Correspondence

The Old Mulgravians’ War Memorial, a stained-glass window in Lady Chapel of  St Oswald’s Church, Lythe near Whitby, was unveiled on 28 Mar 1920. Noel Downing was among the former pupils of the Mulgrave Castle School who together with the headmaster Lord Normanby contributed in honouring their fallen friends. The surviving correspondence below includes 2 letters – a letter of appeal and a detailed description of the Memorial on its completion. The list would indicate that about 20 per cent of all the school pupils were killed. Continue reading →

During the First World War, Joseph Dezitter (1883-1957), a Flemish artist, was mobilised and participated in the Belgian campaign where he was seriously wounded in 1914. After recovering he joined the ambulance auxiliary services in Northern France. Travelling between military hospitals, he took the opportunity to paint the places he visited. Continue reading →

This is the only war letter that has survived written by Noel Downing to his mother Hannah Pitt Downing.   It has no date but it seems to recount his early experiences at Ashtead as a private with the Royal Fusiliers and that would make it most probably around Mar 1915. It would seem to post date the other letter address-headed Ashtead to his sister Mary as the Public School boys are being moved from billets (like Mrs Drew) into the new camp.  Continue reading →

This telegram is sent on 6 Sep 1916 to Molly Evans at Le Havre No 2 General Hospital, advising of her brother Wilmot’s death, her mother Florence Evans’ illness and the need to return home immediately. Continue reading →

This letter, from Wilmot Evans to his uncle Edward Dimmack Marten, is written on 30 Jan 1915 from the trenches. Wilmot had returned after a spell of leave back in Hagley, probably in early January, after his ordeal at the first Battle of Ypres in October 1914. He was to stay in France until he was wounded again on 16 May 1915. Continue reading →

These two letters survive from Wilmot Evans to his aunt Nettie Lewis, the elder sister of his mother Florence Evans. These can be compared with those written to Mary Downing and show that Wilmot remained in Jersey as late as March 1916. Continue reading →

This letter was written on 11 November 1916 – shortly after Noel Downing had returned to the trenches after taking up his commission in the Welsh Guards. Molly Evans  was about to formally resign her nursing post in France to return home to look after her mother, whose health had deteriorated after the death of her brother Wilmot on the first day of the battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916. Continue reading →

Letter from Noel Downing to his sister, Mary Downing from Clipstone Camp –  Jun 1915. This letter describes Noel’s taking part in a firing party at a funeral in Worksop.  Continue reading →

Letter from Noel Downing to his sister, Mary Downing – 8 Feb 1917 Continue reading →

Letter from Noel Downing to his sister Mary Downing  – Mar 1915. Noel has moved out of the billet in Ashtead with Mr and Mrs Drew and is in the newly constructed huts in the military encampment in Woodcote Park. He has rented a room outside the camp to keep possessions etc.  Continue reading →