Blog - Sir Frank Fox

The Agony of Belgium-May Book of the Month in the Forces War Records Magazine

May 29, 2016 by Ed Goodson

The Agony of Belgium - Forces War Records Book of The Month — The Agony of Belgium – Forces War Records Book of The Month

The British publication Forces War Records, the sister site of Forces Reunited, selected The Agony of Belgium as their Book of the Month for May 2016. Below is the text from the review, and here is the link to see the article in the magazine:

https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/magazine/issues/2016/05/content/assets/basic-html/page-18-19.html

Buy the hardback book on the Sir Frank Fox website or on Amazon.co.uk (where it is also available in Paperback and Kindle).

BOOK OF THE MONTH REVIEW:
This is a rare chance to re-discover a contemporary account of a military conflict which took place a Century ago. “The Agony of Belgium”, written in 1914 by Frank Fox, a war correspondent veteran of the Balkan Wars, precedes the trench warfare of the Great War. It recounts events that the modern European mind would probably wish to forget. The bravery and resilience of the relatively new and untested Belgian Army, following the rejection of the German Ultimatum by the King, deserves a wider audience. Throughout this account the courageous and noble qualities of King Albert in the dark days come to the fore. Whether at the Front as an active Commander-inChief; with his people during Zeppelin raids and artillery bombardments at Antwerp; declining refuge in France after the retreat from Ostend; or rallying his troops for rearguard actions his conduct was of the finest. For these first 4 months of WW1, Fox used a bicycle to travel extensively (up to 75 miles/day- including an escape from Brussels over the border to Holland) to the various fronts admiring the determination of “our” Army against insuperable odds, and lamenting the miseries heaped upon the populace. His account of the “frightfulness” of the events in Louvain against the civilian population- including women and children- and the sacking of cultural treasures was not at first believed by Officials in Antwerp. However his reporting of Zeppelin raids helped to arouse public opinion in the United States. Having been turned over as a spy by civilians to the French cavalry, he prevailed to produce a unique insight into the ebb and flow of the campaign. From reporting the use of civilians as human shields at Alost, to suffering the effects of the final bombardment of Antwerp from which he escaped by boat, and the turning of the tide after the battle of the Yser, Fox provides vivid descriptions of a terrible, and little known, conflict.

“A harrowing account of the suffering that Belgium endured from the German invasion in 1914. Sir Frank Fox charts Belgium’s heroic stand, and the personal courage of King Albert I that inspired his Army.”
LORD ASTOR of HEVER – British Defence Minister

“As a Belgian citizen, who has lived in two of the martyr-towns, Leuven and Aarschot, I was stunned by this powerful account of the atrocities of war. Fox’s reports undoubtedly contributed to the British support of our valiant King Albert I and his Army”.
Dr. LUDO SCHELLENS – Kasteel Schoonhoven, Aarschot

Hunt for the missing Norman Lindsay equestrian portrait of Sir Frank Fox

May 5, 2016 by Ed Goodson

Sir Frank Fox became close friends with Norman Lindsay, initially through The Bulletin, and they were constant companions. They shared a love of riding and Lindsay described Fox as an ‘Equine Exhibitionist’. Most unusually Lindsay painted an equestrian subject – of Fox. It has been a somewhat obsessive, life-long project of mine to locate the portrait. My initial enquiries in Australia were met with distinct scepticism as to whether Norman Lindsay painted such a subject as it is so different from his well known images. However when en route to jackerooing in Queensland in 1967, I telephoned Lindsay. Whilst he was too frail to come to the telephone, his somewhat dismissive Private Secretary was persuaded to put the question to the distinguished old man, who promptly confirmed the provenance. I have a photograph of the painting, with a clearly visible signature, which had been sent to my late Grandmother in England when the effects of the late George Holman, an Art Dealer, were sold in Adelaide in the late 1960’s. Unfortunately she could not afford to bid, but through the Director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales I later obtained a watercolour sketch of the portrait. A series of Newspaper advertisements has failed to produce a definitive lead for the work, but I remain in hope.

Lindsay and Fox had what my Grandmother described as ‘a terrible quarrel’, the cause of which is obscure. However Lindsay subsequently wrote to my Great Grandfather in England to apologise – I have the letter. I suspect that the row may have been due to Fox’s refusal to reproduce some of Lindsay’s more risqué images in The Lone Hand.

