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.

Marching to the sound of the guns.

The Queen's Westminster Rifles had been told as recently as October that they would not be expected to go to France until the Spring of 1915.

The regular Army had been suffering appalling casualties ever since the initial action at Mons, but remained unwilling to accept that they must call on the Territorial Army units training in Great Britain.  By the middle of October 1914 the situation had become so bad, that at very short notice the first units were called out to France.  The sector around Armentieres was seen as a "quiet sector"  suitable for these untried units.

Lord French had however to accept that he must use Territorial units if he was to prevent the line from breaking. He decided that although the Queen's Westminsters and the 8th Royal Scots had only arrived on the 1st and 8th of November respectively, yet their condition was so good that they were able to be sent to the front immediately after the H.A.C.[1]

John Baber, in his final days at Cambridge in the dark suit and cap,

his mother Clara is in the centre in a dark outfit and hat,

Frances, John's elder sister, also in a dark outfit stands to the left. The photograph

was taken at during the May Week on Wednesday 10th June 1914 at the grandstand

for the Bumps Race. Later that month events in Sarajevo would wreck their World

along with all those others there.

John wrote very differently to his sister than he did to his parents. This is demonstrated by the following letter, written describing his thoughts as the order came in to go to the front for the very first time.  As he would continue to do throughout much of the war he wrote in a light hearted way for his sister.

The letter can only be dated from the postmark on the envelope.  The letter is written in indelible pencil as required by orders.  The letter has been signed by Colonel Shoolbred on the reverse to show that it has been censored.

 

 

Mother’s and Dad’s letters of the

4^th have just arrived.  I was glad to get them.

The parcel has not turned up

As yet, but I expect it will

Do so shortly.

Please congratulate Harold Willcock’s [2] folk for me.

It is rather odd that I know

4 men who figure in that list.

News just come that

We are moving up to the trenches at 8AM tomorrow.

Poor old Pat [3] has been done

In the eye after all!  By the time this reaches you I shall

Probably have been

Fighting almost a week.

Isn’t it a splendid compliment

To the Regiment.

I suppose I ought not to say that.

 

Page 2,

We have all been

Ordered by all sorts of officers of
Senior rank to keep our heads,
Down, so will take no risks.
Am to hungry to write more.
Love to all

John.

Ray [4] is fit as a fiddle

& in fine form.

Later  Parcel just come

Thanks most awfully
Only just in time.

Officers from A Company.

Barwell, Dickinson

Savill Jones and Green.

 

 

The photograph is taken outside one of the huts built at Houplines into the mud and timber barricades built over the low lying valley between Houplines and the German lines.

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

Lieutenant RS Savill would remain with the regiment for many years, becoming the Commanding Officer and returning the final Cadre to Regimental Headquarters on June 2nd 1919.  He commanded the regiment until 1922, and died in May 1967.  He was the only one of the officers in the photo to have survived the war.

2nd Lieutenant J. A. Green must have joined the QWR after October 31st 1914 but before they went up to the front on November 16th 1914, when he is listed with the others in Henriques account.

2nd Lieutenant F Barwell remained with the battalion into May 1916, after which he transferred into the Royal Flying Corps.  He met his death on April 26th 1917 over Beaumont Hamel in a dog fight where he was overwhelmed by about six enemy aircraft.

[1] Honourable Artillery Company. The oldest artillery unit in the British Army dating back to the days of Henry VIII. My grandfather Reginald Hancock served in the HAC in 1911 and 1912 while he trained at the Royal Veterinary College, at one point becoming a Lance Bombardier (unpaid.) He was to serve as a Veterinary Officer throughout World War I.
[2] John's mother added a note to the effect that Willcock had been awarded Chevalier of the Croix d'honneur. I have no further details about Harold Willcock and would be pleased to learn more if you are aware of any further information about him.
[3] Patterson Barton, John’s uncle a regular in the Indian Army, who shortly arrived in France with his battery on the 6th of November, but of course John was not at this point aware of it.
John had not been accepted for the Regulars when he had applied in about 1912, and this had upset him, so it was one up for him that he had beaten his uncle into action.
[4] Ray Dickinson.

The General, a Lion, not a Donkey...

 

Figure 1. Major-General W.N. Congreve, V.C. and Major Paley,

Brigade Major, 18th Brigade in the Trenches at Houplines, Spring 1915.

