Papers of Laurence Cadbury Reference: MS327

Papers of Laurence Cadbury

Reference: MS327

7/2/2013


1 © Cadbury Research Library: Special Collections, University of Birmingham

MS327 Papers of Laurence Cadbury

Papers of Laurence Cadbury relating to his service with the Friends Ambulance Unit during the First World War.

The collection includes letters, diaries, maps, magazines, photographs, drawings, books, and ephemera. Letters from Laurence Cadbury to his parents (MS 327/A/1), written between 1914 and 1919, describe in detail the work of the ambulance convoys, the progress of the War, and give vivid descriptions of the war torn landscape and ruined towns of the Western Front.

As well as the letters, papers collected by Laurence Cadbury during his service with the Unit include correspondence, copies of orders for equipment, papers relating to honours (including the Croix de Guerre and the O.B.E.), dinner menus and concert programmes, maps, diaries, newspapers and magazines. There is also a large number of photographs and postcards of people and places associated with the Unit, and drawings (copies and some originals) by Ernest Procter and Arthur Cotterell, both members of the Unit, and books and magazines, including the official history of the Unit and directories of its members.

The collection is a useful source for studying the history of the First World War, from the point of view of an officer of the Friends Ambulance Unit, and is also relevant to the history of pacifism and of the Society of Friends.

Administrative history: Laurence John Cadbury was born in 1889, the eldest of the six children of George Cadbury and his second wife, Elizabeth Taylor. He attended Leighton Park School, a Quaker school, and studied economics at Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating in 1911. In Spring 1913, he was given a year off to travel, which he spent in America, working for the National Cash Register Company and travelling in Alaska and the Yukon with his friend from Cambridge, Bob Vereker.

Shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, Laurence Cadbury joined the Friends Ambulance Unit (F.A.U.), a voluntary ambulance service

[1914-1999]



staffed mainly by men from Quaker families, which provided an ambulance service and ran ambulance trains, undertook civilian relief work, and set up several hospitals in Belgium and France. His discharge certificate records that he joined the Unit on 7 September 1914 and served in France from 3 November 1914 until his discharge on 2 March 1919. He was one of several founder members of the Unit, with Phil Noel-Baker, who had also studied at Cambridge. All members were unpaid, and it was managed by the Joint War Committee of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John of Jerusalem.

After spending several weeks at a training camp in Jordans, Buckinghamshire, the first party of 43 F.A.U. men left for Dunkirk on 31 October 1914. Their first experience of war work came almost immediately, when they treated 3000 wounded soldiers who had been evacuated to sheds in Dunkirk Railway Station and left there without medical help. The Unit set up its headquarters in the Hotel du Kursaal, Malo-les-Bains, a seaside suburb of Dunkirk, about a mile from the town centre. In September 1916, Headquarters was moved to the Hotel Pyl, on the same street in Malo, which was wrecked by bombs in 1918.

The Unit then volunteered to help the medical staff of a Division of the French Army (the 87th Territorial) at Woesten, near Ypres. Several stations were established in the Ypres region, and the Unit also undertook civilian relief work, treating wounded and gassed civilians during fighting at Ypres and opening a hospital at Sacre Coeur, Ypres. Another hospital, the Queen Alexandra, was opened at Malo in November 1914, which was staffed by eight of the Unit's nurses; other hospitals included Chateau Elisabeth, Poperinghe, taken over by the F.A.U. on January 14th, which moved to Ferme de Rycke, known as 'The Farm', Watten, in July 1915. The Unit treated victims of a typhoid epidemic in the Ypres district and casualties from the Second Battle of Ypres and from the German advance towards Hazebrouck in April 1918.

At first, the Unit took whatever relief work it could find, but as it grew, it was joined to the French Army and a more formal structure developed. It was divided into civilian divisions, hospitals,



ambulance trains, and ambulance convoys, in which Laurence Cadbury worked. The ambulance convoys, known as Sections Sanitaires Anglaises (S.S.A.s or Sections) were made up of twenty ambulances, with a further two in reserve. Each section was staffed by 56 men, led by an officer in charge or 'Chef-Adjoint', a Sous-Chef and an assistant responsible for the administration of the convoy. Although there were at first several numbered convoys, the ambulance convoys were eventually reduced to three, known as S.S.A. 13, 14, and 19. Laurence Cadbury was Chef-Adjoint of S.S.A 13 until September 1916, when he, with some reluctance, was sent to Headquarters at Malo to carry out administrative work as Officer in Charge of the Transport Section of the Unit. From then, he refers to his job as 'O.C. Cars'; this involved negotiating with officers in the French Army to find work for the Unit, attaching Sections to a new Division when its old Division moved, organizing the repair and maintenance of convoy cars, recruiting and training drivers, appointing heads of Sections, and driving to visit the Sections stationed in the field in his Vauxhall which he brought over from England, known as 'The Beetle'.

Laurence Cadbury's younger brother Bertie served in the Royal Navy on HMS Zarefah and HMS Sagitta, then joined the Royal Naval Air Service as a Flight Sub Lieutenant, based at the Great Yarmouth Air Station after training. His sister Mollie worked in the F.A.U. as a nurse, with her friend Olga Wilson. Mollie became engaged to Bill Greeves, also a member of the Unit, on 27 June 1917 and they were married on 14 February 1918. Bill Greeves left the F.A.U. in 1918 to become Managing Director of the Portadown Weaving Company, Ireland.

Laurence's brothers and sisters were George Norman 'Norman' (born 1890); Elsie Dorothea, called 'Dolly' (born 1892); Egbert, called 'Bertie' (born 1893); Marion Janet, called 'Molly' (born 1894) and Elizabeth Ursula called 'Ursula' (born 1906). His brothers and sisters from his father's first marriage were Edward (born 1873); George (born 1878); Henry Tylor (born 1882); Mary Isabel



(born 1884) and Eleanor (born 1885).

Laurence Cadbury's name is spelled Laurence in many papers in the collection and he is also called 'Jack' and 'L.J.'

Information from 'The Friends Ambulance Unit 1914-1919', edited by Meaburn Tatham and James E. Miles (copy in this collection catalogued as MS327/E/6) and 'The Cadbury Family' by John F. Crosfield (available in Special Collections sq CS 439 C1 C).

Arrangement: Arranged in six series: personal letters from Laurence Cadbury and others; papers collected by Laurence Cadbury during his service with the Friends Ambulance Unit; photographs and postcards; prints and drawings; books and magazines; and papers concerning research on the Friends Ambulance Unit.

7 boxes

Access: Open

Access conditions: Access to all registered readers.

Copyright: Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: [email protected]). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Language: EnglishFrench

Creator name: Laurence Cadbury

Custodial history: The papers were in the custody of the Cadbury family until they were deposited in Special Collections.

Acquisition: Deposited in the University of Birmingham's Department of Special Collections by



Laurence Cadbury's son in 2007.

Archival notes: Users of this collection should be aware that a few letters use racist terms. The actual words in the letters are not used, but their existence is noted on individual descriptions of the letters.

Catalogued by Anna Riggs, September 2007.

Related material: Special Collections holds papers relating to the Cadbury family's business interests in West Africa in the first half of the twentieth century [CADBURY]. A list of Special Collections material relating to the First World War is available on the web site of the Birmingham University Centre for First World War Studies ()

Associated material: Other records of Cadbury Ltd and the Cadbury family are held at Birmingham City Archives (GB 0143 MS 446). Records of the Friends Ambulance Unit are available at the Religious Society of Friends Library, London (GB 0111).

MS327/A Personal letters

7 files

Access: Open

1914-1919

MS327/A/1 Transcripts of Cadbury and related family correspondence

Typed copies of letters

The majority of these comprise letters from Laurence Cadbury to his parents, George and Elizabeth Cadbury, with a single letter from Mollie Cadbury (MS327/A/1/9). Copies of Laurence's letters were typed and circulated to various members of the Cadbury family; copies were also returned to him so he could see what had been censored.

His sisters Mollie (Marion Janet (1894-1979) and Dolly (Elsie Dorothea 1892-1971)

Where second and third copies of these typescript transcripts incorporate manuscript annotations and amendments in pen or pencil and/or the typescripts themselves are variants, these have all

1914-1919



be retained. The amendments include the addition of place-names and other information which had been removed from the original by the censor. These additional copies have been given the same reference number as the first version, followed by a letter eg 2, 2a 2b. Not all place-names have been added, but it would probably be possible to find them by referring to the printed summaries of the Sections' movements in France published by the Unit (MS 327/E/9-10) and to the Unit's official history (MS 327/E/6).

Some of the original letters survive in the collection, three of which have not been transcribed (see MS 327/A/2).

A bound volume of typescript copies of the letters which was used for reference while cataloguing has been returned to the depositor. Some letters in this volume give dates which do not appear on other copies in the collection. The volume also contained typescript copies of three letters and a F.A.U concert programme that does not exist anywhere else in the collection; this has been re-copied.

Arrangement: Arranged in chronological order.

66 letters

Access: Open

MS327/A/1/1 Letter from an unidentified correspondent to Billy Goode

Undated letter written from 8 Victoria Square [London] S.W. in which the correspondent praises the Quakers working in the hospitals in Dunkirk and elsewhere

A manuscript note, possibly in Laurence Cadbury's hand, indicates that the letter was written by Mrs Travers Wilkinson 'quite a stranger, to B.G., also a stranger' and which 'fell into J.A. Maher's hands - sent to me'.

1 letter

Access: Open

[1914-1918]

MS327/A/1/2 Postcard from Laurence Cadbury, probably sent to 1914



his parents

Postcard dated 30 November 1914, no address given, written from France.

Laurence Cadbury reports on his crossing, his car 'the Beetle', refers to his location 'I have been out where I was before...and am still here' and says that there has been shelling nearby and he has been taking local people out of a nearby town.

1 postcard

Access: Open

MS327/A/1/3 Letter from Laurence Cadbury to his father

Letter, probably dated 13 December 1914, written from Dunkirk.

He says that he has returned to Dunkirk to work on his car, and asks his father to send some spare parts. He describes the fighting nearby, and says that the Belgian Army has been withdrawn to Orleans and 'our troops' have also been retired. He says that kilts are better to wear in the trenches than trousers. French troops are replacing the troops that have withdrawn. He compares the French, Basque, Belgian, and Zouave uniforms. He describes the guns nearby and says that the French 'keep potting away' and the German fire has slackened. He describes German guns attacking French aeroplanes and says that the French use kites and captive balloons. He describes the trenches and walking on ground that has been shelled. He says that he took the children of the Ypres Police Commissioner away from Ypres and describes evacuating old and infirm people from Ypres. He talks about looters in Ypres and fighting among deserters in the town. He talks about the hospitals and cars used by the Friends' Ambulance Unit.

With two further copies, MS327/A/1/3a & 3b

3 letters

Access: Open

[1914]

MS327/A/1/4 Letter from Laurence Cadbury to his mother

Letter dated 18 December 1914 , no address

1914



given.

The transcript begins with a brief note from P.J. Baker, dated 20 December 1914, in which says that Laurence is doing a difficult job remarkably well, and says that they have a 'splendid system of 7 stations arranged round in a tactical circle', which is working 'most awfully well'.

Letter from Laurence Cadbury discussing arrangements for sending parcels and letters to France, reporting that he has seen Bertie's ship, the Zarefah, describing 'friction' between the French and Belgian armies, and describing his 'attractive social life'. He talks about 'big attacks' made by the French and the Germans. He describes an attack on a group of wounded men, which left three dead and seven wounded. He says that he has been 'shifted out here to take charge' and describes the system for collecting the wounded from the front and treating them. He talks about his Belgian cook, and the Corporal, who has been left too much in charge. He talks about recent fighting in the area and the agreement between the two sides that they are allowed to step out of the trenches to claim a hare, if they have shot it.

1 letter

Access: Open

MS327/A/1/5 Letter from Laurence Cadbury to his parents

Letter dated 26 December 1914, written from Poperinghe

Laurence Cadbury asks his father and mother to send his ice skates. He tells them about their Christmas celebrations and describes attending a midnight Mass. He talks about the recent shelling at the hospital in Ypres, which was shelled twice and describes the damage to the building and treating the wounded. He talks about recent movements of French and British troops in the area. He says that they are not very busy at the moment and talks about petrol consumption of the cars he is using. He describes an incident in which a hare fell mid-way between the trenches, and was

1914



exchanged by a German man for some French tobacco. He says that where the trenches are close together, the men make an arrangement not to shoot. The Belgian army is out of the fighting mending roads. He says that Professor Pigou has recently arrived, and will edit a weekly magazine for everyone out here.

1 letter

Access: Open

MS327/A/1/6 Letter [from Laurence Cadbury to his parents]

Photocopy of letter dated 10 January 1915, written from Dunkirk

Laurence Cadbury gives a change of address for parcels and writes about his work, the movement of the French troops and the fighting

1 letter

Access: Open

1915


Letter dated 20 January 1915, no address given.

