Cornwall In The First World War

HMS Defiance was Cornwall’s naval training base, built at Wearde Quay on the River Lynher near Saltash.  Throughout the First World War, Defiance trained seamen to operate naval weapons including torpedoes and huge sea-mines. Here are two of the station’s divers, wearing their bulky underwater suits. The image is by courtesy of Steve Johnson and his fascinating Cyberheritage site. Why not check him out: http://www.cyber-heritage.co.uk/

My new book, 'Cornwall In The First World War', is published by Truran. With 112 pages and 100 images, you'll find it in bookshops across the Duchy. It's also available on line through Waterstones, with free UK post: http://bit.ly/I47c9p

Cornwall In The First World War

Among the Cornishmen who joined up when the First World War broke out was St Austell-born Percival Phillips; later he served with the Royal Flying Corps in Mesopotamia, Persia and Kurdistan.

This image was taken during 1918; Percival sits in the cockpit of his R.E.8 two-seat biplane at Baqubah. ‘PP’ survived the fighting and returned safely home. After a spell as a partner in a St Austell motor garage, in 1924 he formed the barnstorming Cornwall Aviation Company.

My new book, 'Cornwall In The First World War', is published by Truran. With 112 pages and 100 images, you'll find it in bookshops across the Duchy. It's also available on line through Waterstones, with free UK post: http://bit.ly/I47c9p

Mark Hoban MP: An Appreciation

Hoban: good with rules.

Tory MP Mark Hoban, recently culled as employment minister, leads a life of interesting double standards.

Earlier this year, former chartered accountant Hoban was allowed to keep nearly all the six-figure profit he made on selling his taxpayer-funded second home. The sum is one of the biggest made by any Government minister from sales of second homes part-funded through the MPs' expenses system.

MPs were banned from using Commons expenses to pay mortgage interest in May 2010, after public fury over “flipping” allowances and other abuses.  However, transitional arrangements allowed them to keep claiming the money up to August 2012. 

Mr Hoban made £144,000 profit on the sale of his Pimlico flat, while household claims included £100.00 for a shower rack, £79.00 for four silk cushion covers and £35.00 for a toilet roll holder.

But where others are concerned, Hoban is rather less extravagant.

Unemployed people, says the ex-minister, have taken benefits as a way of life; they must “roll up their sleeves” and “stop playing the system.”  Those who don’t “play by the rules” will lose their benefits.  It seems Mr Hoban has an impressive understanding of rules, and how they can best be interpreted.  

Just so we’re clear.

 

Cornwall In The First World War

Here's an image from August 1914, the month Britain declared war on Germany.

With deeply unlucky timing, just as war came two German liners sailing for America put in at Falmouth. The Hamburg America vessel Prince Adalbert (Captain Schonfeldt) arrived on 4 August, closely followed by Kronprinzessin Cecilie. Their crews and several hundred passengers classed as aliens were transferred to Custom House Quay by the tug Victor and detained, some in stinking quayside fish-houses.

Both vessels were seized; the aliens, harmless and by no means all Germans (some were Americans), were temporarily moved to workhouses at Falmouth, Helston, Madron, Redruth, St Columb Major and Truro. Later, most were permanently interned east of the Tamar.

In the image, a line of aliens have been marched up Redruth’s West End hill, escorted by policemen. They're on their way to detention at Barncoose workhouse. Local children join in the procession.

My new book, 'Cornwall In The First World War', is published by Truran. With 112 pages and 100 images, you'll find it in bookshops across the Duchy. It's also available through Amazon: http://amzn.to/19JbtZm

Government Interference Is Damaging Cornwall's Prehistoric Monuments

West Penwith's ancient Mên an Tol stones,
summer 2012

Have you visited Cornwall's West Penwith moors? By turn wild or sun-softened, through the seasons the dramatic landscape varies from brooding greys to summer's vivid radiance. It’s not just the views which captivate; there's a wealth of ancient riches to admire, some of Britain’s finest prehistoric stone sites: Mên an Tol, Lanyon quoit, Chûn castle and quoit, Tregeseal circle.

Cattle damage, October 2013

But currently West Penwith's beautiful countryside is under threat, following disastrous interference in its management by government organisation Natural England. The previously open and unobstructed moorland, so long enjoyed by local people and visitors alike, has seen the introduction of cattle grids, hefty gates and long stretches of barbed wire fencing. This looks awful and impairs access.

Behind the fences, cattle have been brought in; since their arrival the ancient monuments have suffered increasing damage. Trampling hooves churn access paths and flat areas around the sites into quagmires; heaps of dung lie everywhere. The stones have been reduced to scratching-posts for the heavy beasts, their foundations eroded and in danger of being weakened.  If this continues, they will simply topple over.

Make no mistake: these are world-famous heritage sites, thousands of years old. The way they've been treated by Natural England is disgraceful.

Save Penwith Moors is a local group striving for sympathetic future management and unobstructed open access to the stones’ moorland home. SPM campaigns lawfully for the removal of all new stock proofing (fencing, gates and cattle grids) from areas of open access moorland popular for local and visitor recreation. The group's website is here: http://bit.ly/17xEpno
 

Cattle damage, November 2013

Last week, SPM representative Craig Weatherhill was interviewed by Cornish community broadcaster Redruth Radio. Craig lives in West Penwith and is a leading authority on the area. The interview will bring you up to speed with the situation: http://bit.ly/17O87H2

Please, if you can make time have a look or a listen, and give the group your support.

CornwalI In The First World War

Here's an image from 1918, courtesy of Malcolm McCarthy. On the hard standing at Royal Naval Air Station Newlyn, an airman tends to a Short 184 seaplane. Between the floats of the aircraft is mounted a depth charge. In the background is a canvas hangar, standard issue of the day.
 
Newlyn was one of four Cornish centres of aero activity during the First World War; the others were at Bude, Mullion and Padstow.  A station was also built at Tresco on the Isles of Scilly.

My new book, 'Cornwall In The First World War', is published by Truran. With 112 pages and 100 images, you'll find it in bookshops across the Duchy. It's also available through Amazon: http://amzn.to/19JbtZm

Cornwall In The First World War

Here's an image from 1916, courtesy of John Bennett.  Women munitions workers toil in the Hayle works of J and F Pool; they're making Stokes 3-inch mortar bombs and fuses. 

As well as the strain inherent in their tasks, the women endured frequent sickness and cumulative skin discolouration caused by chemicals in the explosives they handled. What would today's health and safety edicts make of the factory's exposed machines and flapping belt-drives?

My new book, 'Cornwall In The First World War', is published by Truran. With 112 pages and 100 images, you'll find it in bookshops across the Duchy. It's also available through Amazon: http://amzn.to/19JbtZm

Cornwall In The First World War

My new book, 'Cornwall In The First World War', is published by Truran. With 112 pages and 100 images, you'll find it in bookshops across the Duchy; here's part of a batch at Waterstones' Truro branch. It's also available through Amazon: http://amzn.to/19JbtZm 

The First World War affected every town and village in Cornwall; no-one stayed untouched. At the outbreak in August 1914 thousands joined the colours, while the Duchy soon became a vital part of Britain’s all-consuming war effort. Ships of the Royal Navy, aircraft, even airships arrived to defend the sea lanes off Cornwall’s coastline, in a brutal campaign against marauding German submarines. On the home front, for four gruelling years Cornish men and women worked tirelessly to support those fighting in distant battles overseas.

The centenary of the First World War represents a unique moment.  As well as the military events, the book focuses on the people of that time; it's a glimpse of Cornish life a hundred years ago. I hope it will appeal to everyone interested in Cornwall's past.