The SCS Annual Meeting takes place on Saturday 7th October. If you haven’t already reserved your place, please do so by Monday September 25th. Click here for details of how to do this. We look forward to seeing you at the AGM!
I’m grateful to a recent correspondent with the Society for bringing to attention (to me at least!) the work of artist Henry Lamb. In 2014, the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester had an exhibition, The Sensory War, to mark the 100th anniversary of WW1. One of the works exhibited was by Lamb: Advanced Dressing Station on the Struma 1916
Ana Carden-Coyne, who co-curated the exhbition Visions of the Front 1916-18, for the Somme centenary also featured the painting and describes it in this way:
“The scene of a dressing station focuses on the relationship between a wounded man and a stretcher-bearer, who attends him with a cup of water, a great relief that many soldiers wrote about as the comfort given between men. Thirst and cold were understood much later in the war as signs of hemorrhage and shock. The bearer’s hand gently touches the wounded man’s head, providing comfort symbolic of the pietà (Christian iconography of Mary cradling Jesus’ corpse). Indeed, the pietà was often used in war-time humanitarian images of nurses caring for wounded men. But Lamb transforms the theme into an effigy of masculine care and the intimate brotherhood of shared suffering. Placed on the ledge of a shallow trench, the stretcher resembles an altar. In the right hand corner is a Thomas splint used for compound fractures, from which soldiers could die. Pathos is also created by the figure on the left, head in hand, perhaps affected by malaria, a common disease of this front, or perhaps a reference to psychological suffering. The central figure stands over the patient, staring pensively into the distance. Made three years after the end of the war, the composition of this painting symbolises the pain and succour of the entire conflict.”
There’s also discussion of the painting by one of the team at The Whitworth here:
Henry Lamb was born in Australia in 1883 and educated at Manchester Grammar School, before studying medicine at Manchester University Medical School and Guy’s Hospital in London. He abandoned medicine in 1906 to study painting at the Chelsea School of Art but “with the outbreak of the first world war Lamb returned to his study of medicine and served as a doctor in the Royal Army Medical Corps in France, Salonika and Palestine where he was awarded the Military Cross. He was not an official war artist but was always sketching and drawing in spare moments. These sketches with memories from his time on the Macedonian Front and the Palestine campaign formed the basis of large-scale paintings made after the war. ‘Irish Troops in the Judaen Hills’, now in the Imeperial War Museum, and ‘Advanced Dressing Station on the Struma’ for Manchester City Art Gallery are amongst the most extraordinary of his career. In 1928 he married Lady Pansy Pakenham and moved to the quiet Wiltshire village of Coombe Bissett where they would remain for the rest of their lives. Lamb was appointed an official war artist for the second world war and after first wanting to document the war cabinet decided on portraits of soldiers and studies of servicemen at work across the South of England. At the same time as his appointment as a war artist Lamb was elected as an associate of the Royal Academy and a Trustee of both the National Portrait Gallery and the Tate. He was finally awarded full membership of the Royal Academy in 1949.” Sources here and here.
That infallible organ of facts and certainty, Wikipedia, has this to say about the ‘Illustrated War News’, At the outbreak of the war, the magazine ‘The Illustrated London News’ began to publish illustrated reports related entirely to the war and entitled it ‘The Illustrated War News’. The magazine comprised 48 pages of articles, photographs, diagrams and maps printed in landscape format. From 1916 it was issued as a 40-page publication in portrait format. It was reputed to have the largest number of artist-correspondents reporting on the progress of the war. It ceased publication in 1918. Source
There are digitised copies of ‘The Illustrated War News’ on our SCS Digital Collection DVDs. I thought it might make an interesting occasional series to draw on the magazine and take a look at how the Salonika Campaign was reported. This report from December 27, 1916, for example, shows the Royal Engineers at work, “Among the mountains on the Balkan Front…”
The text reads: Among the mountains on the Balkan Front all military bridging for anything beyond temporary makeshift work has to be done solidly. The mountain streams are liable to freshets, a sudden rising of the water, owing to heavy rainfall or sudden thaws at the higher altitudes. The flood-water then sweeps down along the river channel in spate, as a foaming and deep torrent which carries away everything that has not been stoutly and firmly fixed. A military bridge built to withstand such conditions by some of our British Royal Engineers with the Salonika Army is shown completed in the upper illustration. At the time, the river seen was flowing in its ordinary state. In the lower, driving home one of the upright supports of the roadway is seen.
