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The True story of 2576 Nolan M. Pte. 1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Martin Nolan was the ninth of eleven children born to Michael and Winifred Nolan nee Towey and the sixth son. He was born on 31st March 1868, at the family home at 42 Price Street in the District of St. Mary’s, Birmingham in the County of Warwick. His father at the time of his birth was doing quite well in a business that he had taken over, after the death of his father, also named Michael, a month earlier. The trade that both his father and late grandfather followed was that of a Marine Stores Dealer’s, a strange title in landlocked Birmingham.
They were dealing with the passing barges, providing anything the bargees wanted and the provisions, which they required. The business was located on the side of the Grand Union Canal, between Snow Hill Wharf and Corporation Wharf.
Martin did attend school, and could read and write, his mother could do neither.
After leaving school he found work, which was mainly ordinary labouring work, but he wanted adventure so decided he would join the Army. He first enlisted in the 3rd Battalion the Royal Warwickshire Regiment but he was not happy being posted just down the road. So when the opportunity arrived he transferred into The Royal Welsh Fusiliers, whose main depot was at Wrexham in Wales. On his enlistment paper it states that he had blue eyes and two scars, one above his left wrist and the other on his right cheek, his weight being 1221bs and his chest measurement was 33ins. The thought of the fresh air, the open fields and the countryside soon got into his veins after spending all his life in the city of Birmingham.
On 4th October 1889, he became 2576 Pte. M. Nolan and Sgt James Kelly of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps witnessed his signature that day.
Martin was stationed in Wales, which was to be his home for the next year. It was here that he advanced his knowledge in the art of being an infantryman. He left Wales on New Year Day 1891 for India, where he spent 5 years, returning home on 14th June 1896 rather fit and tanned. His stay back in Wales was only for 3 years before the1st Battalion RWF was off to South Africa, in October 1899.
Trouble had being brewing for a number of years from 1881 between the two Dutch Boer republics, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State and the English Crown over these territories. Kruger, the Transvaal president, believed that Britain must eventually champion their cause and that war with it could only be a matter of time. In mid October 1899, when the Boer ultimatum was presented, there was only a small British force of 14,750 widely dispersed over all South Africa compared to 50,000 Boers.
A day before the war began 10,000 more troops landed from India and by the end of December, over 70,000 British and Commonwealth troops were in South Africa making it the largest force assembled by Britain ever to be sent abroad.
The Commander in Chief of the British Army, Sir Redvers Buller and some of his sub-ordinates, men like Warren, Hart, Long, Methuen, and Gatacre made mistake after mistake on the field of battle, and all seemed to be lacking in basic common sense and lack of military knowledge. Their task was to relieve the besieged towns in Ladysmith, Mafeking and Kimberley and beat the armies of Transvaal and the Orange Free State. In trying to do this, they undermined Britain’s military reputation in the eyes of the World, and Buller ruined his own career, going down in history as Sir Reverse Buller.
Martin Nolan fought in the many battles under different generals; some of whom he thought were a complete waste of time. These generals were still fighting the Crimea all over again and the men were still using outdated tactics (which the Boers took full advantage of) making them sitting targets for the crack shots that the Boers were, and who fought a guerrilla campaign.
The chaotic shambles the war was becoming soon reached the shores of England.
Lord Roberts was sent out to take command, with Kitchener as his chief of staff and with their professionalism and common sense, they soon got on top of the situation. The war finished on May 2nd 1902.
The total cost in lives was very heavy, 5774 killed and 16,000 died of disease on the British side alone.
On Martin Nolan’s medal ribbons were the following campaign and battle clasps, Transvaal, The Relief of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Tugela Heights and Cape Colony. He received the South Africa medal with Queen Victoria’s head upon it and with her death on January 22nd 1901 and the war still raging he received his other South Africa medal for 1901 /1902 with King Edward V11’s head.
