Vera Brittain: a Life Free
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Commemorazione Di Vera Brittain
c/o Urban Center , Piazzetta Rossi Thiene sede legale: Piazzetta Ferrarin 1, 36016 Thiene Tel. 0445 804837 - fax 0445 804999 e-mail: [email protected] c.f. 03018920243 - c/c postale n.42840090 www.pedemontanavicentina.com Commemorazione di Vera Brittain Grande pacifista d'Europa le cui ceneri sono sparse nel cimitero di guerra britannico di Granezza (Lusiana) La manifestazione che segnerà l'avvio delle successive attività di celebrazione della Grande Guerra nel territorio della Pedemontana Veneta. LA VITA Grande pacifista d'Europa, Vera Brittain nacque il 29 dicembre 1883 a Newcastle-under- Lyme in Inghilterra. Dopo aver iniziato gli studi ad Oxford, incapace di stare a guardare attendendo con angoscia il susseguirsi degli eventi bellici da poco scopiati, come moltre altre giovani donne, sentì il bisogno di impegnarsi in prima persona e, in seguito all'arruolamento dell'amato fratello Edward e del fidanzato Roland Leighton, nel 1915 lasciò gli studi per arruolarsi come infermiera volontaria nel Voluntary Aid Detachment (V.A.D.) e portare il proprio aiuto ai numerosi soldati britannici impegnati al fronte. Dopo la morte del fidanzato Ronald, unitosi al Reggimento Worcestershire, ancor più dura fu pe Vera la morte di Edward, avvenuta in battaglia il 15 giugno 1918. Rimasta praticamente sola dopo un susseguirsi di perdite degli affetti a lei più cari, la scrittrice decise di pubblicare i diari personali e le lettere scambiate con il fratello durante la fitta corrispondenza che i due mantennero nell'arco del conflitto, ricchi di testimonianze sugli sconvolgenti anni della Prima Guerra Mondiale. E proprio queste testimonianze fecere di lei una delle scrittrici più amate di sempre nel mondo anglosassone, il cui nome si lega alla celebre opera del 1933, Testament of Youth e dov'è possibile scorgere anche le difficoltà incontrate dalla scrittrice nel ritornare alla qutidianità dopo i duri anni del conflitto. -
Was a Close Friend of Vera Brittain (1893-1970) from 1942 Until the End of Her Life
VERA BRITTAIN/PAUL BERRY Archive The writer and lecturer Paul Berry (1919-99) was a close friend of Vera Brittain (1893-1970) from 1942 until the end of her life. She appointed him a literary executor, and he later became one of her authorised biographers. This collection comprises his correspondence with VB, and a wide-ranging and varied archive of material gathered and collated by Berry and Mark Bostridge in preparation of their Vera Brittain: A Life (Chatto & Windus, 1995). Berry bequeathed the collection to Somerville College, where Brittain was an undergraduate from 1914-15 & 1919-21. Below is a summary of the collection’s contents; a full catalogue is available on request. Index, by Box number: 1 Vera Brittain-Paul Berry: original letters 1942-60, with P B’s commentary. 2 As above, 1961-9. 3 Vera Brittain-Edith Brittain (her mother): original letters, 1902-21; photocopies of correspondence involving VB & her brother Edward (1913 & 1918), her daughter Shirley Williams (1952-7), her fiancé Roland Leighton (1914), and his sister Clare (1918-35). Misc. Brittain/Bervon (VB’s maternal grandparents)/Catlin (VB’s husband) family documents, including copies of birth, marriage & death certificates, and family trees. 4 Vera Brittain-George Catlin: photocopies of letters 1924-65, with PB’s commentary. 5 George Catlin: original letters GC-PB 1967-78, typed copies PB-GC, 1968-78; misc biographical material, including a photographic portrait by Karsh. 6-10 Vera Brittain’s Diaries: photocopies from 1911, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944-5; photocopies from diaries 1939-68; edited typescripts of World War One Diary & Diary of the Thirties. -
“To Leaven the Lump”: a Critical History of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship in New Zealand
