Source: File: Second Lieutenant
Francis Baker Coldwells. See an original
image at: <https://ww1geek.com/2016/07/01/sutton-and-the-somme-1st-july-1916/> [Accessed
17 August 2016]
Upon the front
page of The Telegraph
17 August 1916, of
the London edition,
No 19,142 - beside
column one; births
Deaths and
marriages, lay column two
Of the personal
files headed MISSING.
A few lines each
tell varied stories, which
Include two half
loop diamond rings left
In a lavatory when leaving Chester; found
Treasury notes
being held at Limehouse
Police station - all just every day matters.
Leading such stories is another missing
Item - in capitals
COLDWELLS - believed
Killed, though
initially reported wounded.
Seven lines in just a plain statement, in
the hope any reader
might alter the truth.
The eldest boy of
1891 son of Mr and Mrs
Joseph Coldwells
- with three brothers
To follow; 1894
Leonard George, 1896
Charles Albert and
young brother 1897
Edward Greenwood, joined by sisters.
1905 Gwendolen
Ysabel, 1911 Josephine
Mary Coldwells - five
siblings with over
Twenty years
difference, from youngest
To the oldest; Francis Baker in education
When the family
lived in Croydon, London.
Within that very
town of greater London,
Francis Coldwells
attended Whitgift School
And by
association Francis, Leonard
And Charles, becoming former pupils - old
Whitgiftians
always to be remembered.
As a senior scholar
at Wadham College,
Oxford, Francis
became an instructor
Of Officer
Training Corps - as for many
Like Francis Coldwells,
this would lead
Him in good stead when aged 23 in 1914.
In September 1914 Francis had decided
To enlist in the
fight of a European war.
His character
described of a ‘fine scholar
And a modest man,'
initially taking rank
Of Sergeant Francis Coldwell PS/4685.
By the following year 1915, he took rank
Of Second
Lieutenant Francis Baker
Coldwells -
months of preparation gave
Readiness to the Devonshires
in their
Move to France
and onto the Somme.
Lieutenant Francis
Coldwells’ battalion
Of Devonshires,
would be fundamental
In the big summer
push to oust Germany
From their
illegal claim on France and
Their Belgium neighbour;
such was the plan.
Friday 30 June
1916, General Rawlinson’s
Words reached the ears
of the Devonshires.
To impress on their infantry units to assist
Each other - to
hold tight onto every yard
Of ground they
were to gain on 1 July.
The infantry would be
assisted by accurate
Artillery
shelling; so good luck to all ranks.
As thousands of
others, the Devons made
Their way to
start point - in twist and turns,
Slowed by awkward
loads from dumps.
When by 6.25 a.m.
they had been ready
For several
hours, as the bombardment
Began its recent
daily routine - on this
Day the shelling stopped
fifteen minutes
Early - 7.30
a.m. the air filled by whistles.
A few guns still
fired as the Berkshires,
Middlesex and Devons
left New Trench.
Lieutenant
Coldwell among them led
His men to their objective, Ovillers - as
Chaos ensued this old Whitgiftian fell.
Rising in waves,
infantry were met by
Counter waves of
machine gun fire -
Perhaps initially
someone witnessed
Lieutenant
Caldwell hit, maybe lightly;
His figure lost
in the following mayhem.
As following days
turned into weeks,
Over a month passed
as the family
Of one man
‘MISSING, believed killed -
COLDWELLS’ - a
call for information
In hope to
disprove the third word.
By Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1916. Personal
Column. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 17 August 1916. P.8. Col.3. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12212785/Daily-Telegraph-August-17-1916.html>
[Accessed: 17 August 2016].
Source: File: Coldwell
Roots. Available at: <http://coldwell.one-name.net/tng/getperson.php?personID=I23388&tree=Coldwell> [Accessed 17 August 2016
Source: File: Whitgiftians
in WWI. Available at: <http://www.whitgift.co.uk/TheSchool.aspx?SubCatID=154> [Accessed 17 August 2016
Source: File: The National Archives
. Available at: <http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1086322?descriptiontype=Full&ref=WO+339/32420> [Accessed 17 August 2016
Source: File:
Sutton and the Somme, 1st July 1916. Available at: <https://ww1geek.com/2016/07/01/sutton-and-the-somme-1st-july-1916/> [Accessed 17 August 2016
Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 17 August 2016).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Somme
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