The Illustrated War News December 27, 1916.
On this day, May 9th 1916, Lieutenant General George Francis Milne succeeded Lieut-General Bryan Mahon to become overall Commander-in-Chief of British Troops in Macedonia. Five months later, in October 1916, Milne submitted a report (published in The London Gazette of December 6th) summarising “the operations carried out by the British Salonika Army since I assumed command.”
To begin with, Milne states, “…in order to keep the army concentrated, I entered into an agreement with General Sarrail [French general and overall commander of the Allied forces in Salonika] by which the British forces should become responsible for that portion of the allied front which covered Salonika from the east and north-east. By this arrangement a definite and independent area was allotted to the army under my command.”
It’s interesting to read primary sources such as this against a wider background of historical perspective and analysis. In, ‘Under the Devil’s Eye’ Alan Wakefield and Simon Moody provide the context for Milne’s comments, “The new British commander was soon tested by the Frenchman’s brinkmanship when Sarrail stated that he had orders from Paris to launch an offensive and was prepared to do so with or without British assistance. Milne realised that, with his forward troops in close contact with the French, the BSF would either be dragged into an attack, which was beyond his operational remit, or, by holding back, risk accusations of failing to support an ally. He skilfully sidestepped the issue by asking for a separate British zone of operation… Sarrail agreed to the proposal and at a stroke Milne had disengaged his troops from the French.”
That analysis gives another layer of understanding to Milne’s report of how, “…in accordance with the policy laid down in my instructions, and in order to release French troops for employment elsewhere, I began to take over the line south and west of Lake Doiran…” and explains how actions in the area made it possible, “to shorten considerably the allied line between Doiran Lake and the River Vardar and on 29th August, in agreement with General Sarrail, I extended my front as far as the left bank of the river so as to set free more troops for his offensive operations.”
Politics aside, the rest of Milne’s report is a readable account of the first few months of his command in which he gives credit to the sections of his command and the men – and women – involved in the British side of the campaign.
You can download and read Milne’s entire report here. ‘Under the Devil’s Eye’ is available here.
Featured image, General Sarrail, commander of Allied forces in Macedonia (16 January 1916 – 22 December 1917), with General Sir George Milne, commander of the British Salonika Force from 9 May 1916. Source, IWM
Readers may well be interested in the following webinars* from the Western Front Association. To join, please register using the links below. Start time for all webinars is 8pm (UK time).
1. Monday 15 May – Delayed in the Desert: The Gaza Stalemate and Beersheba Breakthrough
In this presentation, Robert Fleming will talk about how in 1917, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George ordered the Egyptian Expeditionary Force to capture Jerusalem by Christmas. This was – arguably – a diversion from the main focus of the war on the western front. He believed this would be a good ‘Christmas Present’ for the British people. However, the route to Jerusalem was across the Sinai desert and blocked by the Ottoman defences at Gaza and Beersheba. The eventual Allied victory at the Battle of Beersheba was a grave setback for the Ottoman Empire and led to the eventual defeat of the Central Powers in what was then Palestine.
To register for this webinar, click this link: Delayed in the Desert
2. Monday 22 May – Allenby’s Checkmate: Jerusalem to Victory in the Middle East, 1918
Robert Fleming will follow up from the previous week’s talk by picking up the story after the capture of Beersheba, and exploring how Allenby skilfully mustered and mastered his resources to defeat the Ottoman Army at the Battle of Megiddo and end the war in the Middle East.
