Brighton & Hove Albion, Sussex and World War 1

The Large One · Jan 28, 2014

Wounded Indian soldiers in the Dome...

... and in the Royal Pavilion

Publius Ovidius · Jan 28, 2014

The Oldman said:
Listen to the wraiths of morning in Flanders fields of grey,
Can you hear The Royal Sussex who came and went away
And linger still in graves unknown amidst the furrow and the thorn.
But never flinched, duty done, these sons of Sussex bred and born

Magnificent.

Publius Ovidius · Jan 28, 2014

I can't forget the lane that goes from Steyning to the Ring
In summer time, and on the Down how larks and linnets sing
High in the sun. The wind comes off the sea, and Oh the air!
I never knew till now that life in old days was so fair.
But now I know it in this filthy rat infested ditch
When every shell may spare or kill - and God alone knows which.
And I am made a beast of prey, and this trench is my lair.
My God! I never knew till now that those days were so fair.
So we assault in half an hour, and, - it's a silly thing -
I can't forget the narrow lane to Chanctonbury Ring.

Written by a young man in the 5th Yorkshire regiment about Half an hour before he went over the top

http://steyningmuseum.org.uk/purvis.htm

Thunder Bolt · Jan 28, 2014

El Sid said:
Born in Hove, my grandfather fought in the Great War in the Sussex Regiment, won the Military Medal, got gassed and lived with sickness and poor health for the rest of his life. Died just before I was born. It is a great sadness for me that I never met him.

My grandfather was a baker so he went into the Army Service Corps. I have his two medals, the 14-18 medal and Mons star but he didn't get the victory medal in 1918 as he was invalided out before the end. He went back to being a baker in Henfield. I didn't know him as he died of pneumonia when my Dad was a teenager.

Gwylan · Jan 28, 2014

granny weatherwax said:
I can't forget the lane that goes from Steyning to the Ring
In summer time, and on the Down how larks and linnets sing
High in the sun. The wind comes off the sea, and Oh the air!
I never knew till now that life in old days was so fair.
But now I know it in this filthy rat infested ditch
When every shell may spare or kill - and God alone knows which.
And I am made a beast of prey, and this trench is my lair.
My God! I never knew till now that those days were so fair.
So we assault in half an hour, and, - it's a silly thing -
I can't forget the narrow lane to Chanctonbury Ring.

Written by a young man in the 5th Yorkshire regiment about Half an hour before he went over the top

http://steyningmuseum.org.uk/purvis.htm

Good find that Dave - thanks for posting. I love NSC for unexpected discoveries.

He's the same guy who wrote the more famous High Wood, but I think the Steyning poem is better.

Publius Ovidius · Jan 28, 2014

Gwylan said:
Good find that Dave - thanks for posting. I love NSC for unexpected discoveries.

He's the same guy who wrote the more famous High Wood, but I think the Steyning poem is better.

It is just beautiful and horrendously poignant!

Gwylan · Jan 28, 2014

granny weatherwax said:
It is just beautiful and horrendously poignant!

It is - although I'm pleased to see that he survived the war and lived to a good age. So many didn't ... so many

forrest · Jan 30, 2014

As well as the Brighton Dome being used as a hospital during WW1 alot of local village halls in the county were also used for the same purpose. I know the King Edward Hall in Lindfield was used as one.

attila · Jan 30, 2014

A CENTENARY WAR POEM
For Bill Baine, 1899-1968

‘What passing-bells for those who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.’
And so some lines to spike centenary prattle:
These words a sole survivor soldier’s son’s.

My father Bill, born in Victorian England:
The sixth of January, 1899.
His stock, loyal London. Proletarian doff-cap.
Aged seventeen, he went to join the line.

Not in a war to end all wars forever
Just in a ghastly slaughter at the Somme -
A pointless feud, a royal family squabble
Fought by their proxy poor with gun and bomb.

My father saved. Pyrexia, unknown origin.
Front line battalion: he lay sick in bed.
His comrades formed their line, then came the whistle
And then the news that every one was dead.

In later life a polished comic poet
No words to us expressed that awful fear
Although we knew such things were not forgotten.
He dreamed Sassoon: he wrote Belloc and Lear.

When I was ten he died, but I remember,
Although just once, he’d hinted at the truth.
He put down Henry King and Jabberwocky
And read me Owen’s ‘Anthem For Doomed Youth’.

‘What passing-bells for those who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.’
And so some lines to spike Gove’s mindless prattle:
These words a sole survivor soldier’s son’s.

ATS/JB
22nd January 2014

Uncle Buck · Jan 30, 2014

The programme on BBC1 the other night stated that Brighton was not involved in a war in Europe for 100 years before 1914.

However we were kicking around (and kicking the Russians) in the Crimean War from 1853.

