Alnwick in the Great War

By Craig Armstrong

As a market town and one of the seats of government of the county authority, Alnwick played a key role in the coordination of Northumberlands war effort. With a wide rural hinterland, the town was considerably important in the production and dispersal of food, which was vital to the war effort. As the home of the Duke of Northumberland, the town had a hugely influential role in the overall Northumbrian war effort from civilian affairs to military recruitment.The town shared a proud tradition of military service with the wider region, and this was reflected in the huge numbers of Alnwick men and women who came forward for service in the military or in roles such as nursing. The town was a regional recruitment centre and hosted its own unit of the 1/7th (Territorial) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, as well as other military units. From 1915, Alnwick was also one of the largest infantry training bases in the north of England. Many of the locally raised Pals Battalions, which were raised in the north, received their training here. For those left behind in Alnwick, the war was a time of worry and hardship, however others saw the business opportunities. This book includes accounts of the struggle that local families faced in coping with rising wartime prices, longer working hours and endless worry, sometimes in the face of accusations of drunkenness or idleness from the authorities and unfair criticism of the rural districts recruiting record.Despite these hardships, the people of Alnwick provided incredible charitable support right up until the end of the war, in addition to their normal efforts. Several military hospitals were set up in the town and surrounding area, with the training base later becoming a recuperation base for injured soldiers. These momentous efforts are explained throughout this compelling book, which is a testimony to the bravery, self-sacrifice and determination of the people of Alnwick during the Great War.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Oct 31, 2016
• ISBN: 9781473875210

Craig Armstrong

Born and bred in Northumberland, Dr Craig Armstrong is an experienced historian with a special interest in the history of the North East of England and the Anglo-Scottish Borders. He has expertise in 19th and 20th century history with a particular focus on social and military history.Dr Armstrong currently splits his time between teaching at Newcastle University and working as a freelance researcher and writer on the history of North East England and Scotland.

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First published in Great Britain in 2016 by

PEN & SWORD MILITARY

an imprint of

Pen and Sword Books Ltd

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Copyright © Craig Armstrong, 2016

ISBN: 978 1 47382 739 4

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Contents

CHAPTER 1

1914

Pre-War Alnwick

Alnwick was (and remains) the county town of Northumberland, and as the seat of the Dukes of Northumberland always had considerable influence within the county. Sited amidst a rich agricultural district, and with a number of wealthy residents in the town and its hinterlands, the town had an air of prosperity about it. Industrially the town was reliant upon agricultural engineering and lacked heavy industry almost entirely. The main factories produced snuff and tobacco and there were a number of brewers and maltsters; the town also possessed a small foundry works, the Alnwick Foundry & Engineering Company Ltd, which catered for local ironwork.

Two markets were held weekly; the first being a general market which was held on a Saturday and the second a cattle market held on Mondays. In addition to these there were several agricultural fairs held in the town: for sheep, cattle and horses on the last Monday in April and the first Monday in October; lamb and wool on the second Monday in July; and hirings fairs (for agricultural workers) held on the first Saturday in March, the first Monday in May and the first Saturday in November.

The town housed a newly built infirmary, which was opened in 1908, in South Road which consisted of separate in-patient and outpatient wings. The in-patient wing could hold around fourteen patients whilst the out-patients had a dispensary, surgery, operating theatre and waiting room. There was also an administration block which had the governor’s rooms, sitting rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms.

Although subject to the county council, Alnwick was largely governed by Alnwick Urban District Council. The Council met on the first Tuesday of every month at Green Batt and at the start of the war was chaired by Mr Joseph Lingwood, who was librarian of the Alnwick Scientific & Mechanical Institute on Percy Street. The vice-chair was Adam Douglas, a local solicitor who acted as register and clerk to several nearby local authorities and organisations.

