The Story of Cheltenham's Official WW1 Memorial Painting
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The story of Cheltenham’s Official WW1 Memorial Painting Neela Mann The story of the painting Grateful thanks go to: It was in 2014, whilst writing the book Cheltenham Borough Council’s Cheltenham Cheltenham in the Great War , that Dr. Steven Remembers project, funded by the Heritage Steve Blake; Henrietta Brooks; Cheltenham Borough Council Blake gave me a copy of an article by James Lottery Fund and Cheltenham Borough Council, Cheltenham Remembers project: Helen Down, Louise Forey, Brazier, Editor of The Western Front Association’s to commemorate the end of the First World War. Rebecca Sillence and Jane Stovell; Joe Devereux; David Bulletin. Written in 1997, the article was entitled Drinkwater; Sarah Harvey at Art Works Design; Helene Hewett Cheltenham’s Forgotten War Memorial Painting . In a collaborative venture between Cheltenham of Suffolk Anthology; Vicki Hopson of Soldiers of Gloucestershire The painting, by Fred Roe RI, has a self Local History Society and The Wilson Art Gallery Museum; Jimmy James of www.remembering.org.uk ; explanatory long title – A relieved platoon of the and Museum, the painting was returned to Natalie Painter of EES Print; Christopher Rainey of Cheltenham 1/5th Gloucesters marching in from the trenches Cheltenham to be displayed, with an explanatory Local and Family History Centre; The Wilson: Ann-Rachael past headquarters at Hébuterne 1916 . exhibition, from June 2018 – March 2019. It is Harwood and Sophie Wilson. uncertain when the picture was last exhibited This painting had been commissioned to in the town but is known to have been away For further information on Cheltenham in WW1 remember the 1,700 or so people of Cheltenham for at least 50 years, looked after by the or to contribute to the Cheltenham Remembers project who gave their lives in WW1. Five of the soldiers Gloucestershire Regiment, latterly in the go to www.cheltenhamremembers.org.uk of the seven in this picture were Cheltenham Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum, where men and one died on the Somme. The story it will return after the exhibition. Images: Source, unless otherwise stated, Cheltenham Chronicle behind and within the painting intrigued me & Gloucestershire Graphic . © Neela Mann so that it became the postscript of the book. Now the story of the painting can be told here SOGM – Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum and as part of a larger exhibition under the title I was determined the picture should be brought At Last Fighting is Over in The Open Archive. Text and compilation © 2018 Neela Mann back to Cheltenham. The opportunity to realise this objective arose in 2016 through the 2 3 The commissioning of the Commemorative War Painting In July 1919, Cheltenham’s Art Gallery and By September 1920 the painting, 56″ x 40″ in size, Museum Committee, chaired by Councillor was on view in Cheltenham Art Gallery. At that Clara Winterbotham, agreed to commission time the Echo hoped the picture would set an a war memorial painting, the fee being £200. example which would encourage donations from “all who desire to see in Cheltenham During the war, Clara Winterbotham had a war memorial on a scale appropriate to been a VAD nurse in Cheltenham. She became the sacrifices of the town.” The town’s war Cheltenham’s first lady councillor in 1918 memorial was unveiled on 1st October 1921. and the first lady Mayor of Cheltenham in 1921. Two of her brothers are portrayed One hundred prints of the painting were sold in the painting. to raise money, realising 14 guineas in 1921. It was the purchase of one of these prints in An appeal was made for photos or sketches, as a Kent antique shop in 1997 which prompted they were needed by the artist, from any soldiers James Brazier’s article. He too was intrigued who had been in Hébuterne. By December 1919 by the picture. Another print is now in Brown’s the artist, Mr Fred Roe RI, had submitted a sketch University, Rhode Island in the USA having been of the picture. Incidentally, Queen Alexandra purchased by the university’s curator whilst purchased this preliminary sketch of the painting holidaying in London. Had he purchased it from after it had been exhibited at the Royal Institute the same print dealer in London to whom James Cheltenham Territorials 1/5th Battalion Gloucesters, Clara Winterbotham, 1921 of Painters in Water Colours in March 1920. Brazier had sold the print? Clarence Street, 5th August 1914 4 5 The painting The setting of the painting The scene is of a platoon of the 1/5th battalion Hébuterne was a farming village in the far After the war, under the scheme organised by Gloucestershire Regiment returning from front north east corner of the Hauts-de-France