“To Leaven the Lump”: A Critical History of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship in New Zealand By Zane Mather A Thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Religious Studies Victoria University of Wellington 2011 ABSTRACT This thesis is an interpretation of the history and character of the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship in New Zealand (NZAPF). It focuses on accounting for the limited growth and influence of the Fellowship upon New Zealand’s largest Christian denomination, and on the continuing marginality of the pacifist position. Throughout its history, the organisation has sought to convince others within the Anglican Church that an absolutist, politically engaged and non-anarchistic pacifism is the truest Christian response to the problem of modern warfare. This has been attempted primarily through efforts at education aimed at both clergy and laity. The thesis argues that the NZAPF has been characterised by a commitment to absolute doctrinaire pacifism, despite ongoing tensions between this position and more pragmatic considerations. Overall, the NZAPF attracted only a small group of members throughout its history, and it exerted a limited demonstrable influence on the Anglican Church. This thesis analyses the reasons for this, focusing especially on those factors which arose from the nature of the NZAPF itself, the character of its pacifism, and the relationship between the NZAPF and its primary target audience, the Anglican Church in New Zealand. The research is based on literature and correspondence from the NZAPF as well as personal communication with extant members, where this was feasible. -
Margaret Glover Images of Peace in Britain
MARGARET GLOVER IMAGES OF PEACE IN BRITAIN: FROM THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY TO THE SECOND WORLD WAR’ (University of Reading: unpublished Ph.D thesis, 2002) Two volumes: volume 1 – 378 pages, with appendices; volume 2 – 474 images This thesis investigates the rich range of images and outlets associated with pacifism, and considers the changing palette and motifs of peace, especially between 1900 and 1940. The author embeds the display of peace into the history of the peace movement. Quakers were at the heart of the peace movement, driving it forward through the Boer, Spanish Civil, First and Second World Wars, and sustaining and nourishing its longevity and integrity. Indeed, the author has revealed their archive of Friends’ peace posters to be integral to her thesis and to twentieth-century pacifism. Other groups are included; the Peace Pledge Union, Artists’ International Association and Pax feature most strongly. The art and design of Birmingham Quaker Joseph E. Southall and Catholic Eric Gill form a large part of the thesis. However, the thesis reveals how central were amateurs and local campaigners to the production of peace images and peace activism. Moreover, the tensions that war and pacifism provoked are explored throughout. The author utilises a range of methodological approaches and incorporates not only what peace imagery consisted of, but also its media – such as posters, the pacifist press, buttonholes and the art – as well as display outlets: for example, the body, the street, peace shops, placards, pageants, processions, vehicles, exhibitions, cinema and theatre. KEYWORDS: pacifism; peace movement; Quakers; Peace Testimony; Peace Pledge Union; peace exhibitions; peace shops; peace imagery; peace posters; peace badges; white poppies; Peace News; Spanish Civil War; World War One; World War Two; Artists International Association; Peggy Smith; Dick Sheppard; Joseph E. -
Troublesome Priests: Christianity and Marxism in the Church of England, 1906-1969
Troublesome Priests: Christianity and Marxism in the Church of England, 1906-1969 A thesis submitted to The University of Manchester for the degree of Master of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities 2014 Edward Poole School of Arts, Languages and Cultures Table of Contents Abbreviations 3 Abstract 4 Declaration and Copyright Statement 5 Introduction: The Church of England and Marxism 6 “Proud Socialist Parson”: Robert William Cummings 29 Catholic Crusader: Conrad Noel 59 The Red Dean: Hewlett Johnson 91 A Priest in the Party: Alan Ecclestone 126 Conclusion 159 Bibliography 166 The total word count for this thesis is 48,575. 