It is General at the back of the photo. 

Throughout most of the later 20th Century it has become almost standard practice for most military historian's to accuse the British Armies First World War General's of living remotely from their men in chateau's far behind the lines and of having little idea of what their men were going through.

If that was ever indeed the case, the Queen's Westminster Rifles were extraordinarily lucky in having as their Brigadier, and then Divisional Commander, Walter Norris Congreve.  It is quite clear from the surviving accounts from the QWR that they did not regard Congreve as being in the slightest bit remote. And nobody could accuse him of never visiting the trenches.

The photograph above shows the general looking for all the world like an elderly batman standing in front of the parapet at Houplines in the Spring of 1915.

Major Henriques would write of him..

"General Congreve possessed that charateristic quality of a leader which makes each individual under him feel a personal link between himself and his commander.  Such a feeling begets trust, and General Congreve possessed the trust of his troops to a welcome degree.  His frequent visits to the trenches were welcomed, by company commanders and junior officers, as those of a helpful friend rather than a critic; and his advice, especially in the early days, and the manner in which it was given, created a spirit of confidence that was of the very greatest help to Territorial officers, who both realised their inexperience and felt their responsibilities.  Who will forget his cheery "good morning" to the men as he passed down the muddy trenches, or his habitual greeting "and how are the Westminsters this morning?"

"On one occasion, in January [1915], he narrowly escaped being shot by an enemy sniper, when visiting the trenches held by the Battalion, one of the sentries being shot through the head and killed instantly while pointing out to him some of the danger spots in the German lines." [1]

On the 29th April 1915 Major-General W.N. Congreve would be promoted to command the 6th Division.

During the Boer War Congreve had been awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in rescuing the guns at the Battle of Colenso. With several other men he had crossed over 500 yards of bullet swept flat ground with a scratch team of horses and a limber in an attempt to retrieve several field guns who had opened fire too close to the Boer lines. Within a very short time the crews were all dead or wounded. Congreve was a subaltern with the Rifle Brigade. Amongst the other men to go forward was the son of Lord Roberts. Roberts was shot and wounded. Seeing Roberts lying in the line of fire Congreve went out into the direct sight of the Boers and managed to retrieve Roberts. Whilst making his dash forwards Congreve was shot through the leg and foot, and several other Boer bullets passed close enough to his body to tear holes in his uniform.

 

Congreve would later go on to command the XIII Corps and to mount one of the very few successful attacks during the Battle of the Somme when the 18th and 30th Divisions were the only ones to take all their objectives on 1 July.  Congreve soon added to his reputation through his advocacy of a night advance and dawn assault.  This tactic, which returned surprise to the operational agenda, was successfully carried out on 14 July at Delville Wood.  Congreve congratulated himself in his diary:

Haig came to see me and was very complimentary and grateful for our success yesterday, and indeed it was a good operation.  I do not think so great a force was ever before got into position within 300 yards of an active enemy for a dawn attack, and our losses before the advance were very small.  Our advance was over 1,400 yards of open ground.  The arrangements of the Brigade staffs, the discipline of the battalions and the effectiveness of our artillery are the causes of our success.  I think it will be a text book operation.  I am told it is the most successful of the war and I planned it![2]

The Battle of Delville Wood is remembered today for the appalling losses suffered by the South African troops involved in attacks later in the day. However the initial attack had been well planned, but as was to be the case until the Battle of Amiens in 1918 the Germans were able to move up reinforcements faster than the British could exploit the breakthrough that Congreve and his men had made.

In many ways Congreve's tactics are the precede the very similar tactics developed later so successfully by the Australia and Canadian Generals.

His son Major William La Touche ‘Billy’ Congreve, was killed on the Somme on 20 July 1916 leading from the front and then going out into No Man's Land to bring his wounded men in.  William joined his father in winning a VC.  However for the General the strain was to become almost unbearable and in August 1916 he caught cholera.

Eventually Congreve's habit of visiting the Front would catch up with him.  During June 1917, he had his left hand  blown off by a German 5.9” shell near Vimy Ridge.  He was the only corps commander to be wounded during the war.

Congreve was an asthmatic who suffered from bronchitis. Although he did return to command during the March 1918 retreat, he had by that time become exhausted and his troops suffered very badly from his decision to try to hold the line.

After the war he would be made Governor of Malta where he died in 1927.

