Remembering Guardsmen

Hi All.

You maybe are aware I live on the Somme, and have always been keen on my Regiments Proud and Costly Heritage, I recently found a few WW1 Guards with new replaced stones marked as Private, in WW1 they where indeed Privates, joined as Privates and died as Privates today if you visit a CWGC cemetery you read in the register Private Smith  2^nd Grenadier Guards, on the Stone it will say Guardsman.

On 22^nd November 1918, just 11 days after the Armistice, the King decreed that a private of the Guards would henceforward carry the title of “Guardsman” as “a mark of His Majesty’s appreciation and pride of the splendid services rendered by the Brigade of Guards during the war”. 

When I raised the question with the Commonwealth war graves the answer was that as the King stated “henceforward” all foot Guards Regiments of WW1 will have the stone replaced with the rank as Private, I brought this to the attention RHQ Grenadier Guards.

And sent all the below.

“Together with the help of the 5 Regimental Colonels and Major General Household Division, you may be able uncover the truth or myth of the current situation and in doing so save the CWGC a lot of money and solve once and for all the reason why, although in WW1 those joining and dying as Privates in the Guards had their stones engraved as Guardsman.

The current Commission policy is to amend headstones from Guardsman to Private for all men who died before 1 January 1919.  However, because of the status of the Guards Regiments, the CWGC has started a thorough review of this policy to ensure that everything is being done correctly.  This will take some time to complete, as the CWGC will need to consult with outside resources as well as searching the CWGC own archives.

Post war communication between HM the King and the Guards (Household Division) and the CWGC (IWGC) must have taken place on the subject, directing that Privates of the Guards should be marked as Guardsman having joined, served and died as Privates but having won the rank of Guardsman. I know the Guards will have their views, if not evidence on the subject, it could not have happened by mistake or without a directive.

The Household Division HQ should be able to confirm from Household Division Standing Orders or other correspondence, Buckingham Palace archives should be able confirm any correspondence from the King on the subject.

I have an original booklet "The Guards Division 1914-18" published by S.Kellaway, it simply has by Regiment and Rank the names of all KIA of the Guards, I have only counted each of the Grenadier Guardsman (Private) there are 3595 listed, just taken as a guess that if half- 1795 have named graves, and the other half 1795 are recorded on the various memorials to the missing, if half of those being 898 are buried and marked as an Unknown Grenadier Guardsman, potentially we have 2693 Grenadier Guardsman Grave stones.

Can you the CWGC confirm how many Guardsman headstones from the five Regiments of foot Guards will need to be replaced.

If all avenues of investigations fail to solve the mystery, I wonder if asked would Her Majesty on the anniversary of the Great War be so gracious to belatedly bestow the honor on the Privates of the Guards Division in the Great War.”

As below from the CWGC, I’m very pleased that after some time the MOD and the CWGC confirm, WW1 Privates will be commemorated as GUARDSMAN.

Dear Mr Bedford,

Arrangements for the Commemoration of Guardsmen

I am writing further to your correspondence of earlier this year on this matter with my colleagues.

I am sorry it has taken some time to establish the relevant facts but, following on from correspondence with the MOD, Commission policy in relation to the commemoration of Guardsmen has been reviewed. Consequently I can confirm that from now on the headstones of Privates of the Guards Regiments will record the rank of Guardsman in accordance with their original format. Any headstones which have over time been altered to include Private will be reverted to Guardsman as they fall due for replacement.

I trust that you will approve of this course of action and thank you for bringing this matter to the attention of the Commission.

To all those who called me Regimental Rod, It was worth it.

Happy Christmas to you and all those you hold dear.

Rodders

Scottie celebrates winning the Chandler Award

 Scottie with the cake his wife baked to celebrate him being awarded the Chandler Prize!

Mystery VC

Paul Oldfield writes:

This mystery VC picture has so far flummoxed a VC research group. Can anyone in the Guild identify him?

Apart from the VC, I’m told the following other medals can be seen - Crimea + 3 clasps, Mutiny + 2 clasps, Egypt Medal + 2 clasps. If these are correct and looking at the picture in general, it would be reasonable to assume:

He was alive in the years 1856-82 to have taken part in the Crimean, Mutiny and Egyptian campaigns.
Born 1840 or earlier and still living in 1882.
He was an Army officer.
He was unlikely to have been Indian Army due to the spread of campaigns.

