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A recruitment parade in Corporation St

I do not have enough knowledge to get involved in the conversation but I can tell you that my dad was a volunteer in WW1. When it was discovered that he was underage he was kept on as a horseback messenger until a horse kicked him and smashed his right knee. He was demobed and always wore a caliper or leg iron after that. I can still remember the smell of the Wintergreen oil he used to rub on his leg.
stitcher.
 
Truce if observed by all. Back to the photo - I have another copy with a slightly wider view to the right. The next building is Warwick House/Warwick Chambers which was probably the site of C&A much later. I also have a note of the date - marching to a Church Parade at St Martins - October 11 1914. This was 2nd City Bn (15th Warwicks). A day later they set off for Sutton Park - 1st City Bn were already there. This fits as they are not in uniform although button hole badges had already been issued. The band was probaby not their own.
 
Crikey Colin,

Ego and Alpha male eh! and there was me thinking it was a few old blokes acting like children. LOL,
and a few more quoting numbers gleaned from Wiki.

Leave them to it in the end they might bore themselves senseless.
I can't see what point this thread is now making as it appears to be far removed from the original post.
 
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How times have changed... Everyone in that photo is wearing a hat except 2 lads down the front of the photo.
 
Ha Ha Ha love it Alberta I was thinking along the same lines as leave them to it. You have made my day so funny!
 
My grandad joined the Royal Warwicks (Date of Attestation?) on 21st March 1912. He was in Flanders from 6th Oct 1914 until he was wounded in August 1915 and came back and married while on "furlough", then Gallipoli from November 1915 until February 1916. He then served in Mesopotamia and India until Feb 1919. He finally finished in March 1924.
All in all he was one of the lucky ones to come through.
I think the original photo shows the courage of all those, however naive, in joining up.
 
Good post Chris, lets hope they take notice,see Alan Tucker has called a truce if the others do.
What a bunch

Colin
 
Not an awful lot to do with themselves I would say. Very silly and a waste of time overall.:eek:)
 
That means David that he went to France with 2nd Bn and then went to 9th Bn! He could not have been in Gallipoli in February 1916 - the 9th left it on January 7 for time at Mudros, then Alexandria and on to Mesopotamia in February.
 
Thanks for your comments Alan. I got that info from the Royal Warwicks museum. The chap in charge went and brought down several documents including the original book where the details of my Grandad's service etc was handwritten (I have photocopies). Although those dates are as shown in the book, I've looked again at the 9th's details and it does state that they left in January for Mudros. It seems like the bookeeper made a mistake.

george.jpg
 
Seems to me - but then I am biased! - that all these stupid old men have got this thread back on to a sensible and useful track.

Chris

PS....although Rupert is doing his best to keep it going.....(15.30)!
 
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Well thats good news maybe a Happy New Year after all. Thank goodness Colin was on the ball removing the bad bits.
 
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I have had a bit of correspondence with Rupert on this subject. I'll quote it below.

If anyone disagrees significantly with my actions and words, could they comment please?

Happy New Year to all.

Chris


Dear Rupert,

I have taken the liberty of deleting your recent post. Not because it doesn't contain valid points - of course it does - but because it represents a reopening of the general debate on casualty statistics. That line of discussion has been curtailed following my recent request to revert to the specific subject of the original post. Leaving your comments there would only spark off another series of arguments which the Mods feel have more than run their course.

Hope you understand.

All good wishes.

Chris​



There seems to be an unhealthy moderator reaction to any debate that can be seen as even remotely enerjetic these days. It has always been there but has now raised itself another notch to seemingly frown upon discourse that might just possibly be sensitive...down the road even. As I said in the thread in question..'I have not seen any post that was unrelated to the thread'...and all of the posts were respectful and coined in calm english...and thoughtful. The term 'Cannon Fodder' was posted by others and taken issue with by moderators and immediately struck; and yet this term was widely used in Brum in the mid century. The use of this word to be hidden now seemingly. The sentiments to be dissmissed as never being there at all. What has to be moderated in words about war statistics is beyond my understanding and perhaps a better 'understanding' of the meaning of the numbers involved would be enlightening to all.
The picture is done...the location is known...the date is stated...the buttonhole badges are seen. This was one of the times when a picture invoked a reaction that went beyond conversation. Perhaps you should consider the point when moderation is overly performed.

Dear Rupert,

Thanks to your message. I shall pass on your comments to the rest of the Admin Team so that they are aware of your feelings on this matter.

Please excuse me if I do not enter a detailed argument on this. I'll just restrict myself to one or two points.

From my personal perspective, a debate on the difference between statistics and perceptions is a perfectly legitimate one of historical interest and one with which I have sympathy (both my father and my father-in-law were casualties on the Western Front, both being "fortunate" enough to receive Blighty wounds which led to their repatriation and to the existence of my own grandchildren 80 years later). It is also of course still a very sensitive subject for many people.

The questions are: is this thread the right place for such a discussion; is it too much of a move off-topic; does that move diminish the original subject; have the arguments already been effectively put and are they in danger of being repeated ad nauseam; is there a risk of emotions getting out of hand as a result of strongly held opinions and eventually perhaps a carelessly phrased comment.....? I think a combination of these questions is the reason why the Admin Team have started to feel a bit uneasy about the way this thread has been going. They will have the opportunity to disagree with me about my recent action and also the earlier decision to delete other posts.

Good wishes for the New Year.

Chris​
 
Well said Chris and far more diplomatically than I could muster.

In total agreement with all you wrote.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk
 
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Very diplomatic message to Rupert, Chris. I can't see why Rupert won't understand why this type of discussion doesn't add anything positive to the BHF forum.
 
Totally agree with all you have said Chris. I sometimes think Rupert does it for sport.
 
Most of the men look well dressed and sort of middle class in this photo, all look well fed and sturdy individuals, this different from what I expected.
paul
 
Depends whether these are Pals or not. Pals recruitment was specifically targeted at white collar workers not the manual working class.
 
As I said in reply No.12 to this topic. The parade consists of the volunteers to the 2nd Birmingham Battalion (2nd Birmingham Pals), who would become the 15th Bn the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, under the temporary command of Captain George Smith (on horse) of the South Staffs Regiment. Captain Smith was no stranger to the City of Birmingham, living in Wellington Road, Edgbaston. On the outbreak of war he became the Chief Recruiting Officer at the Technical School in Suffolk Street.

Cheerio old chums

Terry
 
img237.jpg img236.jpg
My father was a volunteer but he lied about his age. When the truth was discovered he was made a messenger on horseback. He was eventually sent home after a horse kicked him on the knee and he had to wear a metal leg-brace/caliper for the rest of his life.
 
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