Merry Christmas from the Front Line

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archives, Christmas, embroidery, France, front line, museum, postcards

These delicately embroidered postcards were sent mainly by British and American servicemen in France, as a pretty and affordable means of sending messages home. They are generally known as “WW1 Silks”. They gained in popularity during the First World War, but declined substantially from 1919 onwards (perhaps because of the bad association and memories of war) and are not found after around 1923. Most of the postcards are patriotic and feature British, French and American flags, symbols and greetings. They were apparently embroidered by French and Belgian refugee women, and then sent to factories to be mounted on the cards.

Insert of ‘Merry Xmas’ postcard

These postcards were collected from various locations around the country, and were donated to Wolverhampton Archives last year. They have since been transferred to Wolverhampton Art Gallery. The card above shows colourful flowers held in the mouths of two small birds, with stems of holly and mistletoe above. Many of the postcards had a silk mesh forming an envelope for inserts with message, in this case “To my Pal Bruce, from Daddy.”

‘Christmas Greetings’ postcard

This card has more of a war theme, with an airplane displaying “Christmas Greetings” across its wings, and the French and British flags displayed. But the cards were not just used for Christmas messages, as we also have examples of cards sent as a love token, for birthday greetings, or for other purposes.

‘X-mas Greetings’ postcard

This final Christmas-themed postcard has a floral pattern with mistletoe, and the pouch for the insert can clearly be seen on the front. It is an unfortunate fact that many of the men who sent these postcards may not have survived the War. However, the fact that the postcards were kept, and have survived to this day, is testament to how important and precious these messages from the Front were during this difficult period in history.

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Dear Diary…

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archives, Battle of Mons, Brooklands, Charles Wallbank, diaries, log books, plans, Royal Engineers, school records, Springfield Road

Sometimes it is difficult to understand what life was like on the Front, as we only have dates and facts to go on. In the case of Charles Davies Wallbank, we are fortunate enough to have a copy of his diary 1914 – 1916, during the period while he served in the ‘A’ Signal Company of the Royal Engineers on the Western Front and in Serbia.

Charles Wallbank was born in 1894, and apparently went to Springfield Road (formerly Hilton Street) Board School. Unfortunately at the archives we only have the Headmaster’s logbook for this school and no admission registers, so we cannot confirm this. However, what we do have in our collection is two planning applications by a C. Wallbank to build houses in Springfield Road and Hilton Street in 1911 and 1914, which seems to indicate that either Wallbank himself or his family were still living in the area. After leaving school, Wallbank joined the Royal Engineers (he was living in the Gibraltar Barracks in Aldershot by the 1911 census) so was already in the armed forces when war broke out in 1914.

Wallbank describes his diary as

A rough copy of my very rough notes and news intended for a diary – at present I’m afraid one can’t call it a diary, but from this and the attached original I intend to write a book on my experiences in this War, just for the benefit of my family and children should I even be so fortunate as to possess any.”

Introduction to Charles Wallbank’s diary

Among other things in the diary, Wallbank describes what he believes to be “the first British casualty – one worth recording for its singular importance”, as their commanding officer, General Grierson, suffered a heart attack on the train journey towards the Front in August 1914. When the soldiers arrived in Mons on the morning of 23 August 1914, it was the first time that they “realized that we were really at War with a real live enemy”, confronted as they were by the sight of refugee women and children fleeing for their lives.

On a later occasion, he describes the troop moving from one trench to another, with bullets being fired all around them,

and it struck me at the time that if that German that happened to be just facing me and my emeadiate [sic] friends would just lift his gun a trifle it would be all up with us.”

Wallbank’s luck later ran out, and he suffered serious wounds in Serbia in 1916 and was discharged from the British Army. After the war, he became a racing car driver, and was regularly seen racing at Brooklands. He married Violet M. S. Jennings in London in 1930, and died aged 64 in December 1958.

Wallbank’s diary of his period in the trenches makes fascinating reading, and these are only some aspects (further highlights may be featured in a future blog!).

Armistice Day in London

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archives, Armistice Day, Buckingham Palace, King George, letters, London, peace

Whilst it may seem premature in the life of this blog to talk about Armistice Day, one of my WAVE colleagues has drawn my attention to an interesting item we hold in the archives. This is a letter, written by a lady called Joyce, to her Aunt Ada in Wolverhampton. It is dated 11 November 1918, and is written following the Armistice Day celebrations in London.

It is a four-page letter, and after nearly 100 years, it is remarkably well-preserved. It is produced in its entirety below, but some of the highlights include Joyce’s description of the scene outside Buckingham Palace, as “the most stirring thing I’ve ever seen”. Soldiers were sitting on top of the Queen Victoria statue outside the Palace, chanting for King George. When the King, Queen and Princess Mary appeared on the balcony,

a roar greeted them, the roar of a people satisfied. Nothing was ever heard like it. The whole assembly swayed with one great emotion.”

The bands played, and there was singing, “while the Queen beat time with a minute Union Jack”. The whole scene is incredibly evocative, of a moment when “Kg [King] + Qn [Queen] + people were absolutely at one.” There is an optimism and thrill and excitement in the air, even Joyce when writing her letter states that:

I am so excited to-night I don’t know how to keep still. London is a mass of happiness + life + noise.”

The letter is still tinged with sadness, however. While Joyce is relieved that “Harold, Fred, Vic + Jack” are safe, she also remembers “Poor Mrs Willcock, how she’ll feel it when the other boys come home.”

The Musical Constable

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blue plaque, Ernest Darby, Florence Parkes, Freemasons, Molineux Grounds, music, police force, Special constables, St Mark's Church, Wolverhampton Grammar School, Wolverhampton Opera Company

Ernest Darby

As well as joining the armed forces, people could serve their countries in other ways during the First World War. Ernest Darby served as a Special Constable for Wolverhampton Police Force.

Prior to the First World War, Special Constables were only called upon in times of civil unrest, but the advent of war meant that the Special Constabulary was organised into a body similar to what it is today. Their main function at this point was to prevent German infiltrators from interfering with the nation’s water supply.

Ordinary and Special police, Molineux Grounds, 3 Jun 1917

The son of Wolverhampton solicitor John Darby, Ernest Darby was born in 1873 and educated at Wolverhampton Grammar School, going on to study Music at Durham University. In 1899 he was appointed Organist and Choirmaster at St Mark’s Church in Chapel Ash. In 1907, together with his wife, Florence Parkes, he established the Wolverhampton Opera Company.

When war broke out in 1914, Darby was 41. Neither his age nor his marital status required his conscription to military service at this time, so he joined the Special Constabulary.

Ernest Darby’s Special Constable Certificate

After the war, he took up his musical career again, becoming a prominent member of the Freemasons, and being appointed as Grand Organist in the Masonic Grand Lodge of England. His later address in Wolverhampton, 7 Summerfield Road, has a blue plaque to “Dr. Ernest Darby and Madame Parkes Darby musicians [who] lived here 1932-1976”.

Further details of Derby’s musical career are here: http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/genealogy/darby/darby01.htm