Laurence Cadbury says that he works with different Army Corps and Divisions, and says that the French do not send the wounded back to their original regiments, but to where they are most needed. He says that the British occupy the line to the south-west and are now working north; they are within range of the German guns and near the German trenches. The bombardment 'goes on as usual' and many people have chosen to come back and live in the cellars instead of going to safety in France; but they have spread rumours which have made people move out. He has met some British and Canadian troops, who are 'first class' and has come across some British deserters, other British troops who have lost their regiments, and some British cavalry. He describes German aeroplanes attacking the port the previous week. He talks about typhoid, and about the poor drainage in the town. He describes the men who work for him. He says he eats horse meat, and has discovered that it is not fresh. He has seen adverts by anti-vivisectionists in the papers, and objects to them

1915



and their views. He talks about the wet weather.

1 letter

Access: Open


Letter dated 5 February 1915, no address given.

This letter has been heavily censored. Laurence Cadbury writes that the [Belgian] command wanted to remove the F.A.U. from the fighting area, but did not know about the problems involved in doing this. Some Belgian countesses are helping, and have been 'extraordinarily capable and good'. He describes problems with the water supply and his plans to get water to a nearby hospital. The local hospital has had to clear out. He asks his parents to send typed copies of his letters, so he can see what has been censored.

1 letter

Access: Open

1915


Letter dated 23 February 1915, written from College de St. Stanislas, Poperinghe.

Laurence Cadbury says that rumours about troop movements are usually wrong because H.Q. staff are led to believe something different. He quotes from new censorship guidelines that have been recently issued. He says he is still at Poperinghe working for the 8th French Army and there have been a lot of casualties recently. He describes two men he works with. He has been working on the water supply for the typhoid hospital at the Chateau. He talks about heavy fighting at Ypres a few days ago and rumours spreading among troops on both sides. He says there has been some music here and that Poperinghe is becoming the centre of the Unit, with a good social life.

With one further copy, MS327/A/1/9a

2 letters

Access: Open

1915



MS327/A/1/10

Letter from Laurence Cadbury to his parents

Letter dated 1 April 1915, written from College de St Stanislas, Poperinghe.

The letter is written after Laurence Cadbury has been home on leave. He talks about his journey through London and Dover to Dunkirk. He mentions news of illnesses and deaths of people the family knows, and says that the British anti-aircraft guns have improved.


2 letters

Access: Open

1915


Letter dated 13 April 1915, no address given.

He has just received a copy of his last letter home and talks about the information that was censored - he cannot imagine why. He discusses J.W. Wilson's recent visit to the Unit, and says that he did not see 'our high-class premises' due to the incompetence of our officials. There have been many changes made lately; they had thought that the French Army would withdraw, but a new army has been formed instead, which means that work has started again and there may be more ambulance work. He describes making arrangements with officers to supply cars. The hospital has just moved and they will have to leave their quarters. They have recently opened an orphanage at Wisques beyond St Omer in France. He describes the recent fighting in the area; the British Army has taken a hill and the 'bomb-dropping business' goes on as usual. He explains how to avoid bombs. Two guns from a battery that was wiped out are now being used as anti-aircraft guns. He describes a recent battle; one of his men was with the General in charge of the artillery.

1 letter

Access: Open

1915



MS327/A/1/12

Letter from Mollie Cadbury to her parents

Letter dated 26 April 1915, written from c/o British Field Post Office, Dunkirk.

She says that the Germans are having 'a good try this time' and the Unit is starting a new hospital. She describes her new sleeping quarters at a Villa near the Kursaal. She has been to tea with Miss Noel and the officers. She sees the Flying Corps starting off in their lorry when she comes home at night. She has had a bath in the public baths and will have cold baths in their quarters. A hockey match against a French club was arranged, but put off through pressure of work. She asks her parents for some cakes and chocolate. She thanks them for sending lozenges, and for copies of Punch and other papers.

1 letter

Access: Open

1915



He says that his last letter was returned to him by the censor. He has not had time to see Mollie, and he hopes Bertie will not join the Royal Flying Corps. He has been very busy recently - he describes his work. There is 'a terrific battle' still going on with many casualties and many guns nearby. He talks about the nearby regiments and lists the various towns where cars are kept. He describes a recent battle in which the Germans used gas. The Germans have been shelling the Chateau and the Church near it. They are fortunate to have had only one casualty among the F.A.U. drivers. He says that newspaper reports about 'affairs here' are misleading. He describes an attack by the Zouaves in which they took two trenches and killed Germans who surrendered. He says that no-one is taking prisoners and describes several situations in which soldiers who surrendered were killed. He says that the towns of Poperinghe and [Vlamatryhe] have been shelled. Dunkirk has also been shelled, which has caused 'profound incredulity' and there are many theories as to why. He says that most of the roads are

1915



under German control, and troops will suddenly appear on a road that was empty. The Unit has moved its quarters to a concert hall; he was sorry to leave their old quarters. Shells have fallen next to their quarters. They have tested a piece of cloth 'from an asphyxiated Zouave' and all sorts of masks are being tried as preventatives. He says that they shall retaliate by using Terpinite and says that it is no use appealing to anyone for the enforcement of international treaties; any rules have to be agreed by the combatants themselves.


2 letters

Access: Open


Letter dated 25 May 1915, written from Parc St. Joris.

He thanks his parents for sending the copy of his last letter, and comments on misprints in the letter. The censor has deleted parts of his letter referring to the treatment of prisoners; he finds this 'inexplicable'. He thanks them for sending a badminton set and racquets, comments on changes to some of the buildings at home, and asks them to send him some goggles and the latest War List. Spring has come in Belgium, and the countryside is looking 'quite respectable', but it is getting 'beastly hot'. The Unit was working for the French 45th Division but has now been replaced by British Military Ambulances, the finest he has seen. He describes British and French ambulances, says that the British Ambulances are not well organized and gives examples of this. His group, SSA 13, has been attached to the Hospital d'Evacuation, but this does not supply them with much work. He talks about 'getting work' and about working with French officers who have become good friends. He talks about casualty numbers. He describes German aeroplanes shelling and being attacked by British guns. The roads nearby, which were mostly undamaged, have now been shelled. He drove his car into a ditch; a Wolseley has also been driven into a ditch, and he crashed his car into a lorry.

1915



He explains about the various hospitals in the area, where the wounded are taken for treatment, and describes driving along the local roads. He compares the damage done by rifle bullets and 'dumdums' to the effects of 'a few bits of marmite', which make 'a decided mess if [they hit] anything human'. He describes going out at night and coming under rifle fire on the way to a French Poste du Secours and says that cars make good targets. He talks about the American ambulances working in the area. He describes struggling to start the car while being fired on by 'squalls of bullets'. He describes the battle line at night. He talks about Dressing Stations moving around after shelling and says that the Germans attacked with gas on May 24th. The troops use respirators, but they are not very good; the new French ones are better. He describes ambulance work, which involves evacuating cases and finding 'gas cases'. He compares the F.A.U. men with the British Red Cross men and says that many of the Red Cross men are cowards. He describes going on 'interesting trips' to fetch wounded men from the trenches. He comments on an article written by a journalist about Ypres and talks about particularly dangerous places nearby. There are looters and deserters left, who were shot; he describes one of them. They have been evacuating civilians from a nearby town. He describes Ypres burning, but says that some of the buildings can be restored. He talks about removing goods from the town, including Church valuables and wine. He describes the damage to the town, the smell, civilian deaths, and says that young men, 'on whom the future of the nations depends', should not risk their lives to save 'ungrateful old non-combatants'. He lists men he knows who have been killed.


2 letters

Access: Open


Letter dated 17 July 1915, written from F.A.U. Car Office, Dunkirk. Manuscript text - presumably from a copy kept by Laurence Cadbury - has been been subsequently added to complete the letter

1915



where a piece appears to have been cut from the original and not transcribed.

Laurence Cadbury has been sent to Dunkirk to run the F.A.U. Car Office. He explains that the S.S.A. 13 and 14 have been re-formed and cars have been sent to various towns in the area. He describes the local scenery and the observation balloons along the lines. The Unit's cars are not doing military work, but are taking civilian wounded to the hospital at 'Pop' [Poperinghe], then to Hazebrouck and are serving the refugee centre and dressing stations. The Germans have been shelling a railroad laid down by the British engineers at Vlam, and the nearby roads. They have moved their quarters from 'Pop' to a new billet because of German shelling. He describes going on a joy ride in the area, using his French pass because the British disapprove of this. He comments that 'it is very poor fun down here': there is little 'taube action' and the bathing is not good.


3 letters

Access: Open


Letter dated 31 July 1915, no address given.

Laurence Cadbury says that letters from him, Mollie, and Bertie should be marked 'Private', and comments on Cadbury business including 'progress at Frampton'. He says he is sorry to have missed Mollie's birthday party. He talks about mending broken cars. Two of his men, Rooper and Smart, have been injured and some of his cars have been hit. He has had a letter from a friend from Leighton, Ross Smee. Nothing much has happened and he is tired of 'hanging around'. The President has reviewed some troops and made speeches; the Germans found out he was there and shelled the village.

With further copy, MS327/A/1/16a

2 letters

1915



Access: Open

MS327/A/1/17

Letter [from Laurence Cadbury to his parents]

Extract of letter dated 15 August 1915, written from Car Office, H.Q. F.A.U.

The Unit has put on a concert. He has been getting more exercise recently: running, bathing, and tennis. He has some new N.C.O.s which makes life easier. Catchpool has had a letter from a friend in Paris; he says that there it does not seem as if the war is going on. He says that the papers the troops see 'spread mischievous falsehoods' which make him 'wildly angry'. He says that there is not much fighting here, but he is keeping people busy and repairing buses. They are waiting for 'the great offensive', but nothing ever happens. He criticises the 'unscrupulous pamphleteer' Bishop Furge for complaining that men are kept waiting in the trenches because not enough recruits are forthcoming by the voluntary method and says that this is a lie; men were kept waiting for long stretches because there were not enough men to change on the spot.

With enclosed programme for the 'Smoking Concert' held on 15 August. Photocopy

1 letter and 1 programme

Access: Open

1915


Letter dated 1 September 1915, written from Car Office, H.Q., F.A.U. Manuscript text - presumably from a copy kept by Laurence Cadbury - has been been subsequently added to complete the letter where two pages have been torn from the original and not transcribed.

Laurence Cadbury thanks his mother for sending a parcel. He is 'perturbed' that she read extracts from it to 'such a distinguished assemblage'.

The Chateau at Poperinghe has been shelled and he has organized the evacuation of patients to other hospitals in the area. They are now working from a clearing station at Ferme Dryke. He thinks

1915



that it is unlikely that the Unit will be able to use the Chateau as a headquarters because, as it is near a road that is being built, it is likely to be bombed. He discusses German shelling of buildings, roads, and the new railway line in the area. The ambulance train is 'doing great work'. He describes digging trenches at the Chateau. He has spent some time with friends from Cambridge, one of whom was killed shortly after they met. He will spend some time at 'Pop' arranging the water supply and ordering cars.


2 letters

Access: Open


Letter dated 14 October 1915, written from Car Office, H.Q. F.A.U.

The letter describes watching British guns fire on 'a well-known German sniping place', and meeting a friend, Vereker, who is Transport Officer of the 5th Brigade. He talks about looting from towns in the area. He describes driving to Abbeville, 'a beautiful run' and visiting Mollie and Olga. He discusses 'Taylor being hit' while in his ambulance, describes what happened and says that he was lucky not to be in his place. He and Barrow went to pick up the car Taylor was driving and came under fire from the 'Monitors of the Fleet'. His car has lost its wheel because of a sheered back axle shaft, and is not yet repaired. The Unit is preparing to go into winter quarters because the line is unlikely to move; they are building a new hut. The Belgian Army is repairing the roads. They are preparing their cars for the winter by adding wooden sides and canvas roofs; when this work is done they will be able to give leave. He mentions a friend who has been wounded.


2 letters

Access: Open

1915



MS327/A/1/20

Letter from Laurence Cadbury to his sister, Dolly

Letter dated 7 November 1915, written from F.A.U. H.Q.

He has had to postpone the leave which he hoped to take on 12th. The only relief is being snorty with all in the Car Dept and 'taking a fiendish delight in cancelling other men's leave'. The French are altering the organization of their cars and the Unit will be organised into convoys of 15-20 cars, which will be attached to Divisions and draw rations and orders from them. They will no longer be able to commute rations for money, but will be condemned to live on them.

1 letter

Access: Open

1915


Letter dated 16 November 1915, written from Car Office, F.A.U.

Laurence Cadbury writes that he hopes to come home on leave and bring Mollie with him. The French Military Convoys are being put on a different footing; he explains how this will work. He describes visiting a French Officer, Duboin, to discuss the new arrangements. He says that he has driven 'behind the top half of the Western front' into the French and British zones, which was an eye-opener as to the gigantic nature of operations.

The Unit had their anniversary celebration on 31st October, which included a very good Revue. They have just been 'spared' a visit from Manuel, the ex-King of Portugal.


2 letters

Access: Open

1915


Letter dated 8 December 1915, written from S.10, Army P.O., B.E.F.

