Steven Broomfield Posted 6 September , 2014 Share Posted 6 September , 2014 How about this chap? Bit of a tenuous GW connection: he was 18 in 1918 and volunteered for the Artists Rifles in October 1918, but failed the medical. For me, that's enough to allow him entry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 6 September , 2014 Share Posted 6 September , 2014 This is Lowell Thomas, Eddie. I hadn't realised that he lived into the 1980s! He was only two years younger than TEL. What a thought that the man himself could possibly have lived that long David Well done David. TEL once wrote that "although I do not wish Thomas ill, I sometimes wish he would die quietly in his sleep". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 6 September , 2014 Share Posted 6 September , 2014 My delayed other VC 'first' Is William Fuller, David. First Welsh V.C. I have another lined up but will save him for later. Not a clue about Steven's "tenuous" chap. dri 262.png David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 6 September , 2014 Share Posted 6 September , 2014 My delayed other VC 'first' Is William Fuller, David. First Welsh VC He is indeed. He featured in the recent Welsh towns at war series on Swansea. He won his VC for his attempted rescue of Captain Haggard (Rider Haggard's nephew). What the extensive library does not mention, but the programme did, was that Captain Haggard's widow (he succumbed to his wounds) sent Fuller a pocket watch with thanks for his efforts to save her late husband. Fuller's daughter featured in the programme with medal and watch. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 6 September , 2014 Share Posted 6 September , 2014 The book that I have just most recently finished, contained a ream of most interesting characters which I have been itching to post. The Mad Major who started the Old Contemptibles was the first, and these pair are next on the list. Hopefully they will be of more interest. One of these could also have been referred to as comtemptible. If you know either of them, you will surely know them both, and also the incident that connects them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 6 September , 2014 Share Posted 6 September , 2014 Would they be Colonels Mainwaring and Elkington? Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 6 September , 2014 Share Posted 6 September , 2014 No Ron. Both Generals. One of them was scapegoated for the other`s failings in a famous (or infamous) battle of 1916. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 7 September , 2014 Share Posted 7 September , 2014 The fact my chap attempted to join the Artists Rifles might be a clue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 7 September , 2014 Share Posted 7 September , 2014 The fact my chap attempted to join the Artists Rifles might be a clue. I assumed it was and had a look around the extensive library last night; for some reason your man reminded me of Jacob Epstein but when I compared photos I realised the error of my ways. I didn't find a painter who was born around 1900; can we take it that he is from a different branch of the arts? Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 7 September , 2014 Share Posted 7 September , 2014 Illustrator, artist. RA. The Speaking Clock might be a clue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 7 September , 2014 Share Posted 7 September , 2014 Illustrator, artist. RA. The Speaking Clock might be a clue. Well it might be, but not for me I'm afraid. Have looked at various lists of artists born 1899 to 1901 and found nobody who appeared to bear the slightest resemblance to your chap. David The book that I have just most recently finished, contained a ream of most interesting characters which I have been itching to post. The Mad Major who started the Old Contemptibles was the first, and these pair are next on the list. Hopefully they will be of more interest. One of these could also have been referred to as comtemptible. If you know either of them, you will surely know them both, and also the incident that connects them. hu.jpghub.jpg NF Is it Snow and Stuart-Wortley? David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 7 September , 2014 Share Posted 7 September , 2014 Fair play to you with the clues, Steven, but I have to say that after a two hour merry dance I`m no closer to finding him. One of my Generals has the worst write ups I have ever seen, and the other has one of the best. No prizes for guessing which one carried the can. In short, the good guy was sacked by the bad guy, and blamed for catastrophic losses which the good guy had predicted. He offered a more sensible plan, which was rejected by the bad guy, and was offered the chance to resign or stay with his men and make the best of it. He chose to stay with his men, and was sacked, despite the fact that he achieved the objective against all odds. Sorry David, just took me ages to make my last post, and yours came in whilst I was doing it. Not them, I`m afraid. Hopefully, my fuller description of events will help with mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 7 September , 2014 Share Posted 7 September , 2014 I really thought I had it then. Is it one of the diversionary attacks before the Somme? Could it be Haking at Fromelles? The straw clutching is probably visible from space Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 7 September , 2014 Share Posted 7 September , 2014 I`m going to have to leave you with this one, as I have a 4.15 start in the morning, but the objective was a well known wood, and it was only taken by his division, after several failed attempts by previous divisions. The duffer General decided to use tanks (4) instead of an artillery barrage, despite being told by tank experts that they would not be able to progress through the wood, as it was all stumps by this time. He was advised by the good General to send the tanks around the wood to pinch it off, and to send the infantry through the wood following a barrage. The duffer declined the advice of all concerned, and sent the tanks and infantry in together, with no barrage. Only one tank made it into the wood, and was then soon rendered ineffective. Casualties for the division were 4500. Ring any bells? I`m prepared to haggle if you can think of one of them........