Barrel of Fun · Jan 30, 2014

Gwylan said:
The stuff about Hearts got me thinking about the Albion and the players we lost. I know that Pom-Pom Whiting was killed in the war - any others?

Wasn't Charlie Webb from an Army family? I think he was born in a camp.

Really interesting programme; surprised the Chattri didn't get a mention though

From my link above...

Barrel of Fun said:
According to Seagulls! The Story of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.

Bob Whiting (320 apps), Jasper Batey (40 apps), Charlie Matthews (12 apps), Charlie Dexter (36 apps) and groundsman Fred Bates. Former players who sacrificed their lives were Arthur Hulme (174 apps), Jimmy Smith (65 apps 40 goals), Alan Haig-Brown (3 apps), Ernie Townsend (0 apps) and Tom Morris (46 apps).

A memorial was placed in the boardroom in 1923.

Publius Ovidius · Jan 30, 2014

attila said:
A CENTENARY WAR POEM
For Bill Baine, 1899-1968

‘What passing-bells for those who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.’
And so some lines to spike centenary prattle:
These words a sole survivor soldier’s son’s.

My father Bill, born in Victorian England:
The sixth of January, 1899.
His stock, loyal London. Proletarian doff-cap.
Aged seventeen, he went to join the line.

Not in a war to end all wars forever
Just in a ghastly slaughter at the Somme -
A pointless feud, a royal family squabble
Fought by their proxy poor with gun and bomb.

My father saved. Pyrexia, unknown origin.
Front line battalion: he lay sick in bed.
His comrades formed their line, then came the whistle
And then the news that every one was dead.

In later life a polished comic poet
No words to us expressed that awful fear
Although we knew such things were not forgotten.
He dreamed Sassoon: he wrote Belloc and Lear.

When I was ten he died, but I remember,
Although just once, he’d hinted at the truth.
He put down Henry King and Jabberwocky
And read me Owen’s ‘Anthem For Doomed Youth’.

‘What passing-bells for those who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.’
And so some lines to spike Gove’s mindless prattle:
These words a sole survivor soldier’s son’s.

ATS/JB
22nd January 2014

That is excellent john.

Publius Ovidius · Jan 30, 2014

ANTHEM1 FOR DOOMED YOUTH
A

What passing-bells2 for these who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out3 their hasty orisons.4
No mockeries5 now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, –
The shrill, demented6 choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles7 calling for them from sad shires.8
What candles9 may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor10 of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk11 a drawing-down of blinds.12
A

September - October, 1917

Owen

Norman Potting · Jan 30, 2014

Gwylan said:
It is - although I'm pleased to see that he survived the war and lived to a good age. So many didn't ... so many

Fascinating story behind the poem as well - if I read it correctly the writer was actually a Yorkshireman.

RowleyBirkinQ.C(deceased) · Jan 30, 2014

attila said:
A CENTENARY WAR POEM
For Bill Baine, 1899-1968

‘What passing-bells for those who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.’
And so some lines to spike centenary prattle:
These words a sole survivor soldier’s son’s.

My father Bill, born in Victorian England:
The sixth of January, 1899.
His stock, loyal London. Proletarian doff-cap.
Aged seventeen, he went to join the line.

Not in a war to end all wars forever
Just in a ghastly slaughter at the Somme -
A pointless feud, a royal family squabble
Fought by their proxy poor with gun and bomb.

My father saved. Pyrexia, unknown origin.
Front line battalion: he lay sick in bed.
His comrades formed their line, then came the whistle
And then the news that every one was dead.

In later life a polished comic poet
No words to us expressed that awful fear
Although we knew such things were not forgotten.
He dreamed Sassoon: he wrote Belloc and Lear.

When I was ten he died, but I remember,
Although just once, he’d hinted at the truth.
He put down Henry King and Jabberwocky
And read me Owen’s ‘Anthem For Doomed Youth’.

‘What passing-bells for those who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.’
And so some lines to spike Gove’s mindless prattle:
These words a sole survivor soldier’s son’s.

ATS/JB
22nd January 2014

Lovely stuff Attila, very moving

RowleyBirkinQ.C(deceased) · Feb 3, 2014

Britains Great War on on beeb 1 now, fantastic programme

Working class pride · Feb 3, 2014

We serve neither King nor Kaiser. The Easter uprising in Dublin. Many Irish fought in the British army for food and on the promise of independence afterwards. They mentioned the smuggling of German rifles, true, but before WW1 the UVF had done the same. As for Sussex lads, The Sussex regiments fought on the Boer War before WW1, I think there is a memorial in one of the squares on the seafront. Colour Sergeant Bourne of Rorke's Drift fame (Zulu) was also from Balcombe

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