1915



He apologises for not letting his parents know of his safe arrival; he arrived just in time for the reorganization of the French convoys. He spent his final night in London visiting Edward, Henry, and Eleanor [Cadbury]. He paid for a boat to avoid going via Southampton and Dieppe, which is a waste of time. Many of their cars have broken recently. He discusses the reorganization of the convoys. The mails, which have been interrupted recently, are now running smoothly. A brother of one of the French officers has been asphyxiated by a new type of German gas.


2 letters

Access: Open


Letter dated 27 December 1915, written from Army P.O., D.10.

He has had a stiff neck and thanks his mother for the scarf she sent as a Christmas present. They have formed another Car Section, to replace an American section that has been moved out of the area because he does not want to miss the chance of 'getting the work', although he is worried how the section will function without the HQ Garages, stores, and mechanics. He has told the 'Med. Divisionaire' that he is able to get hold of 10 cars, but the 'Med. Divisionaire' says that this is not enough. He describes his efforts to get more cars and drivers, and says that this leaves the Unit short-staffed and short of cars. He describes a gas attack and artillery duel, with a raid by 30 Taubes [German aeroplanes]. He says that the main attack took place further down the line and there are rumours that a gas attack was foiled by 'stuffing in lots of H.E.' and lighting straw, but the battle 'fizzled out'. He talks about rumours on Christmas Eve of an attack the following day and says that British guns had been issued with extra ammunition to start an attack which will prevent both sides from fraternising as last year. Although nothing happened, this spoilt Christmas because they had to be on stand-by and they missed a performance of a pantomime written by some of the men. He is hoping to combine his job as Chef

1915



of S.S.A. 13 with the job of O.C. of Cars, so he can live 'among green fields and woods' instead of at H.Q. with its 'dreary sand dunes'. He describes the living quarters of S.S.A. 13 and 14, and says that they have more time to keep the cars clean because there is less to do. He reports that Maxwell has been given a captaincy and Dr Nockolds an honorary commission as lieutenant in the British Army, which is 'a good thing', although 'some Friends may kick a bit'.

1 letter

Access: Open


Letter dated 9 January 1916, written from Army Post Office, S. 10.

'Geoffrey' [Young], who used to work for the Unit as O.C. Field Station, has visited him. Geoffrey was summoned to meet the King of the Belgians, and 'Laurence was delighted to congratulate him... on the neat little strip of purple ribbon on his tunic'. They went for a drive round the local area, including [Ypres], which has been mostly destroyed - he describes the damage to the Cloth Hall, the Cathedral, and other buildings - and visit the Unit's old quarters at the Petit Chateau and the Convent where they had their first Field Station.


2 letters

Access: Open

1916


Letter dated 2 February 1916, written from Army Post Office, S10.

He tells them not to give money to an appeal for Belgian Ambulances. He says that the Belgian Army have all the ambulances they need, and are 'joy-riders' and 'road-hogs'. He says that the Belgians have ample numbers of cars and plenty of medical equipment. Although 'Du Page's great hospital' has lavish equipment, it is wasted because the Army people don't like him and

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therefore do not use the hospital.

He says that the wind has changed to an East wind, which makes the weather colder and means anxiety about cars freezing and gas attacks. A German attack is possible; their airmen have noticed activity around a big gun nearby, and all the French guns that replied before are now elsewhere, although 'the R.M.A.s have a 9.7 and some small guns'. This has 'created quite a hubbub': people are clearing out of the line of fire and the hospitals and ships are on stand-by. He believes it is 'a mare's nest' because the number of our planes is increasing and the anti-aircraft batteries are becoming more accurate and numerous. He says that there have been two attacks recently, but that he agrees with the theory that these are 'little taps' and the Germans have no intention of really breaking through or advancing.

He says that the countryside, which has been flooded, is drying up, and describes people driving into flooded roads and getting stuck, which can be 'an entertaining spectacle'. The Unit has just employed an itinerant dentist. He asks them to send him Arnold Bennett's latest book, a book by Balfour, and poems by C.H. Sorley. Twenty thousand Russians are to be shipped over and put on a sector of the front.

1 letter

Access: Open


Letter dated 4 March 1916, written from Army P.O. S10.

This letter describes changes to the organization of S.S.A. 13 and 14. S.S.A. 14 has been ordered by a French Lieutenant to go to the French Automobile Parc and Laurence Cadbury persuades his Captain not to send them, because the Section does not want to be put on jobs such as 'sweeping roads and peeling spuds' under 'objectionable and officious' French officers.

S.S.A. 13 has been put 'en repos' before being

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allocated to a new division; this means that they have been moved to new quarters at a farm. The letter describes the wet conditions at the farm and difficulties in moving cars and equipment there. They have improved their quarters and made them comfortable. He talks about his previous quarters, where he stayed with a 'very pleasant family', and contrasts them with his present patron, 'a hard faced old miser'. Some shells have landed nearby, which, luckily, were shrapnel, not H.E.

He says that there was a German attack two weeks ago, in which some Germans got into French trenches, but were all killed or captured.

The French Army has recently ordered that all beards were to be shaved off, that hair must be cut short, and that cafes should not have blinds or obstructions in front of the windows.

He discusses 'the blighters in the Society who have been advocating the employment of strike methods with regard to compulsion' and says that some fellows in the Unit wanted to go home because they were exempted. He is glad that 'most have been pretty well sat on'.

The east wind has frozen their equipment and it has snowed. He advises them not to give subs to Committees raising money for equipment. He thanks them for sending books, which include 'These Twain' and asks for some fruit because the French rations do not give him enough money to buy it.

1 letter

Access: Open


Letter dated 5 April 1916, written from G.H.Q, with attached typescript note by circulator of copy letter about parts of the letter which may not be of general interest.

He thanks his parents for sending some fruit, and says that he forgot his birthday because he has been so busy. Sections 13 and 14 are now supporting a whole 'Corps d'Armee' of three and

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sometimes four Divisions. The Canadian Corps are now next to the Unit's position and are 'waking up the Huns pretty badly'.

Both Sections were recently inspected.

The new Division he is attached to is very stingy with equipment. He compares the equipment supplied by the French and British Armies: he says that British equipment is better made, but is probably not worth the extra cost; although the French call British equipment 'tres pratique', the French 'usually seem on the spot' in 'matters of vital importance' such as shrapnel helmets and gas masks. The French are more careful of expense than the British, who leave boxes, cans, and cases lying around; the French check petrol consumption and equipment for cars, and collect and guard brass shell cases. The French have been deficient in the care of their wounded, but it must be remembered that they work to different standards. He says that Belgian administration is poor and gives an example of dug-outs built next to a hospital that could not be used by the patients.

He is glad to be back at the front and to get his old billet back. There was a lot of 'strafering' when they got back. There is an argument over who is in charge of the unit, which he hopes will be resolved because it makes it difficult for him to 'get about' and to unite his two jobs (O.C. of F.A.U. cars and Chef de Section 13). It is possible that one of the sections may have to go elsewhere; if this happens he will have to rearrange things, but he hopes he will be able to go on for some time yet.

They are making a great effort to set up a Civilian Convoy and he has had a meeting about this with other Unit staff. This included a lot of discussion about the Unit's cars; he was criticised for directing the motor department into military rather than civilian channels. He describes how he became involved in civilian car work, explains why the amount of this work decreased, and how he tried to make provision for civilian work while accepting the French military work available. He discusses renovating the Unit's cars. He says that although they have enough cars, they do not have enough personnel, and he thinks that they should not get a convoy of miners' ambulances unless they have



definite work and enough personnel. A new training camp for drivers will be set up and he hopes to give the men enough time to maintain their cars. The only question that remains is whether all this will be completed before 'work' comes along, which may be 'spring, autumn or never'.

He discusses the financing of the Unit and says that although the funds are to aid the civilian population, the French Sections cost the Unit very little.

He talks about rumours of changing troops and armies and explains how this will affect his work. He mentions a recent battle in which 400 Automobile Service drivers were killed, says that this may bring him some work, and says that no-one has been hit recently.

He mentions a dead friend, John Allen and says that Tym Thompson recently got the D.S.O.

He has just read Rupert Brook's 'Letters from America' and compares Brook's impressions of America with his own. He has read bits of 'The Red Horizon' and gives his opinion of it.


2 letters

Access: Open

MS327/A/1/28 Letter from Laurence Cadbury to his brother George

Photocopy of letter dated 18 April 1916, no address given

Laurence Cadbury thanks his brother for news of the Cadbury subsidiary plants at Knighton and Frampton [on Severn] and comments on production of condensed milk and other aspects of the business and asks after employees by name

1 letter

Access: Open

1916



MS327/A/1/29


Letter dated 26 May 1916, written from Headquarters, Friends' Ambulance Unit, B.E.F.

He has been 'constantly kept on the bustle', which keeps him from feeling depressed at the thought of more years wasted in 'this infernal war'. He describes his feelings of depression.

A group of men in the Section has been getting F.A.U. staff to sign a memorandum protesting against imprisonment of conscientious objectors, and threatening to return home. This caused a row with the authorities, and led to some men from the Unit going home. They have had to appoint a new Adjutant; the post has been divided between Mordey and Watts. The Unit has been authorised and G.H.Q. have been given orders that its work be facilitated. The Unit has quarrelled with the Countess and withdrawn from civilian work, which has been given to the Belgians. This means that he has been left with a convoy who have nothing to do and he is disappointed that his scheme for training new drivers for a civilian convoy has failed. A new and drastic set of regulations was issued by the Committees controlling the foreign ambulance sections, and they had to lobby to have them withdrawn and a fresh set issued. One of the Divisions to which the Section is attached is leaving, and they have to decide whether to go with them, or stay; it is likely that they will stay.

His Adjutant, Corder Catchpool, has left, and he has appointed Mordey and Watts as joint replacements. It is unlikely that he will come home on leave because of 'Maxwell's heart, Catchpool's conscience, and Mordey's marriage'.

1 letter

Access: Open

1916


Letter dated 22 June 1916, written from Headquarters, Friends' Ambulance Unit, B.E.F.

The letter has probably been written after his return from leave, since he starts by saying that he had a

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good journey to Headquarters and went to the theatre in London with Eleanor and Bertram.

He spent the afternoon 'arranging about some new cars' with Richard Barrow, who told him that S.S.A. 13 had orders to move south with the French Army. When he arrived at Headquarters, he found that they were to stay after all, and the Section was 'very downcast'. He comments that voluntary men are 'a difficult crowd when it is a question of sitting still'.

He has been 'searching round... for work' and lists various sources from which the Unit may get jobs: some men from the Unit may replace men who are being dismissed from the B.R.C.S.; they may take over some French work; or the W.O. [War Office] may provide work. He discusses whether work is likely to come from any of these sources and the problems associated with them. The Unit is having 'a trying time' and he is worried that one of his staff, Maxwell, will be ill again.

He has heard some interesting things about 'the great battle' from Col. Barry. He says that 'the French were caught napping' and did not realise the magnitude of the concentration against them. He describes how the French forces were reorganised immediately before the attack. He says that a new army may be formed, and if so, British sections may be added to it and they will need to find more men and cars. This all means 'a good deal of arrangement and negotiation'.

There have been rumours 'about mails going to be stopped', although nothing has been done yet.


2 letters

Access: Open


Letter dated 29 June 1916, written from Headquarters, F.A.U.

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He has been to see Col. Barry, who is 'keen to get six S.S.A.s and do all the work of the army with British cars'. He explains how this will be arranged, but says that it is not definite because their spare personnel might be needed for the B.R.C.S. They have the men in England, and he discusses whether they should stay in England and be 'put in some hospital' or whether they should be sent out here to wait for 'decent driving jobs'.

He travelled to Paris to see Col. Barry: he describes his journey and says that Paris is very quiet. From Paris, he travelled down to Col. Barry's headquarters and says that 'the hilly country' was 'a joy to see'. They spent some time with each of the Sections working for Col. Barry; he describes their equipment and concludes that one of the Unit's Sections could work down there. They had a look at a famous historic city in the area [name censored] and he talks about the railway to it, which was an easy target and shelled by the Germans. The roads are very busy but are regularly patched up.

He describes the guns firing nearby and talks about German activity in the area; they are now able to pick off convoys, which was not possible the week before. He comments that 'it will be interesting to know whether the German plan of keeping the French occupied to prevent them massing for an offensive' and the French plan of keeping [the Germans] busy to give the allied offensive a chance have been successful.

He has visited the War Victims Relief people with Col. Barry.

He says that it is humorous that 'all the fellows up here are anxious to get South' and 'all Barry's men want to get North, and adds that the Kursaal is preferable to Barry's. The countryside and town are charming and the headquarters is not an exciting one. The Germans had recently used a new gas, which has 'not a very noticeable smell' and 70 people have been killed in a recent air raid. The Authorities take rather especial precautions to keep down aircraft observations.

1 letter



Access: Open


Letter dated 9 July 1916, written from Headquarters, F.A.U.

He is writing the letter in an ambulance which has been called to a house that was shelled; the Unit is providing stretchers and illumination for the rescue work. He describes the team digging in the wreckage for the bodies in the house. The house was bombed because some new French naval guns have arrived nearby to attack 'a new German piece [gun] of incredible dimensions' before it gets into action'.