2 Abbreviations Alan Ecclestone Papers, Sheffield Archives AEP Christian Social Union CSU Church Socialist League CSL Conrad Noel Papers, Hull History Centre CNP Guild of St. Matthew GSM Hewlett Johnson Papers, University of Kent at Canterbury HJP Independent Labour Party ILP Labour History Archive and Study Centre, People’s History Museum LHA Lambeth Palace Library LPL Tameside Local Studies and Archives TLSA Working Class Movement Library WCML 3 Abstract This thesis argues that the relationship between Anglican Christianity and Marxism in Britain between 1906 and 1969 has been far more complex than is commonly understood. It is often assumed that the relationship between religious organisations and Marxism has often been acrimonious, the latter famously rejecting religion as the ‘opium of the people’, and religion resisting the revolutionary nature of Marxism. Taking a biographical approach, examining four Church of England clergymen, Robert Cummings, Conrad Noel, Hewlett Johnson and Alan Ecclestone, this thesis shows that some Anglicans saw a philosophical connection between Christianity and Marxism. -
Testament of Youth
Mongrel Media Presents BBC FILMS AND HEYDAY FILMS SCREEN YORKSHIRE AND BFI Present in association with HOTWELLS PRODUCTIONS, NORDISK FILM PRODUCTION and LIPSYNC TESTAMENT OF YOUTH Directed by James Kent Based on Vera Brittain’s memoir 129 mins Distribution Publicity Bonne Smith Star PR 1028 Queen Street West Tel: 416-488-4436 Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M6J 1H6 Fax: 416-488-8438 Tel: 416-516-9775 Fax: 416-516-0651 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] www.mongrelmedia.com High res stills may be downloaded from http://www.mongrelmedia.com CREDITS CAST Vera Brittain Alicia Vikander Roland Leighton Kit Harington Edward Brittain Taron Egerton Mrs. Brittain Emily Watson Hope Milroy Hayley Atwell Victor Richardson Colin Morgan Aunt Belle Joanna Scanlan Mr. Brittain Dominic West Miss Lorimer Miranda Richardson DIRECTED BY James Kent PRODUCED BY David Heyman, Rosie Alison SCREENPLAY BY Juliette Towhidi Based on Vera Brittain’s “TESTAMENT OF YOUTH” EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Christine Langan, Joe Oppenheimer, Hugo Heppell, Zygi Kamasa, Richard Mansell CO-PRODUCER Celia Duval DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Rob Hardy, B.S.C. EDITED BY Lucia Zucchetti, A.C.E. COSTUME DESIGNER Consolata Boyle MAKE-UP & HAIR DESIGN Christine Walmesley-Cotham MUSIC BY Max Richter 3 SHORT SYNOPSIS Testament of Youth is a powerful story of love, war and remembrance, based on the First World War memoir by Vera Brittain, which has become the classic testimony of that war from a woman’s point of view. A searing journey from youthful hopes and dreams to the edge of despair and back again, it’s a film about young love, the futility of war and how to make sense of the darkest times. -
Emotional Partings
2 Emotional partings Bidding farewell to his older brother as he embarked on the first stage of his journey to the Western Front was, according to Pat Campbell, ‘the unhappiest parting I have ever experienced’. Only on the cusp of leave-taking did Pat appreciate the enormity of what his brother faced. Nearly sixty years later, the sight of a departing train still had the power to disturb him.1 Trauma experts Charles Figley and William Nash assert that deployment to the war zone is a ‘transformative process’ for everyone involved.2 Even the familiar terrain of the railway platform took on a heightened intensity amid the whirlwind of mobilisation. Strangers joined with intimates to see off loved ones. Such moments can be seen as theatre or specta- cle, belying their emotional import as testified by their prevalence in sibling narratives.3 Caught up in the initial novelty, siblings expe- rienced and recorded a range of emotional responses. As the war progressed, the cumulative effects of saying goodbye took their toll on those left at home. Sibling narratives reveal varied responses to appeals to serve their country, supplementing existing evidence challenging the myth of war enthusiasm.4 Bewilderment and dread were common emotions, in stark contrast to the jingoism that greeted the Boer War.5 Nicola Martin challenges the chronology of the reconceptualisation of heroic masculinity, arguing that this underwent a sea-change long before the Armistice.6 Fraternal narratives offer up an even earlier starting point. From the outset, men’s fears for their brothers’ and their families’ wellbeing and economic prosperity present a more nuanced picture of masculinity. -
