Born on the 3rd January 1883 in Surrey was a man named Clement Attlee. As a young man, he worked as manager of Haileyburry House in Stepney, which was a charity for working class boys in the area. It was here that he saw widespread poverty and deprivation and was said to be shocked to the core at what he witnessed. Whilst in this role, he soon realised that the government needed to step up and take more responsibility in order to help these people and so in 1908, Clement joined the Independant Labour Party. He was very active in local politics and was soon touring the country explaining all the information with regards to the National Insurance Act. After a while touring the country, Clement became a lecturer at the London School Of Economics, a role in which he stayed in right up until the outbreak of the first world war.
When war broke out, Clement applied for an army commission and found himself part of the South Lancashire Regiment. It was from here that a huge rift started between himself and his brother Tom, who spent the majority of the war in prison, due to his beliefs as a conscientious objector.
Clement fought along with his comrades during the Gallipoli campaign and subsequently, like many others. caught dysentery. He was sent by hospital ship to Malta, while during this time, many of his comrades were lost during the Battle of Sari Bair.
On his return, Clement was told the news that his regiment had been chosen to hold the final lines during the evacuation of Suvla and so was one of the very last men to be evacuated. Whilst fighting during the Battle of Hanna, Clement was badly wounded after receiving shrapnel in his leg and so was sent back to Britain to recover. This didn't stop him, for he spent most of 1917 training soldiers and was the temporary commanding officer of the Tank Corps at Bovington. Later on in the year, Clement was promoted to the rank of Major and in June 1918, found himself being sent to serve on the Western Front, where he said until the war ended.
Post war, Clement returned to the London School of Economics as a lecturer but the story doesn't end there. Clement dies on the 8th October 1967 but he achieves a lot during the time in between and was soon to be a household name. This is something we will pick up again when we explore the second world war.
Showing posts with label Famous People. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Famous People. Show all posts
Friday, 17 March 2017
Monday, 13 February 2017
The Last Fighting Tommy
For many years, I have been interested in Harry Patch. Being born and bred in Somerset, I often saw him on the front of the local papers and on local TV, as well as many interview clips talking about various things. What I saw, was a hero, a man who had fought through the first world war and had lived to tell the tale so to speak. What I didn't realise though, was the real Harry Patch, the man behind the story. It was only by coincidence that Harry became the last fighting Tommy, if it hadn't have been him, it would have been someone else.
I bought Harry's autobiography The Last Fighting Tommy written by Richard Van Emden back in the summer but it took me a little while to read it. I'm not entirely sure, but I think it had something to do with me thinking it would be all about military life and what happened. It might be a surprise to you, considering I write this blog, but I don't actually like reading about the military events or in depth about weaponry and battles. I much prefer reading about how it affected people's lives and how they coped.
It was a complete surprise when I finally started to read the book because it only touched on the first world war for a little bit, it certainly wasn't the whole book. Once I started reading it, I find I just simply couldn't put it down. One thing that I really didn't expect was how great a sense of humour Harry had. I suppose I had only really seen him talk about a period in his life which he really didn't want to relive and it was certainly a sombre subject. Instead, whilst reading this book, I found myself laughing aloud, probably getting a few funny looks along the way, as Harry's personality really shone throughout the book.
Being from Somerset, I loved reading about all the little villages in the area and how much both world wars changed Britain in various different ways. I really felt like I was part of the story and could see the transition of how it could change in one lifetime. What I didn't bank on was how some things had stayed the same all of this time. For instance, the train station he is to report to at the beginning of his military service was the same station I used to wait at to board the train to the seaside during my childhood. As he describes it, I could see it in my mind how much of it was still the same underneath all of the technology. His tales of village life had me in stitches and really hit home because it is only down the road from me and is certainly somewhere that I would like to visit and see for myself.
The book captured my attention so much that when it touched on how he coped with the loss of his friends both immediately and in the years that followed, I found myself crying alongside Harry. After reading about the jolly times they had had and the stories of his friends, I felt I had lost them too!
