My occasional diversions from the explosive world on this blog have had some recent attention, and this has encouraged me to distill some more stories of eccentric and brave British Army officers.  Here’s two , with the common theme of Umbrellas. The links are well worth reading, trust me.

Major Allison Digby Tatham Warner was a company commander in the Parachute Regiment in Arnhem in 1944.  During the heavy fighting that followed, Digby could often be seen calmly strolling about the defences, seemingly oblivious to the constant threat of mortar barrages and sniper fire. Choosing to wear his red beret in place of a helmet and swinging his trademark umbrella as he went, Tatham-Warter, no matter how desperate the situation became, never failed in his ability to remain unconcerned and to encourage those around him. Even old hands like major Freddie Gough became disheartened when Mark IV Tanks crossed the Bridge and the battle seemed lost, but his gloom lifted instantly when he caught sight of Digby leading a bayonet charge against German infantry who had dared to enter British territory; carrying a pistol in one hand, madly swinging his umbrella about his head with the other, and now sporting a bowler hat on his head – which he had obtained from God knows where – doing his best to look like Charlie Chaplin. On another occasion he used the rolled up umbrella to in-effect disable a German armoured car, simply by thrusting it through an observation slit in the vehicle and incapacitating the driver.  Tatham-Warter later revealed that he carried the umbrella because he could never remember the password, and it would be quite obvious to anyone that the bloody fool carrying the umbrella could only be an Englishman.

AD Wintle, was an officer in the first and second world war. There are too many excellent stories, so follow the link and enjoy.  I love, most of all, that after his encouragement while their prisoner, an entire garrison of Vichy French soldiers defected to the Resistance, after he had escaped from their custody (and had told them he would do so).  To encourage you to follow the link, here’s some quotes:

It may have escaped your attention, but there is no fighting to be done in England.” (on being told he was being removed from active duty against his will following an injury)

No true gentleman would ever unfurl one.” (his umbrella)

This umbrella was stolen from Col. A.D. Wintle” (note left in his permanently furled umbrella)

Time spent dismounted can never be regained.”

No true gentleman would ever leave home without one.” (his monocle)

Guy Fawkes was the last man to enter Parliament with good intentions. You need another like me to carry on his good work.”

I get down on my knees every night and thank God for making me an Englishman. It is the greatest honour He could bestow. After all, he might have made me a chimpanzee, or a flea, a Frenchman or a German!”

What I like about Isherwood’s paintings is that there is no doubt about which way they hang.” (on art)

Attend a German school sir? I would rather cut my hands off and blind myself in one eye. Only an English school is good enough for me.” (young Wintle, on being told by his father that he was to attend a German school)

Stop dying at once and when you get up, get your bloody hair cut.” (to Trooper Cedric Mays, Royal Dragoons, who recovered and lived to the age of 95)

Great War peace signed at last.” (diary, 19 June 1919)

I declare private war on Germany.” (diary, 20 June 1919)

Now, as I understand it, the US Army doesn’t permit its officers to carry umbrellas. How very unfortunate. 🙂

Occasionally I allow this blog to go off at tangents away from its core theme, when I find stories of remarkable people.  Here’s the story of Bob Crisp.  General Alexander said of him “The greatest Hun-killer I ever knew was Major Bob Crisp”

You should read it. It’ll make you laugh and will make you determined to life your life to the full.  Bob Crisp died with £20 left to his name (and instructions to back a specific horse in the Grand National).

The 1680 the Dutch scientist Huygens created the first “internal combustion engine”.  Interestingly it was powered by gunpowder.  Admittedly it wasn’t an especially effective or useful tool, but it laid the foundations for future reciprocating steam engines and later conventional fueled “otto” cycle engines.

The genesis of Huygens engine can clearly be seen to be a cannon.  Here’s how it worked. A smooth sided cylinder is mounted vertically. At the base is a small gunpowder charge.  At the top of the cylinder are two leather cylinders attached to apertures in the main cylinder providing the ability to receive expanding hot gas from the explosion of the gunpowder. Above the leather sleeves was a heavy piston with a form of obturation ring around it.  The gunpowder charge is initiated, and the cylinder fills with hot gases, as does the leather sleeves . At once atmospheric pressure works on the leather sleeves, and the gases in the main cylinder begin to cool. The drop in pressure created by the cooling gases pulls the piston down as a vacuum would. Attached to the piston via a pulley is a rope which then is used to mechanically lift any object.

To be clear, this engine does not “reciprocate” as a modern engine does, it is limited to a single stroke downwards from the low pressure in the cylinder. It is important to understand that the engine does not work by the explosion driving the piston upwards, it works by the subsequent drop in pressure (vacuum) in the main cylinder.

In 1682 a working version was produced that enable Huygens to lift “seven or eight small boys” in to the air. Always a useful thing to do….

Seriously though, it appears that Huygens work in understanding explosives and the nature and characteristics of the hot expanding and subsequently cooling gases was an important step towards development of steam engines in the 1700s and “modern” internal combustion engines in the late 1800s.

As readers of this blog will know I’m a bit of a fan of those eccentric Englishmen who in history have found a niche undertaking remarkable wartime escapades in the most laid back and casual manner.  I have also been a devourer of travel writing of the best sort. These two passions come together in the person of Patrick Leigh Fermor, the writer and wartime SOE operative.  I’m about to go on a family vacation to Crete so have been re-reading the story of Leigh-Fermor’s kidnapping of General Kreipe and the subsequent exfiltration from that island.  Wonderful stuff and I’m looking forward to seeing the actual scenes.   The book about this escapade was written by Bill Stanley-Moss, Leigh-Fermor’s accomplice and was made into a film in the 1950’s that I’m forcing my sons to watch.  I’m also reading a book “The Cretan Runner” translated by PLF, written by a young Cretan shepherd who was part of the messaging system for the resistance in Crete.

I was doing some idle digging and came across a photographic record of Leigh-Fermor’s wartime files.  Fascinating stuff, and can be seen here.  Seeing these images is like touching history.  A few jump out:

• Here is the citation for an award.  He was awarded a DSO and an OBE.
• The official debriefing documents about his Cretan missions. All the more remarkable for their dry, “matter of fact”-ness
• Amusing documents regarding Bill Stanley-Moss’s first draft of his book “Ill met by Moonlight”. The censoring officer in the MoD calls it ‘unutterable trash” and even Leigh-Fermor himself calls it “not a very good book”.
• A wonderful statement from an internal MoD document warning that “Leigh-Fermor does not submit willingly to discipline and I think requires firm handling”.

For those unfamiliar with the remarkable man – here’s his Obituary.