Vera Brittain-Paul Berry Index
VERA BRITTAIN/PAUL BERRY Archive The writer and lecturer Paul Berry (1919-99) was a close friend of Vera Brittain (1893-1970) from 1942 until the end of her life. She appointed him a literary executor, and he later became one of her authorised biographers. This collection comprises his correspondence with VB, and a wide-ranging and varied archive of material gathered and collated by Berry and Mark Bostridge in preparation of their Vera Brittain: A Life (Chatto & Windus, 1995). Berry bequeathed the collection to Somerville College, where Brittain was an undergraduate from 1914-15 & 1919-21. Below is a summary of the collection’s contents; a full catalogue is available on request. Index, by Box number: 1 Vera Brittain-Paul Berry: original letters 1942-60, with P B’s commentary. 2 As above, 1961-9. 3 Vera Brittain-Edith Brittain (her mother), photocopies of correspondence 1902-21; photocopies of correspondence involving VB & her brother Edward (1913 & 1918), her daughter Shirley Williams (1952-7), her fiancé Roland Leighton (1914), and his sister Clare (1918-35). Misc. Brittain/Bervon (VB’s maternal grandparents)/Catlin (VB’s husband) family documents, including copies of birth, marriage & death certificates, and family trees. 4 Vera Brittain-George Catlin: photocopies of letters 1924-65, with PB’s commentary. 5 George Catlin: original letters GC-PB 1967-78, typed copies PB-GC, 1968-78; misc biographical material, including a photographic portrait by Karsh. 6-10 Vera Brittain’s Diaries: photocopies from 1911, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944-5; photocopies from diaries 1939-68; edited typescripts of World War One Diary & Diary of the Thirties (ed. -
MEMORIAL TEXT NARRATIVES in BRITAIN C.1890-1930
MEMORIAL TEXT NARRATIVES IN BRITAIN c.1890-1930 by SONIA LETITIA BATTEN A thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Medieval and Modern History School of Historical Studies The University of Birmingham March 2011 ABSTRACT This thesis seeks to explore the memorial texts that developed as a result of the First World War, composed primarily by those whose sons, husbands and fathers had died between 1914 and 1918. Visitors to the military cemeteries of the First World War are interested to read the inscriptions left by the bereaved at the foot of individual headstones, yet this aspect of post-war commemoration is still largely unexplored. This thesis seeks to explore these responses: by considering the process through which the bereaved were permitted to select inscriptions, the sources from which they derived consolation, and the narratives that they pursued throughout the post-war period to 1930. Parallel to these permanent headstone inscriptions are considered the ephemeral commemoration of the newspaper in memoriam column, a source of material that has received scant attention but which promises a rich glimpse into the conventions of early-twentieth-century mourning – conventions which are still resonant almost a century after the First World War broke out. To contextualise post- war responses, the thesis introduces commemorative practices used to remember those who died in the South African War and in the sinking of the Titanic, many of which were used again in the aftermath of 1918. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the following individuals and members of the following institutions for their help and advice. -
INTERVIEW DISCURSO DIRECTO Roland Leighton in Uniform, Taken in 1915 by an Unknown Photographer
INTERVIEW DISCURSO DIRECTO Roland Leighton in uniform, taken in 1915 by an unknown photographer. From David Leighton’s family papers Roland Leighton as Man and Poet1 Interview with David Leighton Interviewer: Paula Campos Fernández London, 24th March, 2017 oland Aubrey Leighton was born in London in 1895. He grew up in an active literary environment, as he was the adored son of R Robert Leighton, a writer of adventure stories, and Marie Connor Leighton, a successful romance novelist. At Uppingham School in Rutland, he edited the school magazine, where he published his first poems, won the Classic prizes, and was later to become a quartermaster sergeant in the Officer’s Training Corps. During his time at Uppingham he met those who would