Above all, they main thing I took away from the book was that Harry was just an ordinary man. He started as a apprentice, before going off to war, if somewhat reluctantly. He saw and did things that nobody should be expected to and had to cope with the sudden devastation of war. After the war, like many he didn't really want to talk about his experiences - he simply wanted to get back to civilian life and continue on his way. As it turned out, after the rest of his comrades had passed before him and so him became the last surviving soldier of the first world war and so the world focused on him again.
I remember in 2014 visiting our local museum as they put on their new exhibit to mark the first world war centenary, with various artefacts as well as people's stories and experiences. There was one particular part which showed a lovely painted portrait of Harry Patch, the man, not the soldier. It had a speaker next to it in which it played a recorded message from Harry, talking about his experiences in the trenches. I remember thinking then that he sounded so upset and tired from talking about those experiences and I realised that, if you are asked the same questions over and over for the best part of 90 years, you wouldn't want to talk about it either.
I realised through reading this book, that many people just wanted to hear about the glory of war and what it was like. They didn't necessary want to get to know Harry as a person and hear about his life, because lets face it, the first world war was just a tiny part in a long life. I now feel like I can truly appreciate that and I feel like I really know the person beyond the uniform. I highly recommend taking the time to read The Last Fighting Tommy by Richard Van Emden for yourself, I promise you, you won't be disappointed and you will come out the other side a better person, with a completely different perspective on life.
I bought Harry's autobiography The Last Fighting Tommy written by Richard Van Emden back in the summer but it took me a little while to read it. I'm not entirely sure, but I think it had something to do with me thinking it would be all about military life and what happened. It might be a surprise to you, considering I write this blog, but I don't actually like reading about the military events or in depth about weaponry and battles. I much prefer reading about how it affected people's lives and how they coped.
It was a complete surprise when I finally started to read the book because it only touched on the first world war for a little bit, it certainly wasn't the whole book. Once I started reading it, I find I just simply couldn't put it down. One thing that I really didn't expect was how great a sense of humour Harry had. I suppose I had only really seen him talk about a period in his life which he really didn't want to relive and it was certainly a sombre subject. Instead, whilst reading this book, I found myself laughing aloud, probably getting a few funny looks along the way, as Harry's personality really shone throughout the book.
Being from Somerset, I loved reading about all the little villages in the area and how much both world wars changed Britain in various different ways. I really felt like I was part of the story and could see the transition of how it could change in one lifetime. What I didn't bank on was how some things had stayed the same all of this time. For instance, the train station he is to report to at the beginning of his military service was the same station I used to wait at to board the train to the seaside during my childhood. As he describes it, I could see it in my mind how much of it was still the same underneath all of the technology. His tales of village life had me in stitches and really hit home because it is only down the road from me and is certainly somewhere that I would like to visit and see for myself.
The book captured my attention so much that when it touched on how he coped with the loss of his friends both immediately and in the years that followed, I found myself crying alongside Harry. After reading about the jolly times they had had and the stories of his friends, I felt I had lost them too!
Above all, they main thing I took away from the book was that Harry was just an ordinary man. He started as a apprentice, before going off to war, if somewhat reluctantly. He saw and did things that nobody should be expected to and had to cope with the sudden devastation of war. After the war, like many he didn't really want to talk about his experiences - he simply wanted to get back to civilian life and continue on his way. As it turned out, after the rest of his comrades had passed before him and so him became the last surviving soldier of the first world war and so the world focused on him again.
I remember in 2014 visiting our local museum as they put on their new exhibit to mark the first world war centenary, with various artefacts as well as people's stories and experiences. There was one particular part which showed a lovely painted portrait of Harry Patch, the man, not the soldier. It had a speaker next to it in which it played a recorded message from Harry, talking about his experiences in the trenches. I remember thinking then that he sounded so upset and tired from talking about those experiences and I realised that, if you are asked the same questions over and over for the best part of 90 years, you wouldn't want to talk about it either.
