21675 Pte O Keenan, Border Regt

I know very little about this man. He appeared in a performance of Beauty & The Beast which was reported in The East Sussex News and the Sussex Express in February 1917. He is reported simply as Pte Keenan and he played the role of Beauty. I have a note form another source that he was 21675 Pte O Keenan but that is all that I currently know.  The newspaper articles are reproduced below.  

Sunday 9th February 1917 [The Sussex News]

ENTERTAINMENT AT THE PARISH ROOM

An entertainment by the soldiers and staff of The Beechlands Red Cross Hospital, assisted by a few friends, took place at The Parish Room on Wednesday evening.  The proceeds are for The Prisoners of War Fund and, judging by the crowded room, the fund should benefit by a considerable sum.  Beauty and The Beast, a pantomime in three acts, proved very amusing and created roars of laughter.  It was preceded by comic songs by Mr Gus Avery. Songs by Miss Hoather and recitations by Miss Beauchamp Marshall.  The characters in the pantomime were represented as follows: Beauty, Pte Keenan; Beast, Lc-Sgt Croft; Languor, Pte Lucas; Vanity, Rfm Maginnis; Merchant, Lc-Corpl Smith (Canadians); Fairy Godmother, Lc-Corpl McCrorie; Folly, Rfm Hobbs; Commonsense, Gunr Bright; King Cole, Corpl Reynolds; Fiddler, Pte Flynn; Fiddler, S-S Atkinson; Fiddler and Farmer’s Boy, Lc-Corpl Stern; Highlander, Pte McKenzie; Queen of Hearts, Pte Oliver; Knave of Hearts, Pte Hubbard; Knight, Pte Lincoln; Wizard I, Pte Head; Wizard II, Pte Gray; Wizard III, Pte Washbourne; Bo-peep, Pte Proctor; Poppy, Pte Brassington; Bee, Lc-Corpl Smith (Buffs); Firefly I, Pte Robinson; Firefly II, Pte Jennings; Forget-me-not, Pte Hoidge; Fairies, Misses J and K Fenn.

Sunday February 18^th 1917 - Chailey [The Sussex Express]

ENTERTAINMENT. 

The Parish Room was crowded with a large and appreciative audience on Wednesday evening, when a variety entertainment, organised by Miss Cotesworth, was given.  The first part consisted of song and recitations.  The second half of the programme was composed of a short musical play in three acts written by Miss Hughes, entitled ‘Beauty and The Beast”.  The proceeds will be donated to the Prisoners of War Fund.

February 23^rd 1917 [The Sussex Express]

The variety entertainment which was held at the Parish Room a fortnight ago realised £9,17s for the Prisoners of War Fund.

11976 Pte John Edward Griffiths, 10th Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)

11976 Private John Edward Griffiths was a patient at Beechland House in 1916.  His entry in Nurse Oliver’s album reads:

Pte J E Griffiths

11796

West Riding Regt

Gassed at Plugstreet

Aug 29/16

Private Griffiths shares this page with 486742 Sapper Arthur Bee of the 470^th Field Company, Royal Engineers.

John Griffiths was born in 1885 and - judging by his regimental number - almost certainly enlisted around 8th September 1914.  11794 Arthur Dunkerley certainly enlisted on this date, and with a number just two digits greater, it seems a good bet that John Griffiths did too. Nevertheless, he certainly didn't go overseas until 1916 as his medal index card indicates that he only received the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

It is uncertain from John's autograph entry and the scant surviving information regarding his war service, whether he was gassed on the 29th August 1916 or whether that was the date of his entry in Nurse Oliver’s album.  The medal roll entry notes that John served with the 10th West Riding Regiment which formed part of the 69th Brigade in the 23rd Division.

After he had recuperated at Beechland House he was transferred to the Durham Light Infantry and later discharged from its 21st Battalion on 2nd May 1918.  This suggests that he was a casualty for a second time.  By this stage he also had a new regimental number – 66280 - which would have been issued after March 1917.

The Mikado - Beechlands, June 1917

"Entertainments" of one sort or another seem to have been common currency for VAD hospitals during the First World War, both as a means of raising morale, and of raising money.  The photograph above, undated, appears in Nurse Oliver's album and is one of those photographs that I have looked at and pondered on hundreds of times.  I now know though, that it dates to June 1917, thanks to this article in the Sussex Agricultural Express on the 22nd June.

23610 Private Frank Peacock, 3rd Grenadier Guards

Chailey Parish Magazine first notes Frank Peacock in October 1915 listing him as, Peacock, Pte F, Grenadier Guards, England.  In December, it notes that he is in France.  Then, in February 1916, in its roll of honour section, it notes: Pte F Peacock, Grenadier Guards, killed in action, Dec 20th 1915. 

The Commonwealth War Graves’ Commission’s Debt of Honour register commemorates 23610 Private Frank Peacock of the 3rd Grenadier Guards who died on the date recorded in Chailey’s parish magazine.  It gives the additional information that he was 23 years old and the son of George and Margaret Peacock. 

The 1901 census notes him living at what looks like, Chafed Land, Chailey village.  The household comprised Janus C Smith (head, married, aged 36, working as a gardener), his wife Mary Ann Smith (aged 53) and three children: William C Smith (aged 21, also working as a gardener), Kate L Smith (aged 16) and Edith B Smith (aged 13).  Frank, aged eight, and born in Charlton, Kent, is noted as a nephew.  The household is completed by Cecil E Matthews, aged five and recorded as a grandson. 

Soldiers Died in the Great War records his place of birth as Cholton [sic] and the fact that he enlisted at Brighton.  No place of residence is given. The register of soldiers' effects records Mary A Smith as his aunt and sole legatee. She was sent a total of £7, 19 shillings and sixpence; a combination of money owing to Frank at the time of his death, and a war gratuity of £3.

Frank Peacock is buried in the Royal Irish Rifles graveyard at Laventie, grave reference VI. B. 6. My thanks to Colin Roberts for taking the photo.