A Crimean fatality

Just back from a week with my daughter in Portsmouth. Some nice presents, including a history, by Figes, of the Crimean War. He is a spectacular historian. An earlier book, 'Natasha's Dance', is an illuminating treatise on Russian identity. While away I also bought an old Victorian print from a little antique shop in Southsea, 'The Thin Red Line', reproduced from a painting of 1881 by Robert Gibb. It depicts the 93rd of Foot, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, holding off the Russian cavalry at Balaklava on October 25 1854.

Both book and print put me in mind of a memorial at St Columba's church, Warcop. It is the lych gate, erected in memory of a certain Captain Preston.

Captain Henry Preston, son of the Rev William Preston of Warcop Hall, late vicar of Warcop church and Lord of the Manor, died aged 28 on September 8, 1855  leading his company of the 90th Light Infantry (Perthshire Volunteers) in the storming of the Redan at Sevastopol in the Crimean War. The gate and a window in the church were created by his mother, brother and sisters. There are two further memorial windows, including one provided by fellow Officers. I don't have photographs.

However, the Crimean campaign was photographed by Roger Fenton who produced some of the earliest and most extraordinary images of conflict in existence. Among his collection is a group of Officers of the 90th L.I.

Unfortunately none are named but it may well be that young Capt., Preston is pictured.

As was the case is most of the British Empire's colonial wars memorials were erected on the battlefields and a significant number may be seen throughout the Crimea, specifically on the more famous features; Cathcart's Hill, Telegraph Hill, The Alma - and at Balaklava where an obelisk, much like a Great War memorial, commemorates all the Brits who died in the campaign.

Although Henry Preston hailed from Warcop his Regiment was Scottish, specifically from Perth. And so it is no surprise that a memorial to the 90th Light Infantry (Perthshire Volunteers) may be seen in St John's Kirk in that city.

The memorial, sculpted by Samuel Manning (Junior) of London, was erected in 1857 and bears the names of five Officers of the 90th L.I., four of whom died in the storming of the Redan, including Henry Preston.

The Preston family's service and sacrifice for Queen and Country did not end with Henry. Just three years after his demise his 20 year old younger brother, Moyles Preston, died of wounds on September 27 1858 while serving with the same Regiment at Alumbagh en route to relieve Lucknow during the Indian Mutiny (or the First War of Indian Independence!).

The Old Palace at Alumbagh, middle distance left, was held by by the mutineers as an outpost to Lucknow. After it was taken it served as a command centre for Henry Havelock's assault on Lucknow itself. Young Moyles Preston was most probably wounded in this preliminary action.

He too has a memorial window in Warcop church.

Such were the families who served the Queen Empress.

Clearly I need to access the church with my new camera!

Battlefield cross of Lt Col CG Buckle DSO, MC, 2nd Northamptons

The degree of interest in the Great War in recent years is quite staggering. As a child my family and I used to visit my grandfather's grave on The Somme and I remember my father's sadness in the 1950s & 1960s that so few people paid their respects to the legions of dead in France & Flanders. Now it is quite different. Indeed, it is an industry.

This vast interest, coupled with the internet, is a great boon to the historian, be it professional or casual. Many people are producing quality research on every aspect of the conflict and the goodwill between such folk means much of it is freely available.

A case in point relates to this rather forlorn battlefield cross displayed in the porch at Warcop church. It originally marked the grave at Juvincourt, Chemin des Dames of Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Galbraith 'Garry' Buckle DSO, MC who was killed on 27 May 1918, aged 30; By coincidence my grandfather was killed the following day. Buckle is now buried at La Ville-Aux-Bois British Cemetery, near Rheims. It is a concentration cemetery established after the armistice and many isolated battlefield graves such as Buckle's were brought here.

The cross bears a roughly inscribed plaque with his name, rank, regiment, decorations and the date of his death. The Debt of Honour Register at the CWGC website provides the names and addresses of his father, mother & wife.

However, a search on the Great War Forum http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=90137&hl=warcop using the searchwords 'Buckle' or 'Warcop' produces a huge amount of information on the man's life and his career both before and during the war that has been researched by individuals and including this photograph....

Buckle was the son of Major General CR Buckle, CB., CMG., DSO, (Royal Artillery). Educated at Marlborough he was commissioned to the Northamptonshire Regiment from Sandhurst in 1907. In 1914 he was a Lieutenant, seconded to the Colonial Office in West Africa and was only posted to France after Aubers Ridge in 1915. He soon rose to become Brevet Major and acting Lt Colonel commanding the 2nd Northamptons. He was wounded three times and mentioned in dispatches three times. A married man, the family home was at 'Steelbacks', Overstrand, Cromer, Norfolk. Steelbacks was the nickname of the Northamptonshire Regiment. His son, Christopher - 'Dickie' - , became a stage designer and ballet critic.

Buckle's mother visited the Western Front after the war and found her son's grave beside the dug-out where he was killed and subsequently wrote a book about him, A Kingly Grave in France.

There are quite a number of battlefield crosses in the county. They were offered to the relatives of the dead by the IWGC when permanent cemeteries and headstones were erected during the 1920s, their transport to the UK undertaken by the Church Army.

While writing this post I put a query on the Great War Forum & within 24 hours there were two replies. One guy photographed 4 pages of Dickie Buckle's autobiography, describing the events surrounding his father's death http://www.flickr.com/photos/24070199@N03/2286569042/in/photostream/& another posted a brief piece from Edward Short's autobiography, 'I Knew My Place' describing events at the unveiling of Warcop War Memorial....

.....Garry Buckle ..[was].. a popular, dashing man. His young and beautiful wife who lived at The Fox, a cottage over the beck from the war memorial and who was related to the Chamley's at Warcop House, was there with her son Dickie, and her husband's parents. Great and obvious was Mrs Garry's embarrassment when 'old' Mrs Buckle stepped forward and kissed her son's name. It was a moment of drama and anguish such as Warcop, an undemonstrative place, had rarely, if ever, known before....