2nd Lieutenant Ray Dickinson.

 

 

A Company Officers behind their hut in the Spring of 1915.
Barwell Dickinson

Savill Jones Green

2nd Lieutenant Ray Dickinson, the son of Lady Dickinson, was well known to both John and Frances Baber, as he had been brought up at 6 Phillimore Gardens, very close to 9 Phillimore Gardens in Kensington where John's parents lived.  Ray had volunteered for the battalion during  the very first days of the war. 

John wrote in his diary on the 4th of August 1914,

"Ray enlisted, mobilised. British return ultimatum to Germany commences at Midnight."

On the  Friday 14th of August . John wrote "Morning route march.  RSD joined."

Perhaps they had not been able to process his enlistment on the 4th.

Ray Dickinson, a photo taken at Cheltenham,

 and kept by my grandmother to her death.

 



He was close to my grandmother and may have been her boyfriend.  She remained in contact with Ray's sisters long after Ray had been killed on the October 2nd 1915, by when he had become Captain in command of A Company. Ray was one of John's great friends in the battalion, and they planned to take their leaves together. He features in many of John's letters, as will become apparent in future posts.

In the run up to Christmas 1914, he found time to send the following card to my grandmother. It was to be his last Christmas.

 

 

Initially in B Company, under Captain Cox, when on embarkation, the battalion was changed to a four company structure he moved into No.1 Company, was then renamed A Company.

On the 16th of November 1914 this company was the first of the QWR to move up into support of 16th Infantry Brigade, and for the first time they came under fire as they carried trenching materials into the line.

He was killed on the 2nd of October 1915 near Verlorenhoek Road by shell fire as they were repairing trenches collapsed by the recent rainfall, near the aptly names Stink Houses.

He was remembered by Henriques for "His happy and cheery character, his fearlessness and his power of leadership, had made him implicitly trusted as well as beloved by his seniors and adored by his company."

Dickinson Raymond Scott, Captain London Regiment (Queen's Westminster Rifles) 02/10/1915, Age 22, W.6. Potijze Burial Ground Cemetery (Ieper) (West Vlaanderen Belgium. [1]

[1] I am indebted to Steve Hammond for this information.

2nd Lieutenant Samuel Bradley. D.C.M

Captain H. J. Flower (60th Rifles) Adjutant, Bn Headquarters, left

Captain G. H. Lambert, G Company, centre

2nd Lieutenant S.G. L. Bradley. right.

Rear of photo above.

April 1915, Houplines, (sur Leys)

"The duties of transport officer were taken over by S.G.L. Bradley, who, while a member of the Queen's Westminsters, had served with distinction in the South African War.  After his return from South Africa he held a commission in the mounted-infantry company of the Regiment until it was disbanded on the formation of the Territorial Force in 1908.  On the outbreak of war he at once applied for and was granted a commission as 2nd lieutenant.  His wide and mature experience and powers of organisation were invaluable, and the Queen's Westminsters must ever be grateful to him for his unselfish service.  He served in France throughout the whole of the war, and after acting for a time as staff captain to the 18th Infantry Brigade, and later as D.A.Q.M.G. 6th Division, he eventually became assistant-director of labour with the rank of full colonel, which appointment he held until demobilisation." [1]

"On October 23rd, (1915), Captain S. G. L. Bradley took over the duties of Staff-Captain of the 18th Infantry Brigade in Succession to Captain C.R. Congreve, D.S.O." [2]

"The work of 2nd Lieutenant (afterwards Colonel) S.G.L. Bradley and, from September 1915, to the end of the war, of Captain B.L. Miles, as transport officers, and of the N.C.O's and men who served under them, is worthy of all praise." [3]

[1] The War History of the First Battalion Queen's Westminster Rifles, 1914-1918, by Major J.Q. Henriques. Page 5.

[2] Henriques page 65.

[3] Henriques page 298-299.

Mobilisation and the march to Leverstock Green

 

Figure 1. Crowds cheering long queues of recruits outside

the Headquarters of the Queen's Westminster Rifles. 

As soon as war was declared large numbers of volunteers and former members of the battalion reported to the regiment. The regiment had numbered 511, and within less than forty eight hours it had reached its full compliment of over 800 men. Many volunteers had had to be turned away. Something of the rush and confusion of these days can be seen in John Baber's pocket diary below.

Figure 2. John Baber's Letts Diary 1914.

(Please click on image for larger version.)

"4 Tues Ray enlisted.  Mobilized.

British ultimatum to germany expires at midnight.

5 Wed Battalion mobilisation Endowed Schools at 8AM.  Recruits poured in.

Drew nearly 220,000 rounds of ball SMA

Liege.  Went to Tower for Major, slept at home.

'London' sinks german minelayer

6 Thur More recruits....... Div Transport

Officers say 6th Brg on Monday, 5th on Tuesday

4th on Wednesday,

Ampion sunk by mine (135 lost)

7 Fri Battalion reached full strength, &

men turned away freely.

10.30 Route march.  3.30 pm Bayonet fighting

germans leave Liege. ? north sea Battle

Cerub in form

8 Sat Route march morning & afternoon

9 Sun 9aft Trin Church Parade.  Archdeacon

Wilberforce 'fire & sentiments not broadminded

disappointing address.  Home for afternoon.

French have invaded Alsace."

