born in the village of Combe Martin, in North Devon, England in 1895. He was the son of Matthew Darch and Sarah (nee Rooke), who lived at Glenwood, Combe Martin.

Len had three brothers, Theo, Bert and Wilf, and one sister, Aileen, who married my Uncle Albert in 1919, and therefore became my Auntie Aileen.

Len joined the 1st/7th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, and was sent to France to fight in WW1, also known as The Great War.  1/7^th Battalion Worcestershire Regt was part of 144th (Gloucester & Worcester) Brigade. This photo may have been taken when he first volunteered.

Herbert Leonard Darch, Private 202233,  probably took part in the ‘Pursuit of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line’ (14 March – 5 April 1917), but on Monday 24 April 1917, at the young age of 21, he was killed in action at Gillemont Farm.

His life is commemorated with honour on the Thiepval Memorial, Thiepval, Department of the Somme, Picardie, France, Plot: Pier and Face 5 A and 6 C.  As there is no grave, his body was not recovered.

Vimy Ridge Memorial

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is a war memorial site in France dedicated to the memory of Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed during the First World War. It also serves as the place of commemoration for Canadian soldiers of the First World War killed or presumed dead in France who have no known grave. The monument is the centrepiece of a 100-hectare (250-acre) preserved battlefield park that encompasses a portion of the ground over which the Canadian Corps made their assault during the initial Battle of Vimy Ridge offensive of the Battle of Arras.

This is a model of the Memorial site and is located in the Military Museum at the Citadel in Halifax.

Battle Stations!

 No need to describe the fun being had here.... new Nerf guns!

We Will Remember Them

On November 11 every year we remember those who have lost their lives in the service of their country. For many Novembers I have attended the Remembrance service at the local Cenotaph, and shivered in the cold while the bugle sounds the Last Post and local dignitaries lay the wreaths of poppies, but this year is different thanks to the Covid restrictions. The Remembrance services will be live streamed via the internet in the comfort of home. 

Two minutes silence at 11:00 o'clock on the 11th day of the 11th month.

I have posted about these two brave men before. I remember them with honour every November.

IN MEMORY OF

PRIVATE JOHN TURNBULL CHANDLER

175142, 5TH COY., CANADIAN MACHINE GUN CORPS WHO DIED AGE 20 ON 03 JULY 1917.

ONLY SON OF JOHN WILLIAM AND AGNES CHANDLER, OF GEDNEY DYKE, HOLBEACH, LINCS.

NATIVE OF SOUTHEA, NR. WISBECH.

REMEMBERED WITH HONOUR

BULLY-GRENAY COMMUNAL CEMETERY, BRITISH EXTENSION,

BULLY-GRENAY, FRANCE

John Turnbull CHANDLER was my mother's cousin. He was born 31 August 1896 in Lincolnshire, England, and was known as Jack.

Jack left England to learn farming techniques in Canada and settled in Grimsby, Ontario. He joined the 86^th Machine Gun Battalion of the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on 13 August 1915 at Welland, Ontario, stating that his date of birth was 1894, not 1896. At that time he was already a member of the 44^th Regiment of the Canadian Militia. His enlistment papers show him to be “apparent age 21 years 8 months”, 5’4”, fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, a member of the Church of England, and fit to serve with the Forces.
His life ended in France on 3 July 1917, serving with the Canadian Machine Gun Corps.

His obituary:

GEDNEY DYKE SOLDIER FALLS We regret to report the death in action of Pte. John Turnbull Chandler, son of the late Mr. John W. Chandler, schoolmaster, Parson Drove, and of Mrs. Chandler, schoolmistress, Gedney Dyke. 

The deceased was educated at Barbourne College, Worcester (1908) and Framlingham College (1909-1912). He learned farming and went to Canada in April 1912. He enlisted in January 1916 in Grimsby, Ontario, came over to Shorncliffe June 1916, went to France October 1916, and was killed in action July 3rd. He was only 20 years of age. He leaves a mother and six sisters to mourn his loss.

I visited his grave in France with my two sons in 2005. Perhaps the only family members to do so.

AND ALSO REMEMBERING

Herbert Leonard Darch, known to his family as Len.

Len was born in the village of Combe Martin, in North Devon, England in 1895. He was the son of Matthew Darch and Sarah (nee Rooke), who lived at Glenwood, Combe Martin.

Len had three brothers, Theo, Bert and Wilf, and one sister, Aileen, who married my Uncle Albert in 1919, and therefore became my Auntie Aileen.

Len joined the 1st/7th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, and was sent to France to fight in WW1, also known as The Great War.  1/7^th Battalion Worcestershire Regt was part of 144th (Gloucester & Worcester) Brigade. This photo may have been taken when he first volunteered.