A further note, dated 10 July' says that they finished clearing the house and that the guns have been pulled back. He adds that 'it is not at all bad here, with a decent billet and sea bathing'.

1 letter

Access: Open

1916


Letter dated 20 August 1916, no address given.

Extracts from a letter written shortly after his return from leave. He mentions meeting Eleanor and Bertram, and Ted Harvey and his wife, and describes his journey back to France. Some of his men from Reserves Camp are helping with the harvest. They are still trying to get another convoy but the 'pig-headed' officials will not do a deal.


2 letters

Access: Open

1916

MS327/A/1/34 Letter from Laurence Cadbury to Captain Maxwell

Extract of letter dated 2 September 1916, no address given.

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He reports on a journey made in convoy to Amiens, via St Omer, Truges, St Pol, and Boullens to the Unit's new headquarters near Compiegne. He describes the difficulties in getting the cars up the hills after St Omer. They saw some interesting sights on the way including gangs of Germans navvying and balloons near the front line.

They had just got settled in their new quarters, when an order came in to evacuate a train. Their cars have been very busy working all day and night, but this is exceptional and will not continue. They are very short-handed.

The Section has been divided into small groups, stationed far apart from each other; he has been driving round visiting them. He has come across several old friends from the French Army.

1 letter

Access: Open


Letter dated 8 September 1916, written from S.S. Anglais, No 13, Convois Autos, per B.C.M., Paris.

He has changed his position recently. They have finally been given permission to form two new sections and have moved 'down here'. A new big offensive has begun and the wounded have been coming in. They are enjoying the countryside, the river, and the forest nearby. The villages are very attractive. The British are popular here and the convoy 'scored an ovation'. He has a lurking fear of returning to Malo shortly. The French post is bad; he asks them to send letters to H.Q.

1 letter

Access: Open

1916


Letter dated 3 October 1916, written from Headquarters, F.A.U., B.E.F.

He has been sent back to H.Q. and is 'pretty sick at being brought back'. Some new men had

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appeared at the Unit without the necessary French formalities having been gone through and he had to go to H.Q. to 'straighten things up'. He describes the drive back to H.Q.behind the lines and the traffic on the roads. He says that the mechanic of S.S.A. 13, Weatherall, is very good and they new have a new and very well-equipped workshop. He has had an argument with the O.C. about his job; he wanted to stay with the Convoy and the O.C. wanted him to come to H.Q. He describes the formalities involved in this. He is disappointed to leave S.S.A. 13 because he would have liked to see it tested in 'a good scrap' and dislikes giving over the command to someone else, being stuck in an office, and losing the company of 'the fellows in '13'.

He asks for a copy of James Elroy Flecker's poems.

S.S.A. 19 has been formed and is 'very fine', although it takes away some of his best men from H.Q. Section 14 is likely to be moved away with one of the French Divisions leaving the area. The Division replacing it is one of the best in the French Army; he lists friends from the Division who have been killed. He tells a story about a man who worked as a 'Genie' under General Kihandon and comments that the 'General did not mind how many men a certain operation might cost if he wanted it'.

He has seen Lieutenant Duc, who is with the Division supported by S.S. 60 and may be appointed Lieut. for S.S. 19, although he rather hopes for 'a decent fellow from the H.Q. of the Auto-Seine at Versailles who can't talk English'.

1 letter

Access: Open


Letter dated 30 October 1916, written from S.S.A. 13.

He is glad that Father is better.

He has been to Paris twice and the S.S.A. 14 in the south. He knows the roads between here and

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Paris very well now. He says he is a bad travelling companion for Maxwell because he can go without food whereas Maxwell needs to eat regularly. The steering arm of his car broke while they were on their way back from S.S.A.13; he describes repairing it. He has met the new Commissioner of the B.R.C.S. and arranged for an inspection of '13' and '14' the following day.

He talks about 'train chasing', following an Ambulance Train in a car. S.S.A. 14 is now attached to a Divison and S.S.A. 13 is attached to the Army; he explains the advantages of each.

They have just had an Anniversary Celebration, including an entertainment.

S.S.A. 19 has just left for the front.

He is sorry to hear about Bertram's illness, is glad to hear that Bertie is flying all right, and has had a line from Vereker.

1 letter

Access: Open


Letter dated 13 December 1916, written from S.S.A. 13.

He was surprised to see Bertie's [Egbert Cadbury] picture on the back of 'The Daily Sketch' and has heard that he has been awarded the D.S.Cross. He has been travelling around visiting convoys S.S.A. 13 and 14. He found S.S.A. 14 camping in chill and muddy conditions, strung out along the side of a road.

He comments on the delays caused by bureaucracy in the army. He has had dinner with Mr Marshall and Philip Knox. He describes a 'fruitless and annoying trip' looking for S.S.A. 14 . A 'convoyeur' was sent with them because civilians are not trusted; he comments on French suspicion towards English people and says he snubbed the convoyeur rather cruelly because he talked Yankee, but was interested to hear that he had been in a battery of 155s, one of the most interesting guns in the French Army. He describes

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getting petrol from a Parc owned by a man who had come back from the States just before the war started.

He describes returning to S.S.A. 14, who are 'still in the mud, billetless' and discusses the Division that they are attached to. They have gone over the ground taken in the last offensive with a 'Marechal des Logis' and he describes the 'scene of chaos' which 'was the same everywhere as we went on': wooded valleys now resembling ploughed fields and villages destroyed. The main road in the area resembles the main road to Ypres and the snow and rain make things very bad for driving; the road is often blocked by stationary vehicles and there are overturned horse carts by the side of the road, covered in mud. There are enormous ammunition dumps and German prisoner camps nearby. He has spent a day with S.S.A. 14, who are now more cheerful. He expects to go back to H.Q. in a few days. In a postscript, he adds that he would like to hear what you think of 'our new respected leader' and says that there are rumours but anything seems likely, except peace.

1 letter

Access: Open


Letter dated 29 December 1916, written from Headquarters, Friends' Ambulance Unit.

He returned to Headquarters on Christmas Day and has been 'battling with malicious germs' since then. He spent most of his illness thinking of 'a report on the behaviour of the Vulcan convoy', and 'a new system of supplementing French rations', and reading.

He enjoyed his stay with S.S.A. 13. He has been visiting the various out-stations with Marshall, who succeeded him as Chef, and Stapledon, 'a most excellent companion', and has enjoyed driving in this beautiful part of France. He describes visiting Commandant Ballut of the French Automobile Service 'to remind him that we existed and had a keen desire always to be at the front'. He has visited two other out-stations and talks about the

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men in charge. He has seen many German prisoners working in beet factories or in the fields. They had a dinner on 17 December to celebrate the day that the Convoy went to the front in Flanders. He visited S.S.A. 14, who have been moved back from the front, and moved on 24th from a comfortable billet to an uncomfortable one. He left them on Christmas Eve for H.Q. but stopped off at Etaples on the way to visit Dr Henry at the Military Hospital there. After visiting B.R.C.S. H.Q. at Boulogne he visited Molly at the Alexandra and had a dinner and dance. 'The Faullies' gave a performance on the following day.

He has returned to H.Q. and has been catching up with his paperwork.


2 letters

Access: Open



He is about to leave H.Q. to visit the Section again . He is travelling in 'the Woseley' which is an uncomfortable journey. A new order has been issued: when a Division moves it must leave its Section behind. S.S.A. 14 want to move with their Division because they will get 'front line work' and better billets, so he is visiting Col. Barry to discuss this. He visited S.S.A. 14 on the way and describes their 'pretty wretched' muddy conditions. He saw Col. Barry, who advised them to see Comm. Ballut. They could not see him, so they decided to try G.Q.G. but their steering arm broke on the way and stayed the night in a hotel in a nearby town.

1 letter

Access: Open

1916


Letter dated 11 February 1917, written from H.Q. F.A.U.

He will probably come home on leave on

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Wednesday. He hopes Molly had a comfortable journey home and discusses the arrangements made for her journey. He has been visiting the Sections: he had a bad journey because his window shattered and the steering arm broke on his car, and arrived at Compiegne, where Section 13 is usually based, to find that they had moved to Port St Mavence. Section 14 have moved to Ressons 'in pretty rotten billets', probably in preparation for moving to another Army. He says that it is usually difficult to find a billet near the front lines. He goes to see a French Lieutenant and arranges for Section 14 to exchange their old cars for new ones. He needs to telegram to arrange to get some buses, and comments that the British use of French must amuse the French telegraphic staff. Donald Gray, an old friend who works in the Italian Unit, has wired to say that he is on leave in Paris, so he drives up to meet him - they go sightseeing and see a show. He discusses the war in Italy. He stopped in Senlis on the way back; he describes 'a run of bad luck' on the way home which included getting the car stuck on a level crossing. They are exchanging Section 14's old cars for new ones; he describes making repairs to the cars and driving them in convoy through Boulogne and Calais, which raises 'hostile reactions' from the local users of the highway. The Convoy were only given two days to repair the cars, which meant 'a terrific rush and sleepless nights' and left several members of the Convoy in hospital. They are 'very stale' because their billet is 'unpleasant' and they have been continually moved around. The weather has been frosty, so he has been skating, but the weather is a nuisance because it makes the cars' radiators freeze.


2 letters

Access: Open

MS327/A/1/42 Letter from Richard [Barrow] to his mother

Letter dated 15 February 1917, written from S.S.A. 14, Par B.C.M. Paris.

He describes travelling in an ambulance convoy from the front line to H.Q. [in Dunkirk?] and problems with cars caused by the cold, and driving

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the convoy to a posting near a Maternity Hospital

1 letter

Access: Open


Letter dated 7 March 1917, written from Headquarters, F.A.U., B.E.F.

He has just returned from 'the best leave I have ever had'. He had a calm crossing, but 'it took a long time to get through'. Bill Greeves met him and drove the bus while he drove the Beetle. They had a slight accident on the way, which 'wiped the top-hamper off the running board of his car'. He has been snowed under with work but has cleared most of it now. He explains how the Sections are being reorganized. He returned in time for the end of the last Motor School. The Unit has a new agreement with the B.R.C.S. - they have agreed to supply cars and car equipment, but this has not been confirmed because Lord Donoughmore is very busy and not available to make decisions. He is going to visit the Sections in the Beetle, with Captain Maxwell, who is 'hoping to wriggle out of it'. He asks his parents to send the Austin back seat screen and his lathe.

Two men from S.S.A. 13, D.C.M. Brooks and T.M. Greeves, have visited. They are leaving the Section and will probably get jobs in the Air Service.

The weather has been windy and frosty, so they have to take the usual precautions against car radiators freezing.


2 letters

Access: Open

1917


Letter dated 12 April 1917, written from Headquarters, Friends' Ambulance Unit, B.E.F.

Sir George [probably Sir George Newman] has visited the Unit. It was refreshing to have him and

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he made 'a number of very good speeches'. Sir George addressed the Unit at H.Q. and 'fairly trounced a certain set, known as the Committee of Public Safety, for their pernicious attitude'. Laurence Cadbury gives his views on this set.

There has been an explosion near the petrol shed and car hangar, which some people thought was a bomb, but he believes was an unexploded shell. Three of their lorry drivers have been injured. He says that people take refuge in the 'caves' during bombing raids, so there are usually few casualties.

He has been to visit '13' and '14' with Captain [Maxwell?] and 'nearly killed him' on the return journey because it was so cold. He describes the countryside where '13' are now based and the land formerly occupied by the Germans that has not been too badly 'knocked about'. They went to lunch with Colonel Barry.

The roads on the way back were very bad; the Army has 'pulverised' them.

H.Q. had been shelled and bombed while they were away, which caused 'a violent campaign' against our hangar as a fire-drawer. He has had it painted with some 'vorticist designs' by the 'most cubist and unorthodox of our post-impressionist artists'.

The recent German retirement has caused excitement and speculation and freed a number of divisions. H.Q. have sent an estimate of the weight of their belongings and stores, in case of a move. The Belgians are here; the Army blames the King for its being made a joke of by its allies and there are many rumours about where they will be sent next.

He has sent a long report on the French Sections to the London Commission and suggests they borrow it. It follows a visit to '14' by T.E. Harvey, who claimed that the Section was inadequately housed and fed, which is 'ridiculous'. Donald Bremner's brother and Seebohm Rowntree's son have recently arrived.

All the ground nearby is being used for planting potatoes.




2 letters

Access: Open

MS327/A/1/45 Letter from Colin Priestman to his mother

Letter dated 1 May 1917, written from Convois Automobiles, S.S. Angl. 13. B.C.M.. Paris.

He writes that the convoy is 'en repos' [resting], two men have been slightly wounded and a couple of cars damaged. They have treated the wounded from a recent assault by 'our fellows'. He describes seeing a man and some dead horses in a wagon and other sights which used to shock him. He makes reference to Lt Cadbury

1 letter

Access: Open

1917


Letter dated 12 May 1917, written from Headquarters, Friends' Ambulance Unit, B.E.F.