Figure 2.  The Monument to Major-General W.N. Congreve on Malta.

Something of his care for his men comes over in the following quotation from a letter he wrote to his son.

‘I don’t feel I can ever make a general,’ he wrote to his son on 5 April 1916, ‘for I cannot face having men killed in the ruthless way generals must do ...’[3]

[1] Henriques, Major J.Q. The War History of the First Battalion Queen's Westminster Rifles, 1914-1918. Page 50 and 51.
[2] From the Centre for First World War Studies "Lions Led by Donkeys " by John Bourne http://www.warstudies.bham.ac.uk/firstworldwar/research/donkey/congreve.shtml
This article is a very good one about Congreve and goes into a great deal about his early career. I thoroughly recommend it to you if you are interested in Congreves life.
[3] John Bourne Centre for First World War Studies.

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.

Advance to Contact

Figure 1. Page out of pocket diary John Baber

kept with him and into which he made daily entries 

 Here is a transcription, of what even John admitted was his appalling handwriting.

"Tuesday Nov 3rd.
9 O'clock disembarked.
11 O'clock marched up to
rest camp up on Hill.
Black horse jibbed.
People seemed pleased
to see us.
Black horses gave us
the Dickens of a time.
Meals
AM 7 O'clock Tea - 1 biscuit.
PM 4 O'clock, Bread butter jam
& tea"

The black horses referred to were the horses that John's machine gun section used to pull the limbers that carried the battalions machine guns.

Writing in the 1960's John recalled, perhaps forgetting that first days climb up the hill from the harbour. The horses must have had a distressing time loaded in and out of a ship, very probably for the first time in their lives.

"But the horses were a dream.  Our Commanding Officer was at the head of a big London store.  He knew a lot about a few things and particularly horses, stalking and old brandy.  Those were the days when you still saw as many horses as motors in London and this store were rightly very proud of theirs, and in August 1914 we mobilised their horses with their drivers.  In the two limbers we had teams of matched light draught and in the wagon an equally splendid pair of heavy draught.  When we got to France we had to mount an armed guard over the horse lines every nigt to prevent them being pinched by the Australians or someone equally knowing."

Having spent their first night in France in a tented camp on top a a hill over looking L'Havre the battalion officers had the first of many concessions to the rapidly changing face of war. The smart leather Sam Browne belts they had been accustomed to wearing were handed in as well as their swords, to be replaced with webbing equipment similar to that worn by their men.

On the late afternoon the battalion marched back into L'Havre to the Gare Maritime.  In the town they learned from the morning papers that the London Scottish, the First Territorial Battalion to go into action had been involved in a fierce battle at Messines.

Arriving at the station, they saw their first Germans, a group of "mere boys, others bearded men, was being marched away under escort to a concentration camp."  [1]

Due to leave the station at 7pm, the train would eventually set off three and half hours later, getting to Rouen at Midnight.

"Wed Nov 4.
 Had a good culprits sleep under canvas & kit and valise, off again this afternoon.  Made some new limber arrangements.  Parade 3.15 pm intrained 9.30pm for St Omer.  Started 10.30 Horrible march over the cobbles.  Pack gave my shoulder gyp."

John had had his shoulder blade broken in a Rugby accident at Marlborough College, and this had led to his failing a pre-war medical when he had tried for a Regular Commission. He had hoped to follow his Grandfather Charles Barton, a Major General into the army.

He must have been very concerned by the pain he was feeling.  Would his shoulder hold up?

The Queen's Westminster's had travelled over with the Liverpool Scottish, and had had a concert on board the ship. John and his men must have enjoyed a song popular sung by the Liverpool Scottish, because he wrote it into his diary on the 4th November.

"Liverpool Scottish's Song

We don't care what becomes of us.
We don't care what becomes of us.
We don't care if we get wet through
We don't get what the German's say.
Anything or anywhere
Fore we're going to shoot the beggars in the morning
So tonight boy we don't care."

I wonder if his men were signing this as they passed through L'Havre on their way to the station?

Shortly after leaving on the train, they must have seen more German prisoners because John wrote.

"Saw some German prisoners.  One old man, one strong man, & the rest all boys, Poor little brutes!
Seats hurled from the window! Fortunately there was no line there."

They travelled on towards St. Omer along a very circuitous route, enlivened by the cheers and shouts of the French local population who had collected along the route to hand the troops bread, fruit and chocolate.

