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Old Contemptibles

J

Jill

master brummie
Just who were they? A friend said they were a particular regiment and another said the British Army generally. A relative of mine always said he was one of them and he was in the Warwickshires (?) I think.
 
Jill, "The Old Contemptibles" were soldiers of the B.E.F. ( British Expeditionary Force) of 1914. They were that select band who served in France and Flanders between 5 Aug and 22 Nov 1914 and received the 1914 Star (Nicknamed the "Old Contemptibles" medal). The term comes from a reference to the B.E.F. by the Kaiser Wilhelm 11 (or one of his generals) as "that contemptible little army".
 
Thanks Astonian, After the War finished clubs sprang up all over the country by the Old Contemptible's
The Old Contemptible Association was born, whether it still exists today I do not know
 
HI CROM ,
HAS I AM AWARE THERE WAS TWO , TO MY KNOWLEDGE,
BUT I HAVENT BEEN THERE FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS , AND LEAVING
BIRMINGHAM ,YOU MAY BE RIGHT
THE ONES I REMEMBER  WAS DOWN BY THE BIRMINGAM AIR PORT
  WHEN YOU GOT TO THE AIR PORT  BY THE OVER HEAD TRAFFIC LIGHTS
YOU TURNED RIGHT, AND IT WAS UP THAT ROAD ON THE LEFT AND IT WAS UP THERE
AND THE OTHER ONE IS  AT FIVE WAYS  DOWN AROUND [ I THINK WASHINGTON ST.]
AND IT HAS GOT SOME OF A BOMB AND SOME NAUGHTICAL  THING OUTSIDE
  ON DISPLAY , AND THERE IS A GARAGE ON THE OPPERERSITE CORNER ,
I DID KNOW THERE NAMES  CO,S I WAS INVOLVED WITH A BIG BRITISH LEGION CLUB
AND ALL SECRECTARY,S  FROM ALL THE CLUBS IN BRUM ,
CAME TO DISCUSS ALL MATTERS  WITH A CERTAIN  HEAD OF THE BRITISH LEGION S
WHOM I WILL NOT NAME, FOR VARIOS REASONS
YES IT IS SAD THESE CLUBS ARE FOLDING LEFT RIGHT AND CENTRE ,
  WE ARE LOOSING OUR OLD COMRADES VERY FAST
 
Dunno about associations but the Old Contemptibles pub's still there at 176 Edmund Street, just off Livery Street.
 
Jill, If you was to talk about the subjects you were interested in I would be lost, we all learn off each other. But only glad to help
 
Re: Old Contemptible

My wife's Grandfather was an 'Old Contemptible' this is a picture of the notification his wife received
 
Thanks for the link Nick and how sad to read the notification, although his wife must have been proud also. I notice the address is Balsall Heath. That's where I grew up! :)
 
The sad part of the story is the medal was stolen, in whats called 'distraction robbery', someone kept her talking, while to other ******* went upstairs and went through her treasured possessions.
 
Nick was your grandmother in law able to obtain a replacement, I read somewhere that if a medal is stolen and you get a crime number after a lot of hassle it is possible to get a replacement. These lowlife madden me it is one thing to steal money and jewllery etc., put to steal sentimental items and medals for bravery is beyond contempt. No pun intended.
 
Sylvia, sorry I must have missed your reply, no, she never tried to replaced the Medal, probably thought it would never replace the original anyhow.

Nick
 
I'm very sorry to read that the medal was stolen Nick - you wonder how these people can live with themselves.
 
This might be the best place for this as it was a song recorded by Biily Cotton.
And Astonian I have found a photo of the Old Contemptibiles in among my Father friends things on one of their nights in the pub up by the airport( I scanned it to disc so just got to find it )
 
HI CROM , HOW ARE YOU KEEPING , I HOPE YOU ARE A LITTLE BETTER THAN ME ,
AIN,T BEING FEELING SO GOOD JUST OF LATE , ANYWAY AS LONG AS YOUR OKAY , ? .
NICE LITTLE PIC OF THE SONG SHEET , I DONT SURPOSE YOU COULD GET THE WORDS ON LINE ,COULD YOU . ?.
AND I WILL PRINT THAT PIC OFF THE COVER , -GREAT I LIKE IT . ESPECIALY WITH BILLY ON IT .
AS I HAVE TOLD YOU BEFORE ABOUT GRAND DAD JELF [ERNINE ] WE HAVE GOT A PHOTOGRAPH
OF HIM [ BILLY ] AND WEE GEORGIE WOOD , GRAND FATHER , GRAND MOTHER ,
BERTHA , VICTORIA JELF . [NEE HINTON , ] ON HOLIDAY WITH THEM ,
THEY USED TO GO AWAY ABROAD THREE TIMES A YEAR ,
THIS ONE WAS IN VENICE ON THE GONDOLA,
I WILL TRY AND GET MY DAUGHTER TO GO AND SEE MY YOUNG SISTER , WHOM AS GOT IT
AT THE MOMENT , MIND YOU SHE AS GOT MOST OF THE OLD FAMILY PICS ,
AND THEN I CAN DOWN LOAD IT ON THE FORUM , SHE LIVES DOWN IN BRUM .
I WAS JUST WONDERING WHICH PUB DOWN BY THE AIR PORT IT COULD HAVE BEEN ,
CAN YOU NOT RECALL IT .? >
I HOPE YOU CAN FIND THE DISC , MY SON SAID THATS WHAT I MUST DO ,
PUT IT ON DISC , THANKS AGAIN CROM, FOR SHOWING IT ON THE OLD CONTEMPLES
I SHOULD READ ABOUT NICK AND THE LOSS OF THE MEDAL
THEY ARE A BUNCH OF LOW LIGHTS , AND I HOPE THEY GET AN EARLY GRAVE ,
THANKS CROM , I WILL SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN , MERLIN, ;; ASTONIAN ,;;
 
