Edith Cavell

Hello there! I received a free figure when I visited the Partizan show. This year it was a model of Edith Cavell.

This subject was of significance to me as I have always been told that a distant relative had a connection to Edith Cavell. This has always been difficult to prove since parts of of family geneology has been difficult to trace.

There are a number of members of the Tunmore family around Norfolk. Notably Great Yarmouth, Coltishall, the Forncett villages and Norwich.

My grand mother married a Tunmore, in Great Yarmouth, but he died between the two World Wars. My father was born eighteen months later. However there were a number of rumours that she had a child with a relative of her late husband

Next to the memorial to Edith Cavell is an information board which has a short description of her story. It outlines where she was born and how she came to be working at a hospital in Belgium.

The roots of these rumours stem from the story of David Jessie Tunmore. He followed his father, George Jessie Tunmore into the army. While fighting in the rearguard covering the Mons retreat Jessie was captured after being injured. While at a hospital at a converted convent in Wiheries he made his escape. He paired up with a Private F Lewis of the 3rd Battalion Cheshire Regiment. The pair met up with a Belgian Miner who had helped escaped soldier before. The miner directed them to the clinique in Brussels run by Cavell.

After dodging German patrols and using trams to travel, with money given to them by the Belgian miner, they reached Brussels. They had been on the run for four months.

Cavell was at first suspicious of the two men, fearing that they were a trap to give her away to the Germans. Over Cavells' desk was a picture of Norwich cathedral. Jessie recognised the picture and said it was Norwich cathedral. From there the men were questioned about Norwich and when sufficiently convinced of their authenticity.

Eventually the two men made it to Holland and from there sailed to England. Where they were promptly arrested as suspected spies. Eventualyy he was properly identified and after some leave, where he contacted Cavells elderly mother, he returned to France after an illness.

After Edith Cavell was discovered to be assisting escaped prisoners, she was tried and executed by the Germans. This was used by the British as an atrocity and induced many to join up to fight against the Germans.

When Cavells body was bought back to Norwich, on 15th May 1919, Jessie acted as one of the pall bearers at her funeral.

The memorial is used to commemorate her life and is outside the Norwich Cathedral in the Tombland area of Norwich.

This picture is from later in his life and he is a warrant officer. He left the Army in 1934 as a company sergeant major. He re enlisted in the Second World War and became an officer in the Royal Army Service Corps

Here is the grave of  Edith Cavell, which is next to the rear of the cathedral.

Nearby there is also a previous grave marker as well.

While looking around the grounds of the cathedral I also found a memorial to the 97 men killed by the SS at Le Paradis on 27th May 1940.

On the way out I also came across some statues to Wellington and Nelson.

Lastly I left by the Erpingham gate. The following is from this website, here.

The Erpingham Gate to the north was built of flint in the early C15th, by Sir Thomas Erpingham. His kneeling figure is in an arch above the gateway facing the city, placed here in the late C17th. He was a very influential figure in the late C14th and early C15th. He was Chamberlain to Henry IV and guarded the deposed Richard II in the Tower of London. He was commander of Henry V’s archers at the Battle of Agincourt. He was buried in the cathedral and the Erpingham gateway was part of his legacy to the city of Norwich. His arms are on the side of the gateway facing the Cathedral. 

Sir Thomas Erpingham was born in 1357 in the Norfolk village of Erpingham, some 17 miles north of Norwich. His family had been in the village since the Norman Conquest and were part of the local gentry who came to be the holders of the manor in the early thirteenth century, taking the place name of Erpingham as their surname. After the death of his father, Sir Thomas went into the service of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and fought alongside Gaunt’s son (Henry Bolingbroke) across Europe and the Middle East. Bolingbroke later became King Henry IV and Sir Thomas was made his chamberlain. In 1400 Sir Thomas became a Knight of the Garter and received many estates in Norfolk and Suffolk. He used his position at court to promote the interests of Norwich and in 1404, the King gave Norwich its new charter, making it the County and City of Norwich.