To register for this webinar, click this link: Allenby’s Checkmate
3. Monday 5 June – The Road to 11 November: War and Politics in 1918
This presentation by Prof David Stevenson will reappraise the final stages of the First World War in Western Europe, analysing the factors that led Germany to seek an armistice and led the Allies and the United States to grant one. Particular attention will be given to the turn of the tide and to the sources of Allied superiority on the Western Front; and to the interaction of political and military considerations in shaping decision-making during the ceasefire negotiations of October-November 1918.
To register for this webinar, click this link: The Road to 11 November
*Webinars are also subsequently published on the WFA’s YouTube Channel.
Members can expect a bumper issue of this Spring’s edition of ‘The New Mosquito’ to arrive on doormats within the next few days. Skillfully put together by former editor of this site, Robin Braysher, issue #47 has a focus on what the soldiers of the campaign wore in a climate infamous for its range of extreme conditions. If you haven’t received your copy by the end of April, do let us know and we’ll get your copy to you asap.
And, on the subject of ‘The New Mosquito’, here’s a reminder that, although Robin has stepped into the breach for this edition, we still have a vacancy for an editor. We look forward to hearing from you!
After the success of the 2022 Salonika Battlefield Tour, the SCS offers another chance to visit a number of key sites linked to the history of the British Salonika Force.
If you have not visited the ground once trodden by the BSF, we encourage you to come along as there is nothing like walking the ground to help get a better understanding of the campaign and the experiences of the men and women who served in the Balkans during the First World War.
The tour, starting on Sunday 24th September and finishing on Monday 2nd October, will be led by SCS Chair and co-author of Under the Devil’s Eye, Alan Wakefield. The plan is for the tour to cover Thessaloniki, The Birdcage Line, The Struma Valley, the Doiran battlefield, the Krusha Balkan Hills and the Roche Noire Salient. The tour group will also attend official ceremonies of Remembrance connected to the Salonika Campaign and visit a number of the CWGC cemeteries.
For further information, please contact SCS Chair, Alan Wakefield by email here.
Sunday 24th September
Tour group meets at the airport in Thessaloniki at 11.10am
Visit to Birdcage Line defences
Overnight in Doiran
Monday 25th September
Visit to the Doiran Battlefield – Grand Couronne, The Hilt, Hill 340
Overnight in Doiran
Tuesday 26th September
Visit to Doiran Battlefield – La Tortue, Petit Couronne, Pip Ridge
Overnight in Doiran
Wednesday 27th September
Visit to the Doiran Memorial & CWGC Cemetery
A trip into the Krusha Balkan (‘Cushy Balkan’) Hills
Overnight in Kilkis
Thursday 28th September
A drive through the Krusha Balkan Hills to the Struma Valley
Visit to the village of Mavroplagia (formerly Karamudli) once sponsored by the Salonika Reunion Association.
Paleokastro Bulgarian trench network
Skotoussa (Prosenik) village – site of 4th Rifle Brigade ambush in 1918
Overnight in Serres
Friday 29th September
Visits to various locations in the Struma Valley including:
Monokklisia and Provatas (The Karajakois and Yenikoi)
BSF Outpost line river defence line positions
CWGC Struma Cemetery
CWGC Kirechkoi-Hortakoi Cemetery
Overnight in Thessaloniki
Saturday 30th September
Visit to Lembet Road Allied Military Cemetery
Visit to Monastir Road Indian Cemetery
Visit to the site of the former BSF GHQ
Overnight in Thessaloniki
Sunday 1st October
Attend ceremony of commemoration at the Allied Five Nations Memorial near Polykastro
Visit to CWGC Karasouli Cemetery
Visit to the Roche Noire Salient
Overnight in Thessaloniki
Monday 2nd October
End of tour and return home
By SCS member Nick Palmer
Q: What does a Swedish heavy metal group have in common with the Salonika Campaign Society ?
A: A mission to increase awareness of the lesser known events in military history.