They eventually halted at Abbeville for a longer stop, and then again at Calais.  Here OXO was supposed to have been made available for the troops. The cooks de-trained and had just completed the heating up of the drinks, when unannounced the French train driver set off, leaving the cooking party on the platform, and the passengers without anything to drink.

"Thursday Nov 5.
Route.
Havre Rouen, Sergueux, Cabancourt, Aumale, Camaches, Oisemount, Longforet, Abbeville, Quanol, Vieton, Etaples, Le Tourquet, Dammes, Boulogne, Calais, St Omer,


Supplemented rations by bread & wine, Lovely day, country beautiful. Splendid picnic.  Abbeville an hours halt & so much food that we don't know what to do with it all, some guns returning damaged, also wounded."

I cannot locate several of the places listed, so that it is quite possible that John was writing them down as he heard the names called out.

At St. Omer the battalion left the train and moved into the some barracks in the centre of the town.  Here they met survivors from the 2nd Royal Irish Regiment, who had been withdrawn from the fierce battles in the dash to the Sea that was going on between Arras, Ypres and Nieuport.

"Nov 6th
On reaching St Omer I waited with D Coy to detrain Transport not getting to the Caserne Paris Barracks till after 4AM. Royal Irish Rifles in our Barracks. Am told the Germans have just ended a gigantic attack & that we have practically only Reserve men left."

No doubt curious to get a first hand understanding of how well these new reinforcements from the Territorial Army were prepared Sir John French, the Commander in Chief turned up quite unannounced and visited the men.

"He came into the barracks quite alone, and chatted to several of the men who were standing in the square.  None of them recognised him; in fact, after he had left, one of the men said that a "general of sorts" had been in the barracks and had been looking around."

French went on to visit the Officers Mess and spoke to the officers. On the following days the battalion was put through a series of exercises, and on the 7th of November dug a line of reserve trenches on high ground about six miles to the east of St. Omer. A practise attack was put in on the 9th, which must have been

"Sat Nov 7th.
Battn out digging (Lof D) Orders to move tomorrow cancelled in evening.  Arrival of LRB, 13th Vics & others.  Why aren't we moving?  The intelligent peasant? Drew tools from OC ammunition transport.  Acques.  Saw new shell cap?  Colassale!" [Sic.]

"Sunday Nov 8th
Apparently our orders been cancelled because Terr: Battns wanted more training before going up.  I did one or two attack practises today. Country to open for MG to be of much use.  Major Needham (Our Brig'dd Major) said that we were by far the best Terr Battan he had ever seen.
Dined at Hotel de France.  I watched his German prisoners!  Was the Mayor's friend a spy?"

John Baber had an elder sister Frances Baber, at home in London, to whom he wrote frequently.

Often these letters were quite different in tone, to those that he wrote to his mother or father. He referred to her as Frank.

"Monday Nov 9

Dearest Frank


Breakfast is over & I have a spare 1/2 hour before work.  It is good to be over here, I think that the freshness & change, which always accompanies a trip across the water, have probably saved us all from becoming stale.  I have several odd jobs to do, which entailed my taking the section to neighbouring villages, but my Parisian accent so far, has prevented me from losing my way!  It is very odd having to look after some 20 helpless Britishers instead of being dependant on my family for conversational support. Yesterday we were doing some field work when I noticed a rascally looking fellow listening very carefully to what I was saying so I told him to "allez vous en, vite, vite, vite."


I followed him & found him examining a rifle further along; so I had him shadowed by your friend Corporal Roche, & finally he was arrested & marched back to the town.  He proved to be the most intimate friend of "Le Maire," who nearly fainted with horror.  However it served the beggar right for being to darned inquistive.  A lot of the peasants round here are in German pay, the brutes.


We are at present doing the same work here, as at Leverstock Green, but to the tune of continual boom-boom-Boom-boom-boom- in the near distance.  We have no orders but I expect we shall soon be "sent up", (as it is called here). Yesterday the sky was full of our aeroplanes.  I was talking to a Flying Corps man yesterday.  He says he loves war!  One & a half hours work a day & the rest of the time spent however he likes, is what he told me.  He was to say the least of it modest.  All regulars here love to pull our mens legs, & to pour out lurid stories of war; it is very funny, our new Brigade Major said yesterday that we were by far the best Territorial Battalion he had ever seen, & he has seen the pick of them out here. 
Love
John."