The Rush to the Colours and other Military Affairs

Just a day after the declaration of war the men of the National Reserve of Alnwick and District held their annual rifle shooting competition for a silver trophy and cash prizes to the value of £28 which had been donated by local members of the gentry and tradespeople. Special prizes provided by the employees of Hardy Brothers were also awarded for the best shots at the respective two ranges. The competition took place at the rifle ranges on Alnwick Moor and consisted of target shooting at targets over ranges of 200 and 500 yards (7 shots at each). The overall winner was S. Egdell of Shilbottle (he scored the most points at 200 yards and tied with M.B. Goodfellow at 500 yards). The special prize for 200-yard shooting was won by the commanding officer Captain R. Henderson (he deferred his prize to the second placed man, William Jobson) and the 500-yard special prize was won by M.B. Goodfellow who was described as a long tried marksman. The prize-giving ceremony and a celebratory dinner took place at the Nag’s Head Hotel.

A major concern at the time was that the numbers of men coming forward for military service in rural areas was lagging significantly behind those in urban areas. Lieutenant Colonel Dudley W. Buckle of Breamish House, Powburn, wrote to the local press stating that in his capacity of supporting Lord Roberts’ scheme for universal service he had toured many areas of rural Northumberland and that he too was concerned over this. He claimed that the last meeting he had addressed (along with several other members of the local gentry with military connections) for the purpose of recruitment into both regular and territorial services had seen an overflowing audience but that the meeting resulted in the recruitment of only one recruit! Colonel Buckle blamed, in many cases, the family and friends of young men who discouraged them from following their initial enthusiasm for military service. Colonel Buckle believed that some mild form of compulsion might be utilised to compel some of these healthy young men to serve. Clearly this was an extremely unpopular view at the time as the British had always been resistant to compulsory military service and many in the farming areas would argue, not altogether untruthfully, that a number of Colonel Buckle’s ‘healthy young men’ were already making a worthwhile contribution to the war effort in producing food for the nation.

As the headquarters of the 1/7th (Territorial) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, the town of Alnwick already had a military presence, with the men of the territorials meeting for drill sessions at the drill hall on Fenkle Street. As many more men came forward for wartime service the town found itself being used as a substantial billet for the men of the battalion. Although originally recruited for home service only, the vast majority of the men (many of whom had previous military experience) had voluntarily agreed to serve abroad for the duration of the war. Quickly mobilised, the men of the 1/7th were sent by train to their main camp (via Whitley Bay) which was speedily established at Gosforth Park near Newcastle.

Whilst many local men already served in the territorials there was a rush from those who were eager to see some wartime service. The demand for recruits was such that a recruitment office was set up during the first week of the war in the Town Hall and it was announced that this would be open for men seeking to serve King and Country from 9 am to 1 pm each day. Initially men aged 19 to 25 were asked for alongside those who were ex-soldiers of the special reserve aged up to 35 and former soldiers of not less than four years’ service up to 42 years old. The system initially resulted in men who wished to find out terms of service, etc, going to the drill hall where they would be briefed by the officer in command before going to the Town Hall to actually enlist. The scheme in Alnwick was organised by Colonel Sitwell and solicitor Mr Hugh J. Percy. Many of the men with former military experience would form the backbone of a much-needed corps of NCOs within Kitchener’s New Army. Men such as Mr George H. Dryden from Berwickshire who had seen service in the Berwick Rifles from 1897 to 1907 and, later, the territorials. A fine shot, he was quickly promoted to Sergeant and posted to the camp at Alnwick in August. As batches of men were despatched to the main camp at Gosforth Park there were several parades through Alnwick to the railway station. Each was accompanied by a band and attracted crowds of townsfolk eager to show their support.

George H. Dryden, an old soldier who proved of value in training new recruits.

The first to leave, on 5 August, were the men of ‘D’ (Alnwick) Company, 1/7th (Territorial) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, led by their commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel R. Scott and company commander Captain P.G. Reynolds. The men marched to Alnwick station led by the band and upon reaching the station were met by a large and enthusiastic crowd of locals. The men were en route to Whitley Bay and picked up the men of other Northumberland companies on the way, and at each station the men were given a rousing and cheerful send-off. The scene at Alnwick station was said to have included many a moving (and no doubt tearful) goodbye and the men of the territorials were joined by seventeen men of the postal service in Alnwick who had also been called up and were on their way to a various regiments scattered around the country. The next day the men of ‘C’ (Alnwick) Troop, Northumberland Hussars, assembled at the drill hall where they received their uniforms, arms and equipment before they too marched to the station where they entrained bound for Newcastle. The war was now very much a reality for the people of Alnwick and the message was reinforced the next day when a further military assembly took place. This time the venue was the depot in Hotspur Street where the men of the 3rd Northumberland Fusiliers assembled to receive their issues of uniforms, equipment and weapons before marching to the train station where they boarded a train bound for Newcastle.

