Buckingham

Very pleasant night away with the Memsahib in Buckingham last night, stayed at the White Hart which is an 18th century coaching inn. Bit of a trial to get to our room as it was on the second floor and being an old building  the floors were rather uneven & the stairs shall we say were quirky!
An interesting beer on tonight called Frankenstein by Greene King. It's one of their seasonal specials  along the lines of a Hoegaarden, a cloudy beer with a hint of coriander with a nice citrus after taste, it was very nice and my tipple of the evening and at 4.2% not too pokey! Tara had her fave of bitter shandy (with IPA) and a Baileys later on.
Dinner was good and for a change a little more choice for Tara. That is to say  two items to choose from rather than one!  For starters Tara had nachos and I had chicken strips. For  mains Tara had a five veg super salad with a baked camembert  and I had good old fish & chips (fish was cod) with mushy peas of course!
Tara had ice cream , the only choice of pud she could have & I had another beer mmm.
Time went all too quickly, Tara & I have always enjoyed each others company & always find lots to talk about, it's just how it should be. It was a very good mini break , always enjoy time away with the Memsahib. Here's' to the next time!

Tara with our beers.

Bitter shandy with a pint of Frankenstein in front.4.2% of loveliness.

Fish and chips, an English classic and very good.

Five veg super salad and baked camembert. Yum!

An idiots guide to an Idiot: A Military Medal on the Somme, 23rd October 1916.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: A Military Medal on the Somme, 23rd October 1916.: On the 23rd October 1916 my Grandad's battalion (2nd Bn The Middlesex Regiment) was in the vanguard on an attack at 'Zenith Trench&#...

A Military Medal on the Somme, 23rd October 1916.

On the 23rd October 1916 my Grandad's battalion (2nd Bn The Middlesex Regiment) was in the vanguard on an attack at 'Zenith Trench' near Les Boeufs during the battle of the Somme which had been raging since the 1st July.It was here where I believe he won his Military Medal for bravery entitling him to use the letters 'MM' after his name. Not that he ever did. In fact because of the depression of the 1920's he had to pawn all his medals, four in total, he was never to see them again, but that story for another blog I think.
The 2/Middlesex had endured a terrible mauling on the first day of the Somme and didn't move too far from that sector, in late October they marched up through Trones Wood and on the 22nd were in 'Spectrum Trench' waiting for the off. From the 21st the Germans had endured a heavy artillery barrage  and at 2.30pm on the 23rd the 2/Middlesex and 2/Scottish Rifles of the 23rd Brigade followed behind a  creeping artillery barrage onto Zenith trench. There was fierce hand to hand fighting but the trench was taken , by 3.45pm both battalions were through Zenith and 400 yards beyond. The brigade to the left of the 2/Middlesex (the 25th brigade) failed to get as far as the 23rd exposing the Middlesex flank so defences had to be thrown up at the junction of Gusty and Spectrum trenches as well. Here for the next four days they suffered heavy German artillery bombardment and counter attacks. My Grandad told me, in a brief conversation about his MM that they were in German trenches and using the Germans own bombs against them. They were to retire on the night of the 27th.
 The diary describes it thus:
'Oct 23rd. The attack was initially successful accept that the left flank of the Battn was left exposed (owing to failure in the next Brigade) and a new line was established about 200 yards beyond the old hostile front line. The Brigadier complimented the Battn on its success. Casualties- Officers killed 2/Lieut FO Kemp, 2/Lieut LW Smith,2/Lieut G Hall. Officers wounded 2/Lieut HC Hunt MC, 2/Lieut KLN McCulluch,2/Lieut AL St John-Jones. Other Ranks killed 62,wounded 117,missing 47.Total 226.
Oct 24th to 27th.  The positon gained was strengthened and consolidated. Further casualties Capt TC Kidner, RAMC killed, 2/Lieut H Hess, 2/Lieut E Evans wounded. On the night of 27th the Battn was withdrawn to camp near Montauban arriving in the early hours of the 28th.'

