Who is This ? ? ?

[SteveMarsdin]

Right nationality but this chap kept both feet on the ground.....but his hands.....?

[neverforget]

Well I must be going blind as well as forgetful NF because I can't see that picture anywhere, unless he is the subject of a painting

David

The chap is on page 20, Aug 4th, post #480. http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=214619&page=20

After having another look, there`s nothing wrong with your eyes. I feel I owe you an apology, as it isn`t quite the same picture, though it is remarkably similar.

When I posted him originally, I thought of you, being a fellow of the arts and all that.

[David Ridgus]

Don`t know if I should say this really, but your tormentor from Steve was actually post June 3rd. (Post July and August 3rd too, come to that.)

NF

You are either being unkind to an old man or I really am going daft. Steve's only post since 3rd August was the Russian cavalryman that I, in an increasingly rare display of inspiration, identified.

David

Edit: Crossed in the ether: so it was a post by you not Steve. I'm beginning to see why Stoppage Drill has retreated to his tent. I might ask him if he has a spare bunk

[SteveMarsdin]

Apologies All,

Yes, NF's right my original post is Louis Pergaud who NF posted but that's not who I meant it to be so the narrative and subsequent photo relate to who I did mean it to be. Confused, you will be, I certainly was. Sorry about that, in my efforts to find an obscure photo of my man I used a mis=labelled one in the extensive library without double checking.

[neverforget]

NF

You are either being unkind to an old man or I really am going daft. Steve's only post since 3rd August was the Russian cavalryman that I, in an increasingly rare display of inspiration, identified.

David

Edit: Crossed in the ether: so it was a post by you not Steve. I'm beginning to see why Stoppage Drill has retreated to his tent. I might ask him if he has a spare bunk

I was referring to Steve`s post #562, being a fellow that I had already posted in post #480. I only tried to help because I thought you were being led astray by being told that he had appeared pre June 3rd, when I knew that I had posted him more recently than that.

We all need a lie down I think

I`m good for another hour or so though, what the heck......

[SteveMarsdin]

Before my error leads to the whole thread getting derailed here's another illustration of the man I meant (not Pergaud)

[David Ridgus]

I must admit to having spent the last 15 minutes trying to work out why a pretty obscure French author's hands would be in the air.

Good luck to whoever is planning to solve this. I shall confine myself to working out how to reflect it on my spreadsheet

David

[cdr]

Is it Dr Antoine Depage, Belgian Royal Surgeon?

He founded the Berkendael Institue and appointed Edith Cavell matron.

His wife Marie, a nurse, died in the sinking of the Lusitania.

It is indeed. Dr. Depage also organised several fieldhospitals who were active during the Balkan wars and was with his wife the founder of the Boy Scouts of Belgium.

His wife trained as a nurse under miss Cavell and died in the sinking of the Lusitania on returning from a fund raising trip in the USA.

Carl

[CarylW]

Steve, is it Alain Fournier?

[SteveMarsdin]

Hi Caryl,

No it's not. There is a literary link to the very first post of the original thread

[David Ridgus]

Hi Caryl,

No it's not. There is a literary link to the very first post of the original thread

Steve

'One feels one ought to recognise this guy with the pince nez' was the first post of the original thread. It is seared into my brain

David

[SteveMarsdin]

But who could we identify in connection with the first post ???

[Uncle George]

But who could we identify in connection with the first post ???

He is Ernest Psichari, author of 'Le Voyage de Centurion'.

[SteveMarsdin]

Thanks UG,

I'm glad this one's solved for a second time, after my earlier faux pas.

[Fattyowls]

He is Enest Psichari, author of 'Le Voyage de Centurion'.

I got the Centurion bit, honest. Nice one UG, and another fiendish set of clues from Steve (or set of fiendish clues, one or the other). Triffic.

Pete.

[Uncle George]

Who is this ? ? ?

He was 1 of 5. The 5 were normally 3 (sometimes 4). But he was not 1 of the 3. Nor of the 4.

[Fattyowls]

From the clues could it be Gummo Marx?

Pete.

[Uncle George]

From the clues could it be Gummo Marx?

Pete.

Blimey that was quick. You are right of course.

[Fattyowls]

Just happened to be loitering with intent Uncle; It's a bit of a specialist subject I'm afraid. Gummo is the almost completely unknown brother and Zeppo was the occasionally appearing straight man in some of the movies.

For years if I had to sign in anywere I would use the name Wolf J Flywheel and people have been known to leave the country rather than listen to me do my Groucho impressions. After a long period of intense medication I have managed to bring it under control - "last night I shot an elephant in my pyjamas, what he was doing in my pyjamas I'll never know". Maybe not.

Pete.

[Fattyowls]

I've been unsure about posting any photos as I've been unable to get into the forum intermittently but it seems ok at the moment so who is this?

[Uncle George]

Just happened to be loitering with intent Uncle; It's a bit of a specialist subject I'm afraid. Gummo is the almost completely unknown brother and Zeppo was the occasionally appearing straight man in some of the movies.