Times Obituary Sir Frank Fox

May 5, 2016 by Ed Goodson

TIMES OBITUARY 9/3/1960

SIR FRANK FOX
“THE MORNING POST”

Sir Frank Fox, O.B.E., a well known and very popular ﬁgure in Fleet Street in the early part of the century, died on Thursday at the age of 85.
He was a man of strikingly handsome appearance and of great enthusiasms. He had two great interests which surpassed all others: the British Empire and the Morning Post. He lived to see the British Empire of which he was intensely proud, blossom into the British Commonwealth of Nations and to see the Morning Post merged with the Daily Telegraph.
Born in Adelaide on August 12, 1874, he was educated at Christ’s College, Hobart, before entering journalism.
At the age of 18 he was entrusted by the Australian Labour Party with the editorship of its periodical the Australian Workman. At 21 he was editing the National Advocate and championing the cause of Australian Federation. He joined the staff of the Sydney Bulletin, was acting editor for a time, and later founded and edited the Lone Hand.
He ﬁrst came to London in 1909 and both in print and on the public platform he stressed the danger of a war in Europe. His views and those of the Morning Post were in accord and he accepted an invitation to join the staff, doing admirable work as its correspondent with the Bulgarian Army in the Balkan War.
During the ﬁrst months of the 1914-18 War he represented his newspaper with the Belgian Army, but in December, 1914 he joined the Royal Field Artillery and was twice wounded during the Battle of the Somme. Thereafter he served on the Quarter-Master General’s staff in France and on the General Staff at the War Office with the rsnk of major, On dernobilization he returned to his old love, journalism and championed many deserving Empire causes.
He organized the Empire Rheumatism Council and the British Empire Cancer Campaign in the north-western and northern counties and one achievement of which he was particularly proud was the creation of the Fellowship of the British Empire Exhibition which was established in many parts of the World.
He was always a proliﬁc writer and one of his most notable efforts was a history of the Royal Inniskllling Fusiliers in the First World War. He had also some interesting views to express on Anglo-American relations in The Mastery of the Paciﬁc, published in 1928.
He was appointed O.B.E. for his services in the First World War and was knighted in 1926.

TIMES OBITUARY SIR FRANK FOX

A Family Reminiscence

April 27, 2016 by Ed Goodson

Dr Charles Goodson-Wickes. April 2016

A FAMILY REMINISCENCE

“I was blown up by a salvo shells in front of Le Sars.
I refused to die on the battlefield.The gallant stretcher-bearers got me in.
I spent the next year in hospital.”

It was thus that my Great Grandfather Sir Frank Fox, described his experiences in the quagmire of the Battle of the Somme, in 1916.

It has yet to be explained what a 42 year old Australian-born Captain was doing at the very apex of the front line. Whilst he remained a man of strikingly handsome appearance, so described in his Times obituary, the wounds that he received (a withered left arm, a stump of a right foot and almost total deafness) limited even this remarkable man’s activities and enthusiasms.

I knew him well as I was 15 when he died. He was my childhood hero.

Frank James Fox was born in Adelaide in 1874. His father having been banished to Australia after being converted to Catholicism by Cardinal Newman, now a Saint, when he was up at Oxford. It was only when I obtained his Birth Certificate that I discovered that my Great Grandfather was christened Francis Ignatius, which he subsequently de-Romanised.

It is believed that he was offered a place at Oxford during his time at Christ’s College, Hobart, but couldn’t afford to take it up. He thus moved into journalism, becoming editor of The Australian Workman, at the remarkably young age of 18, and subsequently editing The National Advocate, promoting the cause of Australian Federation.

Thereafter he served as the Acting Editor of The Sydney Bulletin where he worked with Norman Lindsay as Illustrator, and Banjo Paterson as Poet and Author. He subsequently founded The Lone Hand and became the Editor recruiting his former Bulletin colleagues as contributors.

His first book was written at this time, “Bushman and Buccaneer: Harry Morant,” His Ventures and Verses, written under a pseudonym was the seminal work for the acclaimed British film, “Breaker Morant,” and probably resulted from Banjo Paterson’s friendship with Morant.

He became close friends with Norman Lindsay, initially through The Bulletin, and they were constant companions. They shared a love of riding and Lindsay described Fox as an ‘Equine Exhibitionist’. Most unusually Lindsay painted an equestrian subject – of Fox. It has been a somewhat obsessive, life-long project of mine to locate the portrait. My initial enquiries in Australia were met with distinct scepticism as to whether Norman Lindsay painted such a subject as it is so different from his well known images. However when en route to jackerooing in Queensland in 1967, I telephoned Lindsay. Whilst he was too frail to come to the telephone, his somewhat dismissive Private Secretary was persuaded to put the question to the distinguished old man, who promptly confirmed the provenance. I have a photograph of the painting, with a clearly visible signature, which had been sent to my late Grandmother in England when the effects of the late George Holman, an Art Dealer, were sold in Adelaide in the late 1960’s. Unfortunately she could not afford to bid, but through the Director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales I later obtained a watercolour sketch of the portrait. A series of Newspaper advertisements has failed to produce a definitive lead for the work, but I remain in hope.

