are offered by Ray Anglesea, minister at St Andrew's Dawson Street Crook
World War I: Centenary Commemorations
Saving Private Smith
Carved into a simple obelisk in the
grounds of Bowes Museum are the names of five sons of Margaret and John
McDowell Smith from Barnard Castle, Co Durham. There is a story behind the name
that isn’t there – a sixth brother Wilfred – and a century after First World
War a local historian has dug out the details from archives. Wilfred Smith’s
survival is a story of sacrifice amid war that demanded so much of it from
virtually every family in Britain.
Mrs
Smith from Barnard Castle lost her first son in September 1916 when Private
Robert Smith was killed, aged 22. Corporal George Henry Smith, 26, was killed
two months later. Sergeant John William Stout 37 (who took his mother’s name),
and Private Frederick Smith, 21, were both killed in 1917, and Private Alfred
Smith, 30 in 1918. She was widowed when her husband John died in 1918. The
series of tragedies prompted the wife of the local vicar, the Revd Henry Bircham,
to write to Queen Mary, asking her to intervene and send Wilfred home.
Soon after she got a reply from Buckingham
Palace, which explained how the Queen had passed on the request for Private
Smith to be removed from the front. The letter read:
“I am commanded by the
Queen to thank you for your letter of the 16th instant and to
request you to be good enough to convey to Mr and Mrs Smith of Bridgegate,
Barnard Castle, and expression of her majesty’s deep sympathy with them in the
sad losses they have sustained by the death of her five sons. The Queen has
caused Mr and Mrs Smith’s request concerning their youngest son to be forwarded
for consideration of the war authorities. I am your truly, Edward Wallington,
Private Secretary to Her Majesty the Queen.”
The involvement of the Royal Family in such a request
was reserved only for select circumstances.
The
story was uncovered by Peter Wise, an amateur historian, who pieced together
the events from the names on the war memorial in St Mary’s Church in Barnard
Castle. Amanda Nelson, one of Private Smith’s 12 grandchildren, said “we owe a
lot to the vicar’s wife because without her, none of us would be here. She
spoke to the local community, who were incredibly close, and decided to write
to the Queen to say can we have Wilfred home due to the fact that she had lost
most of her children. He was sent home to keep the family name alive, and he
was able to live a long life because of that.”
Saving
Private Ryan set during the D-Day landings in the Second World War, starred Tom
Hanks and Matt Damon. It was based on the true story of Private First Class
James Francis Ryan who was the last surviving brother of four servicemen.
Private
Smith was called up aged 17. After returning to Barnard Castle he became a
stonemason and chimney sweep like his father. He suffered chronic chest
problems throughout his life caused by a mustard gas attack by the Germans. He
brought up 5 children with his wife Hannah, in Barnard Castle. His brother’s
names are all etched on the war memorial at the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle
where Wilfred and his mother laid the first wreath when it was unveiled in
1923. Their bodies are buried in France and Belgium.
______________
Durham Light Infantry: The Response
A Reflection
The
Durham Light Infantry was formed in 1881, and included two battalions of
regular soldiers as well as Militia and The Volunteers of County Durham. The
Militia, who became the 3rd and 4th Battalions, DLI
garrisoned towns and coastal forts releasing the regular soldiers for service
overseas. These part-time soldiers were formed into Volunteer battalions of the
DLI in 1881, being renamed the Territorials in 1908. When war was declared in
1914, the 1st-4th Btns.DLI were quickly mobilised for the
Front. In September 1914 the 2nd Battalion lost as many men in one
day as the entire regiment had lost in the Boer War. It was clear that more men
were needed to enlist, and the men of County Durham answered Lord Kitchener’s
“Call to Arms” in their hundreds.
Conditions
at home for many recruits were extremely hard and therefore army life seemed
good in comparison for the many working men of County Durham. So malnourished
were many of those working in the mines, and their growth so stunted that a
special Battalion (19th Bn DLI) was raised in January 1915 to allow
men between 5ft and 5ft 3ins to join up. The army promised men their own bed,
three good meals a day and a uniform which fitted regardless of their frame.
Understandably many answered the call to join up. Indeed many of the working
classes who joined up from County Durham put on weight in the first year of the
war. Durham men formed a “Pals” Battalion in the autumn of 1914 which became
the 18th DLI.