For years if I had to sign in anywere I would use the name Wolf J Flywheel and people have been known to leave the country rather than listen to me do my Groucho impressions. After a long period of intense medication I have managed to bring it under control - "last night I shot an elephant in my pyjamas, what he was doing in my pyjamas I'll never know". Maybe not.

Pete.

Apparently in the early years of the 20th century it was common for vaudeville comedians to adopt stereotypical European accents. Chico retained his 'Italian' accent throughout his career; but Groucho felt obliged to drop his 'German' accent when USA entered the War.

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."

[Fattyowls]

Je suis une Marxiste; tendence Groucho. "Marry me and I'll never look at another horse". Now look what you have started......

Pete.

P.S. My man in 598 has something in common with my long term interests and has a connection with my current interest elsewhere on the forum. Not Danielesque or Marsdinesque clues I admit but they might help.

[David Ridgus]

Thanks UG,

I'm glad this one's solved for a second time, after my earlier faux pas.

Excellent clues as always Mr Marsdin.

David

[David Ridgus]

Inmates and Witters

I have finished the spreadsheet for WIT? And will be moving on to WIT??? shortly. I’m not deluded enough to compare myself with Gibbon taking a stroll in his garden after finishing ‘The Decline and Fall’ and taking ‘an everlasting leave of an old and agreeable companion’ but I do now have a whiff of empathy with his ‘emotions of joy on the recovery of my freedom’

The final statistics are quite eye-watering. There were 966 WITs spread across 8,241 posts and as of today the thread has had 82,288 views.

The last two months of the thread saw no slackening of the pace. Neverforget and Uncle George were the dominant posters and solvers of this period. At the end of June UG had one purple patch when he answered 11 out of 18 posts ranging from VC winners via lion cubs to Indian potentates in a Fattyowlsian display of eclectic knowledge. The period included our 1000^th picture (‘Soarer’ Campbell) posted by Steven Broomfield.

The thread continued to throw up extraordinary people with jaw dropping back stories. Here are two VCs and another brave soldier whose stories stuck in my mind. Stoppage Drill posted this fellow, every inch the Edwardian gentleman:

“During the 1st World War nearly a thousand Carthusians lost their lives. Some OCs were members of the Corinthian FC travelling to South America for a tour in 1914 when they heard of the outbreak of war. On arrival at Pernambuco, North eastern Brazil, they jumped on the first boat back to Europe and enlisted to fight. They perished in the trenches often with records of immense bravery. Thomas S Rowlandson, born in Darlington in 1880, played in goal for the school’s 1st XI, Cambridge University, Sunderland FC and the England amateur XI . He died on the Somme in October 1916. The Adjutant wrote to his relatives "He died where of all places he would have chosen to be, on the parapet of a German trench ahead of his men."”

He also posted Willie Angus:

His Colonel wrote of his VC action that ‘No braver deed was ever done in the history of the British Army.’ This descriotion is worth a read http://www.rhf.org.uk/Books/AngusVC.pdf

Finally Pete posted Clement Robertson VC.

Again the citation says it all:

“On 4 October 1917 at Zonnebeke, Belgium, Captain Robertson led his tanks in attack under heavy shell, machine-gun and rifle fire over ground which had been ploughed by shell-fire. He and his batman had spent the previous three days and nights going back and forth over the ground, reconnoitering and taping routes, and, knowing the risk of the tanks missing the way, he now led them on foot, guiding them carefully towards their objective, although he must have known that this action would almost certainly cost him his life. He was killed after the objective had been reached, but his skillful leading had already ensured success”

Then at post 8200 Stoppage Drill commented that there appeared to be “Something up with the site”, as he could not post a picture. This turned out to be because the thread had been moved to Skindles. There followed what in Whitehall we used to call a brisk exchange of views before the thread was closed and put into its current location of Chit Chat.

The 966^th and last WIT (which was actually a WAIWA) was posted by Stoppage Drill and solved by Ghazala, and was appropriately TEL related – Gilbert Clayton.

So a thread that began with an observation from Centurion, “One feels one ought to recognise this guy with the pince nez” ended with a note from Alan Curragh that “This thread now continues in ‘Who is this ???’. In between was six and a half months crammed with wit, repartee and an astonishing exchange of information and knowledge on the Great War. Long may it continue here in its new home.

The spreadsheet of WIT folk is an Excel file and is available to anyone who wants it. It is not a database but the ‘Find’ tool allows you to identify anyone you want to check on. The file has three tabs. The first shows the WITs in order of appearance from ‘pince nez man’ to the WAIWA on Gilbert Clayton. The second has them sorted by poster, the third by solver. If you would like a copy please PM me your email address and I will send it as an attachment. I will then send updates adding WIT??? until the thread ends.

David

[Uncle George]

I'm getting nowhere with Pete's latest. But who are these two? They were involved in a celebrated 1915 trial. One, a Member of Parliament. The other, "by birth a German. He had served in the German army, and...still possessed an unmistakably German accent."

"The case...should always remain as a glowing example of the unswerving honesty and strict impartiality of an English jury."