"MODERN ARMY" POSTERS

A 1930s recruiting poster for the British Army: 

Austin 7 car, Vickers light tank, Scout carrier, motorcycle,
fully tracked artillery, 3.7in AA gun...see a 28mm variant HERE

The 1930's advertising campaign replaced (we think) this earlier version, with its emphasis on Empire:

which, of course, gave birth to the famous parody/pacifist slogan/joke: "Join the Army, see the world, meet interesting people - and kill them...."

HEREFORDSHIRE'S OWN CHIEF SCOUT

Everyone will know that Robert Baden-Powell founded and lead the Scouting Movement. Perhaps few, however, will remember that Arthur Herbert Tennyson Somers-Cocks, 6th Baron Somers, of Eastnor Castle in the County of Herefordshire, served as the Deputy Chief Scout from 1935 - and then the Chief Scout, upon Baden Powell's death, from March 1941 until his own death in 1944. Although not appointed Chief Scout until Baden Powell's death, Lord Somers must effectively have served in that position from Baden-Powell's retirement from public life at the 5th World Scout Jamboree in 1937.

Lord Somers in scouting uniform

In short, therefore (and as with so much else), Herefordshire must have been the epicentre of the Scouting Movement during the Very British Civil War of 1938....

Lord Somers in civvies, May 1936, Bassano

Lord Somers had a distinguished war record during the First World War, from serving with the Life Guards in 1914 to commanding the 6th Battalion of the Tank Corps in 1918. He was twice wounded, mentioned in despatches, and awarded both the MC and the DSO. Post war, he served as Governor of Victoria from 1926 - 1931.

Lord Somers, with inevitable dogs, Eastnor Castle May 1936

Goodness knows what Lord Somers would have done upon the outbreak of the Very British Civil War - and, in keeping with campaign tradition, it would be wrong to speculate. Perhaps it can be ventured, however, that he would have been most anxious to retain the integrity of the Scouting Movement and, on a more personal note, to defend the Eastnor estate against all aggressors. As Somers was a retired military man of considerable personal wealth, the Herefordshire Scouts could expect to be well equipped during the VBCW...

In that context, it must have come as a particular disappointment to Lord Somers that the first engagement of a local scout troop (Mortimers Troop at the Battle of Mortimers Cross) resulted only in the said scouts immediately defecting to Commissar Professor Colonel Winter's Communist Faction (there are some suggestions of outrageous bribery, viz. "free pop and buns"). Lord Somers must hope that other Scout troops are made of sterner stuff, for Eastnor Castle now lies in the path of the BUF advancing towards Ledbury along the A438. An engagement with Storm Leader Reckless' Recce Troop surely cannot be long delayed...

A modern day map of Eastnor Castle and its grounds. The terrain has not changed much from 1938.

Thankfully, the grounds of Eastnor Castle seem eminently defensible, protected to the east by an ornamental lake and generally swathed in woodland. And if Lord Somers has insufficient scouts at his disposal, he can surely call upon some of his old Australian friends and WW1 veterans from the State of Victoria to come to his aid.... 

No.1 SQUADRON RAF (PART THREE) - SERGEANT PILOTS

As the NCO Pilots of No.1 Squadron did not feature in the famous Squadron Photograph nor in the previous post on Pilots Portraits, they clearly deserved their very own post:

Sgt A.V. Clowes, Vassincourt, late November 1939. On 23rd November 1939, Clowes was
 flying "T" and engaged in the destruction of an He.111 when a French Hawk 75A collided
 with his tail. Notwithstanding significant loss of control, Clowes managed to navigate back
to Vassincourt airfield......

...where some reports have him "making a successful landing". The photographic
evidence rather suggest "a controlled crash" would be a better description.
Clowes can also be seen, about a month earlier, in this colourised photograph.
Note no Squadron letters on Hurricane and tricolour on tail. 

Back home to Tangmere, summer 1940. Now commissioned as Flt. Lt., and awarded a DFM, Clowes fought throughout the Battle of Britain. Note pre war white flying suit
 and unique nose art on Hurricane "JX-B".

A close up of Flt. Lt. Clowes DFM with "wasp" nose art.

Good friends and fellow F/Sgts. F.G Berry and R.A. Albonico, 1939.

and a nicely colourised version...

After the battles of France and of Britain, former F/Sgt. F.J.Soper in 1941. 
By this time, he had been promoted first to P/O and then Acting Squadron
Leader of 257 Squadron (in succession to the famous Robert Stanford-Tuck).
The moustaches seem to have become more luxuriant as the war went on...

Acting Squadron Leader Soper, 1941. S/Ldr Soper did not return
from a convoy protection mission on 5/10/41.

No.1 SQUADRON RAF (PART TWO) - PILOTS' PORTRAITS

Another post, another "colourised" photograph of No.1 Squadron, RAF in France. Members of the Squadron examine their first war trophy, a machine gun salvaged from a Dornier Do17 shot down by P/O Peter "Boy" Mould on 31st October 1939:

L to R : F/O Paul Richey, Squadron Leader Patrick J.H. "the Bull" Halahan,
Flt. Sgt. "Darkie" Clowes, Flt. Lt. Peter "Johnny" Walker.