I realised through reading this book, that many people just wanted to hear about the glory of war and what it was like. They didn't necessary want to get to know Harry as a person and hear about his life, because lets face it, the first world war was just a tiny part in a long life. I now feel like I can truly appreciate that and I feel like I really know the person beyond the uniform. I highly recommend taking the time to read The Last Fighting Tommy by Richard Van Emden for yourself, I promise you, you won't be disappointed and you will come out the other side a better person, with a completely different perspective on life.
Tuesday, 7 February 2017
Lawrence Of Arabia & The First World War
Thomas Edward Lawrence was born on the 16th August 1888, in Wales. Interested in archaeology at a very early age, he spent the early years of his life exploring various historical places. When the first world war broke out, the British Army intelligence section recruited him where he carried out the role of Junior Officer in Egypt.
In October 1916, T E Lawrence was sent to meet with two crucial Arab leaders at Jiddah, a Saudi Arabian port situated on the Red Sea area. Here negotiations were held between Lawrence, Faisal ibn Ali and Nuri es-Said with the outcome being an agreement to help lead an Arab revolt against the Turkish Army. Just one month later, T E Lawrence became part of Feisal's forces in the role of a trusted Liaison Officer. It was at this point that he started to become known as Lawrence of Arabia.
July the following year, Lawrence and his men carried out raids on the Damascus-Medina railway as well as successfully capturing the port of Aqaba. November 1917 saw Lawrence part of a raiding party in Southern Syria against the Turkish in the hope of disrupting communications. However, he was captured by Turkish forces, tortured and raped, yet surprisingly, the very next day, old clothes were left for him and he was able to escape.
For some people, those experiences would be too much to continue, however, Lawrence then joined forces with Edmund Allenby and it was them that entered Damascus with their forces on the 1st October 1918.
Post-war, Lawrence attended the Paris Peace Conference alongside Prince Feisal and chose to wear traditional native dress, consisting of a long white robe and headdress. As the Paris Peace Conference came to a close, Lawrence felt that, after everything the Arabs had done to help win the war, they had been betrayed. The main course of this being the French becoming in charge of Syria, when the Arabs could have had this area themselves.
Lawrence achieved so much during the first world war but his story doesn't end there. In fact it continues for a quite a while, often causing controversy, until his tragic death.
In October 1916, T E Lawrence was sent to meet with two crucial Arab leaders at Jiddah, a Saudi Arabian port situated on the Red Sea area. Here negotiations were held between Lawrence, Faisal ibn Ali and Nuri es-Said with the outcome being an agreement to help lead an Arab revolt against the Turkish Army. Just one month later, T E Lawrence became part of Feisal's forces in the role of a trusted Liaison Officer. It was at this point that he started to become known as Lawrence of Arabia.
July the following year, Lawrence and his men carried out raids on the Damascus-Medina railway as well as successfully capturing the port of Aqaba. November 1917 saw Lawrence part of a raiding party in Southern Syria against the Turkish in the hope of disrupting communications. However, he was captured by Turkish forces, tortured and raped, yet surprisingly, the very next day, old clothes were left for him and he was able to escape.
For some people, those experiences would be too much to continue, however, Lawrence then joined forces with Edmund Allenby and it was them that entered Damascus with their forces on the 1st October 1918.
Post-war, Lawrence attended the Paris Peace Conference alongside Prince Feisal and chose to wear traditional native dress, consisting of a long white robe and headdress. As the Paris Peace Conference came to a close, Lawrence felt that, after everything the Arabs had done to help win the war, they had been betrayed. The main course of this being the French becoming in charge of Syria, when the Arabs could have had this area themselves.
Lawrence achieved so much during the first world war but his story doesn't end there. In fact it continues for a quite a while, often causing controversy, until his tragic death.
Saturday, 28 January 2017
Winston Churchill & The First World War
Winston Churchill will always be a huge part of British history, so much so that he is now on our new £5 notes. For many he is remembered for how he led us to victory during the second world war however, he had achieved many things in the years beforehand.
