By coincidence the Great War was the last subject of BBC's Who do you think you are with 4 times Olympic Gold Medal Rower Sir Matthew Vincent, although the loss of three of his father's relatives, all boys who were just out of the public school Winchester, and whose fate I will return shortly. It was then attention was turned to the background of his mother than the history took an extraordinary, unbelievable turn. One of his mother's ancestors worked for one of the most important trading companies in China at the international trading quarter of Shanghai which was a self governed area separate from both the Chinese and British Governments and where the head of the founding company was the major player in the opium trade for India to China and which had some 10 million Chinese people addicted and led to the two Opium War about the right to trade in the stuff. His mother's ancestors who also became influential in the company and chaired the governing council was thought to be related to the founder and therefore to the opium trade. There was relief when it was discovered there was no direct connection and that he conformed to a political request to begin the closure of the 1500 dens, although he balanced the lost revenue from the quarter shut down by allowing the increase if the number of retail outlets, so that in effect the number of users and the trade continued at about the same level as before. This was not ethical even given the times and attitudes, as Matthew recognised.
This individual was however traced to a Sir George Anson 1769- 1849 who was one of Wellington's Generals in the pre Waterloo, Peninsular War, achieving fame and recognition in three important battle victories. Because he was a knight at the period, in genealogical terms he is a gateway back, in this instance to the Catholic Howard family, one of whose relatives was Catherine Howard beheaded by Henry the Eighth. The ancestor was the traced raced back through several Kings of England, Edward 1st and William the Conqueror.
Earlier in the evening I watched, then slept through and then watched once more, episode nine of the Great War on the disastrous campaign in the Dardanelles, Gallipoli. This was an attempt by the government to have a go at the Turks who were known to be sympathetic to the German and had absorbed two of their war ships rather than in turn them for the duration of the conflict. A naval fleet was sent to bombard the coast and take Constantinople. However by the use of underwater mines and submarines the navy felt was force to run back to its safe harbours. An expeditionary force of Australian, New Zealand and British forces was assembled, at first some 70000, but eventually had to be quietly removed leaving over 100000men dead, most of them Turkish and 21000 British and Irish and with a significantly higher number wounded and an even greater number sick. One of Mathew's great uncle Laurence Pinsett, died at Gallipoli aged 19 years. Great Uncle Philip was even younger at 18 years an artillery spotter pilot who was shot down and killed. Another great uncle had been the head boy at Winchester but his entry in the school record was brief, died on the Western Front it what was the first use of tanks by the allies. The lack of information in the school record led Matthews search for additional information and the discovery that the young man had committed suicide on the battlefield. Matthew then discovered that a book of memoirs had been published by one of the survivors of the battle who is picture with his great uncle and where he gives an account of their involvement. As commanders of the new eight men tanks they were ordered to take an exceptionally fortified enemy position and the writer of the memoir revealed that he had been forced to turn back although his friend had broken down on the way, repaired the vehicle and then attempted to carry out the mission, but breaking off in the face of the defence barrage which included armour piercing bullets. The "suicide" of the officer has to be viewed in the context than men were ordered into attacks knowing that a high percentage were expected to die be wounded, and required not to return unless they achieved the stated objective. He was still a very young man in an untested in battle very primitive vehicle hot, confining vehicle. recently in Iraq a young man in an under fire tank, without regard for his personal welfare brought his colleague back to safety or which he was awarded one of the few Victoria Crosses since World War Two where the recipient lived to tell the tale. It has taken 90 years to learn that there is no sense let alone glory in self sacrifice, but in doing everything to save ones and he lives of colleagues to be able to fight another day. Nor should children be asked to atone for the sins of their fathers, mothers and ancestors. Who our ancestors were is important because they help us learn and understand who we are, but we all need to learn to live according to our own standards and beliefs and to atone for our own sins and not for those of others.
This individual was however traced to a Sir George Anson 1769- 1849 who was one of Wellington's Generals in the pre Waterloo, Peninsular War, achieving fame and recognition in three important battle victories. Because he was a knight at the period, in genealogical terms he is a gateway back, in this instance to the Catholic Howard family, one of whose relatives was Catherine Howard beheaded by Henry the Eighth. The ancestor was the traced raced back through several Kings of England, Edward 1st and William the Conqueror.
Earlier in the evening I watched, then slept through and then watched once more, episode nine of the Great War on the disastrous campaign in the Dardanelles, Gallipoli. This was an attempt by the government to have a go at the Turks who were known to be sympathetic to the German and had absorbed two of their war ships rather than in turn them for the duration of the conflict. A naval fleet was sent to bombard the coast and take Constantinople. However by the use of underwater mines and submarines the navy felt was force to run back to its safe harbours. An expeditionary force of Australian, New Zealand and British forces was assembled, at first some 70000, but eventually had to be quietly removed leaving over 100000men dead, most of them Turkish and 21000 British and Irish and with a significantly higher number wounded and an even greater number sick. One of Mathew's great uncle Laurence Pinsett, died at Gallipoli aged 19 years. Great Uncle Philip was even younger at 18 years an artillery spotter pilot who was shot down and killed. Another great uncle had been the head boy at Winchester but his entry in the school record was brief, died on the Western Front it what was the first use of tanks by the allies. The lack of information in the school record led Matthews search for additional information and the discovery that the young man had committed suicide on the battlefield. Matthew then discovered that a book of memoirs had been published by one of the survivors of the battle who is picture with his great uncle and where he gives an account of their involvement. As commanders of the new eight men tanks they were ordered to take an exceptionally fortified enemy position and the writer of the memoir revealed that he had been forced to turn back although his friend had broken down on the way, repaired the vehicle and then attempted to carry out the mission, but breaking off in the face of the defence barrage which included armour piercing bullets. The "suicide" of the officer has to be viewed in the context than men were ordered into attacks knowing that a high percentage were expected to die be wounded, and required not to return unless they achieved the stated objective. He was still a very young man in an untested in battle very primitive vehicle hot, confining vehicle. recently in Iraq a young man in an under fire tank, without regard for his personal welfare brought his colleague back to safety or which he was awarded one of the few Victoria Crosses since World War Two where the recipient lived to tell the tale. It has taken 90 years to learn that there is no sense let alone glory in self sacrifice, but in doing everything to save ones and he lives of colleagues to be able to fight another day. Nor should children be asked to atone for the sins of their fathers, mothers and ancestors. Who our ancestors were is important because they help us learn and understand who we are, but we all need to learn to live according to our own standards and beliefs and to atone for our own sins and not for those of others.
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