1. 1967 Newspaper article & 2. War Diary of Jim Parker
James Parker WW1
Barking and Dagenham POST Wednesday October 11 1967
‘Contemptible’ - but they were an army to reckon with
To the front line of the German Army on August 2 1914, came the order from Kaiser Wilhelm II:
“Go and smash that contemptible little army”
But on that battlefield in France- from early August until November 22- the British Army of about 10,000 men not only fought the mighty German army, but threw them back.
Now, 53 years later, the remnants of that”contemptible little army” still recall their movements during those months in the mud of the French countryside.
Of an army of 10,000, fewer than 3,000 are still alive. Of these, a small group still meet, at Barking’s Sugden Hall. There, in a little room in the British Legion headquarters they can be found in reminiscent mood.
They are the Barking branch members of the Old Contemptibles’ Association- struggling to keep in existence. Membership totals 11- one fewer and they will be forced to disband and join another stronger branch.
During the last war the majority of the Old Contemptibles served in the Home Guard. Now in their seventies they still meet regularly.
Their secretary and treasurer, 77 year old Mr Fred Couldrey, who lives in Seven Kings was captured at Ettreux on August 27, 1914. The next two and a half years were spent in German prison of war camps at Sniedermuhle.
He said “ I was a band man in the Royal Munster Fusiliers at the time. We were ordered to provide rearguard action and our company got left behind. A messenger had been sent by motor cycle to tell us to retire, but he was killed before he reached us. The next day I found his body and then about 500 of us were captured. My brother managed to escape the Germans”.
75 year old Mr Reg Foster gained the Military Medal for bravery at Leo’s, where he was a platoon sergeant with the Bedfordshires. He was mentioned in dispatches.
Mr Ben Camp, 73, of Dagenham’s Greenfield Road, was badly wounded in the leg in 1914 near the River Aisne in France while serving with the King’s Own Royal Lancasters. The next 3 years were spent in hospital.
73 year old Mr John Ball celebrated his 20th birthday by being landed in the thick of it at Le Havre to face the onslaught. But Mr Ball who was in the Royal Artillery was lucky. He went through the war without an injury. “ I was on every front including the retreat from Mons. I was also in the first gas attack at Ypres” he recalled.
One of the luckiest must surely be Mr James Parker, from Rosedale Gardens Dagenham.
For a while in the Army Service Corps on the Somme he was driving a field ambulance which blew up. But he escaped from the wreck unscathed.
His career started at Le Cateaux when he was just 22. He finished at the River Aisne.
During my Army career I was transferred to the army’s secret gas company. I was there for over two years before I was demobilised.
Each year the Old Contemptible, scattered throughout the Commonwealth, meet at Aldershot for a grand parade and church service. Wearing their medals they salute the flag which they served so many years ago.
Any soldier under enemy gunfire in France between August 4 and November 22 1914 is eligible to join this select company. Whether they ended up a general or a private they are all affectionally known as “chums”.
Back in the 1914-18 war soldiers were poorly paid. The average daily earnings for a private were a shilling. now, an army private gets about £1 for a day’s work or fighting.
As “chum” Parker commented “Ours was hand-to-hand fighting. Every piece of equipment had to be either carried or left behind. Now everything is mechanical. Soldiers hardly see the enemy.
When we marched - and we had to march practically everywhere - we had to carry our full load weighing 96 sounds, the modern-day soldier’s full pack weighs only 24 pounds.”
But don’t think these old men live in the past and dwell on long-forgotten glory. They take modern - day life as it comes.
These were men whose fighting spirit provided songs like “It’s a long way to Tipperary.”
Men whose doggedness helped to crush the German Army from taking this countr
1.
Left home on 22nd August 1914, arrived Avonmouth same day.
Left Avonmouth at 7pm on 5th September, on ship the Eddistone (?)
Had a rough voyage on account of the fog
Anchored off St Nagairt (?) on 7th Sept
Left on 8th and disembarked at Nantes.
Left on 12th for G.H.Q on a Noolsely (?) Motor Ambulance
Passed through Angers on the way to Le Mans where we stayed till 15th Sept
Proceeded on 16th, staying at night at a form house and had the best feed since I left home
We proceeded next morning at 6am passing through Miles Herbs, Fontomsbery Melan Coulommiers and La fene on Tardenous. (?)
Became attached to the 20th Field Ambulance until 23rd Sept.
I met Mr Nelson on the 20th, he having lost his car by fire, I shared my bed and blankets with him.
About 50,000 French troops passed through here between 21st and the 23rd.
On 25th a German aeroplane passed overhead and there was great excitement for about 10 minutes.
On the 26th we took some French wounded to the station and I had to ride a bicycle because one of them would not leave without it.
Left for Braine (?) on 27th and loaded cases of medical goods which we took to different units just behind the firing line. Passing over a pontoon bridge and another made of barges tied together.
On the 30th we proceeded to Viel - aly (?) for the wounded but as soon as we arrived we were greeted by about a dozen coal boxes (?), being the first time under fire I nearly made my shirt (?) dirty.
On the 1st October we became attached to the 19th Field ambulance at army corp headquarters at Boumelles (?)
We attempted to get to Vieal- aly (?) at midday but it was too hot so we turned round and proceeded to Villiers and got them away that way.
On the 10th we proceeded to Vieul - aly (?) at midnight but had to wait some time, during which our side started an attack.
Me and another chap mounted a high wall and we had a grand view of it.
On the 13th ordered to Lucifry (?) for wounded
This is Madame Corcelettes Chateau, the wife of the Premier.
Got stuck on a pontoon bridge coming back.
On the 14th we had a soft day, I managed to get a bath in an old tin bath, taken from an empty shell case.