Fox travelled to England in 1909 to warn of the dangers of a war in Europe. This came to the attention of The Morning Post and he was invited initially to join the staff and then became their War Correspondent in the Balkan Wars. He served in a similar capacity with the Belgian Army in World War I and reported the German Invasion in 1914.

“The Agony of Belgium” (available to buy here) was the first contemporary account of the conflict before it became bogged down in trench warfare. Fox, during hazardous journeys by bicycle, reported atrocities to the civilian population, the use of human shields, the first use of Zeppelins and the sacking of historic buildings and churches.

He witnessed the heroism of the Belgian Army as it prevented the taking of the Channel Ports at the Battle of the Yser in a bloody and ill-recognised engagement.

He was so horrified by what seen, that he longed to become a combatant. Having been decorated for his services by King Albert he was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery in the British Army and in so doing so he probably lied about his age. Having sustained his serious injuries, he worked for MI7 in London, then, impatient at being out of the action he pulled strings to be returned to France to serve in General Haig’s headquarters in Montreuil-sur-Mer. He must have cut a remarkable sight, with is arm in a sling and leaning on a crutch. He was awarded the O.B.E. Military, and was Mentioned in Despatches.

His book, “GHQ” written under a pseudonym GSO gives a unique insight into the thinking behind the setting up of the GHQ in Montreuil in 1916 and what life was like there for the Staff in the planning of the final defeat of the Germany Army. Unlike other of his colleagues who were described as “Desk Officers”, he could write from two different aspects, having served for 1½ years at the Front before his severe injuries. He was a relatively elderly officer and his description of life in the trenches gives a surprisingly different view to those put forward by the so called “War Poets”. He describes prolonged tedium interrupted by periods of intense excitement.

“GHQ – Montreuil-sur-Mer” is available via https://www.sirfrankfox.com/buy-g-h-q/. It has an appendix of previously unpublished Military Statistics of casualties, ammunition and supplies, which adds to the appreciation of Haig’s achievement.

In peacetime he was a prolific author of some 35 books and applied his devotion to the British Empire through organising the Fellowship of the British Empire Exhibition, for which he was Knighted, and subsequently the British Empire Cancer Campaign and the Empire Rheumatism Council.

In 1922, he invited to accompany King George V on his pilgrimage to the war graves in Belgium and France and wrote the official account of this and the opening of the Military Cemeteries in Belgium and in France following the first State Visit to Belgium.

It is planned to re-publish “The King’s Pilgrimage” shortly.

He had married Helena Clint, of a distinguished artistic family. She was the Granddaughter of Alfred Clint, an English landscape painter, and the Great Granddaughter of George Clint, the celebrated theatrical painter.

After the death of his wife, he lived with his daughter, my Grandmother, near Chichester Harbour, where he was a familiar figure walking indominately with his distinctive gait, until shortly before his death in 1950.

“The Agony of Belgium” and “GHQ” are available to purchase via https://sirfrankfox.com/author-books/

The author of this article Dr Charles Goodson-Wickes served as a Surgeon Lieutenant Colonel in The Life Guards in BAOR, Northern Ireland, Cyprus and with 7th Armoured Brigade in Gulf War 1.

QUAND MONTREUIL ETAIT « GHQ »

March 18, 2016 by Ed Goodson

QUAND MONTREUIL ETAIT « GHQ »

Allocution du Dr Charles Goodson-Wickes, arrière-petit-fils de l’auteur le 11 novembre 2015

Bonjour mesdames et messieurs, c’est un honneur pour moi d’être au milieu d’un si grand nombre de personnes si distinguées.
Je suis ravi d’être de nouveau à Montreuil-sur-Mer, une si belle ville, réputée et pleine d’heureux souvenirs pour moi, suite à de nombreuses visites depuis des années.
Je suis reconnaissant à l’association MCM de l’invitation et en particulier à Bruno Béthouart et Siobhan Stevens, les moteurs de l’association, qui ensemble cherchent à faire reconnaître l’histoire relativement récente de la ville à travers le livre de mon arrière-grand-père, maintenant traduit en français pour la première fois.