become his closest friends: Edward Brittain and Victor Richardson. It was also in those days that he met Edward’s sister, Vera Brittain, the well- known pacifist and feminist writer, who would later become his fiancée. In 1914, Roland was awarded the Classical Postmastership at Oxford. But the Great War broke out and, like so many of his generation, instead of continuing his studies he volunteered for the army at the first opportunity and was eventually posted to France in early 1915. Of those who had been school prefects with him in 1914, only one quarter survived a further two years. During his time at the front he exchanged a great number of letters with Vera, where they discussed British society, the war and literature. Some of his poems were included in the correspondence sent to Vera. On 23 December 1915 Roland died of wounds in Louvencourt, France, after 1 My interest in Roland Leighton started in the early summer of 2016, when I discovered his poetry. -
Vera Brittain: the Work of Memorial in an Age of War
Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Thought Volume 1 Issue 1 Women's Work Article 3 November 2006 Vera Brittain: The Work of Memorial in an Age of War Christine M. Doran State University of New York, Potsdam Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.salve.edu/jift Recommended Citation Doran, Christine M. (2006) "Vera Brittain: The Work of Memorial in an Age of War," Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Thought: Vol. 1 : Iss. 1 , Article 3. Available at: https://digitalcommons.salve.edu/jift/vol1/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Salve Regina. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Thought by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ Salve Regina. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Doran: Vera Brittain: The Work of Memorial in an Age of War The Work of Memorial in an Age of War: Vera Brittain’s Testament of Youth Christine M. Doran Christine M. Doran is a visiting assistant professor in the Department of English and Communication at the State University of New York, Potsdam. “Work itself is given a voice. To present it verbally is part of a man’s ability to perform the work.” Walter Benjamin “On Some Motifs in Baudelaire” “When the Great War broke out, it came to me not as a superlative tragedy, but as an interruption of the most exasperating kind to my personal plans.” Vera Brittain Testament of Youth Vera Brittain is one of a number of women—whom George Gissing called “odd,” whom W. -
4A1: the Great War and Modern Homosexuality
PAPER 4A1 – CHET DEFONSO PROCEEDINGS OF ARMISTICE & AFTERMATH: A MICHIGAN TECH SYMPOSIUM ON WWI • SEPT. 28-29 2018 The Great War and Modern Homosexuality: Transatlantic Crossings Chet DeFonso Northern Michigan University In June 15 1918, Captain Edward Brittain was killed at Asiago, on the Alto-Adige front in northern Italy, leading a small number of British troops in what appeared to be a hopeless, full-frontal attack upon numerically superior Austrian and German forces. Just the day previously, Brittain had been informed by his superior officers that he was being investigated on account of allegations that he had engaged in sexual relations with men under his command. Edward Brittain was the beloved younger brother of Vera Brittain, the remarkable young woman whose service in the war as a VAD nurse formed the core of her remarkable and successful memoir, Testament of Youth. Later in her life, Vera Brittain would wonder if her brother had purposely exposed himself to reckless danger as a way of courting death, in effect committing suicide, in an effort to avoid the disgrace and shame that would come to him—and to his family—were his homosexuality to be publicly revealed (Bishop and Bostridge). Brittain’s experience as a soldier whose life was shadowed and ultimately darkened by society’s rejection of his sexual orientation was not unusual. For the most part, early twentieth century European and American societies rejected the concept that same-gender sexual orientation should be regarded as a normal, healthy, moral, legal, and acceptable mode of existence. Queer individuals paid the price by being forced to live hidden lives, often with the guilt of censure and rejection weighing heavily upon them.