Lincoln in the Great War

By Louise Blackah

Lincoln produced many heroes during WW1 including, Wing Commander Fiennes who was the Commanding Officer of 38 Squadron from 1916 to 1917 flying FE2b aircraft (known as the 'Fees') on patrol against raiding German Zeppelins over Lincolnshire and the surrounding counties. Also, a winged version of the Lincoln Imp adorned many of the First World War aircraft including the famous Sopwith Camel, manufactured extensively by Lincoln firms Clayton and Shuttleworth, Robeys and Ruston Proctor.This book also looks at how the experience of war impacted on the City, from the initial enthusiasm for sorting out the German Kaiser in time for Christmas 1914, to the gradual realization of the enormity of human sacrifice the families of Lincoln were committed to as the war stretched out over the next four years. The Great War affected everyone. At home there were wounded soldiers in military hospitals, refugees from Belgium and later on German prisoners of war. There were food and fuel shortages and disruption to schooling. The role of women changed dramatically and they undertook a variety of work undreamed of in peacetime. Extracts from contemporary letters reveal their heroism and give insights into what it was like under battle conditions, particularly from those of the Lincolnshire Yeomanry.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Aug 31, 2016
• ISBN: 9781473866195

Book preview

Introduction

The year 2014 saw the one hundredth anniversary of the start of the Great War, which began on 4 August 1914, when Britain declared war on Germany. Thousands of men endured difficult conditions overseas, and the casualties and fatalities were seemingly endless. What was expected to be a short period of conflict turned into years of fighting. Across our country, families worried about their loved ones whilst carrying on as best they could, considering the difficulties that presented themselves during this time. This book takes a brief look at how Lincoln, the county of Lincolnshire and its people fared during this period, the contribution made to the war effort and how life ‘back home’ evolved as the conflict continued.

The years prior to 1914 had been difficult, politically, due to the unrest across Europe. It had become obvious that there was a potential power struggle building, and that one country in particular was experiencing both turmoil internally, whilst looking to expand its borders elsewhere. With this in mind, Britain, France and Russia had signed a treaty offering support to each other in the event of conflict.

On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip. However, this single event is deemed to be more of a trigger factor for the beginning of what was to become known as the Great War, rather than the actual cause. For the purposes of this book we will not delve too far into the politics of the time, preferring rather to focus on the events and people at home during these years.

CHAPTER ONE

1914 – Eager for a Fight

To many people in Britain who followed the politics of the nation on their radios and in some cases via the newspapers, the main cause of Britain declaring war on 4 August 1914 was the assassination of the Archduke, alongside the invasion of neutral Belgium, and the biggest fear was that Germany would carry on across the European countryside until it reached the French coast. The next target would then be England itself.

With a strong sense of patriotism, and keen to protect their country and prevent this happening, many men began enlisting even before the call to arms had been given. Confidence brimmed; with ‘our boys’ joining with the Allies we would soon rout the enemy and all would be over by Christmas.

Recruitment posts sprang up across the county and queues formed as groups of friends, families and workers waited to offer their services. Smaller towns and villages were visited, on a regular basis, by a group of recruiting officers who would set themselves up in the local village or Church hall until they had finished their recruiting drive. Enthusiasm was high, and as Lincoln was a garrison town with its own regimental barracks, it was not difficult to attract the young men of the city and surrounding areas. For those working in rural occupations the thought of joining up offered the opportunity to travel and for adventure that many could only have dreamed of.

Many of the county’s inhabitants lived in poverty, and with large families and poor work prospects, the lure of a regular income was an incentive to many young men to join up.

Living in Lincolnshire, the obvious regiment of choice was the Lincolnshire Regiment, although recruitment was still carried out for other regiments depending on experience, numbers in the particular regiments, etc. As the years of conflict progressed, the recruitment offices would be tasked with increasing manpower in regiments that had suffered great losses and who were in need of more men to boost numbers. This saw local men in a variety of regiments based across the country. In small villages and hamlets in Lincolnshire, where the majority of men of enlisting age joined up, the effect was devastating and lead directly to poverty and hardship for the remaining family members during and post-war. Younger men, under the official age for enlistment, would often travel out of area in order to be recruited by people who would not recognize them and know they were underage and this often meant that they would be recruited into other regiments.

With no benefit system in place at that time, families cared for each other through good and bad times. Elderly, infirm parents joined the household of their children and were supported by them. Those families dependent on agriculture as an income were often struggling financially. Many were only employed, on a regular basis, during seasonal times of the year; for example, more manpower would be needed during harvest and potato picking time. Too many families found that there were times when finding work to provide an adequate income was virtually impossible, and even those workers with full time employment were frequently not paid enough to keep the family from suffering financial hardship. The situation was already causing unrest within the community, with debates and demonstrations becoming more commonplace long before the beginning of the Great War.

Large families were common, and with children leaving school aged fourteen, those families in very rural villages and hamlets found it almost impossible to find work. It is understandable that many of the boys who looked older than they were would try to enlist in order to bring much needed income into the home, but fathers would also enlist, perhaps in the hope that they would provide a steady income, and their sons may be able to fill positions left in the fields. It is debatable as to how many men in this situation joined up voluntarily, with the financial benefits being equally as important as their patriotism. As the months went on, and more men and teenagers joined up, the rural communities were beginning to struggle for manpower and we will take a look at the solutions to this problem later.

The Grimsby Chums

Lord Kitchener came up with a plan to increase the numbers of the Army without immediately bringing in conscription. He suggested that men who were joined by a common link, such as working in the same place, living in the same village or town, and those who shared common pursuits, could all join up together. This was an excellent plan, as it led to the men encouraging each other, and the recruiting offices began to be busy.

In some places large numbers of men were recruited, and if the majority of the battalion was from the same area, they were nicknamed ‘Pals’; for example, The Barnsley Pals and the Accrington Pals.

In the Grimsby area posters were pasted across the town and surrounding villages. Printed by the Lincolnshire Regiment, the posters read, ‘Wake up Grimsby! Young men do your duty. Join now with your pals. 500 men from all classes must be recruited at once.’

The men of Grimsby responded immediately, bringing their friends, family and co-workers along with them. Men from other villages and towns near to Grimsby, such as Immingham, Caistor and Laceby, travelled to Grimsby to join up, and the ranks increased quickly. Joining up with someone that you knew made it more of an adventure, and let us not forget that when enough men were recruited, wherever that may be, village, town or city, they would march the men off to their training centres or to catch a train. It became a spectacle; English pomp and ceremony at its best, and one that boys and men alike aspired to be part of.

The men decided against using the term ‘Pal’ for what was to become the 10th Battalion, instead choosing to be known as The Grimsby Chums and they remained the only ‘Pals’ battalion to use the word ‘Chums’.

As was the case across the country, supplies and armaments were not readily available for the new recruits. It was also difficult to find active commanding officers for the new battalions, and initially, retired Army personnel were recruited to lead the men during their basic training. Retired George Bennet, who had been Captain of the 1st Lincolnshire R.G.A. Volunteers, took charge of the recruits, but was soon to be replaced by George Heanage as a permanent C.O. to the battalion.

As well as the lack of supplies such as uniform and weapons, the battalion needed to be trained en masse, and facilities across the county were sparse. Once again the resourcefulness and enthusiasm of the Lincolnshire people for ‘the cause’ was evident as the Earl of Yarborough offered the grounds of his estate in and around Brocklesby as a training camp