The Battalion reached the camp exhausted after such an ordeal they spent the day cleaning up and at noon on 29th marched to Mansell Camp then Meaulte on the 30th.
It is very difficult to ascertain how many bravery medals were awarded for this action but on the 3rd December after church parade the battalion was drawn up for the 8th Division commander Major General Sir Havelock Hudson KCB,CIE to present gallantry medal ribbons, amongst them my Grandad. The General presented another 6 MM ribbons, 1 Military Cross and 1 Distinguished Conduct Medal on this parade. The actual medals followed later.
Grandad's award was published in the London Gazette of 6th Jan 1917. All honours and bravery awards have been published in this way right up to today.
There is a very good book by Howard Williamson I have consulted in trying to pin down when my Grandad got his MM,  there's three volumes all quite weighty tomes, about all medals and awards from the First World War. He is an undoubted expert in this field & has worked out that MM's that appeared in the London Gazette on 6/1/17 were for actions around October 1916 in this area, so the evidence all points to this being where and when Grandad won his MM.
As a slight aside, when he went on leave & told his family, his younger brother scoffed, saying he'll have an MM in six months, about six months later S15174 Private Arthur Edward Gowers 3rd Bn The Rifle Brigade  was awarded an MM!!
Regarding the war diary and it's language, it is a great irritation to me even 100 years on that those who gave the so called 'ultimate sacrifice' are still divided by class, the officers being named Other Ranks not. Whys should a captains name be any more worthy than a corporal?

Battalion war diary from 20th 31st Oct 1016.

Battalion diary detailing parade on 3rd Dec 1916 for gallantry medal ribbon awards by GOC 8th Division. 

My Grandads Military Medal, British War Medal & Victory Medal. (1914 Star missing)

An idiots guide to an Idiot: More travels round Kent and Sussex.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: More travels round Kent and Sussex.: As well as Spike Milligan's grave the church of St Thomas in Winchelsea is quite interesting. There are three tombs thought to be member...

More travels round Kent and Sussex.

As well as Spike Milligan's grave the church of St Thomas in Winchelsea is quite interesting. There are three tombs thought to be members of the Godfrey family set in the wall and now lit up , though I don't think you can see that from my photos. The stained glass windows designed by Douglas Strachen part of a gift to the town by Lord Blanesburgh. There are two war graves in the graveyard one of 36801 Sergeant George William Cook. He'd served in the Royal Sussex Regiment in world war one though I can't find any record of his medals then he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps changing to the Royal Air Force. He had a heart attack in 1943 and buried at St Thomas's, his local church.
The other is an unknown Royal Marine from HMS Ariadne. She was a Diadem Class ship launched in 1898, converted to a minelayer & torpedoed off Beachy Head on 26th July 1917. Thirty eight were killed in the resulting explosion, amongst them the unknown Marine. How he remained unknown I don't know but his washed up body was buried here.
Today I paid a visit to the RSPB reserve at Dungeness  and very good to was too, the high spot being seeing a Hen Harrier, that's what I was told anyway, I recognised it as a raptor but that was the limit of my knowledge, I tried to take a photo but for a second time this week muffed it so just enjoyed watching it instead.
Had a very pleasant walk around the reserve and will definitely come back again.

Tombs probably of the Godfrey family

Godfrey family.....probably

36802 Sgt CW Cook RAF

Unknown Royal Marine from WW1.

Dungeness RSPB reserve

     

An idiots guide to an Idiot: A day out in Kent.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: A day out in Kent.: Had a smashing day out with our friends on Wednesday. First stop was the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain memorial at Capel le Ferne near...

A day out in Kent.

Had a smashing day out with our friends on Wednesday. First stop was the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain memorial at Capel le Ferne near Dover. There's a replica Spitfire & Hurricane & a very interesting  visitors centre in the shape of a wing, once you get upstairs to the café  you can see it has the shape of the elliptical wings of a Spitfire.
We walked over near to the cliff edge of the site, heard the growl of Merlin engine , looked skyward & what should fly over but a bloody Spitfire!! We reckon Stan & Kas had arranged it! I tried to take a photo but was way out so decided just to enjoy watching it fly over. Fantastic! Puts the hairs up on the back of my neck, just brilliant.
Anyway, tea & wads (cake really) in the café & we  were ready to move off.