On 27th February 1900, he was posted missing presumed killed after the engagement at Tugela but was later found on the field of battle wounded, all this is in his Military History Sheet.
The central mountain barrier, between the British and Ladysmith, was finally overcome to allow the British cavalry to push through to Ladysmith.
Martin left Africa on 12th November 1902 and arrived back home in Birmingham in December. It was at Snow Hill railway station that his troubles began. Those personnel who could de-train and go on leave from here, could do so.
But as this was Martin’s home, he got off the train to a rowdy reception; on the station platform were reporters who heard that a troop train was arriving.
As there had been many questions asked over the way the Boer War had been fought, reporters were eager for knowledge about the war to put in the daily newspapers
Even in the House of Commons, the matter of lack of battle knowledge and tactics used against the Boers was discussed, and people wanted answers.
Martin was one of many walking along the platform, kitbag slung over his shoulders and glad to be in his home town, but he could not resist, when one of the reporters asked what were his thoughts on all the controversy being bandied about by the Press and Parliament. Without thinking and being a Nolan he said, “The Generals should be like that Little Fat Queen Victoria, f---ing dead”.
He was overheard by one of the Military policemen who was on that platform and was immediately arrested and charged. Martin’s actions that day resulted in him facing a court-martial where he was found guilty to the charge that was brought against him, and being unfit to plead, insane was inserted on his discharge papers, Form 268, where his signature was required, the word lunatic was inserted. So ended his army career, and it came to an end on 13th January 1903, after being found Guilty but Insane.
The army placed 33 year old Private 2576 Martin Nolan of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers into the local Lunatic Asylum at Winson Green, Birmingham.
It did not matter that he had a good army record and that he had never been in trouble before, other than the normal day to day Company errors, he was in his own mind a good soldier.
On his Proceedings on Discharge papers for Conduct and Character all that was written, was one solitary word – FAIR, which in Army Terms was on a scale of Very Good, Good, Fair, Indifferent, Bad, and Very Bad.
The only trouble was that he spoke out too loudly and was overheard, although in later years he was to be proved right. Many of those generals were a waste of time and money.
He entered the asylum straight after his court-martial, where he was to remain until his death over fifty years later at the age of 85 on 22nd March 1953.
Searching through the Newspapers in the Birmingham Central Library I came upon an article from the Birmingham Daily Mail, dated November 25th 1902, I wonder if it would have changed the outcome if Martin Nolan had read it and been able to escape.
Part of the article is reproduced below
The Lunacy Laws – Need for Reform
The statement made yesterday by Dr. Whitecombe with reference to the escape of the man Rawlings from Winson Green Asylum has not unnaturally created considerable surprise.
Rawlings escaped from the asylum by clambering over the boundary wall, and was never recaptured. This was borne out by the medical superintendent, who explained that at the expiration of fourteen days an escaped lunatic could not be taken back in to the asylum unless a fresh order of detention was obtained. Hence as Rawlings escaped on September 1st he was, according to the strict letter of the law, discharged on September 15th, although he was as a matter of fact, not in the asylum to be formally discharged by the authorities. In the ordinary course of things a man having been certified to be a lunatic remains in the institution until he has been cured, and then is allowed out on the instructions of the medical authority. If he escapes he is considered - by a legal fiction – to have recovered his normal condition of mind simply because he happens to evade the asylum authorities or the police for a fortnight.
Lunacy Act of 1890
I wonder today, if any service personnel spoke his or her own mind, whether they had made a derogatory reference to the Royal household or not, would be handed such a sentence. I have spoken to his remaining second cousin. They all said that they had gone and visited him, while he was in Winson Green Hospital. By this time he was too institutionalized to care about anything. Consequently when his nieces visited him, all they can recall, is that every other word uttered from his mouth was a swear word which drew giggles.
After spending 13 years and 107 days in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers he spent the last 50 years of his life in a lunatic asylum until his death.
And so ends the story of Martin Nolan condemned for using the ‘F’ word, a word that is commonly used by most of today’s youth.