Sabaton, a five-piece heavy metal band from Sweden, has been playing its brand of very loud, fast, intense, military-style rock for nearly 20 years. They have built a sizable following of dedicated fans world-wide and have headlined rock festivals throughout Europe. They have released over a dozen albums and their most recent releases, ‘The War to End All Wars’, and ‘The Great War’, have concentrated entirely on recounting specific events and features of the world wars, on a mission to inform as well as entertain. Indeed, the band has its own YouTube channel (Sabaton History) that presents documentary-style shows using their music as the context.
I recently agreed to accompany my teenage son, a keen heavy metal fan, to an upcoming concert by Sabaton, in Cardiff. In addition to securing a good pair of ear plugs, I decided to read up on the band and subsequently ended up being thoroughly immersed in their website. Of particular interest from the SCS perspective is track no.9 on ‘The War to End All Wars’ album which is entitled ‘The Valley Of Death’. As I discovered, it is based on the Battles of Doiran and, interestingly, the story-through-song is told mainly from the perspective of the Bulgarian defenders. In particular it highlights their great skill, resourcefulness and bravery in what are considered great victories in Bulgarian military history against a stronger Allied force.
The detailed information on the Sabaton website is supplemented by a link to, and transcription of, a special edition of the Sabaton History Channel which focuses on the ‘The Valley of Death’ , and the events that it refers to. The fifteen-minute show is presented by an actor/historian called Indy Neidell who has an extensive repertoire in this field. His account seems to be well researched and he presents very enthusiastically with a number of interesting graphics and photos. Towards the end, he is joined by Sabaton’s bass guitarist, Par Sundstrom, and he explains that the song was written partly in response to the demands of their Bulgaria-based fans. Subsequently, the band performed the song live for the first time ever when they headlined the ‘Hills of Rock Festival’ in Plovdiv, Bulgaria on 23 July 2022.
YouTube clips show that the song went down a storm with the partisan crowd, unsurprisingly. The closing lines of “The Valley of Death” summarise what is regarded as a triumph of defence:
For white, green and red,
For the nation they’re fighting for,
The British are done,
Three times the defence of Doiran has been won.
In addition, the Sabaton website and the YouTube video make an appropriate reference to the poetry of Owen Rutter, “Tiadatha”, which was partly based on his experiences at Doiran. The extract used is as follows:
Had you been there when the dawn broke,
Had you looked out from the trenches,
You’d have seen that Serbian hillside,
Seen the aftermath of battle,
Seen the scattered picks and shovels,
Seen the scraps of stray equipment,
Here and there a lonely rifle,
Or a Lewis gun all twisted.
Seen the little heaps of khaki,
Lying huddled on the hillside,
Huddled by the Bulgar trenches,
Very still and very silent.
Nick Palmer
The ‘Ninth Annual Memorial Service for Women in Foreign Medical Missions in the Great War’ takes place on Saturday 18th February 2023.
The event takes from 11:00 -14:30 at the Serbian Orthodox Church of St Sava
89 Lancaster Rd, London W11 1QQ with speakers Colonel Nick Ilic, the former British Defence Attaché in the Embassy in Belgrade, and Zvezdana Popovic.
The occasion will also feature a talk about the legacy of Dr Elsie Inglis, Scottish Women’s Hospitals and women in other foreign medical missions in Serbia, Corfu, Vido and the Salonika Front after the death of Dr Inglis.
If you would like to attend, RSVP via: info@serbiancouncil.org.uk
You can download the event poster below:
Featured image source: Wikipedia
Many thanks to Society member Keith Roberts for the following reviews:
As a result of working on the SCS bibliography I have arguably parted with too much money purchasing books about the campaign for myself. Some, in fact most, of the books published in the aftermath of the Great War are now both rare and expensive. Only a limited number have been reprinted but quite a few are available to download free of charge from the ‘Internet Archive‘, and a few at modest cost, as Kindle ebooks, but I’m still happier with a real book in my hands. Not long ago I came upon a couple of closely related privately-published items…
The first item was 1914-1919 Memoirs of the 32nd Field Ambulance, 10th Irish Division by C, (Charles), Midwinter who was a sergeant in that unit. The booklet was published in 1933 and described his time in the unit from the outbreak of war to November 1918 by which time the unit was in Palestine. The only copies that I have been able to trace are in the libraries of The Imperial War Museum, and Leeds University.