I wanted to have a look at a cemetery in Dover, as you know, I like a good cemetery, the reason being I have read a very good book about a World War One action called The Zeebrugge Raid on 23rd April 1918. The objective was to sink a couple of old ships in the mouth of the ship canals at Zeebrugge and Ostend to stop U Boats and  motor boats leaving port, a diversionary attack on the harbour (the Mole) was to be made by Royal Marines. All who volunteered for the raid were told to expect that they would not come back and nearly half of the four hundred or so Sailors and Marines who took part didn't! I have read a very good book about the raid which I urge you to read, 'The Zeebrugge Raid 1918  The finest feat of arms' by Paul Kendall ,follow this link to find out more. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zeebrugge-Raid-1918-Finest-Feat/dp/0752453327/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475769354&sr=1-1&keywords=the+zeebrugge+raid+1918
Sixty six were buried in St James Cemetery in Dover, others were buried in Zeebrugge and some were taken to their home towns.
The men who took part in this raid are all buried together in a mass grave, there are another nine who took part but remain unidentified. Vice Admiral Roger Keyes who commanded  the  force and led it across the Channel requested to be buried with his sailors when he died, so in December 1945 he was laid to rest  with the Zeebrugge Raiders. He was by then Admiral of the Fleet, his eldest son was killed in action during the Second World War in 1941 and is commemorated on his fathers memorial, he was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.
There was eight VC's awarded for Zeebrugge though none are buried here there is one DSC and a DSM. The award of the VC's is interesting as two were decided by ballot. That is to say the whole unit excelled and no doubt were all bloody brave but it was put to the vote who got the VC. The raid was partially successful, the block ships were not sunk in the exact places they should have been so the channels weren't completely blocked but they did make things very difficult to get U Boats in and out, air photos showed the number of boats within the channels varied very little subsequently.
Churchill described this as 'the finest feat of arms in the Great War and certainly as an episode unsurpassed in the history of the Royal Navy.’ He was probably right. 

Stan before the graves of the Zeebrugge Raiders.

Grave of Admiral of the Fleet Lord Roger Keyes RN.

Memorial to Admiral of the Fleet Lord Keyes & his son Lt Col Keyes VC.

Close up of the memorial naming the unidentified.

Ornate seat commemorating WW1.

View of the Zeebrugge Raiders graves.

There are three Victoria Cross winners buried in this cemetery, we found two of them.
 Quartermaster Charles Wooden VC won his award during the Crimean War whilst serving in the 17th Lancers, then a Sergeant Major, after the famous Charge of the Light Brigade, in which he rode , he helped retrieve a wounded officer under fire. He went on to serve as QM in the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons, sadly he committed suicide on 14th April 1876 by shooting himself having had severe headaches the previous week. 

Sergeant Major Charles Wooden VC.17th Lancers.

 

    The second was Lance Corporal William House VC who served with the 2nd Bn The Royal Berkshire Regiment. he won his VC during the Boer War whilst also rescuing a wounded comrade. He too died early, he accidently shot himself while cleaning his rifle! He was only 32. His grave must have been either unmarked or in disrepair as in 1994 his present day regiment The Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment had the grave stone photographed put in place.   

Lance Corporal William House VC. 2nd Bn The Royal Berkshire Regiment.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: The Memsahibs barnet.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: The Memsahibs barnet.: Now once upon a time, when the Memsahib & I first met she dyed her hair.........& it took me about a week with several prompts to no...

The Memsahibs barnet.

Now once upon a time, when the Memsahib & I first met she dyed her hair.........& it took me about a week with several prompts to notice. Tara has beautifully coloured brown hair with lots of other colour (red tones) in as well that you don't really notice, the up shot being that T hasn't changed her hair colour this past 35 years, until now that is.
Tara has talked about it but not grasped the nettle, shopping in Rye Tara & Kas get talking about hair colour & happen to be in Boots & then brought a hair colour  called 'Violet.'
The deed was done once we got back to Kas & Stans & it looks great! A very rich & lovely colour & Tara looks stunning. Thanks to Kas for this because if she hadn't done it the dye would have languished in Tara's bag forever and a day, but as I say the deed is done & it looks great !

Before.

After.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: The Great Spike.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: The Great Spike.: Buried in Winchelsea, East Sussex is one of the worlds greatest comics. None other than the great Spike Milligan. Born in India  the son of ...

The Great Spike.

Buried in Winchelsea, East Sussex is one of the worlds greatest comics. None other than the great Spike Milligan. Born in India  the son of a soldier he lived in South London & served in the Royal Artillery during World War Two, meeting up with the likes of Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe, post war the Goons were formed and the rest as they is history his manic type of comedy being the inspiration for the likes of Monty Python.
I loved his war memoirs ( a trilogy in seven parts!) and of course things like the 'Q' programmes, who can forget the Pakistani darlek, the idiot scout troop  and the rest.
When I was at school  part of my English Language CSE course was a book study. I chose Milligans classic 'Puckoon.' There was various things we had to do, review the book, write an alternative ending and find out as much as you can about the author. I managed to get in touch with Spike via Penguin Books  and to my sheer delight  received a personal letter from the man himself signing off with 'Sincerely Spike.' I also got  wealth of information about him which helped me greatly  to obtain my Grade 2 CSE !!
As he had Irish ancestry & I think Irish citizenship some of his gravestone is written in Gaelic, one sentence reading 'I told you I was ill.'
Leave 'em laughing Spike! There'll never be another!