Given the proximity of Alnwick to the east coast and the likelihood of the German’s mounting coastal raids or even an invasion, the military authorities were anxious to provide visible reassurance to the people of the district. To that end a detachment from the Northern Cyclists Battalion was posted to the town, arriving the day after the declaration of war (coinciding with the departure of the 1/7th Northumberland Fusiliers) where they quickly commandeered the use of Green Batt House for use as an officers’ mess. This was only the beginning of a process which would see military uniforms become an increasingly common sight in the streets of the town. The Cyclists were posted up and down the east coast with an HQ at Morpeth. As territorials, they were expected to use their mounts to respond quickly to any landings and were fully trained as infantry. However their numbers were spread very thinly and how effective they would have been in the event of an emergency is doubtful.

As we have seen the men of the 1/7th Northumberland Fusiliers were quickly dispatched southwards, but a large number had come forward to serve within the formation and the town quickly became packed with young recruits who were billeted locally. While awaiting posting they trained in drill and musketry on local ranges, overseen by regular and reserve instructors. Some of the men also took the opportunity to undertake evening lessons in French which were overseen by Lady Margaret Percy at the New Parish Hall.¹

Recruitment for the 1/7th Northumberland Fusiliers continued, however, and the local territorial battalion(s) remained a popular choice for young Alnwick men throughout the war. As early as mid-September a further batch of 120 men were despatched from Alnwick under the command of Lieutenant Ball. The men marched through the town headed by drums and fifes and the parade attracted a large crowd. At the station the men were met by Major George Reavell who was there to see them on their way to joining the battalion.

Alnwick became a town which was dominated by the men who were posted in for training. At first many of these men were territorials and the town and the welcome that the people gave the soldiers made a lasting impression. One Berwick man wrote to his family that the town was ‘alive with Territorials and we’re all as happy as kings, and well satisfied with our billets. We are looking forward with keen anticipation to going on foreign service.’ The recruit then went on to say that the surroundings were an absolute treat for the men.

Further batches of men from Berwickshire arrived throughout the month of September with many having enlisted in the 1/7th Northumberland Fusiliers. Upon arrival at Alnwick the men were put in the charge of Captain the Honourable Arthur Joicey who welcomed them. They then had a medical (which very few failed) and were sworn in before being marched to their billets (which were universally described as being comfortable).

As a way of encouraging men to join up, local battalions were formed in which men could serve alongside colleagues and friends. In Northumberland and Newcastle it was proposed to form battalions named the Tyneside Commercials (made up largely of men from Newcastle and Tyneside who worked in white collar occupations), Tyneside Scottish (recruited from those with Scottish connections in the area) and the Tyneside Irish (drawn from the large Irish population). Numbers of recruits was not a problem but finding enough space to billet and train all of these embryonic soldiers was an increasingly vexing issue for the authorities locally. A partial solution was found when the Duke of Northumberland kindly volunteered the use of land on the Pastures near Alnwick Castle for conversion into a military training camp. In mid-September it was announced that contracts had been put out for the construction of a large number of wooden huts at the site and that already there had been large deliveries of timber at Alnwick Station. Almost 400 men were employed in the construction of the huts, the camp and in the building of an access road. Although it was estimated by the contractors that the work would be finished within a month there were considerable delays, largely due to lack of manpower and inclement weather, and it proved necessary to bolster the contractors with men from Pioneer sections of nearby army battalions.

Recruits poured into the local Territorial battalions at the start of the war. These men are at Berwick and many would have received their initial training at Alnwick. (Berwickshire News, 22 September 1914)

Another group of Berwick recruits bound for Alnwick. (Berwickshire News, 22 September 1914)

By December the camp was ready for occupation and the men of the 16th (Tyneside Commercials) Northumberland Fusiliers moved into occupancy. The battalion undertook its initial training in drill, manoeuvre and musketry at the camp and at a number of sites in the district and remained at the camp until they were posted to a newly constructed camp at Cramlington in April 1915.