The regimental history mentions the route marches and says "but chiefly to be remembered by the route marches along tarred roads which reflected from the ground all the heat of a broiling August sun."

It also gives the Archdeacon a more favourable review than John Baber, saying of the service

"August 9th.  The Battalion attended a special service in Westminster Abbey.  The very impressive and stirring sermon preached by Archdeacon Wilberforce brought home to all, more than anything else had done up to that time, what was before them." [1]

Figure 3. A printed form of service from the 9th of August left

at Leverstock Green with Olive Seabrook.[2]

As a special privilege to the Queen's Westminster Regiment, the Dean & Chapter of Westminster Abbey allowed Lieutenant E.G.H. Cox commander of B Company get married in King Henry VII's Chapel inside the Abbey. It was the first wedding celebrated there in more than three hundred years.

London officer worker, Bernard Brookes was amongst the hundreds of men who arrived at the Queen's Westminster Rifles depot hoping to enlist. Here's his account of his successful attempt to join up.

"7.8.1914

I immediately took steps to join a regiment and on Friday 7^th August 1914, with Frank Croxford and George Steptoe (two colleagues from the Office) I went to the Headquarters of the 16^th Battalion of the County of London Regiment, the Queens Westminster Rifles and after waiting outside 58, Buckingham Gate for two or three hours we struggled and pushed our way inside as soon as the door was opened - we were all so eager to join the Army.  Strange to say, that men I have met since who have returned from the Front are even more eager to get out of it now, but although one had to wait a long time to get into the Army at the beginning of the War, one has to wait a sight longer to get out once in the Army.

After much swearing outside the building, we were ‘sworn in’ and then waited in turn to see the doctor.  I passed the Doctor as ‘Fit’ and was posted to ‘E’ company.  We then paid our entrance fee (rather a good idea - pay to serve one’s country) and the receipt for this money permitted free travelling on Motor Omnibuses and other conveyances, although in civilian clothes.  Unfortunately this practice was not continued long enough to make up the entrance fee, but I honestly did my best."[3]

On the 15th of August the entire 2nd London Division was inspected before it was moved off out of London on the following day.


John Baber records this inspection as follows


"15 Sat Brigade inspection in Hyde Park by Gen: Morland some casualities.  Reserves oust RSD, bad luck."


Presumably these casualties were men who fainted in the heat.

"16 Sun - 10 aft Trin Brigade assembled
Hyde Park.  11 O'clock Brigade left
Hyde Park.  Bivouacked at Edgware.
march short but roads trying. "

[1] Major J.Q. Henriques. The War History of the First Battalion Queen's Westminster Rifles 1914-1918. Page 4 & 5.

[2] From the the Queen's Westminster Rifles in Leverstock Green website at http://www.lgchronicle.net/QWR.html  this excellent website has a great deal of information on the time the battalion spent training in the area. It is well worth visiting.
[3] Bernand Brookes Diary is available on line at http://www.bobbrookes.co.uk/diary.htm and gives an excellent view of what it was like to become a member of the QWR at this time.

1914 Mobilisation.

John spent the spring and summer of 1914 at Cambridge. His diary shows him that he travelled to Aldershot on the 9th of April, and returning on the 14th Easter Tuesday. Quite possibly this was a T. A. training camp.

A practise mobilisation had taken place on the 14th of March, but it had been just routine training, and as his university term only ended two days later, he may have missed it anyway, as it doesn't appear in his diary.

On Whitsun Bank Holiday, 1st of June he took his Tripos, with term finishing on the 3rd. Like so many others during that hot summer he had no idea of the horror that would befall them all. His diary is full of events like the Royal Horticultural Societies Holland House Show, and garden parties. On the 6th of July he left for a holiday in Guernsey and Sark.

On the 28th of June 1914 Gavril Princep had assassinated Archduke Ferdinand at Sarajevo.

By Sunday the 2nd of August John had returned, and riding his Bough motorcycle he had set out for Perham Down Camp on Salisbury Plain where that years summer camp for the Queen's Westminster Rifles was being held.

2 Sun - 8 aft Trin. Camp to 16th
11.30 arrived Perham Down Camp by motorcycle 1200 Battalion arrived.
8.30 news of invasion of France. Message start mobilisation. Struck Camp.

At the news of the invasion cheer after cheer was heard from every camp.[1]

The battalion had only left Paddington Station that morning, August 2nd, 1914 for Salisbury Plain.
Rumours had been around for several days that war might be imminent, even before they had left London.


By 9.30 pm. orders were received that the entire 2nd London Division was to return to London. Major Waley Cohen the 2nd in command was acting as railway transport officer.

John records:-

3 Mon, Bank Holiday. Left Camp 1.30 AM. 10 O'clock dismissed from Headquarters. King & Queen cheered at Palace by night crowd.[2]

The Battalion had returned by train to Paddington Station arriving in the early hours of Bank Monday Monday, August 3rd. On the following day, the 4th of August war was declared on Germany, and orders to mobilise were issued.

On the following morning the official telegram ordering John Baber to report to the mobilisation centre arrived.



To Lieut Baber 9 Phillimore
Gdns Kensington to
Mobilize 8 am Endowed Schools
Wednesday
Officer Commanding
Queens West's

[1] Henriques, page 1.
[2] J Baber's short diary no 1.