An idiots guide to an Idiot: An afternoon on the railways

An idiots guide to an Idiot: An afternoon on the railways: Went on the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway today. Picked it up from just outside Stan & Kas's. The engine 'Winston Church...

An afternoon on the railways

Went on the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway today. Picked it up from just outside Stan & Kas's. The engine 'Winston Churchill' was pulling on our outward journey, built in 1931 it's still going strong. Trundled along to Hythe taking in the views which are lovely when in opens out, interested to see two pillboxes  from the train, type 22 & 24 I think, these were part of the 6500 pillboxes built during the Second World War. Photo shows the St Marys Bay pillbox a type 22/FW3 that was improved with thicker walls to be shell proof. I read a story about troops using pillboxes for training, however on opening fire with a heavy machine gun the noise was so terrible the crew elected to place the gun on the roof!
Also spotted the famous Romney Marsh sheep doing their thing in various fields.
Alighted at Hythe which is the end of the line and walked along the Royal Military Canal towards the town centre. The canal is another interesting defence structure. Completed in 1809, it wasn't as long or as wide as first intended to keep 'Old bony' at bay , of  course he never invaded and the canal  became bit of a white elephant, though in world war two the Germans planned to land a brigade of paratroops to secure it.
Into Hythe and went to 'Truly Scrumious'  a tea rooms that actually does cater for wheat intolerance, not just putting up signs that say the do! Excellent Lemon Drizzle cake and Apple & Cinnamon  cake plus coffee's partaken here then off for a potter round. Met various local loons, a woman who talked to herself , or was she talking to her dog? and a bloke with two small dogs who visit all the charity shops for their biscuit  treats. Dogs hurtling in before he's even off his bike, brilliant! 
Time went all too quickly and we made our way back to the station. This time 'Hurricane' was the engine, older than 'Winston Churchill' built in 1926.
The trains stopped at New Romney before Romney Sands where we wanted to go so Kas kindly  met us at the station.
Lovely roast dinner followed by a musical evening  by the  musicians from the newly formed  Romney Marsh Morrismen , follow this link for more info! https://www.facebook.com/Romney-Marsh-Morrismen-338999409774390/  

Memsahib waiting at Romney Sands station at 'Winston Churchill' approaches. 

'Hurricane' on the return journey.

Lypmne castle I think.

The famous Romney Marsh sheep

Pillbox from train.

Stan on melodeon, Dan on guitar. Matt on.........beer bottle! 

Stan and Dan.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Somme 1st Oct 1916.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Somme 1st Oct 1916.: Thought I'd take another of my periodic looks at the Regimental diaries of my Grandfather's regiments of one hundred years ago. The...

Somme 1st Oct 1916.

Thought I'd take another of my periodic looks at the Regimental diaries of my Grandfather's regiments of one hundred years ago.
These diaries, all kept at the National Archive in Kew, can at times be very sparse. At best they are very matter of fact reports of what was going on, not what the weather was like & sometimes it appears not much was going on as for both entries this time.
D1901 Private William Morgan 1st (Kings) Dragoon Guards.
Machy.  
'Lieut FWF Card,2nd Lieut EI Ward & 34 dismounted men rejoined from Albert having been employed in preparing cavalry tracks and clearing battlefields.'


Macy is in Northern France. 'Cavalry tracks' were  repaired roads, shell holes filled in & generally smoothed over so the cavalry could use them, they were marked by various marker flags, the work was undertaken by parties from the cavalry regiments though Card & Ward would have supervised! Much was salvaged from battlefields if conditions allowed, this would no doubt have included their fallen comrades or what was left.


G2104 L/Cpl Alfred Gower MM  2nd Bn The Middlesex Regiment.
Fouqueruil.
'2/Lieut CG Fawcus invalided to England.'


Fouqueruil is also in Northern France, the 2nd Middlesex had been there since 19th September as Divisional Reserve troops. They would remain there until 8th October, towards the end of the month they would be involved in an action that saw my Grandad win his Military Medal.