Exhibitions

The next exhibition - scheduled to be on at Fleetood Library, Fleetwood, Lancashire from Tuesday, 1st October until Monday, 11th November 2013, is having the finishing touches put in place right now.

Last week we went along to the Wilfred Owen Story in Argyle Street, Birkenhead, Wirral to have a look at the Exhibition there, have a chat with Dean and Janet about what to do next and leave them a few copies of Volume I to sell in aid of the Wilfred Owen Story - which is entirely run by volunteers and donations from the public.

Incidentally, that T-shirt is rather special - it is from the Punk Rock Group the London Diehards, who named their band in honour of a regiment of Middlesex Soldiers who fought in WW1.

Finland

I am indebted, again, to Michael Bully of the Great War Forum for suggesting that my post regarding Finland need a little more research.

Finland was annexed by Russia before the First World War.  During the First World War more than a thousand Finnish officers and NCOs went to Germany secretly and joined the 27th Royal Prussian Jager Battalion.

By the time WW1 broke out, the German Army was organised into an Army Crops, most of which was under the command of the Prussian Army.

http://www.worldwar1.com/sfgarmy.htm

Thank you Michael.

Today's WW1 Poet: Cicely Hamilton (1872 - 1952) - British

I am indebted to Michael Bully of the Great War Forum for his kind help in find more information about Cicely Hamilton.

Cicely was born in London.  She was a poet, writer, dramatist, actress and suffragette. During the First World War,  Cicely joined a Scottish Women's Hospital and was stationed in France.  She went on to join the WAAC and after training took command of a postal unit in France.   Due to her acting experience, she joined a troupe entertaining the troops.

Cicely wrote novels, historical accounts, poetry and plays and after the war worked as a freelance journalist.

"Lest we forget..."**

Just returned from a few wonderful days on The Wirral, soaking up Wilfred Owen and May Sinclair atmosphere at The Wilfred Owen Story.   We followed the fascinating "Wilfred Owen's Wirral" trail printed by Wirral Methodist Housing Association.

While there, we met up with an old school chum of mine who organises a Knitting Group.  Following on from the contribution that Sonia Bidwell the Textile Artist/Storyteller from Scotland made to the Exhibition at the Ace Centre, I asked if any of the members of the Knitting Group would like to make something to commemorate the First World War.   So far there are a crocheted tea cosy, a knitted Balaclava and several beautiful poppies and a Land Army girl is in the pipeline, with fingerless gloves...   So there is plenty of time to get on board and come up with your own ideas for commemorating.

My friend showed me a copy of a fantastic book written by Wirral author Dave Horne and entitled "Higher Bebington's Heroes 1914 - 1919".   This 122-page work of dedication by the author lists the names of the 29 men whose names are recorded on a Memorial Tablet in Christ Church in Higher Bebington, Wirral.   There is an introduction which explains Dave's family link to the First World War and there is a map of the area in 1910.   Dave also has biographical details of the men, photographs of them and in many cases their houses and photographs of their graves.

I just had to purchase a copy of the book, so I took note of Dave's details and ordered one.  It was waiting for us when we got home and I have hardly put it down since.  When you think about it, this is just one small church in a village - one tiny corner of the world. Imagine how many other, similar Memorial Tablets there must be throughout the rest of our world!  I would like to think that eventually every single person who died in the Great War could be recorded in a similar manner. And then there are all those who helped in many different ways and whose lives were changed for ever...    I don't want much do I?

"Higher Bebington's Heroes 1914 - 1919" by Dave Horne, published in 2012 by Countryvise Ltd., Birkenhead, Wirral.

ISBN No. 978 1 906823 77 1

Book and cover design by Charles McIntyre

** Quotation from Rudyard Kipling's poem "Recessional", 1897.

Today's Poet: Lou Albert-Lasard - German

I am deeply indebted to Penelope Monkhouse, a German-British scientist who lives in Germany and is a granddaughter of the novelist, dramatist and literary critic Allan Monkhouse.