He has visited '13' and '14', travelling by train with Richard Barrow and Arthur Pearson, to install Pearson as Sous Chef of S.S.A. 14.

'13' have had 'a pretty hot time' in the 'recent offensive'. He describes the battlefield and the battle.

Everyone is very fed up with the French tanks, which are faster than the British model, but can't navigate such difficult country. He tells a story about a Commander who left the automobile service to become head of the tank service, then left when it became obvious that things were not going to be a success.

S.S.A. 13 are stationed near the front lines: he describes the countryside where they are stationed and the bombardment before the attack. The Unit were evacuating the wounded and there were many losses. The Germans shelled the village in which the Section was billeted the evening before they were due to move, killing 14 soldiers and

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wounding 24.

After this, he visited S.S.A. 14, who had taken part in the same offensive. The Germans were not expecting an attack where they were positioned, so their Division 'walked right through'. He describes travelling round the Sector where the French offensive of 1915 took place, and seeing the 'remains of a farm', the original front line and the old no man's land. They also see some big guns (205s and 220s) which are known as A.S.L.P.s or commonly 'Artillerie de Luxe des Grands Pistoners', meaning men who have influential friends who shove them into soft jobs. He describes the guns firing, which is 'a great sight'; they have been fixing on a German 'revitaillement base' and have harassed it so much that the German troops along the line have been nearly famished and the prisoners they have brought back in the ambulances have been half starving.

The Germans made a heavy gas attack in the next sector but one and 12 men were asphyxiated. S.S.A. 14 have had 'a pretty thick time' and are worn out by unceasing work and being pounded by artillery, so they are looking forward to a rest.

He returned to '13', who were 'en repos' [resting] in beautiful countryside New drafts are being 'welded into' the Division before it goes back to the front. 16 ambulances were hit, one car was demolished, one man was badly wounded but will recover, and one man is shell-shocked and the M.C. rider got a wrist wound. The despatch rider was hit because there was no cover on the road between the 'boyeaux' and the village. It was frequently necessary to clear this road of ambulances and horses.

The infantry blames the artillery for the recent attack and everyone is very bitter about the Russians because the Germans concentrated 3 divisions against them, mostly from the Russian front; the Division blames this for their defeat. The recent fighting has caused a dislike of the front but he thinks 'people will soon get over an overdose of shells'. He was annoyed not to be with '13' and



'14' during the recent attack.

He spent a day in Paris on his way back.

Headquarters was bombed while he was away and S.S.A 19 had a very severe gas attack in which one car was destroyed and a driver was gassed - he is still in hospital.

They have got hold of some tennis courts and are going to form a tennis club; he asks his parents to send a racquet.

He is furious that a report he wrote responding to T.C.Harvey's criticism of the Sections has been published in the Friend.


2 letters

Access: Open


Letter dated 4 June 1917, written from S.S. Anglaise 13, Secteur Postal 54, France.

He describes their billet in dug-outs behind a farm house. He has driven an ambulance to a poste and picked up some wounded men. They have had a football match at one of the hospitals. The Red Cross Commissioner has inspected the convoy and is satisfied.


2 letters

Access: Open

1917


Letter dated 6 June 1917, written from Headquarters, .F.A.U., B.E.F.

He thanks his parents for their letter congratulating him on the award of the Croix de Guerre. He tells them how he heard the news and describes the awards ceremony, in which the medals were

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presented by Prince Alexander of Teck and General Nolan. The French were very struck by the military bearing of the British representatives.

After the ceremony, he visited S.S.A. 19 and saw two new A.L.G.P. guns in action.

He drove down to '13' and '14' a few days later in the Renault, which has been re-fitted and is now faster. He passed through the Cathedral City of [name censored], which was 'sadly knocked about' and visited the Cathedral. He left at speed after he remembered that the Germans shell the area with gas shells and he did not have a gas mask. They drove on to the War Victims town, where he met several people he knows from the Automobile Sections and learnt that Americans are being trained at the French Auto School to become Officers in the French Army.

He has visited '14' and '13'. Pearson is doing well as second in command and the new French Lieutenant is proving satisfactory, except that he does not like to be put at the front.

He asks why Perry Robinson talks 'such drivel' about the Portuguese; they are nearby and are thought to be 'useless'.

He describes the countryside where '13' and '14' are posted, which was in the first 1915 offensive and where the Battle of the Marne took place. He comments that 'one does not realise...what a terrific area was at stake...and how nearly the French line of fortresses was out-flanked'.

'13' have a lovely spot for their H.Q., near some 'top-hole' bathing; he says that the contrast to 'the beastly sea' [in Malo] almost made him want to desert rather than come back.

He describes visiting '13's numerous Postes where their cars are kept, and the view across the plain into Germany; the slopes used to be 'a succession of spurting fountains of earth and smoke', but are now 'very quiet' because both sides can see each other. They visited the ruined 'fortress city' and went closer to the new lines, passing mine craters



in the road.

Since his return [to Headquarters] they have been raided almost nightly and is annoyed to lose sleep. He had to turn out to help '19' with a gas attack.

They have been preparing for another advance.

He thanks them for the tennis racquet and says he has been getting several games.

He says that quite a lot of people have communicated about a report he wrote which was accidentally published in the Friend, which is annoying.

He tells them that he was awarded the Croix de Guerre for the evacuation of the Petit Chateau at Elverdinghe in April 1915 and explains what happened then.

With press cutting of photograph of Laurence Cadbury, captioned 'Laurence J. Cadbury. Awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French Government'.

1 letter and 1 cutting

Access: Open

MS327/A/1/49 Letter from Laurence to his brother, George

Photocopy of letter dated 7 July 1917, written from Headquarters, Friends' Ambulance Unit B.E.F.

He refers to several Birmingham men serving in France with him and writes of the difficulties of working with men who 'are not used to clocking in and out of their jobs such as when in the garage'. He expresses interest in the extension of Cadbury's business to food production to cheese and vegetables at Frampton and writes about several first class farmers serving with him who will be unemployed at the end of the war. He makes reference to a tribunal in which has been involved.

1 letter

Access: Open

1917



MS327/A/1/50


Letter dated 14 August 1917, written from 'Mr Marshall's delightful little flat in the Rue de Luxembourg' [Paris]

He is visiting a friend in Paris. He has just received a postcard from Donald Gray and hopes to meet him in Paris. He is going back to H.Q. on the train the following day; the carriages are usually too hot and it is difficult to get a seat. There are lots of British and Colonial troops coming to Paris on leave; the British have a bad reputation in Paris.

Sections 13 and 14 are now in the same Army again; he has just been visiting them both. He says that they tend to become very self-centered since they are so far removed from the rest of the Unit, and ignore the fact that the Unit must be administered as a whole. It is his job to act as liaison and remind them 'on which side their bread is margarined in such things as leave, uniform, rations, etc'.

Section 13 is billeted near a river so they have been bathing. An Art Circle has formed in the section. They have only one Poste, which is under observation and reached through a tunnel. This was under German control before the 1915 offensive. He describes the tunnel and says that he has walked around the countryside following the positions of the old and new lines. The Sections have been playing football against the Regiments of their Divisions. Morale has improved since the Division's 'devastating time in the April offensive'.

Section 14 has several 'postes' - he explains the system for bringing back the wounded from the front. He describes French rations. The Sector has been quiet, but they are expecting a gas attack. They have taken a number of prisoners. New 'Tissos' respirators have been issued; they are better for driving. The Sector was held by the Russians, and is about to be taken over by the Americans. The Russians, who are 'useless' have been moved to Limoges, where they work as 'travailleurs'. The Americans are in training nearby, and are 'pretty undisciplined...toughs'.

1917



1 letter

Access: Open


Letter dated 8 September 1917, written from S.S.A. 14.

He hopes Molly has arrived safely. H.Q. has been bombed every night recently.

He is 'down at the Sections...to meet a party of big-wigs' but is loath to leave H.Q. because it would be a catastrophe if anything landed on the [Hotel] Pyl while they are all away.

He has travelled down in the Renault and describes having dinner with Marshall in a Park near the Porto Maillot and meeting Lt.Col. Brett, son of Lord Esher, who is A.P.M. of Paris, and Zena, his wife. Colonel Brett is 'not bright but very, very safe, and never moves without the whole weight of the Army behind him'. He comments that this is the essential thing to do to get promotion in the Army. He also met a man called Cavendish and his wife, who has worked in Africa and is now in the Intelligence - his tales of Estimanet gossip were very amusing.

Ted Harvey has visited and told him about the destruction and reconstruction of the villages in the re-taken areas. The Germans have sacked St. Quentin.

On the way to '14', he stayed in a hotel and saw the Prince of Wales, who is a G.S.O.3 in the 14th Corps. He says that he would like to take a picture of a monument on a hill nearby, which marks the place where Revolutionary France won its first battle against the Austrians and send it to the Russians 'as a hint that they should pull their socks up'.

1 letter

Access: Open

1917



MS327/A/1/52

Letter from Laurence Cadbury to his sister, Dolly

Extract of letter dated 2 October 1917 annotated 'You will notice the Censor has been busy', no address given

His passport is not ready. He had lunch with Edward, Bertram, and Henry, and saw a play 'The Invisible Foe'. The Tubes were packed with people bivouacing on the platforms to shelter from air raids, although there was no raid - he calls this 'a disgusting exhibition'.

He crossed the Channel and arrived [at Dunkirk] shortly after an air raid. He gives a detailed description of the searchlights, air raid warnings, and sounds of guns and shells during an air raid. Several bombs were dropped, one on the Place du Kursaal.

With two further copies, MS327/A/1/52a &52b

3 letters

Access: Open

1917


Letter dated 29 October 1917, no address given.

He says that the post has been delayed and the censor has been opening Molly's letters.

He asks her to authorise Wheeler to 'draw some petrol from my stock and hand it over to the general stock'. He advises her to adopt gas propulsion and get balloons fitted to two of their cars. He asks if she has seen Horatio Bottomley's 'In Hell and in Heaven', which is 'ludicrous drivel'.

They have had 'pretty continuous visitations' this month. It annoys him to hear people at Headquarters pray for stormy weather because the front gets very muddy in wet weather and the wounded have to be carried on stretchers almost 7 kms. German prisoners do this work. '19' have been up at the front and have been involved in the almost incessant local attacks. Villages in the area he used to visit are now in ruins.

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Col. Barry and Capt. Paget have toured round '19'. During the tour, the car fell into a shell hole and the bottom of the petrol tank was knocked off while they were still in the area of operations. They got the bus back to the 19 atelier by having a fellow sitting on the mudguard pouring petrol from a bottle into the float chamber. He felt 'rather in disgrace' because they had gone out of their way to see a village which had been in German hands. On the way back, they nearly got bombed and the home area was under attack from shells and bombs.

1 letter

Access: Open


Letter dated 26 November 1917, written from S.S.A. 13.

He has finally been able to travel to H.Q., having been held up by 'a most annoying train of circumstances'. Mordey has written a letter to Robert Mennell, who is in gaol, which was opened by the censor and forwarded to G.H.Q, who have decided that he is not a fit person to have in the war zone. Col. Barry was due to visit with the A.D.C. to the Adjutant General - they have been waiting for a week for him to arrive, but eventually the visit was postponed. A man has been arrested for taking a photograph of a private detective and 'kicked out of France'. A driver may be court martialled for trying to drive an ambulance through a gate forbidden to ambulance traffic. Another man has disobeyed 'Base Lighting Orders'. They are trying to get a new 'O.C. and Adj'.

He travelled to Paris by train, reading Graham Wallas's 'The Great Society' on the way. While he was in Paris, he got his 'order de mouvement', tried unsuccessfully to find Capt. Lefebure and visited the American Red Cross Headquarters. The Unit has done a lot of work for the American Red Cross recently; the Red Cross has supplied them with several trucks, a mechanic, and has paid some of the charges for work undertaken on their behalf.

1917



He arrived at S.S.A. 14 last Wednesday; although the weather was vile, he was cheered by a 'good billet'. The Prince of Siam is in a room across the corridor. He has met some Americans and resents being mistaken for an American. Section 14 were hoping to be sent to Italy, but another Section was sent in their place at the last minute and they were put on 'the dullest of jobs'. They are in a rebellious state of mind because of 'the hated order making them turn their collars up' and anxiety about R.M. Barrow's successor. He discusses the qualities of a good leader and says that the Section doesn't 'know what is good for them'.

He has had a letter from W.G. Constable who is in hospital with trench fever. He was going to take a course for Senior Officers, preparatory to having a Battalion.


2 letters

Access: Open



He is driving from H.Q. to introduce 'the departing and future O.C.s, Captains Maxwell and Tatham to the Sections'. They were going to meet Dr van Schaick of the American Red Cross at Abbeville, but he was delayed by the recent heavy snow. They met two old friends, Harold Watts and Darbyshire, at a hostelry called the 'Tete de Boeuf'.

He has visited Paris, where he saw 'the Lefebures' and met a Col. Mulliner who was on 'a petrol campaign with the French Government' and says that members of the Allied Conference are monopolising Paris. He discovered that Lefebure was responsible for the gas attacks on the sector in which 19 were working last Spring. The sector was thought to be 'an impossible one for gas', but the Allies decided to use gas there, which began a series of German and Allied gas attacks that will presumably go on indefinitely.