Martin Nolan was the ninth of eleven children born to Michael and Winifred Nolan nee Towey and the sixth son. He was born on 31st March 1868, at the family home at 42 Price Street in the District of St. Mary’s, Birmingham in the County of Warwick. His father at the time of his birth was doing quite well in a business that he had taken over, after the death of his father, also named Michael, a month earlier. The trade that both his father and late grandfather followed was that of a Marine Stores Dealer’s, a strange title in landlocked Birmingham.
They were dealing with the passing barges, providing anything the bargees wanted and the provisions, which they required. The business was located on the side of the Grand Union Canal, between Snow Hill Wharf and Corporation Wharf.
Martin did attend school, and could read and write, his mother could do neither.
After leaving school he found work, which was mainly ordinary labouring work, but he wanted adventure so decided he would join the Army. He first enlisted in the 3rd Battalion the Royal Warwickshire Regiment but he was not happy being posted just down the road. So when the opportunity arrived he transferred into The Royal Welsh Fusiliers, whose main depot was at Wrexham in Wales. On his enlistment paper it states that he had blue eyes and two scars, one above his left wrist and the other on his right cheek, his weight being 1221bs and his chest measurement was 33ins. The thought of the fresh air, the open fields and the countryside soon got into his veins after spending all his life in the city of Birmingham.
On 4th October 1889, he became 2576 Pte. M. Nolan and Sgt James Kelly of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps witnessed his signature that day.
Martin was stationed in Wales, which was to be his home for the next year. It was here that he advanced his knowledge in the art of being an infantryman. He left Wales on New Year Day 1891 for India, where he spent 5 years, returning home on 14th June 1896 rather fit and tanned. His stay back in Wales was only for 3 years before the1st Battalion RWF was off to South Africa, in October 1899.
Trouble had being brewing for a number of years from 1881 between the two Dutch Boer republics, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State and the English Crown over these territories. Kruger, the Transvaal president, believed that Britain must eventually champion their cause and that war with it could only be a matter of time. In mid October 1899, when the Boer ultimatum was presented, there was only a small British force of 14,750 widely dispersed over all South Africa compared to 50,000 Boers.
A day before the war began 10,000 more troops landed from India and by the end of December, over 70,000 British and Commonwealth troops were in South Africa making it the largest force assembled by Britain ever to be sent abroad.
The Commander in Chief of the British Army, Sir Redvers Buller and some of his sub-ordinates, men like Warren, Hart, Long, Methuen, and Gatacre made mistake after mistake on the field of battle, and all seemed to be lacking in basic common sense and lack of military knowledge. Their task was to relieve the besieged towns in Ladysmith, Mafeking and Kimberley and beat the armies of Transvaal and the Orange Free State. In trying to do this, they undermined Britain’s military reputation in the eyes of the World, and Buller ruined his own career, going down in history as Sir Reverse Buller.
Martin Nolan fought in the many battles under different generals; some of whom he thought were a complete waste of time. These generals were still fighting the Crimea all over again and the men were still using outdated tactics (which the Boers took full advantage of) making them sitting targets for the crack shots that the Boers were, and who fought a guerrilla campaign.
The chaotic shambles the war was becoming soon reached the shores of England.
Lord Roberts was sent out to take command, with Kitchener as his chief of staff and with their professionalism and common sense, they soon got on top of the situation. The war finished on May 2nd 1902.
The total cost in lives was very heavy, 5774 killed and 16,000 died of disease on the British side alone.
On Martin Nolan’s medal ribbons were the following campaign and battle clasps, Transvaal, The Relief of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Tugela Heights and Cape Colony. He received the South Africa medal with Queen Victoria’s head upon it and with her death on January 22nd 1901 and the war still raging he received his other South Africa medal for 1901 /1902 with King Edward V11’s head.
On 27th February 1900, he was posted missing presumed killed after the engagement at Tugela but was later found on the field of battle wounded, all this is in his Military History Sheet.