Sir Thomas went on to have an impressive military and political career beyond the confines of Norfolk. He was a staunch supporter of the Lancastrian dynasty and part of Henry V’s inner circle, he was instrumental in the king’s political and military successes. In 1415, Sir Thomas went with Henry V to Agincourt where he is thought to have been in charge of the archers, riding out in front of the English lines giving the order to strike the French. Sir Thomas became a hero to many and was immortalised in Shakespeare’s Henry V, where one Act takes us through the English and French camps on the eve of the battle, portrayed as a steadfast and loyal ‘old hero’. However, whilst he was considered ‘good’ in Shakespeare’s play, we are told that he also had ‘another side’.

Erpingham was a man who, so they say, beat a monk from St Benet’s senseless after chasing him on horseback to just outside Thetford; then he mocked the Lord as he had the monk Hung, Drawn and Quartered…….. it has also been said that he helped Henry overthrow Richard II which, at any other time and situation, was enough to see the man excommunicated. If that was not enough, Erpingham was said to have practiced ‘chevauchée’ in France (pillage and probably rape – something that was a bit of a fashion in those days), so maybe he would have had little or no compunction about killing a monk. Further to this, there was a piece of folklore that grew amongst the populace following the completion of the Gate. Its theme depicted the process of Sir Thomas paying for the building of the Erpingham Gate as an act of personal penance – for a seedy episode during his life maybe?

Erpingham’s legend, of which we speak, makes reference to the fact that Sir Thomas more than disliked Henry le Dispenser, Bishop of Norwich; both, it appears, had been at each other’s throats for years. One reason must have been that Bishop Despenser, along with the Abbot of St Benet’s Abbey, had long tried to seize more and more land for themselves – and at one point they did ‘eye’ the lands belonging to Erpingham. Not only that but Despenser, a most currupt character by present-day standards, had also been siphoning funds from the cathedral to build his own castle at North Elmham, capped only by his being accused of treason on several occasions. In his dispute with Erpingham, Despenser attempted to lodge accusations of heresy against the knight, on the basis that Sir Thomas be friendship and supported John Wycliff and the Lollardy movement. One thing Despenser loved doing was burning Lollards!

In return, Sir Thomas Erpingham strove to turn the City of Norwich against the Bishop, and did manage to persuade the City’s authorities to endorse a list of accusations against Despenser. Clearly in the other camp, it was the Bishop who sympathised with the deposed Richard II and became implicated in a rebellion against Henry IV; as it was, the house of Despenser had a long-standing enmity with the House of Lancaster – and ultimately Sir Thomas. It followed that when King Richard II was disposed, Bishop Henry le Despenser was disgraced. Added to this was the fact that it was Sir Thomas Erpingham who, when in exile with Henry Bolingbroke, helped this future Henry IV to secure the throne, whilst capturing Richard and offering ‘advice’ that, because Richard was a possible threat, he should be removed! Henry IV eventually stripped all his civic powers including cathedral finance from Despenser and handed it all to Thomas.With the Bishop of Norwich disgraced, Erpingham became even more influential in Norfolk.

It was the result of these acts that established a serious breach of trust between Erpingham and Bishop le Despenser, the repercussions of which may have been felt by both Sir Thomas and the Church beyond the year of 1406 when Despenser died. We do not know! However, if this legend ever found root beyond Dispenser and the next two Bishops of Norwich – Alexander Tottington (1407 to 1413) and Richard Courteney (1413 to 1415) – then it must have been with John Wakering (or Wakeryng) who was Bishop of Norwich from 1415 and until 1425. It was during this period in office when the Erpingham Gate was built. So, was any sort of reconciliation between the Church and Sir Thomas settled during Wakering’s period in charge?

Whenever it was, if the wound was ever to be healed then Sir Thomas needed to make some sort of financial gesture to the Church – because that was what they liked! As things turned out, it was said that he came up with a two-pronged solution that, with God’s help, would satisfy both the Church and his belief that heaven awaited those who donated generously to the church; he also must have hoped that his earthly bones would eventually be laid to rest in the Cathedral when his time came. They say that this was the basis on which Sir Thomas Erpingham built his Gate. When Sir Thomas did die in 1428, his bones were indeed buried in the north side of the Chancel of the Cathedral, along with his two wives.

It was a very interesting visit the cathedral and the grounds.

Perrys 28mm Austrian Line Infantry German Colonels

Hello There! While concentrating on completing larger units I have the odd small groups in the background which I add a little paint to every now and then. To make a change to painting just infantry I also do cavalry to make a change to my work.