In his short diary for the following day John records

"Monday Nov 9th
Companies find out tonight [...... illegible] to go up 'next day.
Brigadier came to look us up & wish us luck!  1st March.
Tuesday away fairly early, very damp & cold, OK.  that pavee. billets for night at Hazebrouck D'd good bed.  No guns."

[1] Henriques.

The Journey to France November 1st 1914

Figure 1. Machine Gun Section, Queen's Westminster Rifles, October 1914.

This photograph appears to be one of a number taken at various locations in

Leverstock Green immediately before embarkation.

This photo was probably taken at Wells Farm outside the barn

where the men were billetted.

The Queen's Westminster Rifles had not expected to be sent to France until the Spring of 1915. Indeed as recently as the 17th of October John Baber and his fellow officers had been regretting that they would miss out on the events in France.

However during October 1914 the British Expeditionary Force fought the Battle of La Bassée, [1] which had started on the 10th of October and would continue until the 2nd of November 1914  suffering yet more serious casualties to those already sustained by the rapidly diminishing regular army since the outbreak of the war. 

Having blocked the German armies assault on Paris on the Marne, the French and British armies were having to deploy towards the Channel Coast to cover a rapidly widening front, as the German's had moved their forces towards the north in an attempt to outflank the French & British Army.

Fighting rapidly spread to the north with the 1st Battle of Ypres starting on the 19th of October. Armentières had fallen initially into German hands, however counter attacks forced them back through Houplines.

Figure 2. Map Showing the approximate position of the front line in October 1914

during the Battles of La Bassée and 1st Ypres. [2]

Faced with very heavy casualties, and rapidly diminishing reserves of regular troops, the British Expeditionary Force needed to find additional forces to fill the rapidly extending front line trenches.

British casualties in the fighting between 14 October and 30 November were 58,155 (7,960 dead, 29,562 wounded and 17,873 missing). The army had arrived in France with 84,000 infantry. By the end of the First Battle of Ypres, the BEF had suffered 86,237 casualties, most of whom were infantry.  The French suffered around 50,000 casualties during the battle.[3]

The Queen's Westminster Rifles were to be amongst the very first Territorials to enter the line.

John Baber's pocket diary records the start of the journey to France.

"Sunday Nov 1st


Left Well Farm
Entrained Watford
in 2 parts.
Long stop Addison Rd
Embarked 5.30 pm
Sailed 9.30
Smooth Crossing
Warm night
Liverpool Scottish on own
Boat. Very good cot
No escort, lights out. Where
is the submarine which
Sank that old union."

At Southampton Docks the battalion found itself in company with the Liverpool Scottish, who travelled on the Maidan, an 8,000 ton steamship of the Anchor-Brocklebank Line. The Maidan was one of nine vessels in convoy who left Southampton at 6.30pm on the night of the 1st of November. The men felt very exposed as they passed the Isle of Wight as the ships were lit up by searchlights from the shore intended to stop German naval raids on the Solent anchorage.

Figure 3.  Men of the Queens Westminster Rifles arriving at Le Havre

on S S Maidan on the morning of 2nd November 1914.

John Baber recorded the arrival at Havre.

"Mon Nov 2nd

arrived off Havre

8 o clock

entered harbour

no we didn't

we missed the

tide. Splendid

mistake!

Entered harbour 11 PM.

More transports

arrived.

Belgian refugees

left."

In a letter written to his mother he wrote..

Nov 3 Tuesday

Dear Mother,

    Marching to Watford we entrained to Southampton: from here I must omit names, as expected.  However, we sailed in the Maidan, on Sunday evening & arrived at our destination in France early next morning.

We are now under canvas on a high hill overlooking the sea, for all the World like Dover.  It is called a rest camp & we hope to revisit it again.  Rays [4] cousins were on board our transport.  Riding from the harbour to our camp, I could not help over hearing many embarrassing critisms.  However they were all very good natured.

1st Female. C'est un jolie officier.

2nd Female.  Oui, mais un bébé.

It is really quite hot here & beautifully sunny.

Tell Dad to examine my pass-book fairly regularly, as in the possible event of us being engaged & of myself being captured, I might convey the information by giving a cheque to the German Red Cross.