The central mountain barrier, between the British and Ladysmith, was finally overcome to allow the British cavalry to push through to Ladysmith.
Martin left Africa on 12th November 1902 and arrived back home in Birmingham in December. It was at Snow Hill railway station that his troubles began. Those personnel who could de-train and go on leave from here, could do so.
But as this was Martin’s home, he got off the train to a rowdy reception; on the station platform were reporters who heard that a troop train was arriving.
As there had been many questions asked over the way the Boer War had been fought, reporters were eager for knowledge about the war to put in the daily newspapers
Even in the House of Commons, the matter of lack of battle knowledge and tactics used against the Boers was discussed, and people wanted answers.
Martin was one of many walking along the platform, kitbag slung over his shoulders and glad to be in his home town, but he could not resist, when one of the reporters asked what were his thoughts on all the controversy being bandied about by the Press and Parliament. Without thinking and being a Nolan he said, “The Generals should be like that Little Fat Queen Victoria, f---ing dead”.
He was overheard by one of the Military policemen who was on that platform and was immediately arrested and charged. Martin’s actions that day resulted in him facing a court-martial where he was found guilty to the charge that was brought against him, and being unfit to plead, insane was inserted on his discharge papers, Form 268, where his signature was required, the word lunatic was inserted. So ended his army career, and it came to an end on 13th January 1903, after being found Guilty but Insane.
The army placed 33 year old Private 2576 Martin Nolan of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers into the local Lunatic Asylum at Winson Green, Birmingham.
It did not matter that he had a good army record and that he had never been in trouble before, other than the normal day to day Company errors, he was in his own mind a good soldier.
On his Proceedings on Discharge papers for Conduct and Character all that was written, was one solitary word – FAIR, which in Army Terms was on a scale of Very Good, Good, Fair, Indifferent, Bad, and Very Bad.
The only trouble was that he spoke out too loudly and was overheard, although in later years he was to be proved right. Many of those generals were a waste of time and money.
He entered the asylum straight after his court-martial, where he was to remain until his death over fifty years later at the age of 85 on 22nd March 1953.
Searching through the Newspapers in the Birmingham Central Library I came upon an article from the Birmingham Daily Mail, dated November 25th 1902, I wonder if it would have changed the outcome if Martin Nolan had read it and been able to escape.
Part of the article is reproduced below
The Lunacy Laws – Need for Reform
The statement made yesterday by Dr. Whitecombe with reference to the escape of the man Rawlings from Winson Green Asylum has not unnaturally created considerable surprise.
Rawlings escaped from the asylum by clambering over the boundary wall, and was never recaptured. This was borne out by the medical superintendent, who explained that at the expiration of fourteen days an escaped lunatic could not be taken back in to the asylum unless a fresh order of detention was obtained. Hence as Rawlings escaped on September 1st he was, according to the strict letter of the law, discharged on September 15th, although he was as a matter of fact, not in the asylum to be formally discharged by the authorities. In the ordinary course of things a man having been certified to be a lunatic remains in the institution until he has been cured, and then is allowed out on the instructions of the medical authority. If he escapes he is considered - by a legal fiction – to have recovered his normal condition of mind simply because he happens to evade the asylum authorities or the police for a fortnight.
Lunacy Act of 1890
I wonder today, if any service personnel spoke his or her own mind, whether they had made a derogatory reference to the Royal household or not, would be handed such a sentence. I have spoken to his remaining second cousin. They all said that they had gone and visited him, while he was in Winson Green Hospital. By this time he was too institutionalized to care about anything. Consequently when his nieces visited him, all they can recall, is that every other word uttered from his mouth was a swear word which drew giggles.
After spending 13 years and 107 days in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers he spent the last 50 years of his life in a lunatic asylum until his death.
And so ends the story of Martin Nolan condemned for using the ‘F’ word, a word that is commonly used by most of today’s youth.