Herbert Leonard Darch, Private 202233,  probably took part in the ‘Pursuit of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line’ (14 March – 5 April 1917), but on Monday 24 April 1917, at the young age of 21, he was killed in action at Gillemont Farm.

His life is comemmorated with honour on the Thiepval Memorial, Thiepval, Department of the Somme, Picardie, France, Plot: Pier and Face 5 A and 6 C.  As there is no grave, his body was not recovered. His remains are probably still lying where he fell in a farmer's field.

Day 28

Day 28 of me being isolated from the rest of the world. Ho hum.
Not much excitement in my life.... but this morning I woke up to SNOW! It's 9 April, should be spring, shouldn't it.... snow is not allowed! As soon as the sun came out, it all started to melt.

A couple of days ago I saw these little wild beauties flowering among the half-dead grass. Coltsfoot is one of the first flowers of the spring. Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) is in the daisy family and has been cultivated for its medicinal properties. Used as an herbal tea, it's said to treat respiratory infections, sore throats, gout, flu, and fever.  I wonder if it has any effect on Covid-19?

Another snippet of information that is important today is that today, April 9, is Vimy Ridge Day.

The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Vimy Ridge Day:

“Today, we remember the thousands of Canadians who fought and gave their lives in the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

“The capture of Vimy Ridge was more than just a military victory – it was a turning point for our country. During the battle, soldiers from all four divisions of the Canadian Corps fought together for the first time. They came from coast to coast to coast – Francophones, Anglophones, new Canadians, and Indigenous peoples.

“On Easter Monday in 1917 – after carefully planning and preparing their attack – these Canadian soldiers battled uphill through sleet, mud, and machine gun fire to achieve one of the First World War’s most decisive victories. The innovative fighting techniques used by our soldiers at Vimy Ridge would also contribute to the final Allied victory a year and a half later.

“The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a defining moment for Canada, but it came at a great cost. Nearly 3,600 Canadians lost their lives, and over 7,000 more were wounded. It remains one of the bloodiest battles in our country’s military history.

“On this day, we honour the courage and sacrifice of those who fought at Vimy Ridge. Canadians remember who they were, what they stood for, and the history they defined. We also pay tribute to all our brave Canadians in uniform, past and present, for their unwavering dedication and service. Every day, they protect the fundamental values that define this country.

“Lest we forget.”

The Crow's Nest

One of the best hidden secrets in the City of St John's is the Crow's Nest Officer's Club. The entrance can be easily overlooked as you walk down the steps on the left of the National War Memorial on Duckworth Street. A plaque tells part of the story.

At the height of the Battle of the Atlantic in WWII, in 1942, St John's was the home port for the Newfoundland Escort Force, a handover point for the critical supply convoys across the Atlantic.  The Crow's Nest Officer's Club served as a retreat for the remainder of the war where allied naval and merchant officers could relax, share stories of victory and loss, and have a home cooked meal.  The Club has become a living museum owned and supported by volunteer members. It commemorates the contribution of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve,  and the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve during WWII.

The Crow's Nest was originally known as the Seagoing Officer's Club during WWII, opening it's doors on January 27 1942.  It was a safe space where officers could relax with other officers who understood the horrors of war only too well.  It still maintains it's war-time look and feel with an extensive collection of gunshield art and memorabilia from the Battle of the Atlantic.

I dropped in for lunch one Friday, and spent a couple of hours sharing a table with some fascinating people. The Club Secretary, Margaret Morris, was a fountain of knowledge about the history of the Club, and is passionate about preserving the stories and sacrifices of the men who served on those Naval ships so long ago.  And not only was there good conversation to be had, I enjoyed moose stew for the first time, washed down with an ice cold QV Iceberg Lager!

A couple of days later, I noticed that even though the Crow's Nest is usually closed on Mondays, there was a concert there that Monday evening.  Kelly Russell would be sharing his Tunes and Tales.  Kelly Russell is a leading musician in Newfoundland and has been part of many well known bands playing traditional music, and has been awarded the Order of Canada.  Kelly recreated the unforgettable characters of Uncle Mose, Grampa Walcott, Aunt Sophy, Skipper Bartle, and King David (a billy goat)..... great stories of the imaginary outport community of Pidgeon Inlet originally written by his father, storyteller Ted Russell. And shared the living traditional music of Newfoundland on his fiddle and his concertina.

Every seat was taken, and the audience were spellbound by his playing and his storytelling. What a lovely amusing and talented man.  Totally unforgettable evening, well worth my walk in the pouring rain to get there.