Astonian the pub was the Malt Shovel but not the new one at Stonebridge Island, photo taken in the 50's.........I would love to see your Billy Cotton photo.........PS its illegal to put the words up and the music but will send them when I have time. I will go through the CD tomorrow and post pic
 
Thanks Graham, that song sheet is fascinating. The picture of Billy Cotton as quite a young bloke............  I remember him as a kid when he was getting on a fair bit.

1123136.jpg
 
cotton4.jpg


And Yes I know we are OFF TOPIC >:D I'll sort it later
 
Did you know Billy Cotton fought in the Great War and was in the Royal Flying Corps and his mates were Old Contemptibles ?
 
Ive heard the term Old Contemptibles a thousand times, but only just today bothered to find its meaning since the start of this topic. As Cromwell says earlier, It apparently relates to the remarks from the Kaiser................."It is my Royal and Imperial command that you concentrate your energies for the immediate present upon one single purpose, and that is that you address your skill and all the valour of my soldiers to exterminate the treacherous English, and walk over French's contemptibly small army." although the source I gathered this quote from also suggests a varient on the subject.
 
Found it at last Astonian, Old Contemptibles at the Malt Shovel (the old one which was demolished) where they use to meet, 3rd one from left was John "Hammer" Lane and old Brum boxer and my dad's pal who fought along side him
Middle Pic "Hammer"Lane on the right who was an Old Contemptible and my dad on the left (photo has been badly restored,but not by me)
Bottom Pic ,Hammers Medal  Distingushed Conduct Medal (DCM), Mons Star, War Medal,Victory Medal
Hammer got his DCM fighting (with his bare fists) alongside my Dad at Givenchy, Dad got the Military Medal
 
HI CROM,
MANY THANKS FOR THE BRILLIENT PICS YOU HAVE POSTED , THESE LAST TWO DAYS
OF THE LATE BILLY COTTON ,AND DIGGING OUT THE OLD CONTEMPLES PIC , IF YOU CAN SHOW US SOME MORE IT WILL BE APPRECIATED , DO YOU KNOW WHAT YEAR THAT PHOTOGRAPGH WAS TAKEN ? .
BECAUSE THERE IS TWO PEOPLE WHOM CATCH MY ATTENTION ,
FIRST OF ALL THERE IS THE GENTLMAN IN THE FRONT ROW
WITH HIS SPEC, HAVING HIS HAND SHAKEN , AND SECONDLY
IF I AM READING YOUR THREAD RIGHT THAT THE GENTLEMAN ALONG SIDE JACK LANE, WHOM HIS YOUR FATHERS OLD FRIEND , LOOKS FAMILIAR TO ME , -THEY BOTH DO .
WOULD JACK LANE EVER FOUGHT WATTY GREEN [ SENIOR ] NOT TODAYS WATTY GREEN JUNIOR ]
WHOM I KNOW HIS STILL KNOCKING ABOUT , DOING ABIT OF BOXING ---- ? .
DO YOU REMEMBER THE GREAT BIG JOE ERSKINE , - BY GOLLY HE HAD BIG MAULLERS ,
I MET HIM AND SHOOK HIS HAND , YOU COULD NOT SEE MY HAND , AND MY ARMS LOOKED
LIKE MATCH STICKS IN HIS HAND ,
CROMIE , CAN YOU PUT SOME MORE CONTEMP,; PICS OFF THE DISC ON ,
SPEAK TO LATER CROM , ASTONIAN ;;;;
 
Astonian photo taken in 1950's
Here is a Great Photo of the Old Contemptibles taken on the Retreat from Mons (Like the dog cart)
If we go on about boxing we will have to start another thread remember Jack Hood
 
HI CROMIE,
How Are You Keeping Well I Hope
I Have Just Picked Up On The Pics You Posted On Your Thread
Thanks A Million For That ,There,s Not Many Left NOW Sadly To Say
bye The Way I Certainly Do REMEMBER OLD JACKIE HOOD
The Old Contemptibles Will Never Be forgotton By Our Generation
If You Asked The Young Ones Today ,
They Would Probaly Would Think We Was Talking About The
U,S , Cavarley In A John Wayne Western Film
Thanks Again Crom,
 
Nice Cartoon I have just found in a 1914 Newspaper which speaks for itself
 
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