Please send my spare of boots at once & add Plasmon & one Times a week to my weekly list.

I have changed my pony & am now riding quite a nice little nag, by the name of Belinda.  Although the Censor of course is under the seal of the confessional, it is rather embarrassing to know that ones letters will all be read & therefore mine will probably leave much to be desired, both in quality & in quality.  I have received Dad's letter & the receipted bill.  I can still manage the latter business.  We had a calm crossing with all the lights out & no escort.  I don't think anybody felt quite confident that there was not a submarine awaiting us.

Your loving son

John Baber.

Bob Brookes, a Private in the QWR also wrote an excellent account of the crossing, he however had experienced a considerably less comfortable journey. An extract from a much longer account is set out below.

"1.11.1914

On board the S.S. ‘MAIDAN’ the Liverpool Scottish were also proceeding to France, and we rapidly intermixed, related various incidents to one another, and discussed War, at the same time wondering to where we were going.

I stayed on deck as we went out of the Solent, and had an opportunity to exercise my knowledge of Morse Code by reading the messages to our vessel as to her name and other particulars.  Under the protection of a couple of destroyers we left the Isle of White behind after coming under the glare of the search lights several times.  It was a beautiful night, and the sea calm, looking very fine with the reflection of the search lights on the water.  After a time it became chilly and I went below to be served with some ‘Bully Beef’ (for the first time) and biscuits.  Tea was also provided, but like many others, I could not touch it.  It was not tea as we know it, but oil and tea leaves - by no means a pleasant combination.  The ‘Dixie’ ( a big pot - not of a kind one sees in the City) was filled with cold water and a pipe from the engine room blew steam into the water in the pot, and in this way the water was boiled.  Unfortunately the oil from the engines had made it’s acquaintance with the steam and every time tea was issued only a few men had any.  Fortunately I had filled my water bottle at Southampton, but this did not last very long as one gets very thirsty through eating ‘Bully’ and others, who had not filled their bottles had a ‘nip’ of mine." [5]

The battalion had had sing-song on the deck to pass the time before they could disembark.

John Baber remembered the first days in France in an account he wrote during the 1960's.

"We landed at Havre, and after we had off loaded gear and horses I found myself leading my little section to the Camp.  Sitting on my pony, all tied up with swords, holsters, revolvers, hay net, picketing peg and whatnot, I cocked a rather conceited eye at the interested passers by. Seeing remarkably good looking young women approaching, I prepared to receive a smile, but all that happened was that one said to the other "Ah, quel bebe!"

[1] See http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_la_bassee.html for a good introduction to this battle.
[2] From"A Soldier's Sketches Under Fire" by Harold Harvey. Available from http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16056/16056-h/16056-h.htm Harvey served in Houplines during October 1914, stablising the front line the Queen's Westminster Rifles would enter a month later.
[3] From http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_ypres1.html
[4] Ray, R.S. Dickinson.
[5] From http://www.bobbrookes.co.uk/DiaryCH2.htm This diary gives a very vivid picture of what life was like for the other ranks in the QWR, and is fascinating to compare with John Baber's account of life as an officer.

The Battle of Bricket Wood

Figure 1. The Queen's Westminster Rifles marching through Leverstock Green, autumn 1914.

The following account of the final weeks of the mobilisation of the Queen's Westminster Rifles comes from a pair of small black diaries glued together, which were carried by John Baber of the Queen’s Westminster Rifles during 1914 and into 1915.

These diary entries are very brief and often hard to decipher, but they capture the rush, excitement and muddle of setting off to war.

Diary Part II Wed Oct to..

Wed Oct 7^th

Got home 6 AM

Slept on from 7-8.

Parade 10 AM

Every one d-d sleepy.

Thursday Oct 8

Hold your hand out Brigadier

Hold your hand out Brigadier

On Tuesday night

In the bright moonlight

We saw you, we saw you,

You led us a bloody dance

We thought we were off to France.

We’ve ne’er been sold

Such a pup before

Hold your hand out, Brigadier.

Friday Oct 9

Tests of elementary training, to d.d bad.

Barter’s 1^st lecture on the attack.

(Followed by night Ops,

a beastly scramble).

Sat Oct 10

Leave. Gpg.

Capt Hall’s visit.

Shewed him gun & tripods.  He took photographs.