Colourised - Walker with pipe, Clowes with cigarette, Halahan with German machine gun.

And some portraits waiting to be colourised:

F/O Paul Richey

F/O John Ignatius "Killy" Kilmartin

F/O M.H. "Hilly" Brown

F/O Billy Drake

F/O Leslie Clisby RAAF

F/O Peter "Boy" Mould

P/O P.V. Boot

"The Bull" - Squadron Leader Patrick J.H. Halahan

During the "Phoney War", the Tatler's famous cartoonist, Mel,
produced these caricatures of No.1 Squadron personnel.
Norman Frank's "No.1 in War and Peace" says of the result:
"...All the 'famous' were duly drawn - Halahan, Walker, Hanks, Mould,
Richey, Kilmartin, Clisby, Drake, Soper, Lewis - even J.C. Roberts,
the Adjutant, and Brown, the Medical Officer. Those not sketched obviously
had not become famous enough - Stratton, Palmer, Matthews, Berry, Clowes,
Albonico - and what about Hilly Brown? Perhaps some were absent like Hilly,
who was flying the (captured) 109 from Amiens to Boscombe Down."

No.1 SQUADRON RAF (PART ONE) - FIGHTER PILOTS AND PLANE COLOURS

Following this lovely colourised photograph of a Polikarpov I-16 Rata, another example of the computer colourisation process - the officers of No.1 Squadron, RAF outside their HQ, the Mairie at Neuville-sur-Omain, in April 1940:

The original press photo, 1940

The colourised version. From L to R:
F/O Billy Drake, F/O Leslie R. Clisby (RAAF), P/O Robert "Lorry" Lorimer,
Flt. Lt. Peter "Prosser" Hanks, F/O Peter "Boy" Mould, Sqdn Ldr. Patrick J.H. "Bull" Halahan (o/c)
Lt. Jean "Moses" Demozay (French Air Force Liaison), Flt. Lt Peter "Johnny" Walker (2 i/c)
Flt. Lt. D.M. "Doc" Brown (Medical Officer), F/O Paul H.M. Richey, F/O John I. "Killy" Kilmartin,
P/O William H. "Stratters" Stratton (RNZAF), F/O C.D. "Pussy" Palmer.

Within a few weeks of this photograph, No.1 Squadron RAF, together with No.73 Squadron RAF, (both then flying Hurricanes as "67 Wing, Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF)" took on the full might of the Luftwaffe, supporting the German armoured attack through the Ardennes from 10th May 1940 onward. After the end of the French campaign, F/O Paul Richey wrote of his experiences in a famous book, "Fighter Pilot" (originally published anonymously, in 1941):

"Fighter Pilot" was supplemented by a second book, "Fighter Pilot's Summer", detailing Paul Richey's subsequent WW2 experiences with 609 Squadron and in the Far East. It was published after Richey's death in 1989, being completed by Norman Franks on the basis of Richey's draft notes and documents:

A few notes on the "colourised" squadron photograph and gleanings from a number of books on the subject of No.1 Squadron:

(a). while the photograph shows all the officers (then present) of No.1, it does not show all the pilots. The Squadron had four Sergeant Pilots - Flt. Sgts. R.A. Albonico, F.G. Berry, A.V. "Darkie" Clowes and F.J. Soper.

(b). at least six officers of No.1 are not shown in the photograph. Flt/Lt J.C. Roberts was the (apparently non flying) Adjutant of the Squadron. F/O M.H. "Hilly" Brown was on leave when the photograph was taken. F/O GCH "Pete" Matthews and P/O Peter V. Boot were relatively recent additions to the Officer's Mess (August 1939 and March 1940 respectively) and must have been absent on other duties. F/O "Leak" Crusoe had been a long term member of No.1 (see pre war photo below) and, like Hilly, may well have been on leave. F/O HNE Salmon, like Matthews and Boot, had only recently joined No.1 (in March 1940). 

(c). the photograph evidences the varied background of RAF Squadron officers at the time. Squadron Leader "Bull" Halahan and F/O "Killy" Kilmartin were both Southern Irish (Dublin and Dundalk, respectively - although "Killy" had also spent a lot of time in Australia and Shanghai before entering the RAF). F/O Leslie Clisby was seconded from the Royal Australian Air Force. His great friend, P/O Lorimer, was of South African stock but had been brought up in Belfast. P/O Stratton was a New Zealander, "Hilly" Brown a Canadian, and "Pussy" Palmer brought up in the USA. Of those who were native British, Peter "Johnny" Walker was from Suffolk, "Prosser" Hanks from York, Paul Richey from Chelsea, "Boy" Mould from Rutland and "Pete" Matthews from Cheshire.