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They had a 'stiff time' reaching Section 14 because of the snow.

He says that he feels nervous about the new O.C. (Tatham) and his reception, since he feels responsible for his appointment. In his view, the members of the Sections are not competent to choose their O.C. because they do not know what he spends most of his time doing and judge him solely on the way he deals with personnel. He says he may be wrong in preferring 'the product of our effete, abused, medieval public school system, to one from a Quaker foundation'.

He discusses a report he wrote which was accidentally published in 'The Friend', the bad feeling it has caused and its effects. It has been proposed that all officers should resign and new ones be appointed, but this idea has now been dropped.

Mordey has got back again [following his dismissal for writing a letter that was censored by the War Office]. The case against him was 'trivial and ridiculous'.

He describes writing a memo about 'The Great Collar Question', and its circulation.

Section 13 has just been moved to a new billet, which is less comfortable. Troops on the quiet French front frequently prefer the trenches to the 'arriere' because the dug-outs there can be kept warm with very little fuel, unlike the 'great French barns in the Champagne country'. He describes the 'model billeting villages' which were put up in the barns, which make 'a pleasant billet'.

They left '13' for Epernay, where they spent the evening with Richard Barrow, who has left '14' for H.M. Forces, and Arthur Pearson, who was going to take over as O.C. of the Section, but now has to return to Ireland, leaving Laurence Cadbury unable to think of anyone to succeed him.

The following day they travelled to Paris, met G.M. Trevelyan, and exchanged news of other Unit friends. He called on the Kara-Georgevitches who 'told me some remarkable things about Serbia' and gave him a book called 'For the Better Hour'. They



came home from Paris by train instead of going on the Unit's bus because Tatham feels the cold.

With two further copies, MS327/A/1/55a &55b

3 letters

Access: Open



They have had some very successful Christmas shows and concerts.

They have had a lot of visitors recently and he has been taking them up to '19' on tours of the front line and the surrounding area. He describes the area and the damage to the villages and the quarters occupied by the Section in 1915. Most of the villages in the area have been abandoned recently, because of heavy fighting so the Section has been able to find furniture and heat their quarters. When the line has been stationary for many years, local resources are dried up.

One poste is a dilapidated brewery, which gets shelled 'pretty regularly'. One of 'the two front towns' has now been largely 'razed to the mud'. The other town is very interesting; he describes taking visitors on tours of 'a gas alarm post' there through a tunnel running parallel to the cellars of the main houses in the town. From the gas alarm post, one can see the German listening and machine gun posts.

Maxwell has left the Unit and was presented with a watch, a memorial with our signatures, and 'a model fug stove' as a memento of his 'eternal...pursuit of warmth'.

The new O.C. has proved to be the right man, and Tatham has provoked a loyalty that is astonishing.

The weather has been foul and changeable.

He hopes all the wedding preparations are going well. He has asked Norman [Norman Cadbury, his brother] to buy him a gas bag to put on one of the

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buses.


2 letters

Access: Open


Letter dated 15 February 1918, written from Paris. The date of the letter has been amended to 15 March but the original letter is clearly dated as 15 February

He is on his way back to H.Q. via Paris, after spending a night with Col. Barry and and Capt. Marshall, his deputy. He describes Colonel Barry, who seems like 'an old dodderer' but who often shows a brilliant piece of insight into the French mind. He comments on the importance of Sections being on good terms with their Divisions. He describes meeting 'the indefatigable Lt. Sec' who admires Clemenceau and looks forward with equanimity to another two or three years of war. The French have adapted themselves to war conditions, and the working classes will not backwater, as long as there is enough food. The 'official classes' are in clover and the Army is 'not more sick of things than a year ago'; this may be because the 'pinard' ration has increased.

He has had dinner with the family of a man called Lafond, whose parents hold 'most reactionary views'.

There have been air raids in the Capital. Lefebure is doing 'liaison work'.

1 letter

Access: Open

1918


Letter dated 23 February 1918, written from Headquarters.

Some of the Unit's ambulances are being overhauled, which is a lot of work. He asks his parents to send a copy of 'Sassoon' and a copy of

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'the wedding group'. He is going to visit S.S.A.s 13 and 14 with H.G. Wood. He has visited 'Constable' in Frognal - a raid started while he was there. Mordey is pleased because his wife has 'turned up in a Scotch Church hut' in a nearby town.


2 letters

Access: Open


Letter sent in envelope postmarked Paris, 13 March 1918.

He is visiting S.S.A.13 with H.G. Wood and the O.C. He describes the beautiful countryside where S.S.A. 13 are stationed, and his journey through country which has been recaptured from the Germans. Many of the towns and villages have been 'knocked about' because they were at the front line. Arthur Pearson, a 'first class man' has taken on S.S.A. 14. The Section's billet is cramped and their mess room has a mud floor. He has visited S.S.A. 20 and met Middleton (their Chef) and G.H. MacLean. He then saw S.S.A. 14, who have a poste in a ruined chateau, which has views over the countryside held by the Germans. H.G. Wood has now left to visit the Unit's A.T.s [Ambulance Trains]. Several Sections are posted close to each other and there has been 'a great reunion all round'. He is responsible for keeping the various convoys in touch with each other by writing journals and reports and arranging visits from the O.C.s and others. He is going to Colonel Barry's H.Q. before returning via Paris to the North. Several men were killed by a shell while he was visiting Section 13; he comments that 'such incidents make war feel a more personal matter for a moment' but this feeling passes. Visiting S.S.A. 13 is like 'a pleasant holiday' and describes how he spends a day with them.

1 letter

Access: Open

1918



MS327/A/1/60

Motor Department Reports sent by Laurence Cadbury

Extracts of weekly Motor Department Reports sent to 'Office'.

The reports cover the period 16 March 1918 to 27 April 1918 and are written weekly. Each week comprises a brief summary of the work of each Section ('13', '14', and '19') and of the Unit's civilian work. Subjects covered include reports of visits to the Unit, fighting in the area, the types of cases dealt with by the Section, descriptions of attacks to buildings in the area, and the Unit's ambulance work following these attacks, notes of social events held by the Unit. There is also a report written by Dr Epstein, describing an Allied retreat from Nieppe and a German attack on Hazebrouck and the casualties treated following this attack.

1 letter

Access: Open

1918



Some comments he made in one of his letters criticising English tradesmen for striking have been censored; he criticises the bureaucrats who 'oppress us'.

He comments on the recent successful German offensive. There have been many rumours among the civilian population that the Army would be cut off and they have put up posters asking local people not to spread rumours. Industrial life has been brought almost to a standstill, bands of youths have been at large, and the Unit's civilian work has increased.

He describes the work they have done during the last offensive; their participation has been 'very satisfactory'. He complains about 'pseudo-philanthropic organisers' [of hospitals] who work too near the front line and put themselves in danger. He gives an example of a

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Children's Colony organized by a Mme Liouville.

The Beetle has been overhauled and is on the road again.

The Hospital has been moved to a new site because the old site was bombed. He describes the move.

Mme O'Gorman, from Paris, has been to lunch and gave them the latest news of the shelling there. The Parisians who are troubled by this have left; everyone who remains is carrying on with their business, so there is not much unrest in the Capital.

He has been very busy and resources have been strained but he has had great help from P.S. Chesterton and from Bill.


2 letters

Access: Open


Letter dated 11 May 1918, no address given.

H.G. Wood has just visited; his attempts to make intellectual activities flourish have been very much appreciated and he has run some interesting courses. It is difficult to run courses because of changes in personnel, and people's mental or physical tiredness.

He discusses the progress of the war. The Sections know the country where the advance has occurred very well and have a good idea of what is happening: they know how the battle was going and what forces were available at the front. He says that 'our oldest ally' scattered in the face of the recent German attack.

He describes the congestion on the roads during the recent retreat and says that although another retreat was possible, things are more stable and the Unit is likely to stay where it is.

He has been busy reorganizing the Sections, getting the greatest number of cars on the road,

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and distributing cars and drivers between the Sections in order to get the best results. Now that the line has been stationary for a while, and things are organized for the work, he and Bill are going to visit the Sections. '13' and '19' have been decorated, the latter for the Somme offensive.

1 letter

Access: Open


Letter dated 26 May 1918, no address given. This letter has been heavily censored.

He has just visited all three Sections. The Division to which Section 19 is attached was involved in stopping a German attack. The Division has been congratulated by Haig and Foch and several men from Section 19 have been decorated. The Division is now 'away east' recuperating.

He describes his journey south to visit Section 19. The 'whole complexion of the front has changed'; some towns have been damaged, and he gives a detailed description of a town that has been recently bombed.

He arrived at '19' and heard the O.C.'s account of its recent activities, which involved work with civilians.

He has been getting '19' attached to a new Division; this is complicated by the presence of 'Yankee Ambulance Sections'. They have considered making their O.C.s commissioned officers of H.M. Forces, but have decided not to.

After visiting '19', he made a quick visit to '13', where he was able to have a quick dip in the river. The enemy has adopted their tactics for using gas. '13's poste is close to a famous city with a cathedral; although he disapproves of 'rubbernecking', he visits the cathedral and finds that it has not been too badly damaged.

He describes a bomb landing on the pavement outside his hotel.


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2 letters

Access: Open


Letter, undated, no address given. This letter probably follows the letter written on 26 May 1918 (MS 327/A/1/63) because it refers to remarks about unity of command which were censored in the previous letter.

He congratulates Elizabeth Cadbury on receiving the Queen of the Belgians' Medal.

He criticises 'ambitious ladies' who do war work to appease their craving for 'excitement, homage, interest, and intrigue' but which is not really useful.

Some remarks about unity of command which he made in his last letter were censored. He compares French and British regulations regarding drinking and lists other issues which need to be considered when the French and British armies are 'welded into a single strategic force'. Troops from America are now mixed with the rest under the command of Allied Officers. He describes a battalion of black people recruited from the Bocine area of New York. [This paragraph uses racist terms]

Sections 14 and 19 have 'been in this last business'. He gives a detailed description of '19's experiences during a recent attack and of looting after a retreat.

Two members of the Unit were caught in shellfire and narrowly escaped.


2 letters

Access: Open

[1918]


Letter dated 25 June 1918, written from S.S.Anglaise 13, Secteur Postal 54, France.

There has been an epidemic of influenza on the convoy and he has been ill. Laurence Cadbury

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has visited and everyone has turned up for his amusing tales of H.Q.


2 letters

Access: Open



His last letter was written from Marne, where the Division attached to '19' stopped a German attack. Since then, he has visited the convoys several times.

He describes visiting '13' and '14' (who are stationed in the Argonne) and gives a detailed account of a recent failed German attack. '19' have been involved in fighting in the western slopes of the Montagne de Rheims. He explains how the Allies prepared for the attack and the reasons for the German failure.

He returned to '13' for a second visit and describes the Allies pursuing the Germans until they 'scrambled across the River Vesle'. He relieved Marshall, the O.C. of the section, during the advance. He describes being shelled while parking the cars in a village, and the countryside around, which smells foul because of the unburied corpses and dead horses lying about. The following day he drove up near the front line and was nearly hit by a shell.

He then visited '14', whose Division had advanced, driving the Germans off the main road from Soissons to Chateau Thiery. He describes the 'pulverised' villages and roads. He picks up a German notice-board. There are many abandoned guns, and he jokes that he might bring one home. There are also piles of abandoned ammunition; he discusses how cartridges are made and what they are made from. A number of French inhabitants had remained in their village throughout the fighting. They complain of the noise made by the steel shod wheels of the German cars. The

[1918]



Germans have harvested some of the crops, and taken the village bells and pumps. He saw some damaged tanks. The roads are good, although there are some shell holes which are being mended. He has also visited '19' and has travelled back to H.Q. but he does not have time to describe this.


2 letters

Access: Open



He has wired to say that he expects to get leave. He feels he should not go away because he is involved in a change of staff. Arthur Pearson, the O.C. of S.S.A. 14, has gone back to Ireland and he needs to find someone to replace Bill. He discusses the difficulties of finding good officers.

He says that you only have to read the papers to understand why 'external difficulties' get in the way of leave, and comments that things will be more in flux in a few weeks. In a retreat, civilian needs are urgent; in an advance they take time to develop. He has to stay for a conference between the army authorities, the local authorities, and the American Red Cross.

He wrote long letters describing his visits to the sections, but kept one in case it was censored. He is trying to get pictures by various artists in the Unit censored and sent home. He may visit Henry and Eleanor and Bertram.

1 letter

Access: Open

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He hopes Bill and Mollie have reached Ireland safely. He ran Bill down to the port of embarkation on Sunday. He stopped at the Q.A.H. [Queen Alexandra Hospital] and had a drink with the

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P.M.O. while waiting for an air raid to end. He returned to find that a building in the Place du K. [probably the Unit's headquarters] had been bombed and his colleague Mordey was trapped in the wreckage. He describes rescuing Mordey, who escaped with cuts and bruises. Two men were killed and four injured. The wreckage is being pulled down and their offices have been moved to the old Q.A.H. site. He is very busy organizing the demolition of the Pyl and transport to new quarters, since Bill is not there.