Sunday Oct 11

A lazy day by my own fireside,
by jove it was good.
Pat got his orders hurrah! [1]

Figure 2.  Page from John Baber's diary describing the "Battle of Bricket Wood."

Monday Oct 12

Battn attack on Bricket Wood & R Colne.  Mg’s had rather a good time, & were praised by the Brigadier.

Tuesday Oct 12

Barter’s 2^nd Lecture

Met Chas Bell, who has just taken a Commission.

Is Webb for the Scots Guards?

Wed Oct 13

The rain has started,

Immediate action tests.

13^th (Kensington’s)

367 points

QWR. 356 points

Quite good.

Thursday Oct 14

Brigade march

Deployment & fight

MG’s in reserve,

No instructions.

Pony hated wet but showed spirit.

 

Figure 3. Leverstock Green from 1919 Edition of the Ordnance Survey showing

the location of Well Farm and the other billets used by the Queens Westminster Rifles.

 

Friday Oct 15^th

MG’s + E Coy & Scouts defended transport wagon agst F Coy.  Latter were mostly scuppered but probably got the wagons.

Night op!!!

Lazy days.

Sat Oct 16^th

A,B Coys & MG Section captured wagon guarded by scout limbers to left flank & guns to right.  Everyone saw limbers, nobody saw guns.

Sunday Oct 17^th.

Slack day here.

4pm [We played?] game of hockey with Swainson & “Tripe”.

Am quite convinced that they will not send us out this year, & am afraid we shall get no scrapping in England.

Monday Oct 19.

Brigade staff ride. Very difficult country, so did not learn much.

Kick from Cherub.  We back on Wednesday for 3 weeks course at Welwyn.

6 PM p’Volcano from Cherub, can you leave at 8 AM tomorrow?

Tuesday Oct 20^th

Not going today after all.

Belgium fort in

New Hotel

Algeria

Refugees.

List

Col Shoolbred

Major Cohen

  “     Tyrwhitt

Capt. Lambert

  “  Low

  “  Henriques

  “  Whitmore

  “  Cox

  “  HR Townsend Green

  “  Hoskins

  “  Shattock

Lt James

  “  Waby

  “  Glasier

  “  Saville

  “  Harding

  “  Townsend Green

  “  Collett

2 Lt Baber M Guns

  “  JA Green

  “  Henderson Scott

  “  Williamson

  “  Swainson

  “  Trollope

  “  Bramble

Transport 2 Lt Bradley

QMaster St Kelly.

The War

Tuesday Oct 27

Battn will sail

to Continent on Friday.

D.A.Do.S. inspects kit

& limbers.

Wed Oct 28^th

Viewers from Enfield

for M guns

new rifles

viewer says M guns

in excellent condition

 Figure 4. Maxim Gun, with Lance Corporal Fulton at the trigger.

This machine gun was a "Converted Mark II" Maxim, which had originally fired .45 inch ammunition, which been converted to fire .303 inch ammunition.  A muzzle booster was found necessary for the smaller .303 cartridge to operate the heavy .45 inch mechanism. This was known as the "Ball Firing Attachment." [2]

Writing in the 1960's John Baber said of these guns.

"I was battalion machine gun officer.  I knew nothing about machine guns when the job was wished on to me in August, but, by sitting over my textbooks at night, I managed to learn the lesson which I had to teach my section the next day.  We became pretty good and I was able to take the role of any number in a gun team.  The maxims themselves first saw active service in Egypt when Sir Winston Churchill was a young man, or perhaps earlier.  They were heavy but they were good guns which did not let us down."


Thursday Oct 29

Fulton Roche

Say rifles excellent

Better than short rifle

Ammunition comes

Family arrive for 15 minutes with

stores

Friday Oct 30

No start

Transport going

To be changed

Sat Oct 31

New transport

Water carts

New gs limbered

Wagons

Mk IV Tripods

Belt filling machines

Tested guns

At [secretary?]

Result V good

The last night before the battalion left for France must have been a tense one for all concerned. What was it going to be like?

[1] John Baber’s uncle, Major Patterson Barton of the Royal Artillery stationed in India, and who was mobilised in the first Indian Army contingent to come to France.

There are some other excellent photographs of the Queen's Westminster Rifles at Leverstock Green from Jon Spence's family album here 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonspence/3015324060/in/photostream/

[2] Information from Alan E, on the Great War Forum.