region The British League of Help to aid war-devastated line duty in the trenches to their headquarters of France, 15 miles south west of Arras. towns and villages in France, Hébuterne was in Hébuterne. adopted by the town of Evesham – both being For most of WW1 Hébuterne was in the front line fruit-growing areas. Gloucester adopted the Placed next to the battalion’s chaplain of the Western Front. On the eastern side of the village of Ovillers-la-Boiselle, where the Rev George Helm is a young officer in a helmet, village the allied forces were entrenched. Facing Gloucestershire Regiment had been in action leading the platoon. He stands out in the them, 800 yards away, was the Imperial German in the summer of 1916. foreground of the painting and is Lt Cyril Army, occupying the village of Gommecourt. Winterbotham – the only one of the soldiers In mid-summer 1916, the British army carried Cheltenham adopted Engelfontaine which had in the picture to be killed in action. out attacks from Hébuterne in an attempt to also been razed to the ground due to shelling. capture Gommecourt as a part of the battle The unveiling of Cheltenham’s war memorial Four other officers have come out of the battalion’s of the Somme, which failed with severe losses. in the Promenade on 1st October 1921 was building (H51) to greet the men – 2nd Lt JP In the month of August 1916 the 1/5th battalion attended by the Mayor of Engelfontaine, “Percy” Winterbotham, brother of Cyril, Lt Col Gloucesters alone suffered over 500 killed, M. Cantinueau, and a sale of metal lapel flags JH Collett, Major JF Tarrant and Major NH Waller. wounded and missing out of 1,000 men. By the raised money for the adopted town. Major General war’s end, the village was a complete wreck Sir Robert Fanshawe who had been Commanding The soldier at the head of the men returning Gloucestershire Echo, 26th August 1915. as a result of its front line position and had Officer of the 48th (South Midland) Division, from the trenches is Company Sgt Major William Image © Joe Devereux to be completely re-built. of which the 1/5th battalion Gloucestershire Tibbles. In the background can be seen the Regiment was part, unveiled the memorial. shattered buildings which is all that remained of the heavily shelled village of Hébuterne. 6 7 Coy Sgt Major Rev Lt Col Major William Tibbles George Helm JH Collett NH Waller Lt Cyril 2nd Lt JP “Percy” Major The soldiers in the painting Winterbotham Winterbotham JF Tarrant Lt Col JH Collett of Gloucester was the Commanding Officer of the 1/5th Gloucesters. He launched the trench magazine The Fifth Glo’sters Gazette to raise the morale of his troops. This is thought to be the first trench publication, predating The Wipers Times . Major NH Waller at Houtbeck, 19 17 (Courtesy of the Waller family) Major Noel Huxley Waller led the Cheltenham territorial soldiers of ‘E’ and ‘F’ companies of the 1/5th battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment out of Cheltenham from the Drill Hall in North Street the day after war was declared. For some time he served as officer commanding the Grenade School at Sailly, inventing ways of improving weaponry and for this he was the first soldier of the battalion to be awarded the Military Cross. In civilian life Waller was an architect in the © family practice which designed Cheltenham’s T h e C Town Hall in 1903. h e l t e n h a m T r u s t 8 9 Major JF Tarrant, 1919 Major J Frederick Cathedral in 1937. From 1938 to 1942 he was At the attack at Ovillers-la-Boiselle on and local cricketer and golfer. Tarrant was Honorary Chaplain to King George V. the Somme on 27th August 1916, in which second in Lt Cyril Winterbotham and others died, Lt Cyril command of the Company Sgt Major William Tibbles Tibbles took over command when all Winterbotham 1/5th Gloucesters was a Motor Mechanic from Cheltenham. the officers were killed or injured and was born and when the battalion On the outbreak of war he became Company two thirds of the company killed. For this educated in went to France. Sgt Major under Major NH Waller. he was awarded the Military Cross. After Cheltenham, Born in the war he ran his own motor repair business the third son Cheltenham at 28 St. George’s Place, Cheltenham. of Alderman in 1870, Tarrant Winterbotham. was Bursar at 2nd Lt JP “Percy” Winterbotham was born Although a Cheltenham in Cheltenham, the second son of Alderman barrister in Ladies’ College Winterbotham and the brother of Lt Cyril London, Cyril for over 50 years. and Clara Winterbotham. Winterbotham Lt Cyril Winterbotham had been selected (courtesy of SOGM) Rev George Helm When Percy Winterbotham enlisted in 1914 in 1913 as the Liberal party’s parliamentary was the battalion’s he was the Cheltenham Borough councillor candidate for the Cirencester division and Chaplain.