Month: January 2015

This Week in World War One, 22nd January 1915

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Berwick Advertiser title 1915

22 JANUARY 1915

 

SERGEANT CYCLIST WRITES TO BERWICK

 

Writing from the front to a friend in Berwick; Sergeant. T. Young, Army Cycling Corps, 7th Division, says: -“We sailed from Southampton for ———– on Christmas Eve and I can tell you we were fairly miserable to see the lights of the Old Country fade away and thinking of our friends at home.  We arrived at a rest camp at ——— about 3.00 p.m.  on Christmas Day, tired, hungry and very cold.

Three miserable days were spent then we departed for the front by train, the journey taking 30 hours.  We arrived at a place called Railhead and then had an hour’s cycle run to our billet,-a deserted farmhouse about one and a half miles in the rear of the trenches.  We have been on patrol work ever since arriving- looking for snipers, spies, shirkers etc; in ruined buildings just at the rear of the fighting line.

We get a “little” excitement as every day the Germans are sending us shrapnel and “Jack Johnsons”  Excepting for the artillery matters are very quiet in our division.  Yesterday (9th January) we had a good deal of shrapnel dropped around us,   some struck the billet but did no great damage.  We went out to look for souvenirs but we soon had to double back to the billet as more shrapnel started to come.

The Northern Cyclist Battalion, with a number from other Battalions are with this Company as reinforcements to a regular Company which lost heavily in a recent battle. Our lads have settled down wonderfully and the surprising thing to me is how quietly they all take the shell-fire.  We have good regular officers, especially the C.S.M. and C.Q.M.S.  we are all very cheerful, fit and happy and have been served with good clothing, which comprises corduroy breeches, jacket, British warm, and fur jacket.

The food is very good and there are plenty of free “smokes”, a tot of rum nightly and a good billet.  No one can speak too highly of the work of the Regulars, but at the same time there is quite a lot of Territorials out here doing the same work as the Regulars and doing it well.  It seems to me this is a sort of siege warfare and if a man has the stamina and guts to stick the rough life and can handle a rifle quickly it is nearly all that is required.   I don’t wish to appear too wise but from what I have heard I don’t think Cyclist Battalions will ever get out here as complete Battalions.  If any more men are called from this Corps you can tell them to come out here.  They will serve under officers with fighting experience and alongside comrades who have been through it and you know much that is worth.”

British Cyclist Corps cyclists
Troops of the British Army Cyclist Corps passing through Brie, France, during 1918.
 © IWM (Q 1868)

22 JANUARY 1915

The Berwick Company of the Northern Cyclist Batallion which was raised in Berwick  removed to Bamburgh on Monday. It is intended to billet 300 of this Battalion in Bamburgh Castle and Armstrong Cottages.

Advert for sale at Mosgroves Shoes
Advert from The Berwick Advertiser 22nd January 1915

 

A PLACE FOR DUCKS

In a letter to his aunt in Berwick :Lieut Eric Land, RAMC writes :

“The trenches are very wet and muddy just now in some places nearly four feet deep in water, and it is naturally very trying for the men to have no chance of getting dry for several weeks. It is extraordinary how cheerful and well they keep, in the circumstances and they don’t mind the Germans as long as they have plenty to eat and smoke – and so far they have had no cause for complaint in that respect. We are settling down for the winter here and I don’t suppose much will happen this side until spring comes. We shall soon have webbed feet if we live much longer in this country”.

A group of British soldiers standing in a muddy trench
A group of British soldiers in a trench at Cambrin during 1918. © IWM (Q 8458)
Two soldiers standing in a muddy trench
Clearing mud from a trench during the Battle of the Somme, 1916 © IWM (Q 1621)

A glimpse of Farming life in Ashington – 1916

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One of the aims of our project is to look at previously uncatalogued collections for content relating to the War. One of the unlisted collections that we have looked at is papers of the Sample family, agents to the Duke of Portland and other Northumbrian landowning families (Ref: NRO 2637). In Box 3 of the unlisted papers are some records relating to the Military Tribunals held at Ashington. One of our project volunteers, Jean Wilkinson, has examined the papers and has written this short article outlining some of their content. We hope to catalogue the papers in detail within our project.

An Agriculture Census for England and Wales in 1916 gives an enlightening glimpse of farming life in Ashington. Eight of the biggest farms were owned by Ashington Coal Company whilst Ashington Co-Operative Society owned a couple of Market Gardens. The remaining farms were privately owned.

The Farm Manager for all eight of the Ashington Coal Company farms, one Geo. P. Graham was also responsible for 1115 horses & ponies. He was a widower aged 41.  With so much responsibility he would have had little free time.

The farms too were involved in asking Tribunals to exempt their workers, but unless there were health reasons for complete exemption, they only managed to get a few months deferment. Women were employed in quite heavy farm work although some worked in the Dairy or as house servants.

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Jean Wilkinson in supplying this article for the Northumberland At War Project.

The Philanthropy Behind the Sanatorium

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Previous blog postings have touched upon how the history of Stannington Sanatorium and the people involved in making the idea of a children’s tuberculosis hospital a reality. Roland Philipson was one such person, whose contribution of £5000 allowed the building of the sanatorium and the initial intake of 100 patients in 1908. However, Philipson was not the only philanthropist to come to the aid of Stannington Sanatorium. Many others offered financial donations towards the cause of children’s tuberculosis, a few of which are detailed below.

