First World War

18
Dec
2017

Joseph Dezitter’s Pictures of Bergues

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 →
Last updated on 24 January 2018 by E Morgan
16
Dec
2017

Friends’ Ambulance Unit, Dunkirk

The Quakers ran the Friends’ Ambulance Unit including the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Dunkirk for most of the duration of the First World War. One of its purposes was  that members of the Society of Friends should be able to carry out their patriotic duty without having to serve in the Military on conscientious grounds. However, it also recruited from beyond the Quaker community. Continue reading →
Last updated on 2 December 2018 by JJ Morgan
04
Oct
2017

Noel Downing to Mother Letter, Mar 1915

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 →
Last updated on 14 October 2018 by JJ Morgan
05
Jun
2014

Ladas Lewis Hassell

Ladas Lewis Hassell was a fellow officer and good friend of Wilmot Evans in Jersey throughout May 1915 to early 1916. Lieutenant Hassell was born in Kent in 1894 and joined the army via the Jersey Militia. Continue reading →
Last updated on 16 January 2019 by JJ Morgan
20
May
2014

Richard Hellier Agard Evans

Richard Hellier Agard Evans, known as Hellier, was born on 19 Jan 1898 in Saxony, Germany, the son of Ernest Agard Evans and Jean Playfair Gow-Gregor. He was a great grandson of Richard Evans and Mary Shaw-Hellier. He is recorded as being at boarding school in Clifton in Bristol in the 1911 census. His only brother Archibald Agard Evans was born in 1906. Continue reading →
Last updated on 30 September 2017 by JJ Morgan
06
May
2014

John Fritz Kivas Dobbs

John Fritz Kivas Dobbs was born on 15 Nov 1888 in Castlecomer, Ireland, the son of Joseph Dobbs JP. He attended Shrewsbury School and left in 1906 for Sandhurst. He joined the Royal Dublin Fusiliers with a commission and became a full Lieutenant in 1910. Continue reading →
Last updated on 6 March 2018 by JJ Morgan
01
May
2014

Charles Geraint Christopher Payne

Charles Geraint Christopher Payne was born in Shifnal on 23 Apr 1888, the son of Charles Henry Payne. His father was the first cousin of Florence Evans, the younger brother of Florence’s erstwhile governess Edith Payne. This photo forms part of a collection of World War 1 photos of colleagues and relations of Wilmot Evans. On the obverse it is inscribed “2nd Lieut Charles Geraint Christopher Payne, 1st Highland Light Infantry, killed in action Neuve Chapelle 14 Mar 1915” possibly in the hand of Florence Evans. The stiff card photo has been torn in half and put back together again.  Continue reading →
Last updated on 12 October 2018 by JJ Morgan