Mes remerciements s’adressent aussi à Terence Hughes qui m’a fourni quelques photographies que vous voyez sur les panneaux ici.

Prof. Bruno Béthouart et Siobhan Stevens lors du lancement — Prof. Bruno Béthouart, Siobhan Stevens et Dr.Charles Goodson-Wickes au lancement

Grâce à cette œuvre, non seulement des historiens mais aussi des touristes vont être incités à venir – pour découvrir cette ville historique qui a tellement à leur offrir.
Aujourd’hui c’est un jour très important. Il marque, pour moi, le début d’une série d’événements qui se termineront avec la commémoration de l’installation du GHQ, il y a cent ans, avec l’arrivée du général Haig en 1916. Aujourd’hui nous pouvons commémorer, d’une façon franco-britannique, les efforts communs pour lutter ensemble quand nos libertés communes ont été menacées par les forces du mal.

Lancement livre du Sir Frank Fox: GHQ — Lancement livre du Sir Frank Fox “GHQ”

Le projet qui est l’objet de notre rencontre de cet après-midi, la réimpression de l’œuvre “GHQ” par “GSO” est d’une profonde importance personnelle pour moi. “GSO” est le nom de plume de Sir Frank Fox, mon arrière-grand-père, un nom de plume étant nécessaire car, selon la réglementation militaire, il était interdit pour des officiers en service d’écrire sous leur propre nom.

Il n’y a pas beaucoup de personnes qui ont le privilège de connaître leur arrière-grand-père, comme c’était le cas pour moi. J’avais 15 ans au moment de son décès. Je le connaissais bien. Je vous en parlerai plus tard et vous allez mieux comprendre pourquoi, pendant toute mon enfance, il était mon héros.
Mais revenons à notre projet. C’était en 2014, que mon collègue au Parlement, Lord Astor, confrère officier et ami, m’a écrit. Il a appris probablement par internet, pas par moi, que Frank Fox était mon arrière-grand-père. De son côté, lui, il est le petit-fils de Lord Haig. Malheureusement, Lord Astor ne peut pas être des nôtres aujourd’hui ; il est retenu ailleurs.
Lord Astor a déjà rencontré Bruno Béthouart ici et en Angleterre, pendant qu’il était maire de Montreuil, pour voir comment on peut commémorer le centenaire de l’arrivée ici du GHQ. Et, entre parenthèses, je garde toujours le grand espoir que la statue de Haig, installée sur la place du Théâtre, sera restaurée d’ici l’année prochaine.
L’implication de l’association MCM a rendu possible la publication en français, en même temps que la publication en anglais, de cet unique témoignage contemporain et qui est à la base de cet événement aujourd’hui.
MCM a assumé la grande tâche de traduire l’œuvre en français.
J’aimerais applaudir l’aide précieuse de mon fils Édouard qui a été responsable du design et de la mise en page de la version anglaise du livre – qui contient également des statistiques produites pour le roi Georges V et qui apparaissent dans une œuvre pour la première fois. En aparté, le livre anglais est publié avec le nom de Beaumont qui rappelle la petite quantité de sang français qui coule dans mes veines.
Mon fils a travaillé dans des conditions très difficiles et son aide est inestimable. Il a œuvré par amour car il est très fier de son aïeul. Je suis ravi qu’il ait pu venir de l’Amérique du sud pour être avec nous aujourd’hui.
Frank Fox était correspondant de guerre pour le Morning Post, un journal britannique renommé qui fait partie maintenant du Daily Telegraph.

Sa première expérience de combat était pendant les guerres dans les Balkans en Bulgarie, d’où il a été envoyé en Belgique en anticipation d’une attaque allemande.
Il a été attaché à l’armée belge juste avant le rejet de l’ultimatum allemand par le roi Albert 1er. Pendant six mois, d’août 1914 à décembre 1914, Fox a traversé et retraversé le pays, souvent à bicyclette pour éviter toute détection, et il a vu des atrocités subies par la population civile, entre autres : l’utilisation de boucliers humains, le ravage de non seulement le centre culturel de Louvain mais aussi de nombreuses églises et bâtiments historiques.
Il était tellement horrifié par tout cela que le grand désir de devenir un combattant est né en lui. Il est donc rentré en Angleterre où il est devenu officier dans l’armée britannique. Il avait 41 ans à l’époque, normalement trop vieux pour entrer dans l’armée. Il y a une forte chance qu’il ait menti au sujet de son âge.
Il a été envoyé dans la Somme où il fut deux fois blessé. Après la seconde fois il a noté dans son journal : j’étais dans une explosion devant Le Sars. J’ai refusé de mourir. Les brancardiers courageux m’ont sorti de là. J’ai passé l’année d’après à l’hôpital.
Malgré le fait qu’il a travaillé, pendant sa convalescence, pour MI7 (responsable pour la propagande) quand il a essayé principalement de plaider aux États-Unis en faveur de l’entrée en guerre, il se faisait de la bile pour retourner en France.