Remembrance

November 11 2018.
The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
One hundred years since the end of the hostilities known as the First World War.
Back then it was known as the Great War, as nobody imagined that there would soon be another war, even more terrible.
The village of Woolpit in Suffolk, England, is marking the date and honouring the fallen in a unique manner.
Volunteers in the village have been knitting and crocheting more than 5000 red poppies all year with the intention of creating a tribute to the servicemen and women who gave their lives for their country, and also marking one hundred years since the signing of the Armistice in 1918.
The poppies have been attached to a large net and draped on the front of The Institute, the building that houses the small Museum, and also bears a plaque honouring those who paid the ultimate price.

The local paper, the East Anglian Daily Times, can tell you more about the project here. I'm very proud of my cousin Elizabeth who did so much work towards this worthy project, including knitting like mad when I was in Woolpit in the summer. She's wearing the pale blue coat in the first picture in the East Anglian newspaper article.

Remembering

Herbert Leonard Darch, known to his family as Len.

Len was born in the village of Combe Martin, in North Devon, England in 1895. He was the son of Matthew Darch and Sarah (nee Rooke), who lived at Glenwood, Combe Martin.

Len had three brothers, Theo, Bert and Wilf, and one sister, Aileen, who married my Uncle Albert in 1919, and therefore became my Auntie Aileen.

Len joined the 1st/7th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, and was sent to France to fight in WW1, also known as The Great War.  1/7^th Battalion Worcestershire Regt was part of 144th (Gloucester & Worcester) Brigade. This photo may have been taken when he first volunteered.

Herbert Leonard Darch, Private 202233,  probably took part in the ‘Pursuit of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line’ (14 March – 5 April 1917), but on Monday 24 April 1917, at the young age of 21, he was killed in action at Gillemont Farm.

His life is comemmorated with honour on the Thiepval Memorial, Thiepval, Department of the Somme, Picardie, France, Plot: Pier and Face 5 A and 6 C.  As there is no grave, his body was not recovered. His remains are probably still lying where he fell in a farmer's field.

Also on this Remembrance Day I am remembering 
John Turnbull Chandler, my mother's cousin who was killed in France in 1917. You can read his story here.

Remembering

Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McRae wrote this poem on May 3, 1915, after presiding over the funeral of his friend Lieutenant Alexis Helmer who died in the gun positions near Ypres.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

The poem has been set to music many times, but this is my favourite version.

Remembering

This is a repeat of a post from Remembrance Day 2010.... but with the 100 year anniversary of the start of the Great War, I thought it should be posted again.

In Memory of

Private JOHN TURNBULL CHANDLER

175142, 5th Coy., Canadian Machine Gun Corps who died age 20 on 03 July 1917.

Only son of John William and Agnes Chandler, of Gedney Dyke, Holbeach, Lincs.

Native of Southea, nr. Wisbech.

Remembered with honour

BULLY-GRENAY COMMUNAL CEMETERY, BRITISH EXTENSION,

BULLY-GRENAY, FRANCE

John Turnbull CHANDLER was my mother's cousin. He was born 31 August 1896 in Lincolnshire, England, and was known as Jack.

Jack left England to learn farming techniques in Canada and settled in Grimsby, Ontario. He joined the 86^th Machine Gun Battalion of the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on 13 August 1915 at Welland, Ontario, stating that his date of birth was 1894, not 1896. At that time he was already a member of the 44^th Regiment of the Canadian Militia. His enlistment papers show him to be “apparent age 21 years 8 months”, 5’4”, fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, a member of the Church of England, and fit to serve with the Forces.
His life ended in France on 3 July 1917, serving with the Canadian Machine Gun Corps.

His obituary:

GEDNEY DYKE SOLDIER FALLS We regret to report the death in action of Pte. John Turnbull Chandler, son of the late Mr. John W. Chandler, schoolmaster, Parson Drove, and of Mrs. Chandler, schoolmistress, Gedney Dyke. 

The deceased was educated at Barbourne College, Worcester (1908) and Framlingham College (1909-1912). He learned farming and went to Canada in April 1912. He enlisted in January 1916 in Grimsby, Ontario, came over to Shorncliffe June 1916, went to France October 1916, and was killed in action July 3rd. He was only 20 years of age. He leaves a mother and six sisters to mourn his loss.

I visited his grave in France with my two sons in 2005. Perhaps the only family members to do so.

Remembering

In Memory of

Private JOHN TURNBULL CHANDLER

175142, 5th Coy., Canadian Machine Gun Corps who died age 20 on 03 July 1917.

Only son of John William and Agnes Chandler, of Gedney Dyke, Holbeach, Lincs.