We quitted Corcelettes on 15th, resting at Braine prior to leaving for Belgium.
We have been in this district for 6 weeks and we have never had a shell near nor by but they managed to give us a decent send off. About 20 shells altogether, not much damage done.
Left at 4.30 and picked up with a motor convoy at Mont Notre Dame, resting for dinner and put up for the night at Abbeyville.
Proceeded at 6am to Monte Rieul (?) for dinner, resting overnight at Beauvais (?).
We then went right on to Cassel where we stayed.
Captain Ford lost nearly a case of whiskey which was on my car, but ,well it was very cold riding, that’s all I know.
On 20th we went out for some sick but not knowing the country we took the wrong road about 20 times and then we went home without them.
At 10o/c on the 20th we proceeded to Poperinghe
At night we had another goose chase and our car got left behind because we both fell asleep.
On the 25th we moved to Ypres.
Hundreds of prisoners being brought in. One of the Prussian guards, about 6ft 6inches tall was rather saucy and the result was that he lost his helmet and I got the badge.
The next day I went to see them and got a couple of helmets for a packet of fags.
On the 27th received first letter with photos of our house, (in UK?).
Received first parcel on the 28th.
Terrible artillery duel raging, aeroplanes dropping bombs quite close to our house. (think he means their billet)
Had a very bad awakening from sleep at night.
They started bombarding this town and a couple of shells went right into a church just around the corner, wrecking some French motors, killed some french and wounding about 8.
On the 29th I met about 50 busmen outside Ypres station with buses they had brought out with them., (from UK I imagine)
On the night of the 31st a sudden order to retire from Ypres.
Everything all of a rush but no panic except amongst the civilians.
We, however, continued carrying wounded away.
Germans retired, thus saving the town.
On the 1st November having a quiet game of cards, when some nasty visitors caused us to retire into the cellar for safety.
On the 3rd they started shelling in earnest and having blown the station up we had to take the cases ( injured?) to Poperinghe Town. Deserted of people.
On the 4th everything the same, one shell burying the house next to ours down to the ground.
Several of us received a severe shaking.
We made arrangements that the fireworks wouldn’t start until 10o/c on the 5th and they kept to their word.
Oh what a night, hope I never have another like it, Jack Johnsons everywhere. (???)
On the 6th we made tracks back to Poperinghe.
On the 8th they made me cook.
On the 10th, our wedding day, they were a bit quiet and at 6o/c a few of us went out for a quiet drink. But some Belgium soldiers came in full of fun and started the ball and we kept it up until an officer turned us out, very nearly midnight.
Germans dropped a bomb on the church near our billet wounding 7 civilians.
On the 21st we left Poperinghe for a rest going to Hazebrouck.
On the 1st December the King stopped at headquarters next door to our yard and presented medals to men for D.C.M.
On the 6th several bombs dropped on the town killing 17 and wounding 7.
Became attached to 1st Army Corps Headquarters .
Moved on the 23rd to a little village called Hinges (?) but went to Bethune (?) on 24th December.
Christmas very quiet but we up for it on New year’s eve.
On the 25th (?? don’t know which month) the Germans started shelling this town but we could not move until night when we went back to Hinges.
Left for Chougues (?) on the 28th.
On the 31st I was sent to Logon for orders then I had to take charge of a Ford ambulance at Robury.
I am now attached to the 6th Field Ambulances.
Proceeded to Le Hamel to release the other car.
No end of artillery all around here.
On the 16th (don’t know what month??) we moved to Beaury. We take it in turns for duty at the advanced dressing station, just behind the line, and it is peas in the pod (????)
At 8o/c me and the N.C.O went right in the trenches and a sniper gave us a warm couple of minutes. One bullet went right through the bonnet. ( I have a bullet that lodged in Jim’s ambulance, maybe this was the one??)
The Berks (regiment ???) made a charge on the 18th and we stood by for the wounded.
On the 10th (February ????) sudden order to proceed to Givensky (?) at 3.30 am. We arrived at 4am, bombardment started at 7.25 and it is raining shells at the present moment.
Our brigade was not successful in the attack but all day along the line there has been an advance.
We had about 200 casualties and we were highly praised by the general, for the manner in which we moved.
The roads were heavily bombarded all the time.
Bombardments lasted 3 days then we proceeded to Bethane for a rest. Neither of us had had a wink all the time.
On the 26th on Chateau duty everything quiet so went souvenir hunting and finished up by being pulled out of an old disused cesspool - where some dead Germans were thrown in.
On the 2nd April we were transferred to the 7th Division at La Gorne (?).
Easter Monday transferred to St Omer.
Left on the 7th to join the 12th Field Ambulance at St Jan Capel.
Were moved all over the place, finally settled down in Boschape (?).
We blew up “hill no 60’ on the 17th April and advanced 2 miles.
It was wholesale murder. Only lost 5 men taking the hill but we lost about 1,000 holding it.
We were kept busy for about 48 hours.
On the 26th April proceeded to Ypres and talk about hell it isn’t in it.
There are holes in the roads that you could bury 2 busses in.
We advanced 4 miles last night.
Two motors left fo Topernge (?) on the 26th but have heard nothing of the drivers and have only found 1 car.
A battery of guns no 122 (?) were blown to pieces yesterday the 30th, they were 200 yards from our hospital .
There were 10 killed and 15 wounded.
Having shocking time of it, working day and night carting away gas cases .
Just helped to bury 32 dead - 8th May 1915
May 12th nearly all the town on fire now.
Transferred to 48 Company supply column on 21st May
Left Boeschape (?) on 31st July for Amiens further down south of France.
Left Amiens for Corbie on 7th August
On the 23rd Sept left column to join 14th Field Ambulance at Lailly Laurette
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James Parker