Wreath laying ceremony — De gauche à droite au premier rang: Major Bernard Kerfyser Brigade Motorisée d’Ecuires de la Gendarmerie Nationale, M.Dominique Lamouret , Président de Union Nationale des Anciens de la Gendarmerie Nationale, M. Patrick Van Laere Président des Médaillés Militaires de Montreuil-sur-mer, Colonel Daniel Evrard , Président de l’association desCroix de Guerre et Valeur Militaire, M. Marc Parent Président Honoraire des Médaillés Militaires de Montreuil-sur-mer, M. le Sous-Préfet de l’Arrondissement de Montreuil-sur-Mer , Régis Elbez, M. Charles Barège, Maire de Montreuil-sur-mer et Président de la Communauté de Communes du Montreuillois, Commandant Vincent Sautières, Capitaine de la Brigade d’Ecuires de la Gendarmerie Nationale, Dr.C.Goodson-Wickes, M. Jean-Claude Gobert Président Honoraire de l’Association des Croix de Guerre et Valeur Militaire
De gauche à droite deuxième rangée- derrière M. Dominique Lamouret et M. Patrick Van Laere: M. Bernard Pion ancien Maire de Montreuil , ancien Président de la communauté de communes du Montreuillois et ancien conseiller Général
derrière M. le Sous-Préfet et M. Charles Barège: M. Pierre-Marie Dusannier adjoint au maire de Montreuil-sur-mer
derrière Commandant Vincent Sautières et Capitaine de la Brigade d’Ecuires de la Gendarmerie Nationale: M. Jean-François Leblanc Premier Adjoint au Maire de Montreuil-sur-mer
derrière Dr.Charles Goodson-Wickes et M. Jean-Claude Gobert: M. Christophe Testu Conseiller municipal de Montreuil-sur-mer

Grâce à ses contacts politiques et personnels, il a réussi. Et il est arrivé ici au GHQ comme officier de l’état-major dans le service du surintendant.
Il a dû représenter une drôle d’apparition – quelqu’un sur les béquilles, ayant perdu une grande partie de son pied droit, et son bras gauche atrophié en écharpe. Son surdité profonde n’a pas amélioré l’image.
Quelques officiers de l’état-major ont été critiqués parce qu’ils étaient des ‘guerriers du bureau’ – loin du front. Au moins lui, il était à l’abri de telles remarques. Et il semble que, selon lui, il y avait beaucoup d’officiers qui ont été joints suite à une blessure. Fox était heureux de pouvoir bénéficier de séances régulières de kinésithérapie à l’hôpital, dont il avait besoin.
Mais cela suffit pour lui pour l’instant. Qu’est-ce qu’il a écrit sur la vie ici à Montreuil entre 1916 et 1919 au moment où Montreuil était au centre d’une organisation extraordinaire de planification et de logistique qui a réussi à mener à la défaite finale de l’armée allemande ?
J’espère que vous allez lire, soit en anglais ou en français, un descriptif de cette organisation logistique.
Ceci étant, je vais quand même en parler un peu.
La ville de Montreuil a été choisie pour son rôle si important grâce à position stratégique entre les tranchées, Paris et Londres. Le GHQ est arrivé de Saint-Omer en mars 1916. L’armée expéditionnaire britannique avec son commandant en chef pouvait communiquer facilement avec le secrétaire d’État à la guerre et le gouvernement à Londres.
Fox décrit la situation géographique comme ‘un éloignement central’.