If these assumptions are correct, it narrows the field to:

Luke O’Connor – doesn’t look promising.
WO Lennox – can’t rule him out, but doesn’t look promising.
G Graham – ears look similar.
Evelyn Wood – many facial similarities but the ears are different.
Hugh Shaw - eyes, mouth and chin are similar, but the mystery man had a pointed bit at the top of the ear, which Shaw didn’t have.

The Mystery VC’s buttons appear to be crossed swords, or a crossed sword and baton (like a Maj Gen rank badge) or perhaps crossed guns.

Frank van den Bergh - the final parachute jump

All pictures copyright of Robert Brink

Tonie & Valmai Holt write

We thought Guild Members would appreciate these pictures of the final parachute jump of our dear friend and GBG Member, the late Frank van den Bergh.  They were sent to us by Frans Ammerlaan, an extremely knowledgeable Arnhem local and enthusiast we have known for many years and who is tireless in his desire to keep the Market-Garden flame of memory alight. He was very much instrumental in this glorious venture.

Frank's ashes, contained most appropriately in the carton of an expensive bottle of malt whisky, were parachuted onto Ginkel Heath by No 47 Air Despatch Sqn, Brise Norton, on Sat 22 Sept. They were then scattered by his sisters in front of the Air Despatchers' Memorial near the Oosterbeek CWGC Cemetery which Frank had been instrumental in getting erected.  Frank, whose vocabulary and drinking habits had been educated by Paras (whom he absolutely adored) over the years, would have LOVED this final send off.

Guild Validation Day Mytchett 1st September 2012

Mike Peters writes:

I have just returned from the very successful Guild validation session at the Army Medical Services Museum. What an enjoyable and educational day all round, well done to Alison Hine and the VT for organising the day and keeping us all on the straight and narrow.

The standard of assignments was very good and I was pleased to see so many passes attained by our intrepid candidates. Congratulations are due to Craig Hallam-Baker for his Assignment 1 presentation on Flodden 1513, hopefully Clive has made back to the borders by now? Well done to Bob Shaw for his gripping presentation on the battle for Mount Longdon 1982, and to Ron Lyons who advanced the Australian banner in the Guild with his Assignment 1 on Bullecourt 1917. So we now have three new candidates on the validation trail - don't hang about chaps, go for your badges!

Assignment 5 - Problems on Tour, produced another clutch of strong passes from John Hamill, Ray Wilkinson, Adam Williams, and Tony Smith. The latter two also produced two very good Normandy based Assignment 6 sessions to secure a double whammy each...can they get their remaining assignments done by the AGM? It was pleasing to see a healthy number of new members in attendance, all watching and learning from their peers.

Overall it was a thoroughly good day rounded off with a pub lunch in a beer garden (picture on twitter @GuildofBG) - what's not to like? 

Hopefully we will see some of today's candidates collecting the coveted red badge in November at Bromsgrove.

Members gathered at a local pub after the event.

The true essence of the Guild at Dieppe; 106 passengers, 6 veterans and 6 Badged Guides working together, oh and Royalty to be guided!

Culminating at Dieppe and marking the 70th anniversary of that battle, Guild members Clive Harris and Julian Whippy with their Company Battle Honours Ltd, were proud to lead a tour party of 106 Canadians across North West Europe as the group retraced the steps of their Regiment (The Essex Scottish) and the Battle Honours it won during the later stages of World War Two. Perhaps a first for the Guild was the fact that 7 guides were used on the one tour and 6 were Badged guides! 

After 10 days battlefield touring including Groningen, Xanten, Hochwald, The Scheldt, Nijmegen, Normandy and a day at Ypres the party was joined by the Colonel in Chief His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent who arrived on HMS Charger.  

Clive enjoyed the honour of guiding the Prince around Dieppe and Canadian Guild member Kirk Drew (Captain in the Essex Scottish) conducted a stand on Red Beach for the Prince, not knowing that he was later to be informed that he too had passed his final Guild validation and was to now be a “badged member” –No pressure then!

Clive guiding at Dieppe

Beneath a blazing sun, superbly orchestrated ceremonies marked the end of the tour at Dieppe on August 19th. As a Spitfire flew overhead Prince Michael spoke proudly of his Regiment, its losses and achievements and the locals hugged and kissed the veterans. It was remembrance in pure form.

Guild Badged Guides on tour were Clive Harris, Mike Sheil, Terry Webb, Dudley Giles, Kirk Drew and Julian Whippy. GBG member Rory Stephens shone throughout as a new guide and is undertaking his part one soon. Clive and Julian pointed out that it was the Guild that brought all these Guides together and without it the trip would not have been the resounding success that it was.

For those interested some further pictures are available at

https://twitter.com/bhltours