Aerial View of Stannington Sanatorium (NRO 10321-1)
Aerial View of Stannington Sanatorium
(NRO 10321-1)

Mr A.E. Ward, Trustee of the late Mr Robert Scott – Scott Trust

A large financial contributor to the Stannington Sanatorium vision was Mr A.E Ward, who acted on behalf of the late Mr Robert Scott. Robert Scott had been involved in the investigation of the curability of tuberculosis, and it was through his investigations that he contracted tuberculosis himself and subsequently died of the disease. Upon his death he left a sizeable trust fund, overseen by his friend Mr A.E. Ward, which was to be used for local charities in Northumberland. Due to the nature of Mr Scott’s death, Mr Ward saw the scheme for a children’s tuberculosis hospital at Stannington to be a fitting receivership for the ‘Scott Trust’ and donated £500 in the first instance providing that further local support was forthcoming.

As part of the opening ceremony of the Sanatorium, Mr Ward made a further donation of £500 from the Scott Trust, making his overall contribution to the Children’s Sanatorium £1000. An additional contribution of £1000 was made towards an Endowment Fund that was set up on behalf of the Sanatorium.

In light of his significant financial contributions, a marble tablet was installed within the Sanatorium in memorial to Mr Robert Scott. This was unveiled as part of the opening ceremony by his friend and the trustee of the Scott Trust, Mr A.E. Ward.

 

The Lady Stephenson Wing

On opening the Stannington Sanatorium in 1907, it was noted by Dr. T.M. Allison that a secondary centre should be added to wards treating tuberculosis of the lungs, for those children suffering from ‘localised tuberculosis’ or extrapulmonary tuberculosis (bones, joints, glands).

This extension of the hospital became a reality in 1911 through a generous donation from the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Sir William Stephenson.  Following his first visit to the Sanatorium, Sir W.H. Stephenson enquired as to the cost of building and equipping a new wing and subsequently, after consulting his daughters, donated the full cost of £4000.

The fully furnished and equipped West Wing consisted of two floors each with two wards containing 8 beds. It also held a medical aspect to it containing a dispensary, a bacteriological room, an examination room and operating room. The new wing was to accommodate up to 50 additional patients and had the facilities to treat surgical cases, now allowing for the treatment of all types of tuberculosis.

The foundation stone for the West Wing was laid on the 13th August 1911 by the Lady Mayoress of Newcastle, Charlotte Stephenson. Miss Stephenson, the eldest daughter of Sir William Stephenson, had previously held the title of Vice-President of the Poor Children’s Holiday Association and Rescue Agency. Although she died in 1914, Miss Stephenson’s obituary found in the Newcastle Daily Journal from 7th July 1914, commended her on her philanthropic work with the association and noted she was in large part responsible for the addition of the new wing at Stannington. The West Wing was re-named ‘The Lady Stephenson Wing’

The Lady Stephenson Wing was opened on 28thOctober 1911 with the ceremony being overseen by Earl Grey (Morpeth Herald and Reporter 27/10/1911).

 

Brough Wing

The 'Brough Wing' (HOSP-STAN-11-01-42)
The ‘Brough Wing’
(HOSP-STAN-11-01-42)

Following in the footsteps of The Lady Stephenson Wing, a second additional wing was added to Stannington Sanatorium in 1926. In 1925 J.W. Brough generously funded the building of a new wing to increase capacity by another 30 beds bringing the total capacity up to 300 patients in total (Yorkshire Post 24/01/1925).

Duke of York opened the new wing presenting J.W. Brough with a silver salver, the gift of the Poor Children’s Holiday Association. He described Stannington as being ‘a national asset of the highest value’ (The Evening News 29/05/1926).

Duke of York at the opening the Brough Wing (HOSP/STAN/11/1/44)

Of Additional Note

In addition to large scale contributors noted above, there are others who contributed a smaller, but no less significant amount. George Burton Hunter, of the Swan Hunter Shipbuilding Company, in collaboration with Mr T. Swinney, of Morpeth, placed motor cars at the disposal of the Sanatorium for situations which required moving patients to alternative hospitals, occasionally in emergency circumstances.

George Burton Hunter also supplied the engine necessary to supply power to the x-ray plant, the plant having been a gift from Miss Kate Stephenson, daughter of Sir William Stephenson.

Kate Stephenson’s donations also counted a new wing, the ‘Charlotte Stephenson Wing’ named for her late sister, added to the sanatorium in 1920. This wing came in addition to the ‘Ochiltree Ward’ a donated by the late Miss Ochiltree and the ‘United Services Ward.’ All three wings, catering for a further 120 patients, were opened by the Duke of Northumberland on 30th October 1920.

Opening of the Additional Wings by the Duke of Northumberland 30th October 1920 (NRO 10361-01-05).
Opening of the Additional Wings by the Duke of Northumberland 30th October 1920 (NRO 10361-01-05).

Interior of One of the New Wings at Stannington Sanatorium (NRO 10361-01-06).

 

Sources

Wain, C (Ed). 1913. A Regeneration of Romance. Published by Andrew Reid.

 

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