Penelope is carrying out a comparative literary study of German and English poetry.  Penelope is a poet herself and translates poetry into and from German and English.

Penelope contacted me some time ago via this weblog and offered to help me find German language poets.  She has written detailed biographies of several German language female poets of the First World War and has sent them to me and given me permission to use them - for which I am extremely grateful.

Today's poet, by kind permission of Penelope Monkhouse, is Lou Albert-Lasard (1885 - 1969).

Lou was born in Metz in Lorraine which, at the time of WW1, was in the German Empire.   She was an expressionist painter and her family were wealthy bankers.   Lou studied art in Munich and from 1912 worked for Ferdinand Leger in Paris in his studio.

In 1909 Lou married chemist/inventor Eugene Albert against her parents' wishes. Their daughter - Ingeborg - was born in 1911.   The marriage failed and Lou returned to Germany where she had an affair with the poet Rainer Maria Rilke.   They were both deeply upset by the War and Lou wrote a poem entitled "Kriegsausbruch" (Outbreak of War).

In 1928 Lou moved to Paris again and became part of the Montparnasse artist's scene.   She travelled extensively with her daughter.   In May 1940, Lou and her daughter were interned but released three months later.

During the 1950s Lou travelled again with her daughter.   She died in Paris in 1969.

Talk by Dr. Jean Moorcroft Wilson and Max Egremont at the Imperial War Museum, 9th November 2013 14.30

Now for something a little different:  Dr. Jean Moorcroft is the world authority on WW1 poets and she is giving a talk, together with Max Egremont on 9th November 2013 at the Imperial War Museum.   For those interested in WW1 poetry this is a must:

Isaac Rosenberg:   From ‘Break of Day in the Trenches’ to the German Spring Offensive 1918

IRSAC & IWM London present
 Jean Moorcroft Wilson & Max Egremont
Saturday 9 November 2013 at 2.30 p.m.
The Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HZ

Max Egremont

 THE LAST THROW – THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE MARCH 1918

In the war’s last years, there was a transformation, from Haig’s spring message that the British had their ‘backs to the wall’ to August 8 when Ludendorff spoke of ‘the black day of the German army’. Did the startling first successes of that spring bring the Allies near  to defeat? Was it a humiliation in particular for the British? Or were the attacks doomed before they began, as American troops started to come across and the Central Powers faced economic pressure and crumbling morale?

Jean Moorcroft Wilson

‘THROUGH THESE PALE COLD DAYS’ TO ROSENBERG’S DEATH

When the poet Isaac Rosenberg enlisted in the British Army in October 1915 it was not, he insisted, ‘for patriotic reasons’. And his experiences as a private at the Front in France, from June 1916 to his death there during the German Spring Offensive of 1918 did little to change his mind. It did, however, have a profound effect on his poetry, which gives eloquent voice to the ‘poor bloody Tommy’ and is among the greatest of the First World War. With originality of  language, thought and technique he penned some of the most devastating, yet humane words about front-line experience ever written.

Tickets £10 - available from IWM London 01223 449 353 or www.iwm.org.uk     

Enquiries: tel. 020 7387 2394.

Don't forget the Isaac Rosenberg Statue Appeal - details on www.jeecs.org.uk/rosenberg.html

Today's Poet is Welsh

Alice Helena Alexandra Williams (1863 - 1957) was born in Wales.   She was a poet, artist and philanthropist and during the First World War she worked for the French Wounded Emergency Fund and went to Paris with some of her friends to help people who were trying to find injured and missing relatives and refugees.   The extent to which life was disrupted for those who lived in the area fought over on the Western Front cannot be imagined by those of us who live in the British Isles.   Families were separated and many civilians were killed, injured and displaced so Alice's work would have been invaluable.

I have been searching for a Welsh Poet for some considerable time and I am very grateful indeed to Stephen Thomas of Other Roads Films (based in Wales) for taking the time and trouble to bring Alice Helena Alexandra to my attention.   She sounds amazing and I am looking forward very much to finding out more about her.