Native of Southea, nr. Wisbech.

Remembered with honour

BULLY-GRENAY COMMUNAL CEMETERY, BRITISH EXTENSION,

BULLY-GRENAY, FRANCE

John Turnbull CHANDLER was my mother's cousin. He was born 31 August 1896 in Lincolnshire, England, and was known as Jack.

Jack left England to learn farming techniques in Canada and settled in Grimsby, Ontario. He joined the 86^th Machine Gun Battalion of the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on 13 August 1915 at Welland, Ontario, stating that his date of birth was 1894, not 1896. At that time he was already a member of the 44^th Regiment of the Canadian Militia. His enlistment papers show him to be “apparent age 21 years 8 months”, 5’4”, fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, a member of the Church of England, and fit to serve with the Forces.
His life ended in France on 3 July 1917, serving with the Canadian Machine Gun Corps.

His obituary:

GEDNEY DYKE SOLDIER FALLS We regret to report the death in action of Pte. John Turnbull Chandler, son of the late Mr. John W. Chandler, schoolmaster, Parson Drove, and of Mrs. Chandler, schoolmistress, Gedney Dyke. The deceased was educated at Barbourne College, Worcester (1908) and Framlingham College (1909-1912). He learned farming and went to Canada in April 1912. He enlisted in January 1916 in Grimsby, Ontario, came over to Shorncliffe June 1916, went to France October 1916, and was killed in action July 3rd. He was only 20 years of age. He leaves a mother and six sisters to mourn his loss.

I visited his grave in France with my two sons in 2005.

England Part VI - Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire

It was the most closely guarded secret of World War II.

Bletchley Park was the United Kingdom's main codebreaking establishment.

Over 10,000 people worked there, all sworn to absolute secrecy, and all remained silent about their work until the mid 1990s.

World War II enemy messages were produced in what seemed to be gibberish in five letter combinations generated by the German Enigma machine. Thousands of Enigma-coded messages were transmitted every day.

It's cipher had 150 million million million possible combinations which the Germans thought was unbreakable. I can't even imagine a number as large as that.

If you have some spare time and feel like building your own Enigma machine, this is how it worked.

.

But the German military didn't reckon on Alan Turing and the boffins at Bletchley Park.

Huge noisy codebreaking machines called "bombes" were operated by Naval WRENs. By 1943, 3,000 messages per day were being intercepted and decoded.

There's lots more to the Enigma story than this, but the mind gets boggled by so much technology, well... mine does.

We spent a whole day here at Bletchley Park. Not only is the War Museum absolutely fascinating, the setting is in one of England's grand stately homes surrounded by well kept gardens.

Well worth a visit.

For more posts about my time spent in England, please scroll down.

C is for Canadians

Today, Easter Monday 2007, the Vimy Memorial Monument in France was rededicated by H.M. Queen Elizabeth, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.

It was in April 1917 during the First World War that four Canadian military divisions defeated the enemy in a four day battle at Vimy Ridge in northern France. It was the first time that Canadian troops had fought together as one unit, and the victory has been described as 'The Birth of a Nation".

The Vimy Memorial was first dedicated in 1936 by King Edward VIII, and although it survived the Second World War undamaged, time and the elements erased many of the names of the 11,285 WW1 Canadian soldiers who died in France and whose remains were never found. Restoration of the monument was completed in 2006.

3598 Canadian students were given a project to "adopt" one of the 3598 Canadians who died at Vimy Ridge, and find out more about him, and represent that soldier at the rededication ceremony. Most of those soldiers were not much older than the students themselves when they lost their lives. Those students were at the Memorial to pay their respects today.

Respects were also paid to six Canadian soldiers who were tragically killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan today.

I visited Vimy Ridge with my sons in September 2005. The Memorial was completely covered with canvas over scaffolding as the massive restoration was still going on. Still pretty impressive from the back though. Both No1 and No2 have an interest in Canadian Military History, and were able to help me visualise the events of 90 years ago.

No1Son standing in the WW1 trenches at Vimy. 90 years ago those trenches were full of mud, blood, bodies, smoke, ammunition, and were a pretty horrible place for those brave men.

We knew that my mother's cousin John Turnbull Chandler emigrated to Canada from England to study agriculture, and joined the Canadian Machine Gun Corps at Welland, Ontario, in 1915. He was sent to England for training, and then to combat in France, where he was killed 3 July 1917, aged only 20. Perhaps he was part of the troops that fought at Vimy in April, we don't know. We visited his grave at Bully-Grenay, Pas de Calais, France, possibly the first family members to do so. A sombre moment indeed.