2 letters

Access: Open


Letter dated 25 September 1918, no address given. Annotated 'For Family only'.

Written after his return from leave. He 'returned here without incident', found a number of things waiting to be done at the Base, so did not leave until the early hours of the morning.

He describes driving along the coast, which is lit up by searchlights from ships. Everyone seemed 'very windy indeed', 'our glass has been shivered', and a house nearby has been demolished.

The Channel crossing was uncomfortable. He says that he would support an election candidate who proposes a Channel Tunnel. He complains about being treated as an 'undesirable alien' at customs. He mentions friends he visited during his leave. He has got back in time for 'a busy bit of work'.


2 letters

Access: Open

1918

MS327/A/1/70 Letter from Egbert Cadbury [to his parents]

Extract of letter dated 6 October 1918, written from R.A.F. Great Yarmouth.

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He has not written often because his eyes have been affected. Peter [his son] arrived here safely on Friday, brought by Dollie. The weather has been too bad to fly on most days. He has flown to Immingham and obtained several relics from the remains of L 70. This must remain secret because the authorities do not want it know that the wreck was 'salved' [sic]. Nicholl is being moved, which is 'extremely sad'. Events in Belgium may mean that pilots will no longer be required on the east coast. He would like to go to France, but would hate to leave the family behind.

1 letter

Access: Open


Letter dated 20 October 1918, no address given.

Things have been very busy and interesting. The Unit has been engaged in both Belgium and France. In France, they have been taking care of wounded, gassed, or sick civilians, and taking wounded soldiers from the front. In Belgium, the less densely populated areas, where the Unit has fewer resources, have seen the heaviest fighting. He describes 'the heroic reception' given to the Unit's men by people in the liberated towns in France. In Belgium, the Unit has dealt with large numbers of wounded or gassed civilians. He says that some French villages were not altogether glad that the Germans had gone, because they had been getting high wages, but the Belgians were overjoyed to be liberated. The damage is not bad: the Germans have taken military material and metal, but the parks and public buildings are in good condition, although there are some mines and booby traps.

He describes the 'desolated' countryside between the Allied and German front lines. The Unit has been delivering food to the civilian population in the area. He describes finding some dead German and Allied soldiers while delivering food to some refugees. Mostly he has been very busy at H.Q. supervising the training of drivers and the repair of cars. The Unit is busier than ever, and its operations are spread over a wider area. They are working closely with the Belgian authorities and the

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American Commission for Belgium. They are thinking of moving H.Q.

1 letter

Access: Open


Letter dated 3 November 1918. Originally dated 11 November 1918 and changed to 3 November 1918.

He has been driving many kilometres because the Unit's stations are widely spread out over the newly-conquered territory. They are going to establish an Advanced H.Q. at a new base, which has some good billets nearby. The Unit's cars have been following the advancing troops to deal with civilian wounded, and Paul, who was in charge of the Belgian Advanced cars, found the new base. They have established a new hospital there, and have had 'about as many surgical cases as we could manage' followed by two hundred gassed civilians. He gives a detailed description of the gassed civilians and the hospital. The Commissioner of the town has been helpful and relations between the British soldiers and the locals are good. The town has not been badly treated, although door handles have been pinched; where the retreat was more hurried, little has been taken. All the machinery, even the hand knitting machines in the peasants' homes has been taken or smashed. Horses have been taken. 'Joy riders' have been visiting and wasting his time. He took some people on a tour and found a stash of abandoned German gear.


3 letters

Access: Open

1918

MS327/A/1/73 Letter from Elizabeth Cadbury to her family

Letter dated 13 November 1918, written from The Manor House, Northfield, England.

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She gives a detailed description of nursing Dollie, who has been very seriously ill and almost died.

1 letter

Access: Open


Letter dated 18 November 1918, no address given.

He has received their letters about Dolly's illness and is relieved to hear that she has 'turned the corner'. He describes people's reactions to the Armistice at Advanced H.Q., at Courtrai, and in the local villages. He says that everyone will make a note of the last shell they heard. He was called away to drive in a convoy sent to fetch some civilian casualties from a nearby town; he gives a detailed description of the drive and says that he heard his last shell on the way back. He has just come back from a trip to Abbeville and Paris, in which he tried to find out what will happen to the A.T.s and S.S.A.s. The S.S.A.s will probably follow their divisions into Germany; he comments that they have had 'a most interesting time' and on numerous occasions have been the first Allied vehicles to enter liberated towns and cities. The Section carried several hundred wounded civilians who had been 'hit in the town, roughly dressed by the enemy, who then put them in the front line and cleared off'.

He may come home for a period and then return.


2 letters

Access: Open

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Letter dated 13 December 1918, no address given.

He has received their letters, election addresses, and papers. He hopes Birkett, a candidate in the Birmingham elections, will get 'a good thumping majority'. He gives his views on the elections and on 'Woman Suffrage' in Britain and in Belgium. He has driven to Lille and Rheims with Tatham and has been able to take photographs. He gives his

1918



impressions of Lille and the countryside around Armentieres. They had a 'sumptuous dinner' in Lille and the lighted streets were full of people. They also travelled through Le Quesney and Avesnes. An old lady in a farmhouse where they ate lunch poured out her opinion of the Germans, who had taken everything. They drove to Vervins and saw where the 'Hundig Stellung was broken'. At the next village a rock broke the drainage plug on their car; eventually they managed to repair it with a cigarette tin and an inner tube. They drove on to Rheims and he describes the view down into the plain of the Marne.

They visited '19' at Suiffes and then went on to look for '13'. '14' is somewhere near the Rhine in Alsace, and has taken part in a triumphal procession. They found '13' at Croix St Ouen, outside Compiegne. The French Army has been sent into Germany on foot and their Divisions are trekking round the country with their Sections, so it is difficult to keep track of their positions.

He discusses demobilisation, and says that the Sections want to, and should help to repatriate wounded prisoners instead of being sent to Germany with their Divisions. He enjoyed seeing the Sections, and describes the beautiful woods near Compiegne. He came back via Montdidier, which is now 'a pitiable sight', with 'a few Italianos lounging around'. He says that they do no work and are 'shocking kleptomaniacs'. He lists people from other countries who should be returned home and hopes that the 'gum-chewers' [Americans?] will learn a few manners before they next come over to fight in Europe. [This paragraph uses racist term]

He came back via Amiens, where he photographed the cathedral, and St Omer. They have been having a great time going to dances with the V.A.D.s.

He describes meeting Princess Mary during her visit to Bruges and lending her a bus which was driven by his 'priceless Hangar chef, Shaw'. Civilian work has been very busy and they have been running a dispatch rider service to Bruges, Ghent, and Brussels. He encloses 3 photographs



of Vlamertynghe Church, and the Cloth Hall and Cathedral in Ypres and asks them to send him a camera.


2 letters

Access: Open


Letter dated 23 December 1918, no address given.

He wishes them a Happy Christmas and says that he is sorry he cannot come back for the house party. He expects to enjoy Christmas at the Q.A.H. [Queen Alexandra Hospital] and have an impromptu dance or two.

He writes a comical description of the uneducated men trying to dance and lists the entertainments planned for Christmas. Mordey and Maxwell are going to visit.

They have been taking staff from the Q.A.H. joy riding to places of interest in the area.

His efforts at demobilisation go on; Administrators of the Unit are becoming very unpopular. They have succeeded with Q.A.H. but the Authorities want the Sections to remain. They have reduced their numbers and hope to get all students back in time for the Lent term.

1 letter

Access: Open

1918



He has just returned to Dunkirk from leave. He describes his crossing; he met a girl he recognised from Rocky Bank. '13' visited before their demobilisation and caused 'a great stir' by their smart appearance and their willingness to work; he and Julian Fox spent all their spare moments with

1919



them.

They had a farewell dinner and concert with '13'. He describes the cars driving away to Boulogne, the final dispersal centre and he recalls their arrival there 2 1/2 years earlier. He is sad that the company is breaking up, but has been too busy to 'sentimentalise'. They have been arranging the A.R.P. organization that is going to take over their work.


2 letters

Access: Open



He is writing from 'the Gay City' [Paris]. He has come there to look for information about F.A.U. vehicles and equipment which has gone missing, which he will track down and arrange to send back to H.Q. He is also organizing the disposal of spare motor equipment. A group of about 30 men, under Mordey, will remain, supported by the A.R.C. [American Red Cross?]. He has been sorting out the archives and records of the Convoys, with a view to writing a history and setting up a Unit reading room. He thanks them for sending some cocoa and chocolate and says that a large empty box arrived which had been sent last year.

He adds in a postscript that he has seen the D.N. Peace Conference Mission, including the famous Major General. He has also seen Ted Harvey and had dinner with a Frenchman called Lafond, who used to be in S.S.A 13.

1 letter

Access: Open

1919


Letter dated 16 February 1919, written from Paris.

It is interesting to be in Paris, even though it is

1919



busier, because it is full of people he knows. He had to spend longer than he expected in Paris tracking down a missing lorry. He jokes about the perfumes of the French lady clerks. He got the Beetle stuck in the snow on the way from Paris to Dunkirk.

He went to Pont St Marence, where he met a French Captain he knows, and then spent an amusing evening with a group of French officers at Crepy-en-Valois, where he accidentally won at cards. A great number of the officers were in favour of restoring Germany's Colonies, although feelings on the subject were 'remarkably violent'.

He visited various other towns en route, including Port-a-Binsen, whose Bridge was used by the Unit when it was under constant fire and 'festooned with dynamite round the chains'. He describes travelling to various towns and tracking down cars belonging to the Unit. He explains his strategy for getting past the sentries into towns; it is easier to get in when there are two nationalities on duty. When he reached Nancy, the weather became worse and he had two punctures, but he found four cars, many cases, and the missing lorry. He had 'an awful trip' back to Chalons because of the icy roads and problems with his car, but arrived at midnight and stayed with Marshall.

Although his tyres were worn out and his track rod nearly broke, he mended them and drove to the valley of the Marne, arriving at Meaux at about 9pm. The next day he went on to Paris and spent the rest of the day meeting friends including Phil [Noel-Baker?], Layton, Lefebure, J.M. Keynes, A.N.S. Jackson, Mr and Mrs Mordey, and Colonel Van Schaick. Phil is 'over here as Lord Robert's Secretary' and is also working for Lord Percy at the League of Nations - he comments that he is 'over-working'.

Layton is over and has the task of destroying Germany's 'definitely war-material-producing plant'; he is also on the Limitation of Armament Committee.

He discusses Layton and Winston's views on the limitation of armies, commenting that you can't have population as a basis for non-European countries. Another problem is the control of



machinery designed for turning out armaments; he comments that Layton feels he is up against a tough proposition in supplying Marshall Foch with recommendations for final peace terms. He discusses Lefebure's 'pessimistic' views on the control of gas and the limitation of commercial aeroplanes.

He had dinner with White, 'a most entertaining ...companion'.

1 letter

Access: Open



He has nearly finished his work, and expects to be home within a week. He describes the work involved in 'winding up' the Unit and explains who is doing it. Things take longer because the work is not routine and the situation changes. It is important to plan ahead: you cannot close the Motor Stores and Garage while they are still needed for looking after cars, but you cannot get rid of the cars while you still need to get rid of equipment and see people. They have just shipped 25 vehicles to England. He discusses stocktaking and selling cars.

They will leave the Unit's archives behind so they can go through them later.

The Beetle has been shipped back to England. He has enjoyed driving round the countryside meeting people from a Section, Division, or Sector that he knows.

He discusses his feelings about the end of the War and says that he realises that he has knowledge of a world that will soon cease to exist.

He caught a glimpse of the Paris Peace Conference and comments that the female staff have been given a dress allowance, and use it excellently making the hotel look like Nice or Monte Carlo. He has also seen 'the more sombre people': he describes Lord Robert Cecil, Winston, Bob Borden, and Mr Hughes. He discusses

1919



security measures at a hotel in Paris where some people involved in the Conference are staying.

He is going to send Julian Fox and some other 'bitter-enders' on a leisurely train ride to Nancy via Paris to see how the arrangements are progressing, which will be a good rest for them.

He has a painful tooth and has been suffering with nose bleeds.

1 letter

Access: Open

MS327/A/1/81 Letter from Elizabeth Cadbury to her family

Letter dated 7 April 1919 written from The Manor House, Northfield, Birmingham .

The letter gives a detailed description of visiting Paris for the Peace Conference.

1 letter

Access: Open

1919

MS327/A/1/82 Letter from C. Davis to Mrs Cadbury

Original letter dated 10 August 1915 written from Bournville [Works] relating to the distribution of a letter from Laurence Cadbury

1 letter

Access: Open

1915

MS327/A/1/83 Note

Note to [Laurence Cadbury] possibly from his father relating to distribution of an extract of his letter, undated

1 note

Access: Open

[1914-1918]

MS327/A/2 Letters from Laurence Cadbury to family members

All but one of these letters are written to one or both of his parents, George and Elizabeth

1915-1918



Cadbury; there is a single letter to 'Aunt Margaret'

Some of the early letters are carbon copies which appear to have been written in a paginated copy book; it is not known whether these were copies which were torn out and sent home - as some of the carbons appear to have been censored - or whether these were retained by Laurence and subsequently added to the surviving originals. In some instances, where the carbon copy is not clear, it has been made more legible by pencil annotations. Some of the originals are written on pages torn out of notebooks or copy books.