(d). note the varied dress code. Halahan and Richey are in flying jackets, the rest in RAF uniform light blue (Clisby's uniform should be "colourised" a slightly darker blue, as he flew in his RAAF uniform throughout). A relaxed attitude seems to have been taken to collars and tie (Drake, Clisby and Kilmartin in civilian scarves, "Pussy" Palmer in a non-regulation open collared shirt, "Prosser" Hanks in a non-regulation roll top sweater) and even to footwear - while the majority wear flying boots, "Doc" Brown is in shoes and "Killy" Kilmartin and "Pussy" Palmer in carpet slippers!

Some of the "missing officers" of No.1 in a different photograph, visiting the nurses of 
a Field Hospital somewhere in France, 1940. From LtoR F/O CGH "Leak" Crusoe,
F/O HNE Salmon, P/O PV Boot.

A cold dispersal hut at Vassincourt during the Phoney War, 1940.
 From LtoR, F/O Peter Mould, PO PV Boot, FO LR Clisby, F/Lt. PP Hanks
 (studying 'Paris' magazine somewhat intently) F/O RL Lorimer, F/O HNE Salmon

(e). there was also some "turnover" of officers and NCOs before and during the French campaign. The Squadron records (reconstituted after the campaign, and therefore not contemporaneous) mention a Flt Lt. GHF Plinston, F/O SW Baldie and a "Sgt. New" departing with the Squadron for France on 8th September 1939. Plinston moved to No.1 from No.56 Squadron in July 1939. On 15th December 1939 he was transferred to 607 Squadron, but on 10th May 1939 he was then re-assigned to 85 Squadron, and took part in the Battle of France with them. It is not clear how Stanley Baldie left No.1, but he finished up in India as a Squadron Leader later in the war - which he did not survive. Nothing can be discovered as to "Sgt. New", which in any event, given the Squadron records, may simply mean "a new sergeant" used as a ferry pilot.

(f). by way of additions, on 26 November 1939, Pilot Officers J.S. Mitchell (a New Zealander), Shepherd and R.G.Lewis (a Canadian) joined the Squadron. Mitchell died on 2nd March 1940 in a crash landing in a field after an action with a Dornier intruder - Paul Richey ["Fighter Pilot" (p.54)] described Michell as a 'big cheerful boy". On 14th March 1940, P/O R.H. Shaw RAFVR and F/O HNE Salmon RAFO (see above) joined. P/O Shaw served with No.1 until his loss during the Battle of Britain ('failed to return' 3rd September 1940). "Doc" Brown, another reservist, replaced the previous M.O, F/Lt EHE Cross. Shortly before the end of the Phoney War on 10th May 1940, four further Pilot Officers arrived - Roland Dibnah, Don Thom, C.M. "Red" Stavert and G.E. "Randy" Goodman, all of whom (Franks' book states) were "...kept on the sidelines as it seemed certain that the real war was going to start any day now...". Certainly, none of them are mentioned in Richey's "Fighter Pilot".

Anyway, as this is a blog dedicated to the Very British Civil War, let's head back to late 1938, when No.1 Squadron RAF were flying Hawker Furies rather than Hawker Hurricanes:

The working Squadron in late 1938, camouflaged Furies posed "tail to tail". Identifiable from L to R:
Brown, Soper, Drake, Sanders, Clowes (with inevitable dog), Squadron Leader Bertram,
"Pussy" Palmer, "Prosser" Hanks, Douglas, Hancock, [unreadable], "Johnny" Walker, "Leaky" Crusoe.
Note the rather smarter uniform details, including white pre war flying suits.

A "colourised" photograph of RAF Furies in "Munich Colours", late 1938.
Although the "Munich Crisis" did not occur in the VBCW timeline, as Britain
had by then dissolved into Civil War and consequently had no interest in
Central Europe, some Furies could have been similarly camouflaged.

A pre-Munich 1938 photograph of No.1 Squadron's Furies flying in echelon "somewhere
over England". The last gasp of the elegant interwar "Silver Wings", and much the more
probable colour scheme for VBCW aircraft.

Now that's more VBCW....

Add edit : G.E. "Randy" Goodman's WIKI bio is HERE

REMEMBRANCE DAY - HEREFORD'S WAR MEMORIAL

Hereford's War Memorial, in the form of an "Eleanor Cross" and inaugurated in October 1922, stands in St. Peter's Square, in the very centre of Hereford:

The Hereford War Memorial. The ornate Town Hall is on the left of this
photograph, out of shot (to the left) is the Shire Hall and (to the right)
St Peter's Church.

War Memorial Plaque

Before October 1922, Hereford had maintained a temporary war memorial, in approximately the same shape as the London Cenotaph, in the centre of High Town:

Temporary War Memorial, High Town. In the background, the entrance to the
Buttermarket, and the City & County Stores [note 1]

Another view of the temporary War Memorial inaugurated in September 1919.
The Old House in the background.

[Note 1] The same background of the Buttermarket and City & County Stores can also be seen, some 25 years later, in the "VE Day" posts in this THREAD

VBCW FARMERS (2) - GET OFF MY LAND!

A variety of signs that can be found across the agricultural parts of Herefordshire, indicating the strong desire of VBCW farmers "simply to be left alone":

And here's some more - print and play!