Looking for the Comforts of Home

Recently my Mom gave me a bunch of letters from my Uncle, who was killed in  WWII, a Bombardier who perished over Bremen, Germany in August 1944. I never knew him, and these are a treasure, being introduced to someone who I have always heard good things about, but through his letters to his mother, I see the character of the person, the selflessness, the concern for his family, the responsibility and duty to his nation not only accepted but seen as an honor. He wrote practically every day from the time he left for training in late 1943 to the day before he died.

Got me to thinking about letters from 18th Century soldiers to their families and friends. My WWII letters are somewhat browned with age, but still in pretty good shape. Letters from over 200 years ago may be a different thing. Of course, letters written by famous commanders such as Gen. Washington survive and are displayed in museums and archives, but every day folk's correspondence is not always easy to find, or was kept in the best way possible.

As technology keeps changing, we are losing more and more hand written correspondence. Tweets, emails, etc have taken the place of what is generally and sarcastically known as "snail mail". But, to me, the an actual letter delivered to your mail box suggests that someone took the time to communicate, to choose the stationary, to write in detail, to (and this many be the most important!) choose their words most carefully. Once words are committed to paper, and placed in the mail slot, they are irretrievable. You better have been careful! 

For our purposes from the Enlightened Age, here's a sampling the American Revolution, from 1777:

Lieutenant WILLIAM BARTON of the Fourth and later the First New Jersey Regiment;To his father, Gilbert Barton of Allentown, N.J.,

(Whitemarsh, 22 November 1777) "...I expected to have been at home before this, but cannot Obtain leave Untill we go into Quarters, I have sent some clothes by Mr. Griggs which is one pair of Breaches two Jackets three pr Stockings...l am removed from the company I was in which was Capt. Lyon's and am know in Capt. Holmes Compy. as first Lieut, there are many officers resigning which is Like to make a Great deal of Promotion...my love to my Mother Sisters & all inquiring frinds..."

And, another from 1778 from Barton again, mentioning Valley Forge:

..."Camp Valley Forge, Feb. 18th 1778...I should wrote oftener but have been in expectation of Coming home but this day find my expectations blasted, and have no maner of hope to get home Untill April...I have Received my Coat & boots by Capt. Weycoff and am Inform'd you have procured me some shirts which I am Extremely Glad of as l shall be in Great need of them in a short time. I'me at this Present time in health, and hope these may find you all in Perfect health, if to the reverse at any time Please to give me inteligence Thireof and I shall come home at all Events. I have not Receiv'd a Letter from you since at home, should be very Glad to be favour'd with a few lines if Convenient and Likewise a few pounds of Sugar and A little Chocolate...there is a Scarcety of those articles in this Place...Camp does not very well agree with me..."

In the letters I am currently reading and copying, I see the every day life of an air man, a bombardier, in this case, asking for his Mom to send some heavy wool knit socks, or hoping she'll send some paper (as it was rationed), so he could write home. He also asked for some chocolate or gum to hand out.  In Lt. Barton's letter, you see him ask for stockings, some sugar, or chocolate. Not much has changed when looking for the comforts of home!

The Toby Jug

When regular tv programming has little to offer, I have started to turn to the H&I network, Heroes and Icons, to see some of the shows that were popular in the 1960's. And frankly, they are good STORIES. They may not feature all the special effects of tv nowadays, but the plots are character driven, and they are kind of addicting. My particular favorites are Combat! which ran from 1962-67, and Twelve O'Clock High (64-67). Combat is in black and white, a WWII drama of those army men who survived D-Day, and are infiltrating into France to eliminate the Nazi threat. Twelve O'Clock features the WWII U.S. army air corps stationed in England, making bombing raids over the channel to France and Germany.

In Twelve O'clock, every so often you see a scene within the officer's club where the men go to relax, have a drink, sing a song. (They are not watching tv, or playing video games! haha). On a mantle above a large fireplace, there is a large ceramic mug that has a face on it. An officer will come in, walk over to the mantle, and turn the mug either face in or out. I was intrigued. I was talking with my brother who is a military buff, and has seen every movie of this kind. He explained to me about the mug, and I looked it up! Ahh! there is a connection with the 18th Century.

The mug is called a "Toby Jug" and refers to a ceramic pitcher, formed in the shape of a person. The name "Toby" is illusive, but these pitchers became a popular art form in England in the 18th Century. They were usually used in pubs as a water pitcher.

The Staffordshire potters of the 1760's are credited with their development. The Toby Jug is sometimes called a Fillpot or Philpot. Sometimes the person it depicts is seated in typical 18th Century attire, with tricorne hat, pipe in hand, etc, but  often it is just the head, and some part of the hat, for example, forms the handle.

Some folks say the name Toby came from the character in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Sir Toby Belch, an intoxicated and jovial man.

In the film Twelve O'clock High, the Toby is one depicting Robin Hood, and plays a pivotal role as it was a way to alert the crews of an upcoming mission, without outsiders knowing what was about to take place. The Toby in the film was made by Royal Doulton, circa 1947. Based in fact, RAF flyers from WWI used to "turn the Toby", a mission code, which was later adopted by the flyers in WWII.  

I am a military buff too, and now I want one of those jugs. I have been looking on line but there are none to be had, even a replica. I found one at auction, but it was way too expensive, and the auction was closed anyway. Well, it's something to keep in mind when antique hunting. meanwhile, if you want to see one, rent the movie! It's really good!

The Bayeux Tapestry

Recently I have become interested in doing some needlepoint work. It has been a long time since I have put thread to canvas; it's enjoyable, but patient work. There are no shortcuts, if you want to have something beautiful and long-lasting when it is finished.

