Albert’s book is full of the names and conversations he had with many of the men he served alongside, the officers, their servants and other ranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Albert joined a reserve battalion – the 29th Royal Fusiliers – one of the so-called Public School’s Battalions. It appears that the 29th came under command of the 8th Battalion – The London Regiment – when they were engaged in active service and shipped out to join the front line in northern France. As a consequence his post war documentation records him belonging to the 8th Battalion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
28th and 29th (Reserve) Battalions<\/strong> Formed in Epsom in August 1915 as Reserve battalions, from depot companies of the four Public Schools Bns.<\/em> 8th (Service) Battalion<\/strong> Formed at Hounslow on 21 August 1914 as part of K1 and came under command of 36th Brigade, 12th (Eastern) Division. Landed in France in May 1915. Disbanded in France 6 February 1918. <\/em>(information from The Long, Long Trail www.longlongtrail.co.uk)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It would be wonderful to hear from any surviving relatives of those mentioned in the book, or to make connections with other memoirs, diaries, and records. Below is a list of those mentioned in no particular order. Please leave a comment below if you have any information or requesting help with your own research.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you haven’t yet read the book – POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Bert Swigart (Swygart)<\/strong> \u201cBert Swigart, the officers\u2019 cook, was a tough East-ender with the face and figure of a pugilist. His thick lips scoffed at the world in perpetual contempt beneath a nose spread over his face like a squashed tomato, and shrewd little piggy eyes watched with cynical disdain the effect of his brief comments. Comments fired off in that clipped, staccato speech which is the true Cockney dialect as spoken from Wandsworth to Wapping, from Camberwell to Clapton.\u201d<\/em> \u201cAs cook, he was self-taught, and a rotten teacher he was; but nobody dared, tell him so. Having been a lorry driver before the war he knew the City like the palm of his own hefty hand, but, like many Londoners, knew the rest of England not at all.\u201d<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Update! The previously posted service record for Bert is probably incorrect as a more likely match has turned up for a Herbert Swygart:
Herbert William Swygart , Private SR\/9437 Served in 5th, 8th, 9th Battalion Royal Fusiliers Enlisted: 18-12-13 (living at 64 Boyton Rd, Hornsey) Occupation: Vanguard [what is this?] Discharged: 18-3-19 Father: James, Mother: Alice, Brothers: Frederick, James, George
Original posted record (less likely): Albert Edward Swygart Royal Army Service Corps Expeditionary Force Canteen Division MS\/4398 Navy and Army Canteen Board Entered service age 26, from West Ham, Trade: motor driver Mother: Emma Swygart 10a Grove Rd, Bow Service history: Home 17\/9\/14 \u2013 22\/9\/14 France 23\/9\/14 \u2013 30\/4\/19 Home 1\/5\/19 \u2013 29\/5\/19 Born 10th Sep 1892 Married Kathleen M Kenyon Sep 1920 Died 1-9-1978 Thanet Kent, <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Collimore – Officer\u2019s servant <\/strong> \u201c\u2026Collimore, a tall lanky youth, treading hard on my heels with his big feet.\u201d<\/em> \u201c\u2026Collimore, was a lanky youth with glasses, typical London clerk. Tall, and so narrow chested that his ill-fitting tunic sagged across the front of him.\u201d<\/em> \u201cCollimore\u2019s tall lanky figure was also conspicuous by its absence and we feared he was \u201cout for the count\u201d. Fortunately he turned up again three or four weeks later, beaming through his thick spectacles.\u201d<\/em> \u201cCollimore, as was his nature, endeavoured to be cheerful and chatty.\u201d<\/em> <\/td><\/tr>
Most likely to be William James Collimore Pt\u00a0 P\/S 10145 Killed in action at Arras 3-5-17 Was also in the 29th <\/sup>\u00a0Batt. Royal Fusiliers with Albert, then the 8th<\/sup> Batt. RF Father\u2019s name William \u00a0 Listed on the same medal roll record as Albert Clayton \u00a0 \u00a0
Other possible match: Pvt Arthur Neville Collimore RF GS\/9645 \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Blackall – Officer\u2019s servant<\/strong>
