Miscellaneous cuttings and poems

There were a number of newspaper cuttings and some handwritten poems loose amongst the pages of the diaries.  It's not easy to date the cuttings or to identify the authors of all the poems.  If anyone is able to provide further information I would be glad to hear from you; please get in touch via the Visitor's Book.

UPDATE 14 November 2008: Thanks - again - to Jayne for linking two of the cuttings to entries in the Volume 2, Part 1 of the diaries:

1. Captain Bell-Irving's accident is mentioned on 17 and 20 September 1915, and

2. The Canadian 'minstrels' are listed on 15 November 1915.

UPDATE 28 October 2008: Jayne Hyslop, who is a wonderful source of information, has provided some cuttings relating to:

1. The family of Capt. Malcolm McBean Bell-Irving (see below).  Jayne says: "there are various newspaper accounts of his activities as well as those of his 4 fighting brothers, known as the "fighting family of Vancouver", and

2. Lady Perrott's (see below) obituary from The Times dated July 6, 1939.  It contains details of her WWI nursing service.

(Private - ?) J Cooper

First the poems and here are three by, I think, the same person: J. Cooper, 2824, A Company, 1/8 Royal Warwicks. His name appears at the bottom of the third poem and is dedicated 'To Sister Appleton From a grateful patient'. The handwriting is similar on all three but it's possible that J.Cooper wrote only 'The Sausage' and that the other two ('England' and 'Day Dreams') are by someone else. If you can put dates to these that would be excellent.

England

Day Dreams

The Sausage

Private D.J.Dennis

This fourth poem is from Private D.J.Dennis, 7213, C Company, 6th Buffs and has 'No. 1 Annex D General Hospital B.E.F. France added after his name. Edie was at No. 1 General Hospital from November 1915 and Volume 3 of her diary still has there until 15 November 1916 but we are then unsure of her whereabouts until Volume 4 when she is at Abbeville.

There's a slightly exasperated comment about the subjects of this poem from Edie on 6 July 1916 - in Volume 3 of the diaries:  "Unpleasant insect companions are the terror of my life.  Many came down with the Tommies - & some have transferred their affections to us. & we hadn’t a quarter of a second to hunt them so just forgot all about them until bed time which came late."

If anyone can shed more light on these poems or on their author, please get in touch via the Visitor's Book.

Now, here are the newspaper cuttings. Any information on dates or the subjects of these cuttings will be appreciated. Get in touch via the Visitor's Book.

Captain Malcolm McBean Bell-Irving < The cutting on the left was loose in the pages of the diaries. Added here 27 October 2008. This cutting may well relate to the diary entries for 17 and 20 September 1915. See Volume 2, Part 1.    > On 28 Oct 2008 Jayne Hyslop has provided the cutting on the right from The Toronto Star of 12 June 1917.   More information here: http://www.canadaveteranshallofvalour.com/Bell-IrvingMM.htm

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