So heavy were the losses sustained
throughout the war by the Durham Pals Battalions that men from other parts of
the country were transferred to their ranks as the war progressed. 2nd
Lieutenant John Gamble entered France in the autumn of 1914. He was
commissioned to the DLI in 1915, seeing active service with the 14th
DLI. He was wounded for the second time on 21st May 1916 and died
two days later aged 22. In a letter which he wrote dated 23rd
December 2015 he describes a gas attack:-
“Sunday is another day
which I shall never forget; in fact the whole of that week’s experiences must
be ever glued in my memory. It was appalling! At about 5:30am I was aroused in
my dug out by a gas-helmeted and scared sentry, the sounds of voluminous rifle
fire and big-guns, and above all a choking feeling. Our dug-out was already
full of gas, and for a moment the terror of waking up to such a situation
properly put the wind up Eyre (who shared the dug out with me) and myself. I
could not at first find my gas-helmet, and began to splutter and choke, but
eventually I got it fixed on, and went out to get to the business at once. And
how terrible it was! The gas was rolling across towards us in a thick,
whitish-yellow clouds; men were running about with their weird looking
gas-helmets on, and shells were busting all around us. The gas was past
description. I wouldn’t have thought it possible that humanity could stand it,
but one does somehow.................”
Signal
Sergeant J Wilkes of the 5th Bn DLI an extensive poem entitled “The
Second Battle of Ypres.” In the opening stanzas he tells how they were “rushed”
from Newcastle to fight at Ypres in April 1915. He clearly describes the
atmosphere as the soldiers left for the front:-
“The streets were lined with people,
it was on a Saturday
When the local lads in their fours, to
the station made their way:
It was on the Seventeenth day of
April, Nineteen-Fifteen,
When the band struck up that old
march: “Soldiers of the Queen.”
Our ordinary drill and training was
now at an end,
We had been called to the Front, our
Country to defend.
At the station we l that landed,
through a cheering crowd,
And the smiles on their faces
proved that they were proud
Of their sons and sweethearts, of
course that was “us.”
They had come from near and far to
make this little fuss.
A guard of honour formed up, it was
composed of our 2nd line.
And then the bugle sounded, and into
the train we got,
And at 1:30pm exactly, we were off
like a shot.”
In1968, whilst the battalion was serving in Cyprus, it was announced that The
Durham Light Infantry would join with three other county light infantry
regiments to form one large Regiment, The
Light Infantry, and be renamed the 4th Battalion the Light Infantry. The
Light Infantry was joined by the Green Jacket Brigade to form the Light Division. These
subsequently merged in 2007 to form The Rifle.
In
July 2012, the Durham Light Infantry Association Memorial was dedicated at the
National Memorial Arboretum, the service was attended by Princess Alexandra. A
duplicate statue was unveiled in Durham Market Place, September 2014
Source: The Response: The North East and the Great
War 1914 -1918
Ruth
Chittenden and Alan Fiddler
___________________
St Andrew’s Dawson Street Local Ecumenical Partnership, Crook
A Commemoration of World War I
Tuesday 11th November 2014: 12 noon
Music: The
Lark Ascending;
Ralph Vaughan Williams 1872 -1958 (written 1914, just before the outbreak of
the war)
Introduction: We gather in the
light of Christ to recall the effects of human violence, our need for
redemption, to voice sorrow for our own share in the world’s violence, and to
find the healing of the world in the light which shines most intensely at the
heart of the darkness.
Prayers of Confession: Most merciful God,
gathered in the light of your Christ we confess our share in the world’s pride,
its greed and its despair, its violence and its darkness. Free us from the
tyranny of sin, fill us with your peace, and lead us from death to life, in
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May
almighty God deliver us from the powers of darkness, restore in us the image of
his glory, and lead us in the light and obedience of Christ. Amen.
Lord’s Prayer Longing for the
renewal of creation, and seeking the peace of the Kingdom, we are bold to pray,
Our Father…
Hymn: And did those feet
in ancient time: Sir
Hubert Parry,1916.
1.
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green: And was the holy Lamb of God, On England's pleasant pastures seen! And did the Countenance Divine, Shine forth upon our clouded hills? And was Jerusalem builded here, Among these dark Satanic Mills? |
2.
Bring me my Bow of burning gold;
Bring me my Arrows of desire: Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold! Bring me my Chariot of fire! I will not cease from Mental Fight, Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand: Till we have built Jerusalem, In England's green & pleasant Land |
Poem: Wilfred Owen 1914
Scripture Reading: Joel 2: 1-3; 12-13
A reflection: The Response of the Durham Light
Infantry
Music: Ubi
Caritas: Paul Mealor – Where charity and love are, there is God
(performed at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011 and sung by the Choirs of Westminster Abbey and Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal)
(performed at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011 and sung by the Choirs of Westminster Abbey and Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal)
A reflection: Saving Private Smith
Music: Nimrod, Enigma Variations, Edward Elgar
A
Responsorial Prayer of Commemoration
Remember, Lord, those whose stories were unspoken and
untold.