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 7 September , 2014 Share Posted 7 September , 2014 I think the wood is High Wood by the description and I should be able to work out the dramatis personae by tomorrow if I can get to the library (local as opposed to extensive). Pete. Edit: found the reference; the bounder is Sir William Pulteney and the scapgoat is Charles Barter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 7 September , 2014 Share Posted 7 September , 2014 Mr Broomfield, is your illustrator Edward Ardizzone? Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 I think the wood is High Wood by the description and I should be able to work out the dramatis personae by tomorrow if I can get to the library (local as opposed to extensive). Pete. Edit: found the reference; the bounder is Sir William Pulteney and the scapgoat is Charles Barter. Well done, Pete. Pulteney was described by his chief of staff as the "most ignorant General I ever served, and that`s saying something!" Read all about it ..... http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/great-war-people/the-british-generals-biographies/3085-major-general-charles-st-leger-barter-kcb-kcmg-cvo.html Congratulations on your "double" (once Steven confirms) Another from my book later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 (edited) I`m going to be late for work, but one has to get one`s priorities right so a quickie before I go. Who is this pilot, and why is he special??? Edited 8 September , 2014 by neverforget Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 Ardizzone it is. Tim All Alone (Tim the Speaking Clock: geddit?) One of my favourite artists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 Tim the Speaking Clock: geddit? Somewhere in the murky depths of my distant memory, lie telephones that you had to dial. I seem to further recall having to dial 123 for the speaking clock. (The only telephone that existed in my extended family belonged to one set of my grandparents, so it was quite a novelty to me as a child, and I`m sure I cost them a small fortune ringing the speaking clock) Was TIM the speaking clock before 123? I was looking for books about speaking clocks, going down countless 123 roads, all dead ends of course, but fun, and not a waste of time, because as often happens, during the search for your chap, I unearthed a couple of other similar characters that I will try you with in due course. A pointer for my pilot would be the Marne, and it`s fair to say that he made a huge contribution to the way things turned out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 Yes, before 123 you dialled TIM for the Speaking Clock, just as you dialled O for the operator before 100 was introduced. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fattyowls Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 NF, I take it from your clue the pilot is one of the chaps who spotted the gap between Von Kluck's and Von Below's armies? I think that they were Charlton and Wadham but I can't work out which it is. I'll go for Wadham because I've found a photo of Charlton and it doesn't look like him. Quite ready to have egg on face if wrong. Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 Pete, that`s a brilliant piece of deduction, in as much as you have nailed the fact that he spotted the gap, but according to my book, which may well be wrong, the chap credited with first reporting back with this vital piece of info was a Frenchman. I won`t give him away just now in case you fancy a further little dig, but I am off to re-investigate my source, along with your two fellows. I do hope that I haven`t unintentionally misled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 What was that you said about egg on your face!! This is what happens when you post in a hurry. When I posted him this morning, I was late for work, and I hurriedly posted the WRONG picture! The info is the same but the pilot should look like this: I`ve had a very quick look, and it does appear that this is the chap credited with first spotting, and then reporting the gap to Foch, but I still stand to be corrected on that one. I shall now go back and edit the original picture. Sorry about the hiccup. Pete you are strong favourite to know this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverforget Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 Yes, before 123 you dialled TIM for the Speaking Clock, just as you dialled O for the operator before 100 was introduced. Ron Thanks for clearing that one up for me, Ron. I`m not sure if I`m "showing my youthfulness", or displaying my memory loss due to old age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now