En dehors de l'église avant la procession — En dehors de l’église avant la procession

Il y avait une population militaire de 5000 personnes y compris 300 officiers réguliers, en plus il y avait des officiers temporaires – appelés, d’une façon irrévérencieuse par quelques-uns, des ‘Gentlemen temporaires’.
Selon Fox, la vie était fantastique, monacale (sans aucune relation avec les femmes), sobre, disciplinée et passionnante. Les officiers ont travaillé en général de 9h jusqu’à 22h30 même les week-ends. Une permission était accordée tous les 6 mois.
C’est curieux qu’il ait utilisé l’adjectif ‘passionnant’. D’autant plus qu’il décrit la vie dans les tranchées comme ‘ennuyeuse – avec des moments rares d’excitation et d’horreur’.
Fox précise que cette description est en contraste avec ‘les témoignages atroces des écrivains qui ont trop de fantaisie.’ Il critique aussi les membres du parlement britannique qui considéraient une visite à Montreuil comme un séjour touristique comme si c’était organisé par l’agence de voyages très connue, Thomas Cook.
Le général Travers Clark, le surintendant pour qui Fox travaillait, a souligné que le travail du GQG était étroitement lié à la vie dans les tranchées.
Cinq divisions britanniques ont été déployées – chacune avec 20.000 hommes – de manière plus grande que la normale. Mais il y a peut-être une statistique plus importante – pour chaque fusilier ou artilleur sur le front, il y avait trois hommes derrière le front qui s’occupaient de son approvisionnement.
J’ai dit ‘britannique’. Mais n’oublions pas que ces hommes venaient des quatre coins de l’Empire britannique – ne parlons même pas des soldats dont on peut facilement oublier l’importance, à savoir : les Français, les Belges, les Américains et les Portugais. C’était un quartier général vraiment international.
Le commandant en chef habitait un château pas loin de Montreuil et le GHQ se trouvait dans l’école militaire. Le club des officiers n’était pas loin à pied, le long des remparts.
Il y a aussi une référence à la résidence du maréchal Ney, pas loin de la place verte (utilisé par Napoléon pour préparer l’invasion d’Angleterre). L’Hôtel de France a servi comme alternative pour le club des officiers. Fox était cantonné avec Monsieur Laurent et son épouse qui était professeur de français. (Vu mes capacités en français j’aurais bien pu profiter de prendre des cours avec elle.) Je me demande s’il reste encore des membres de cette famille à Montreuil? Peut-être quelqu’un parmi vous le saurait?
Alors, quelles étaient les fonctions principales du GHQ ? C’était :
– le lien entre l’armée sur le terrain et les leaders politiques des Alliés
– l’endroit où la stratégie du secteur britannique a été décidé
– l’organe qui a organisé la fourniture de tout : les habits, l’alimentation, les munitions et la paie, le transport ( par voie routière pour les chevaux et les voitures, par voie ferrée, et sur l’eau) ; l’agriculture, et les supports médicaux, vétérinaires et ecclésiastiques – tout ce qui était nécessaire pour maintenir le moral. (Néanmoins, il faut admettre que les officiers au GHQ n’allaient pas souvent à l’église par rapport à Haig qui était fort religieux.)
Les officiers pouvaient occasionnellement aller au théâtre ou jouer au cricket, au football, ou faire de la natation ou de l’équitation, un passe-temps particulièrement aimé par Fox. En fait, il s’intéressait beaucoup au bien-être des chevaux au front.
Malgré le fait que les soldats britanniques ont été appelés “des lions dans les tranchées”, dans les villages ils se comportaient “comme des agneaux”. Les rapports entre l’armée et la population civile étaient importants – vu que le pays était quand même occupé par des armées amicales. Une telle occupation nécessitait l’accord de la population civile et leur coopération, ce qui était compliqué encore par le flot de réfugiés.
Dans le livre on reçoit aussi des informations sur l’importance des auxiliaires – un tiers d’un million d’hommes.
Les civils français (les vieux et les handicapés) ont fourni un travail magnifique. Du travail d’ordre physique était accompli par les auxiliaires venant de l’Inde, des Caraïbes, de la Chine, des îles Fidji, de l’Afrique du Sud et de l’Égypte – avec un complément de prisonniers de guerre allemands.
Je n’entrerai pas en détail sur les hauts et les bas de la campagne – vous pouvez vous en informer vous-mêmes.
La réputation de Haig est devenue un sujet de contentieux. Malgré des critiques dans la presse ou dans les milieux politiques, cette œuvre, écrite à l’époque, affirme :
– sa fidélité vis-à-vis de ses amis,
– sa perspicacité par rapport aux choix du personnel,
– ses convictions religieuses,
– sa grande confiance dans les personnes qui l’entouraient,
– sa promotion éclairée de l’éducation pour les soldats qui, après des expériences, extraordinaires et exceptionnelles au champ de bataille, devaient retourner à une vie civile.
Le livre se termine avec la nomination du maréchal Foch comme commandant en chef des armées alliées, un événement qui a reçu l’approbation sincère des généraux britanniques et américains – Haig et Pershing.
Avec sa nomination, la souffrance et le courage des Français ont été reconnus sur le plan international. La fin glorieuse de la guerre est un point convenable pour terminer mon discours.