I have been doing some reading on the Battle of Hastings, and had an Aha! moment. Why not reproduce the Bayeux Tapestry?! Well, at least some scenes from it. The original is about 70 meters long! Time will tell if I take this on, but right now, it sounds tempting.

The tapestry depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England, involving William, Duke of Orange (The Conqueror), and Harold, Earl of Wessex, later King of England. The climax is the Battle of Hastings. The tapestry chronicals the whole event, and is considered the supreme achievement of the Norman Romanesque period. It survives almost totally intact. It was embroidered with wool - all natural dyed colors, on linen. Along with the scenes are Latin titles. Probably produced in 1070 or there about. Its first reference was in 1476 when it was listed as inventory at the Bayeux Cathedral, in Norman France, and survived the sack of that city in 1562. But then, it was probably put away.

As far as the 18th Century is concerned, in 1724 there is reference to it when Antoine Lancelot sent a report to the  Acadeie Royale des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres about a sketch he had received about a work concerning William the Conqueror. He did not know if the sketch was of a sculpture or painting. Later on, a Benedictine scholar found more information, finding that the sketch was from a tapestry! In 1729 the scholar, Bernard de Montfaucon, published drawings and detailed information about the complete work, still at the Bayeux Cathedral.

During the French Revolution, 1792, the tapestry was confiscated as public property and used, of all things, to cover military wagons!!!Thank God, it was rescued by a local lawyer, storing it at his home, until the fighting was over. The Fine Arts Commission, after the Reign of Terror, helped to safeguard it as a national treasure. It was moved to Paris for display at the Musee Napoleon, but when Napoleon abandoned his invasion of Britian, in 1803, the work of art was again taken back to Bayeux where it remains today.

  

Remembering the Fallen

This week is the 199th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Fought June 18, 1815, a defining moment in British history, so important that British men and women even wore rings to commemorate the occasion.

Called the Waterloo ring, it carries the name of the battle, a profile of the Duke of Wellington, surrounded by blue enamel ribbon, and a single garnet. They are an example of mourning jewelry that was popular at the time. I guess today we might consider the steel bracelets that carry the names of wounded or dead from the Afganistan conflict.

The rings were made closer to the death of the Duke, linking his political, patriotic and wartime valor. As Admiral Horatio Nelson is Britian's greatest Naval commander; the Duke of Wellington represents their greatest General of the armed forces. His nickname was the Iron Duke. People wore the rings to remember their fallen family members and friends, along with the Duke. A double tribute.

All in!

As a bit of a tribute to D-Day, I purchased Band of Brothers, the 2001 HBO mini-series. I have a thing about WWII, and this series is certainly one of the most exceptional in terms of historical accuracy, the horror, the grit, the ugliness, and yet the beauty of war. Certainly not a beauty easily perceived, but when men band together to accomplish the nearly-impossible, not for themselves but for the good of others, yes, I think there is beauty there. Ok, I'll admit it...I'm a bit of a romantic, and further....there's something about a man in uniform (haha). 

Anyway, the title of the series is taken from the famous St. Cripin's Day speech from Shakespeare's Henry V, Act IV, Scene iii.

From this day to the ending of the world,

But we in it shall be remembered -

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers:

For he today that sheds his blood with me

shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,

This day shall gentle his condition. 

And gentlemen in England now-a-bed

Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

 

Well, here's a bit of interesting 18th Century "band of brothers" information:

Rear Admiral Horatio nelson of the British Royal Navy used the phrase at the Battle of the Nile, in 1789. Actually, he applied the term many times, referring to his captains and men under his command. The battle was fought in Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, the climax of the naval campaign against Napoleon at the time. A decisive victory for the British, Nelson wrote afterwards to his commanding officer Lord St. Vincent, referring to Admiral Alexander Ball:

"His activity and zeal are eminently conspicuous even amongst the Band of Brothers - each, as I may have occasion to mention them, must call froth my gratitude and admiration."

In January 1799, to Admiral Earl How, "I had the happiness to command a Band of Brothers."

And again, after the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805, he writes, " Yet, if I know my own thoughts, it is not for myself, or on my own account chiefly, that I feel the sting and the disappointment! And no! it is for my brave officers; for my noble-minded friends and comrades. Such a gallant set of fellows! Such a band of brothers! My heart swells at the thought of them!"

Nelson had the admiration of his men because, though he was their commander, he had great respect for them all. He wanted their input, and in whatever the engagement, he made sure they were a team, they went all in together. He might have been their band leader, but they definitely were an integral part of the band.

 

 

The Pivotal Moment

D-Day! Wow, seventy years have passed. I've been in my WWII mode, looking at various excellent programs and books about the war, watching Band of Brothers, based on Stephen Ambrose best-selling book. It's a beautiful story, a true account of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, the "Screaming Eagles" as they were known, of the United States Army. At the time, the air corps was part of the US army.

The 6th of June, 1944, was a pivotal moment in world history. Got me to thinking about a pivotal moment in the American Revolution. At least one is the Battle of Saratoga, with General Gates of the Continental Army forcing the surrender of British General John Burgoyne and his army. Not only a huge victory for the Continental Army, but it convinced the French that the Americans could win the war! It is then that the French started sending supplies and monies to America. Were it not for this help, perhaps the War of Independence would have had a very different outcome.

Even then, the various countries around the world did not live in a vacuum. The allied victory on the beaches of Normandy was the turning point, and gave the Germans a heads-up. We would be taken very seriously that day forward; the Battle of Saratoga, only 167 years before (September 19, 1777), gave Britian a head-up. The Revolutionaries meant business. And, the rest is history!