All: Jesus, remember
them when you come into your kingdom.
Remember, Lord, those whose minds were darkened and
disturbed by memories of war.
All: Jesus, remember
them when you come into your kingdom
Remember, Lord, those who suffered in silence, and those whose
bodies were disfigured by injury and pain.
All: Jesus, remember
them when you come into your kingdom.
Father of all, remember your mercy,
and look with your healing love on all your people, living and departed. On
this day we especially ask that you would hold for ever all who suffered during
the First World War, those who returned scarred by warfare, those who waited
anxiously at home, and those who returned wounded, and disillusioned; those who
mourned, and those communities that were diminished and suffered loss. Remember
too those who acted with kindly compassion, those who bravely risked their own
lives for their comrades, and those who in the aftermath of war, worked
tirelessly for a more peaceful world. And as you remember them, remember us, O Lord;
grant us peace in our time and a longing for the day when people of every
language, race, and nation will be brought into the unity of Christ’s kingdom.
This we ask in the name of the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn: I vow to thee my country
I vow
to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire
and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
The
love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That
lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The
love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The
love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
|
And
there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most
dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may
not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress
is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And
soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her
ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.
|
Benediction:
God grant to the living grace, the departed rest, the Church,
the Queen, the Commonwealth and all the world peace and concord;
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.
The National Anthem
______________________
A Cenotaph Service for Crook Primary Schools
To commemorate the Outbreak of World War I
Tuesday 11th November 2014
Introduction
A
very good morning and welcome to the children of Crook primary schools, their
teachers, parents, grandparents and family members on this very special day in
the life of our nation. It’s a special day and we call it Armistice Day.
On the
11th November every year we remember the Armistice or Peace
agreement signed between the partner
countries of World War I and Germany which took effect at eleven o'clock in
the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh
month" of 1918.
But this year is particularly unique and distinctive; 100
years ago on the 6th August 2014 Britain declared war on Germany,
many men and women died, and each individual life is remembered in a sea or
collar poppies surrounding the Tower of London. You may have seen pictures of
this art installation. And so we remember:-
We have gathered around this memorial today to remember
all those from this community of Crook who were caught up in the courageous but
tragic events of the First World War. We remember those of our families and friends
who were killed in action, or by disease, those of our families and friends who
were bereaved and the lost, families which were shattered, the wounded, maimed
and injured, those who held in silence unspeakable memories of warfare.
As we remember those who fought and those who remained
anxiously at home in this community, let us pray that God will heal all memories,
speak a word of peace, and bring us his healing.
We remember with gratitude and pride the names of those
whose names are inscribed on this memorial, we now think of their families and
friends.
They shall grow not old, as we that
are left grow old;
Age shall not weary
them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of
the sun and in the morning,
we will remember them.
All: We will remember them.
Poppies, small bouquets
of flowers, or sprigs of rosemary are placed at the foot of the memorial.
Poppies covered the killing fields of the First World War
as a result of the bombing
and fighting. The poppy has a hard shell that needs to
break to germinate. The
violence and vibrations of the fighting helped to break
the seeds. The red poppy is
a frail flower. If picked, it quickly dies. It grows in
the poorest of conditions, at
roadsides and where the soil is thinnest. Yet this flower
has the loudest voice. It is
worn every year. It cries of PEACE!
Peace is Jesus’ Easter message.
“Later on, on the same day that the friends had
discovered the empty tomb, they
locked themselves in because they thought the soldiers
might come looking for
them. During the evening Jesus came into the room and
said, “Peace be with
you.” The friends were really pleased! Jesus said again,
“Peace be with you.”
Prayers for peace
For all children troubled by war
Peace be with you (touch
or hold poppies up)
For all children who are tormented
Peace be with you (touch
or hold poppies up)
For all children involved in a family argument
Peace be with you (touch
or hold poppies up)
Blessed are the peacemakers,
All: For they shall be
called children of God.
Prayer:
Dear God, we thank you for giving us your peace.
Help us to spread peace at home and at school
by loving and caring for one another.
Help us to spread peace by listening to one another,
even when we don’t agree.
Help us to spread peace by sharing our time
with those who are lonely and who need a friend.
Help us to spread peace by thinking and praying
for children who have no food or
who are frightened and live in fear.
Let us pray every day for peace
for our families, for our friends
and for ourselves.
Amen
The Blessing
God grant to the living grace, the departed rest, the
Church, the Queen,
the Commonwealth and all the world peace and concord;
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