Born at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock on the 30th November 1874, he joined the Royal Military College at Sandhurst in September 1893. After extensive training, Winston joined the 4th Hussars in 1895 where he saw action on the Indian north west frontier and in the Sudan. In 1898, Winston was just one of many that took part in the Battle of Omdurman. However, it was also during these years that he started to right reports for the Daily Telegraph as well as beginning to write books on war.
Winston left the army in 1899 to pursue a career as a war correspondent for the Morning Post. Whilst reporting on the Boer War, he was captured and taken as a prisoner of war. He made headlines himself when he managed to escape back to Britain.
Winston's political career took off when he was elected as conservative mp for Oldham in 1900. It was during this period that he became a supporter of social reform. By 1904, Winston had changed political parties, now being a member of the Liberal Democrats. 1906 saw Winston becoming Under-Secretary Of State for the Colonies and just two years later, he was promoted to President of the Board of Trade. His rise continued in 1910 when he became Home Secretary and just one year later he was made the First Lord of the Admiralty. It was here that he began to modernise the navy, with many of his changes still in place in our Royal Navy today.
In 1912, Winston set up something that would not only help us to win the first world war, but would also help us to win the second world war as well as many of the wars that would follow. He set up the Royal Naval Air Service and established an Air Department at the Admiralty. Without this, I believe that not only would we be playing catch up with the German's, but we would also have been fighting a very different war.
With the outbreak of the first world war, Winston joined the War Council but he was blamed for the failure of the Dardanelles campaign and was subsequently moved to the post of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Here he would have no influence of the countries war policy. Not happy with this, Winston soon decided to rejoin the army and ended up commanding a battalion of the Royal Scotts Fusiliers.
When David Lloyd George replaced Herbert Asquith as British Prime Minister, he brought Winston back into the government. In 1917, he was made Minister of Munitions, a role which I believe was made for him. Here he was responsible for the production of guns, shells, tanks & aeroplanes - basically all of the things we needed to fight the enemy. Winston was to hold this position until the end of the war and in post-war Britain was made Minister of War & Air, but of course this is only a small part of the story of Winston Churchill.
Born at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock on the 30th November 1874, he joined the Royal Military College at Sandhurst in September 1893. After extensive training, Winston joined the 4th Hussars in 1895 where he saw action on the Indian north west frontier and in the Sudan. In 1898, Winston was just one of many that took part in the Battle of Omdurman. However, it was also during these years that he started to right reports for the Daily Telegraph as well as beginning to write books on war.
Winston left the army in 1899 to pursue a career as a war correspondent for the Morning Post. Whilst reporting on the Boer War, he was captured and taken as a prisoner of war. He made headlines himself when he managed to escape back to Britain.
Winston's political career took off when he was elected as conservative mp for Oldham in 1900. It was during this period that he became a supporter of social reform. By 1904, Winston had changed political parties, now being a member of the Liberal Democrats. 1906 saw Winston becoming Under-Secretary Of State for the Colonies and just two years later, he was promoted to President of the Board of Trade. His rise continued in 1910 when he became Home Secretary and just one year later he was made the First Lord of the Admiralty. It was here that he began to modernise the navy, with many of his changes still in place in our Royal Navy today.
In 1912, Winston set up something that would not only help us to win the first world war, but would also help us to win the second world war as well as many of the wars that would follow. He set up the Royal Naval Air Service and established an Air Department at the Admiralty. Without this, I believe that not only would we be playing catch up with the German's, but we would also have been fighting a very different war.
With the outbreak of the first world war, Winston joined the War Council but he was blamed for the failure of the Dardanelles campaign and was subsequently moved to the post of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Here he would have no influence of the countries war policy. Not happy with this, Winston soon decided to rejoin the army and ended up commanding a battalion of the Royal Scotts Fusiliers.
When David Lloyd George replaced Herbert Asquith as British Prime Minister, he brought Winston back into the government. In 1917, he was made Minister of Munitions, a role which I believe was made for him. Here he was responsible for the production of guns, shells, tanks & aeroplanes - basically all of the things we needed to fight the enemy. Winston was to hold this position until the end of the war and in post-war Britain was made Minister of War & Air, but of course this is only a small part of the story of Winston Churchill.
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