“The League of Death” and the BSF

On this, the 110th anniversary of the Britain’s entry into the Great War, it seems appropriate to look at a connection between the British Salonika Force and the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo. This is to be found in issue 45 of The Mosquito – ‘The Official Journal of the Salonika Re-Union Association’ – published in March 1939, not very long before Britain’s entry into the next world war!

One of the main articles in the issue is an account of the sinking of the French troopship, S.S. Sontay, which was torpedoed on 16 April 1917 100 miles from Malta on its way to Marseille. The story is told by Mr Thomas Grant, official photographer with the BSF, who was returning to the UK at the time. It is a fascinating, if grim, tale – illustrated by by Mr Grant’s own photos – but does not concern us here. Later in the issue, in the quaintly named “Editor’s Dump”, Hon. Editor Mr Willis shares some stories about Mr Grant, who was one of three distinguished press photographer brothers.

Thomas Grant was said to be one of the world’s most travelled photographers who visited upwards of fifty countries over thirty years and in conditions that led to an insurance company refusing to accept him for a personal accident policy. Being mistaken for a spy in Ireland, dodging anti-foreign mobs in China and gaining forbidden access to the Mikado of Japan’s funeral were just some of his adventures, during which his only injury was a dislocated finger.

The story that concerns us occurred in Serbia in 1908. It started with something of a farce when Grant gained permission to visit a barracks where a volunteer regiment of women was being formed. In a case of mistaken identity he was invited to inspect the entire garrison – with apologies given for the lack of a band – and, when he asked about the female regiment, they were swiftly mustered and went through their drill evolutions and musketry practice for his benefit.

Somehow, that night, he was invited to a ceremony in which he was made an honorary member of “The League of Death”. A secret society – although not so secret that it happily enrolled a foreign photojournalist! – in which members were sworn to give their lives carrying out whatever murderous mission they might be sent on. His initiation was preceded by a feast and blood-curdling speeches, after which a skull-and-crossbones badge was pinned to his coat. Before leaving he was warned most earnestly not to take the badge into Austria on his way home; a warning he disregarded, although he did hide the badge in a rolled up pair of socks!

And the connection with Archduke Ferdinand? A later member of “The League of Death” was said to be Gavrilo Princep, his assassin.

“Yes,” concluded Mr Willis, “there is plenty of adventure and excitement in a news photographer’s life.”

If these stories have whetted your appetite for more from The Mosquito – which is a super resource for anyone interested in the Macedonian campaign – then you can buy a DVD containing every issue from 1927 to 1969 from the SCS. It is tremendous value and there is no better time to buy than now, in what is the centenary year of the founding of the Salonika Reunion Association.