Merci de votre présence.

DSCF8457

G.H.Q. book launch in Montreuil-sur-Mer

February 17, 2016 by Ed Goodson

GHQ Launch Speech
Montreuil
11 November 2015

Good afternoon to such a distinguished gathering….

I am delighted to be back in Montreuil-sur-Mer, a town of great beauty and distinction which holds many happy memories for me from numerous visits over the years.

I am grateful to MCM for the invitation- in particular to Prof. Bruno Béthouart and to Siobhan Stevens who are the driving forces behind the Committee which ensures that the town’s relatively recent history is properly recognised. I also acknowledge my thanks to Terence Hughes who has provided some photographs on the desk.

Prof. Bruno Béthouart and Siobhan Stevens at the launch — Prof. Bruno Béthouart, Siobhan Stevens and Dr.Charles Goodson-Wickes at the launch

This splendid initiative will encourage not only historians, but tourists in general, to visit Montreuil and to enjoy everything it has to offer.

Tonight is a very special occasion as it marks the beginning of a series of events leading up to the commemoration of the setting up of Field Marshal Lord Haig’s General Head Quarters here a century ago in 1916. It is a very important Anglo – French way of celebrating our shared endeavours in times of war- when our joint liberties have been under threat from malign forces.

MCM Sir Frank Fox Book launch — GHQ Sir Frank Fox Book launch

This particular project – the republication of “GHQ” by “GSO” has a deep personal significance for me as “GSO” was the pseudonym for Sir Frank Fox, my Great Grandfather. (You may know that it was forbidden under Military Regulations for Serving Officers to write under their own name).

Not many people have the privilege of knowing their Great Grandfather – but I did and, as I was 15 years old when he died, I knew him well. I will tell you more of him later and hope that you will see why he was my childhood hero.

But let us go to the start of this project. It was in 2014 that my Parliamentary colleague, fellow Army Officer and friend Lord Astor, wrote to me, as he somehow knew that Frank Fox was my Great Grandfather. (I hadn’t told him, so I lay the blame on the ubiquitous Internet!). He in turn is the Grandson of Lord Haig. Sadly he cannot be here this afternoon as he is hosting a Dinner in London.

Lord Astor had been in discussions in France and in England with Mayor Béthouart, as he then was, to explore various ways of commemorating the centenary of the setting up of the GHQ here. (It is still my hope that the statue of Haig which overlooks the square will be restored by next year.) This would be most appropriate as well as admire the fine statue of Marshal Foch in London.

The support of MCM has made the republication of this unique contemporary account, and tonight’s relaunch possible. I am most grateful to them.

It is they who have had the major task of translating the whole book into French.
I would also like to record the marvellous help of my son Edward who has been responsible for the design and layout of the English version, which also includes statistics produced for King George V never before generally published. (By the way the Beaumont name under which it is published is a reference to the small amount of French blood in my veins!)
His work under difficult conditions has been invaluable. It has also become a labour of love for him as he is proud of his ancestor, and I am delighted that he has been able to come here from South America to be with us today.

Frank Fox was a War Correspondent for the Morning Post, a distinguished British newspaper which is now part of the Daily Telegraph.

His first experience of battle was in the Balkan Wars in Bulgaria from which he was summoned to go to Belgium in the light of an anticipated German attack.

He was attached to the Belgian Army in time for King Albert’s rejection of the German Ultimatum. From August until December of 1914 he criss-crossed the country – often by bicycle to avoid attention- where he witnessed atrocities visited upon the civilian population, the use of human shields, and the sacking of the cultural centre of Louvain and of numerous churches and historic buildings.

So horrified was he by all of this, that he longed to become a combatant. Thus he returned to England and was commissioned into the British Army. He was 41 years old at the time-beyond the limit for military service- and I suspect that he lied about his age!

He was sent to the Somme where he was twice wounded. On the second occasion his diary recorded “I was blown up in front of Le Sars. I refused to die on the battlefield. The gallant stretcher bearers got me in. I spent the next year in hospital. ”

Although he worked for MI7 (Propaganda) during his convalescence – mainly in attempts to get the USA to enter the War- he fretted to get back to France.

Owing to various political and personal contacts he succeeded in this and arrived here in GHQ, Montreuil as a Staff Officer in the Quartermaster General’s Department.