These two Austrian colonels of German line are from the Perry pack. These are the only one piece castings in the pack, the rest having the riders separate from their horses.

They are for the 10th Freiherr Reisky von Dubnitz regiment, (sky green facings), and 47th Freiherr von Vogelsang, (light blue facings).

Front Rank French 28mm 42nd Line

Hello there! I have realised that I have completed a second battalion of the 42nd French line but only posted parts of the first battalion completed in the post on making flags for units.

These are based on Shako II rules so are three bases of six figures. The flags are from GMB and the standard was replaced with a brass wire.

The second battalion, at the front, probably did not have bearskins, but they look good on the table!

These are for the Maida refight and I have some French light infantry to do next. 

Eagle Miniatures Austrian 28mm Artillery

 Hello there! One of the units I have completed recently are these two 12lbr gun batteries. They are a pack of two guns and nine crew, which includes one officer.

The rammers had to be replaced with  brass wire and the ends drilled out and glued back on.

The positioning of the crew is based on the normal drill positions but one figure appear to be leaning on the wheel and aiming the cannon by looking along the barrel. However putting this figure in its place then leaves the figure  holding the portfire looking as if he is trying to set fire to the aiming figure! I placed this figure to one side instead.

The uniform colour took a few goes to get a satisfactory shade. As usual there are many illustrated shades in a myriad of publications. Some are more accurate than others! The Rawkins publication on the Austro Hungarian Army has mentioned that there were many different shades of cloth used. 'Red brown' and 'deer brown' is but too but neither of these shades are anywhere near that as illustrated in the Osprey book on the same subject. On saying that they do also illustrate Austrian Army uniforms as being brilliant white!

I used 940 saddle brown, 341 flesh base and 876 brown sand. all from the Vallejo range.

The cannons woodwork is shown as a bright ochre or a brilliant yellow. I wanted to get away from this bright shade and allow me to show some sort of wood grain effect as well. I used 913 yellow ochre, wash with a  Army Painter dark shade, 917 beige lines and 837 pale sand.

The officer was painted in the same colours as the men but the sash, which was a mark of being an officer, was painted in 856 ochre brown, washed in a strong tone then 953 flat yellow. The black weave in the sash is added using a very fine brush and making narrow intermittent stripes on the raised portion of the sash. 

Christmas & New Year Greetings

 Hello There! Well that was another year gone and not a very good one for many sadly.

Due to the pandemic my work has been very busy and stressful so it is good that I can relax painting figures and forget about work.

Work has got in the way of blog posts towards the end of last year but I have had a number of projects coming to a conclusion so I now have the opportunity to start taking some photographs.

I hope all those that visit my blog had a nice holiday and got the presents you wished for and I will get off to a new start posting now it is the new year.

Fruitful Visit to a Second hand Bookshop.

Hello there! I made an off the cuff decision to visit the City Bookshop, in Norwich City Centre last week. It was only by chance that I was in the City and due to the pandemic situation I usually compile a list of what I need to do and when it is sufficiently long I do a quick visit.

On the shelf of the second hand section I found these,

I have been looking for these for a long while and are usually something I keep an eye out for, at shows, but seldom find any. Here I four editions! Packed with information and the complement the order of battle for the same, which I obtained through the Wargames Vault.

The City Bookshop website can be found here.

Birthday Gifts

Hello there! Already a month has passed since my last post and it seems to have gone by very quickly! I have been occupied with obligations at work and have been plodding along with a number of, (probably too many!), projects simultaneously.

Coupled with my gas stove dying and a replacement being so complicated to replace I would find it easier to train as an astronaut instead this has all concluded to rob me of painting time.

I was lucky enough to receive these two books which have both recently been published. The Napoleonic tome complements the other three volumes from the same author and will be very helpful in compiling scenarios for the skirmish project.

The World War Two offering is a masterpiece about the Sherwood Rangers from Normandy to Germany. I found out about this book after listening to the podcast 'We Have Ways of Making You Talk' which can be heard here.

A recent episode on this podcast sadly reported on the loss of one of the veterans who was one of the sources for this publication. The episode included a presentation by this old soldier and was a fantastic insight into what people went through during these campaigns. This rather 'sold it' for me and so far the book has not been a disappointment!