\u201cThough something of a dandy and rather fond of \u201cposhing himself up\u201d, Blackall remained withal, a brawny enough fellow.\u201d <\/em> \u201cBlackall being the mess-waiter, answered the call and as he returned a burst of laughter floated out through the parlour door\u201d <\/em> \u201cBlackall, the finicky dresser, had taken care to \u2018posh himself up\u2019 before we came. Brushed his tunic, polished his buttons and badges, and wound on his puttees carefully in even spirals.\u201d <\/em> <\/td><\/tr>
William Edward Blackall 8th<\/sup> RF Pte. GS\/10732 Born 1897 Died 1981 (same year as Albert Clayton!) <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Bill Dewer [Dewar?] – Lt. Scollick\u2019s servant <\/strong>
\u201cA moaning and crying came from the figure and as I looked over their shoulders, I found myself gazing into the chalky-white face of young Bill Dewer. He was half-conscious, moaning and babbling incoherently and crying bitterly. A large piece of shell had passed through his left arm just below the shoulder, severing it, except for a little retaining skin on each side.\u201d <\/em> \u201c\u2026a letter from Bill Dewer, addressed to us all from one of the Base Hospitals. He had not died, then, after all. It seems they had amputated his arm – it was as good as amputated when I last saw it – and he was looking forward to going home in a few days\u2019 time.\u201d <\/em> \u201c\u2026two or three days later, another communication arrived from the hospital – a semi-official letter to the Officer Commanding A. Company: William Dewer, died of wounds on such and such a date, had wished at the last to be remembered to his comrades of the Officer\u2019s Mess.\u201d <\/em> <\/td><\/tr>
Records not yet identified <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Crabtree – Company orderly<\/strong>
\u201cCrabtree was a fellow I had known slightly in the Public Schools Battalion in England. Smallish, very dapper, round head with bright rather protuberant eyes, and very rosy cheeks. Though his age was probably nineteen or twenty, he looked more like a perky sixteen just joined up from school. Two runners were always attached to the Company Commander and his headquarters, and they were fond of picking the youngest in the Company for the job. Hence, Crabtree and I.\u201d <\/em> \u201cThe dapper little Crabtree had been promoted to a bicycle, and running for the Battalion office instead of for A. Company; so I lost my partner.\u201d <\/em> <\/td><\/tr>
Not yet identified <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Harry Arnold – Company orderly<\/strong>
\u201cHis place was taken by a hefty-shouldered Lancashire man, an ex-solicitor\u2019s clerk from Manchester, named Harry Arnold\u201d <\/em> \u201cArnold was a good \u201cscrounger\u201d, always ready to do a bit of unofficial foraging\u201d <\/em> <\/td><\/tr>
Harry Eustace Arnold 29th<\/sup> RF and 8th<\/sup> RF Pvt. PS\/10520 (from Medal Rolls) Born 4\/7\/1888 Stretford Lancashire Father Benjamin Walter Mother Anne Married Lily M Marsh in 1912.
Survival as yet unknown <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Lieutenant Backlake<\/strong>
\u201cBacklake and Scollick, to do them no discredit, were just a couple of ordinary young coves, might have been secondary school teachers or bank clerks.\u201d <\/em> \u201cBacklake, strolling along the queue, commiserated with the men and assured them that one more trip would finish the job\u201d <\/em> \u201cA little further along in the darkness Lieutenant Backlake staggered about amongst his men. This was to be his first time over the top – having on previous occasions been engaged in transport supervision – and quite contrary to his usual habit he had filled himself up with whiskey in readiness for the event. He was consequently fighting drunk and only prevented by the restraining hands of his men from going over before the proper time arrived, to finish off the war all by himself.\u201d <\/em> \u201cAs the starting tape went up, the drink crazed Backlake, uttering blood curdling yells and waving his revolver round his head like a frenzied devil-dancer, bounded forward into the night far in advance of the rest of us, as if possessed by a fiend. And that was the last time I ever set eyes on him.\u201d <\/em> <\/td><\/tr>
Lieut Brian Ashbee Backlake 8th<\/sup> Bat. RF Killed in action 3-5-17 (from medal roll) War grave memorial: Find a grave<\/a>