He must have cut a curious figure on crutches having lost most of his right foot, and with his withered left arm in a sling. His profound deafness cannot have added to the general impression that he gave!

Some Staff Officers were criticised for being “desk warriors” far from the Front. At least he was immune from such remarks- and it seems from his account that many Officers were “crocked” having “taken a knock”. Fox was glad to undergo regular physiotherapy for his wounds at the hospital.

But enough of him for the moment. What did he record of life here in GHQ from 1916- 1919 when Montreuil was at the hub of the most extraordinary planning and logistical exercise leading up to the final defeat of the German Army?

I hope that – in French or in English, both versions of which are available here this afternoon- you will read for yourselves.

However, I will pick out a few points.

Montreuil was selected for its all important role owing to its accessibility both to the Trenches and to Paris and London. GHQ was moved there from St Omer in March 1916. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) with its Commander in Chief could thus communicate with ease with the Secretary of State for War and the Government in London.

Outside the church before the procession

Fox describes its attributes as “central remoteness”. There was a military population of about 5,000 including 300 Regular Officers supplemented by Temporary Officers- referred to irreverently by some as “Temporary Gentlemen”!

He says that it was ” a fantastic life- serious, monkish (in the almost total absence of the female sex), sober, disciplined and exciting.” Typical hours worked were 0900-2230 hrs with no distinction for weekends. Leave was given every 6 months.

It is curious that he uses this last adjective “exciting” as elsewhere he describes life in the trenches as “tedious – with rare moments of high excitement and horror”

He says that this depiction is in contrast to “lurid accounts of imaginative writers”! He also has a swipe at Members of the British Parliament who treated visits as “Cook’s Tours” -Cook’s being a well-known tourist agency.
General Travers Clarke, the QMG under whom Fox served, was insistent that Staff work should be seamless between the office and the trenches.

Five British Divisions were deployed – each at 20,000 men larger than the standard. Perhaps the most significant statistic is that for every Rifleman or Gunner in the Front Line, there were 3 soldiers in support.

I say “British” but let us not forget that this included men from throughout the British Empire – let alone relatively unsung soldiers from France (of course), Belgium, USA and Portugal -an early and truly international HQ.

The CinC lived in a nearby chateau and the École Militaire housed the HQ. There was a pleasant walk along the Ramparts to the Officers’ Club.

There is reference to Marshal Ney’s house near Plas Verte (used for Napoleon’s planned invasion of England) and to the Hotel de France which served as an alternative to the Officers’ Mess. Fox was billeted with a Monsieur Laurent and I wonder if any of his relations still live here. Can anyone help? His wife was a French teacher – and I fear that I would have benefitted from her tuition!

So what were the headline functions of GHQ?

The link between the Army in the field and the political leaders of the Allies; strategy in the British sector; supply of all clothing, food, munitions and pay; transport (by road by horse and by motor; by rail and water); agriculture and food supply; medical, veterinary and spiritual support etc. – all vital for maintaining morale (although it was noted that GHQ officers were poor church goers in contrast to the very religious Haig!)

There was occasional recreation in the Theatre, and in cricket, football, swimming and riding- which Fox particularly enjoyed. Indeed he took a special interest in the welfare of the many horses deployed at the Front.

Whilst British soldiers were described as “lions in the trenches” he maintains that they behaved as “lambs in the villages”. The relationship between the Army and the civilian population was a crucial one, being the unusual state of a country being occupied by friendly forces. This required civilian assent and cooperation, which was complicated by the movement of refugees.

New insights are given into the importance of a Labour Corps of up to a third of a million men.

Elderly and disabled French civilians did sterling service. More demanding physical work was carried out by Labour companies made up of Indian, Caribbean, Chinese, Fijian, Native South African and Egyptian men – supplemented by German Prisoners of War.

I will not go into the descriptions of the waxing and waning of the campaign all of which you can read.

Haig’s reputation has become a controversial subject. However in this contemporary record he has been given fulsome praise for his faithfulness to friends despite political or Press criticism; his brilliant insight for Appointments; his religious convictions; his great trust in others; and his enlightened promotion of education of soldiers to prepare them as better citizens for the return to civvy street after such extraordinary and exceptional experiences in battle.

The book ends with Marshal Foch’s appointment as Commander in Chief of the Allied Armies- a move which was wholeheartedly supported by the British and American Generals- Haig and Pershing.

That highly appropriate international recognition of French suffering and courage leading up to the glorious end to the War is also a good point on which to conclude this talk.

Thank you all for coming.

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