BEATRIX BRICE MILLER
Beatrix
was born in Chile of British parents on 20th January 1877. Her parents were Brice Alan Miller,from Kentish Town - a South American merchant - and his wife Mary Louise Brice Miller, nee
Walker, from Charlton, Kent.
Beatrix was educated privately.
When
her Father died, the family returned to England and Beatrix lived in Goring-on-Thames
and later Chelsea.
Beatrix
and her Mother served with the BEF, travelling to France in 1914 as Red Cross VAD ‘Lady Helpers’ (as opposed
to ‘Trained Nurses’).
After
the War, Beatrix dedicated herself to ensuring the exploits of the brave ‘Old
Contemptibles’ of the First Seven Divisions were not forgotten – that our debt
to them be repaid and their memory honoured.
Beatrix
wrote the poem “To the Vanguard” which was first published in “The Times”
newspaper of 2nd November 1916 and which became among the
best-remembered verses of the War.
Beatrix
and her Mother, Mary Louise Brice Miller were mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig’s
dispatch published in the London Gazette
on 29th May 1917, among the names of the trained nurses and lady
helpers to be honoured by the King in a special investiture in Hyde park on 2nd
June.
In
1917 Beatrix organised a special pageant in the Royal Albert Hall to
commemorate the battles of the original BEF and collaborated with General Sir
William Pultenay in “The Immortal Salient” which was a record and guide to the
Ypres.
In
1937 she worked on a documentary for the BBC about the fighting from Mons to
Ypres from August to November 1914.
According to “The Times”, this was broadcast in August 1939.
After
her death on 25th May 1959 at the age of 82, Beatrix left in her
will a bequest to ensure the building of a memorial to the BEF, 1914.
An e-mail from David Reynolds, Beatrix
Brice Miller’s great nephew corrected my initial spelling of her name which he
found through my weblog. David
continued: “She wrote the poem
that begins ‘Oh little mighty force that stood for England…’ in 1914 about the
BEF.
It
became quite famous and was a favourite among the old soldiers of those
regiments, nicknamed ‘The Old Contemptibles”. When she died, there was a memorial service at St. Martin in
the Fields church. I was a child
and don’t remember much about it, except that the church was full of old
soldiers in uniforms with medals.”
Internet
Sources: “The Times” Archive
1959-06-24-12 and “British Journal of Nursing”, 2nd July 1917 and
e-mail from David Reynolds
With thanks to the late, greatSue Light of The Scarlet Helpers website for her help in finding out what 'Lady Helpers' were - http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/
The poem “To the Vanguard” by Beatrix Brice Miller was first published in “The Times” newspaper, London, UK, on 2nd November 1916
According to Catherine W. Reilly in heer wonderful book “English Poetry of the First World War: A Bibliography (St. Martin’s Press, New Yoirk, 1978), p. 66 - Beatrix's poetry collections were "All souls: to the first seven divisions, the fallen, the prisoners, the disabled, and those still fighting" - a Christmas card, 1916.
"To the vanguard, and other songs to the seven divisions (poems" (Bickers, 1917), and her poems were included in three WW1 poetry anthologies.
“To the Vanguard “
OH little mighty Force that stood for England !
That, with your bodies for a living shield,
Guarded her slow awaking, that defied
The sudden challenge of tremendous odds
And fought the rushing legions to a stand —
Then stark in grim endurance held the line.
O little Force that in your agony
Stood fast while England girt her armour on.
Held high our honour in your wounded hands,
Carried our honour safe with bleeding feet —
We have no glory great enough for you.
The very soul of Britain keeps your day!
Procession? — Marches forth a Race in Arms;
And, for the thunder of the crowd's applause,
Crash upon crash the voice of monstrous guns,
Fed by the sweat, served by the life of England,
Shouting your battle-cry across the world.
Oh, little mighty Force, your way is ours,
This land inviolate your monument.
Beatrix Brice.
From: “Valour and vision: poems of the war, 1914 –1918” (Longmans Green, London, 1920) Arranged and edited by Jacqueline T. Trotter (Longmans, Green & Co., London 1920) “To the Vanguard” is on pages 11 - 12.
https://archive.org/details/cu31924027944358
https://comestepbackintime.wordpress.com/2014/04/06/beatrix-brice-miller-the-old-contemptibles-stories-from-the-great-war-part-5/?fbclid=IwAR0Ccw3RW0u_qyrY0SJpfsPwLzMCy365wurlQv5cHRoFPtBfrvfrfpPPENI#:~:text=Oh%20little%20mighty%20Force%20that%20stood%20for%20England%20!&text=Then%20stark%20in%20grim%20endurance%20held%20the%20line.&text=We%20have%20no%20glory%20great,of%20Britain%20keeps%20your%20day%20