The content is a well-written narrative describing the unit’s experiences, from formation, via Gallipoli and Macedonia to Palestine. After the introductory pages and the unit’s experience of the Gallipoli campaign, the author describes their part in the Salonika Campaign in pages 40-56.The text names some members of the unit, and draws frequently upon the recollections of Sgt Midwinter. 32 FA, a Territorial unit, landed in Salonika on 10 October 1915 and, after a short interval, deployed behind the positions held by part of the 10th Irish Division at Kosturino. Subsequently they occupied a number of locations during the remainder of their time in Salonika, before moving to Egypt and Palestine in late 1917. Written by a soldier rather than a medically qualified individual the narrative has little to say about the medical part of the unit’s work, describing rather their movements, and locations.
The second booklet, which I stumbled upon more recently, is The Badge of Honour edited by Godfrey A Gill, who published three other booklets on Cornish subjects. This is another privately published work, printed in 2015. It is well presented with a small number of photographs. This book is very different, and is built entirely around a transcription of the diary kept by a Plymouth man, Private Tom Wherly describing his personal experience of service in 32nd. Field Ambulance.
The style is quite different, being a record of his diary entries (with some gaps), from his enlistment until 11 September 1918. It records some of his experience at various locations, the weather, his ailments and his food, the things that he thought his family might like to know about as it is made clear that he wrote these comments for the benefit of his family. They were identified in this new century by a family member and after some time this volume emerged in 2015. There are few comments about military events as a result of which the editor inserted several appendices in which he addressed the background and current events of the time. The editor is not a military historian, but his comments are generally well founded, apart from referring to the ‘Field Ambulance Corps’ rather than to the Royal Army Medical Corps.
The descriptions of Tom Wherly’s life, especially while serving in the Salonika theatre of war give an interesting perspective of the thoughts and experience of a man serving in a non-combat role in a very human way, describing the aspects of his military life that he thought would give the best description of his experience. As such it is a very human document, and enables the reader to get a sense of the daily life of one of the many members of the BSF whose service was essential, but entirely behind the front lines.
The Badge of Honour is nicely printed with stiff card boards and glossy paper and a small number of photographs. There are 106 pages but the editor is responsible for a number with his explanatory appendices and notes. I have discovered that just 18 original copies of The Badge of Honour are still available at the original price of £7.95 plus postage. I plan to purchase a small number for friends I will be meeting either during our next tour in September, or at the AGM October 2023. The remainder can be purchased from The Mayflower Studio, Fore Street, East Looe PL13 1AE, email at mayflower.looe@btconnect.com
Both men received the 1915 Star, in addition to the Victory and the British War Medal. Beyond his medal record almost all we know about Charles Midwinter is that he started the war as a private, and ended a sergeant.
We know quite a lot more about Samuel Thomas Pawley Wherly, because this diary was in the hands of his descendants, and some of his army records survived the 1940 bombing of Arnside Street. Like Charles Midwinter, he joined up at the beginning of the war, and his service was continuous from 28 October 1914 until 13 May 1919 when he was discharged as no longer fit for war service. His attestation form states that he has four years previous experience as a volunteer with the Devon Royal Garrison Artillery. Like many others he was issued with the (Silver) War Badge and the few surviving pages of his service record show that he served for four years and 198 days before his discharge in 1919, and that he was discharged with a 50% degree of disability on the grounds of Melancholia with a pension of 13s 9d weekly to be reviewed after 52 weeks. His role in the RAMC is described as “Nursing Duty Orderly”.
Keith Roberts
Salonika Campaign Society, 1915-1918 