More Chocolate Soldiers!

My thanks go to Rob Elliott and Andy Hutt who have both provided further information on 22nd Division’s production of The Chocolate Soldier. Before I share their pearls of wisdom, here is a link to a page with photos (scroll down!), which I found AFTER posting my article. I added it as a comment, but that may have been missed and the photos are certainly worth seeing:

• https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/198141-ymca-home-front-support/

Rob was struck by the name of one of the cellists in the pit orchestra, ‘Dr S. Knussen, King’s Liverpools’ and undertook some research, discovering a talented musical dynasty:

I think this must be No. 41497 Private Albert Stuart Knussen (14^th King’s Liverpool Regiment), and later No. 38441 9^th King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment. Born on 29 June 1895, he was in private life a professional theatre cellist. His older brother Joseph Cecil was also a musician, a double bass player. Their father, Joseph Knussen, was a professional violinist. I assume they all worked in the same theatre orchestra before the war. (1911 Census)

Albert Stuart had a son, also called Stuart, born on 7^th December 1923. He was principal double bass player of the London Symphony Orchestra.

HE also had a son (Stuart) Oliver Knussen CBE  (12 June 1952 – 8 July 2018), one of Britain’s greatest composers and conductors. HIs daughter Sonya is a mezzo soprano.

A question that remains is why Pte Knussen and his fellow cellist, ‘S. Barker’ are referred to as ‘Dr’. Was it an affectation or an in-joke? Rob has identified a couple of MGC privates who could be ‘Dr S. Barker’. There is a document showing the names of the members of the 22nd Divisional Theatre Company in The Chocolate Soldier in The GWF article which shows ‘Dr S. Barker, MGC’, so it’s not a typo or one-off from the programme reproduced in The Mosquito. Pte Knussen does not appear on this, so this it’s probably another run of the show. Any suggestions?

---

Andy has provided a selection of links to stories related to The Chocolate Soldier.

The website ‘A Year of War – Frank’s Diary 1917-1918’ mentions a gala performance on 8 June 1918:

Second day of Horse Show. The Show was a complete success, the smartness of the Battalion’s Guard of Honour was commented upon by many of the visitors. A Gala performance of the ‘Chocolate Soldier’ at the Divisional Frivolity Theatre was thoroughly appreciated. The 66th Brigade Concert Party, the ‘Clickety Clicks’ catered for the men, working?? in two performances nightly to give every man a chance to attend. From the 7th June the ?? two Infantry Base Depots will be amalgamated into one which will be known as the Infantry Base Depot.

13th (Service) Battalion [Manchester Regt] War Diary – 8th June 1918 – La Marraine

Gunner Christopher Wendell, RFA, who was a member of the cast of The Chocolate Soldier wrote to Susan Lushington, who had opened her home near Bordon Camp in Hampshire, to soldiers for music and refreshments. Writing in the summer of 1917 he recalled:

… ‘happy times’ which gave him ‘food for pleasant reflection’. At Christmas 1917 he organised a small choir to sing carols and ‘our colonel actually complimented us on our vocal efforts and our hopes and fears as successful wassailers were dispelled … the menu provided was all that could be desired. So that you see it is possible to enjoy Xmas on a huge hillside in the Balkans’. At the end of the war Wendell took part in 22nd Divisional Theatre Company performances of the operetta ‘The Chocolate Soldier’ in the Balkans.

Surrey in the Great War – Susan Lushington’s letters from Soldiers

The web site, ‘British Jews in the First World War’, records the story of Barney Jacobs of the South Wales Borderers. Thanks to his attendance at a service held by the Jewish chaplain behind the lines and staying on to attend a performance of The Chocolate Soldier, he missed a deadly nighttime bombing raid. He was invited to attend the show by his previous company officer who was now the musical director of the show. The article names him as ‘Lieutenant Spiers’, but this would have been Lieutenant Spyer, SWB.

The Great War Forum has a further thread on The Chocolate Soldier:

• https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/198347-22nd-divisional-theatre-company-tour/

Finally, at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, amongst a collection of documents belonging to Captain Thomas Daly Cumberland (RAMC), is a souvenir programme of The Chocolate Soldier performed at the Frivolity Theatre by the 22nd Divisional Theatre Company. Captain Cumberland also kept a programme for the 26th Division’s pantomime, Robinson Crusoe.

Thanks to Rob and Andy.

And I daresay there’s more out there!