The majority of these letters are not described beyond their date because detailed descriptions of the transcripts appear in MS327/A/1; the finding number to the accompanying transcript has been noted for easy reference.

However, the following items have been not been transcribed and so these have been more fully described below

/1 10 January 1915

Writing to his father from Dunkirk, he thanks him for his letter, going on to discuss personal financial arrangements before describing his current circumstances. He anticipates their soon having to 'shift' as they are gradually being surrounded by the steadily moving French troops.

/2 25 April [1915]

Postcard written hurriedly to his father in which he tells him they have all been very busy and have been going for three days and nights without a stop. The fighting has been 'terrific' and the Germans have been getting closer but have now been pushed back.

/3 29 April 1915 (incomplete); carbon copy; for transcript see MS327/A/1/13

/4 1 September 1915:carbon copy; for transcript see MS327/A/1/18

/5 14 October 1915: carbon copy; for transcript see MS327/A/1/19



/6 16 November 1915: part carbon copy but the final page of the letter has been written on the back of the last carbon page in pen; for transcript see MS327/A/1/21

/7 8 December 1915: original; for transcript see MS327/A/1/22

/8 27 December 1915:original; for transcript see MS327/A/1/23

/9 9 January 1916: original; for transcript see MS327/A/1/24

/10 2 February 1916: original; for transcript see MS327/A/1/25

/11 11 February 1917: original; for transcript see MS327/A/1/41

/12 7 March 1917: original; for transcript see MS327/A/1/43

/13 12 April 1917: original; for transcript see MS327/A/1/44

/14 12 May 1917: original; for transcript see MS327/A/1/346

/15 7 July 1917, written from Headquarters, Friends Ambulance Unit to 'Aunt Margaret'

He thanks her for her letter and agrees that one would appreciate anything from one's own country more than a foreign one, 'although as I have been serving the foreign element of the Allied Cause most I can but blame myself'. He says that he wishes he had been able to edit a report for the Committee that was published in 'The Friend', as he had objections to its publication. He comments that the supporters of the F.A.U. are 'extraordinarily stout hearted to keep plugging away with so little information and encouragement from this side'.

/16 26 November 1917; original; for transcript see MS327/A/1/54

/17 15 February 1918: incomplete original; for transcript of complete letter, see MS327/A/1/57

/18 1 August 1918: original; for transcript see



MS327/A/1/66

/19 15 August 1918: original; for transcript see MS327/A/1/68

/20 25 September 1918: original; for transcript see MS327/A/1/69

/21 20 October 1918: original; for transcript see MS327/A/1/71

/22 3 November 1918: original; for transcript see MS327/A/1/72

/23 18 November 1918: original; for transcript see MS327/A/1/74

/24 undated: four sheets of incomplete letter or letters

Arrangement: Arranged in chronological order.

letters

Access: Open

MS327/A/3 Letters to Laurence Cadbury from family members

Letters from his mother, Elizabeth Cadbury and his brother, Egbert Cadbury

5 letters

Access: Open

1915-1918

MS327/A/3/1 Letter from Elizabeth Cadbury

Letter dated 2 July 1918, written from The Manor House, Northfield.

Frank Brown, the School-master at Bournville has been called up and has asked to be sent to the F.A.U. She asks in what line he might be useful and comments that Brown is quite bright and capable, but knows nothing about mechanics or how to drive a car.

She was delighted to get his long letter yesterday. Anthony Wilson had a narrow escape; she is glad that they were spared anything further, since they

1918



have just lost George Hodgkin, Mary's husband.

Aunt Betty is very ill; she asks Laurence to write to her. Young Mrs Aytoun is also ill, but the doctor says that they need not be too anxious.

1 letter

Access: Open

MS327/A/3/2 Letter from Egbert Cadbury

Letter dated 2 August 1915, written from R.N. Air Station, Great Yarmouth.

Over two months ago, he asked Laurence's advice about taking a commission and received no reply. The Admiral on board the Sagitta has advised him to take a Commission, so he has done so. He learnt to fly at Chingford and was appointed to Yarmouth Station, which is said to be the best home station going.

His first flight was in a Sopwith, which he had not flown before, so he had cold feet. The Sopwiths are not stable and are controlled with a wheel instead of a joy stick. He has just heard that he has to do his first patrol tonight, up to Hunstanton and back.

They have had a great many submarine scares lately and several machines have been torpedoed off Lowestoft and further down the coast. Planes from the air station are sent to drop bombs on submarines when they are sighted. Their last seaplane was crashed today; he describes the crash. This means that some men have to fly over the sea on land machines.

He continues the letter after he has returned from patrol. His plane's inlet valve broke and his plane nearly caught fire. He landed in a field without injuring the machine and took it to a sub-station, where it was mended. He describes almost crashing into a hedge when taking off.

He gives his opinion of some of the men at the station: the C.O. is not bad but 'bites your head off'; Nichol and Smith are 'quite decent'; Cooper 'is a bit of a bloody shit', the other Lieutenant, Hilliard, is

1915



'top-hole'.

He asks how Laurence's affair with Olga is progressing and says he is a 'shit' to pinch her from Norman. He is writing to a girl called Joyce and discusses proposing marriage to her. He discusses an affair between Norman Birkett and [Met]. He has bought a new car. He says the casualty lists have been awful lately and lists people he knows who have been killed.

1 letter

Access: Open


Letter written from R.N. Air Station, Great Yarmouth, dated 20 September 1915.

He discusses the murder of war - nearly all the men he knows have been 'done in' and he wishes the people who arranged to have a war could be made to fight it out.

He wants to get away from anything mechanical - he would like to go on a shooting trip. He regrets joining the air force because it is dangerous and full of men he does not like. It would have been better to have stayed with the Sagitta. He tells Laurence Cadbury not to join up and says that most of the officers are no good.

He says he wants to get married and have 'papooses'. He talks about girls he knows in the area and describes meeting a very beautiful girl. He has had a letter from J and thinks she would be a good wife if he could fix it up. He asks why Laurence does not get married and says that Olga would make 'a charming harem'. He discusses Norman Birkett and Met's affair and says he does not like the idea of having Birkett as a brother-in-law. He says that Norman [Cadbury] should get married because he is lonely and sick at staying at home.

1 letter

Access: Open

1915



MS327/A/3/4

Letter from Egbert Cadbury

Letter dated 16 May 1916, written from R.N.Air Station, Great Yarmouth.

He is sick of the war and wishes it would end. He says that it has given him in an insight into the workings of Government departments, and says that people are not able to use their brains.

A friend, Ireland, has been killed at Kingsnorth during an experiment with an air balloon. He describes how they were killed and discusses why the accident happened. His death has affected Bertie greatly because he was one of the best officers they had.

In his view, an aeroplane is no use against a Zepp unless it catches it unawares. He describes an incident when some planes chased a Zepp but did not do it any damage and another occasion when a pilot chased a Zepp to Holland without catching it. He wonders if the letter will be censored and discusses words that have been censored in letters from Molly [Cadbury]. He says this is silly.

He wants to get married and have children because he is fed up with the futility of life as he is living it.

[This letter contains racist terms]

1 letter

Access: Open

1916


Letter dated 9 April 1919, written from R.A.F Great Yarmouth.

He gives his views on a plan to run trams down the Bristol Road in Birmingham. His relief has come and he expects to motor home next Tuesday with Mary [his wife] and spend a few days at Malvern. He hopes Laurence enjoyed the Dance and did not accidentally drink the musicians' alcoholic beverages. He says that Laurence is lucky 'not knowing what whisky tastes like, so similar to lime

1919



juice'.

1 letter

Access: Open

MS327/A/4 Miscellaneous notes and writings by Laurence Cadbury

/1 A handwritten report by Laurence Cadbury about consumption of petrol and [petrolfine] of cars in the Friends Ambulance Unit, and keeping records of this, n.d. (no transcript)

/2-3 Notes probably made by Laurence Cadbury and possibly listing corrections and additions to letters and transcripts

1 file

Access: Open

early twentieth century

MS327/B Papers relating to Laurence Cadbury's service with the Friends Ambulance Unit

Papers relating to the Friends Ambulance Unit.

9 series

Access: Open

1915-1928

MS327/B/1 Friends Ambulance Unit official papers

These comprise:

/1 letter from James Canthe, MB, FRCS, Hon. Colonel RAMC (T), recommending Laurence Cadbury and a group of 60 trained volunteers for service in France, 20 October 1914;

/2 translation of the previous letter into French, written on British Red Cross Society headed paper, 21 October 1914;

/3 order issued by the French Army relating to the staffing and rations allocated to the S.S.A.s, 18 November 1915, in French;

/4 order issued by Capitaine Aujay, French officer in charge of Foreign Ambulance Sections to Capitaine Maxwell, Commander, Friends

1914-1919



Ambulance Unit, concerning cars supplied to the Section, 16 November 1916, in French;

/5-10 various bills for uniform and equipment supplied to the Friends Ambulance Unit, mostly accounts in Laurence Cadbury's name, 1915-1917, in French and English;

/11-28 various 'ordres de mouvement', 'ordres de transport', permits and other official documents issued to Laurence Cadbury by the French Army authorising travel, transport and petrol, 1916-1918, in French and English;

1 file

Access: Open


MS327/B/2 Letters and papers relating to a proposed application by Laurence Cadbury for a temporary commission in the Royal Field Artillery

/1 Letter to Laurence Cadbury from Colonel H.J. Edwards, Secretary of the Board of Military Studies, University of Cambridge concerning his application for a Temporary Commission in the R.F.A., 23 March 1915. With blank forms titled 'Registration Form for Army Candidates' and envelope

/2 Personal letter to Laurence Cadbury from Norman Birkett [William Norman Birkett, 1st Baron Birkett (1883-1962), judge], setting out reasons for and against his leaving the Field Ambulance Unit and joining the R.F.A. and advising him to stay with the Unit but also including news of friends and family, 1 April 1915

2 items

Access: Open

1915

MS327/B/3 Letters to Laurence Cadbury

/1 Letter from Ernest Dodgshun addressed to 'LJ' informing him that the censor has complained about the content of some of his letters, 20

1915-1919



October [no year given];

/2 Letter from Hilton Young, written from Dunkerque, addressed to 'Lawrence' inviting him to tea, n.d.;

/3 Letter from Roger Gibb addressed to 'LJ' saying that people are getting anxious about the Unit's ability to keep up the present average of engagements, asking him to bring a book to read, and telling him that his fiancee has got a 2:1 degree, n.d.;

/4 Letter ' from R. Sines, 2nd Lt addressed to 'Dear Jack, suggesting they meet, giving his address and telling him that they are going back to their billets on Friday, 27 July 1915;

/5 Letter from Geoffrey Thompson written on headed notepaper of The British Ambulance Unit for Italy from the London Office, addressed to 'LJ' asking whether he joined the Flying Corps or remained with the Unit, saying he is busy and will be glad to take leave and that driving here is 'a hell of a job'. He describes his car and comments on the traffic on the roads. The hospital trains are 'a great success' and Trevelyan is working very hard. He asks for news of men he knows and says that F.W. Sargant is driving with him and Gregory has gone back to England to take a commission, 24 November 1915;

/6 Letter from Chas E Whiteley addressed to 'LJ' asking to be released from his position at No. 2 Garage, and explaining that he wants to leave because he is not trusted by his superior, 2 April 1917

/7 Memo from Edward P. Brady, Officer in Charge, S.S.A 19 to 'O.C. Cars' about his reports for March and April which need one small correction, and about a letter he has received from Steel, a colleague of Cadbury's, concerning Cadbury's poor opinion of him. Brady writes in support of Steel and encloses the letter for necessary action (see /8), 14 April 1917

/8 Letter from John P.C. Steel to Brady further to a conversation with Laurence Cadbury. He asks Brady to speak to Cadbury on his behalf and to



correct an impression that he had been disliked by the men in S.S.A. 19 in a previous position and to assure him that he is easy to work with, 7 April 1917;

/9 Letter from H.W. Locke written from a hospital in Limoges addressed to 'LJ' thanking him for sending 'figures from the Records Department'. He has heard that several members of S.S.A. 19 have been decorated and sends his congratulations. He was hoping to receive a hat from H.Q. but 'nothing has turned up'. His wound - 'blessure' - makes progress and he hopes his shoulder will begin to function without creaking, 2 June 1917;

/10 Letter from D.C.M. Brooks, No.3 Training Squadron, Shoreham addressed 'LJ' congratulating him on his Croix de Guerre and saying that he hopes that the 'Trains' will not be jealous. He has heard that Laurence's brother [Egbert Cadbury] has been made a Flight Commander and asks him to congratulate Bill Greeves on his engagement to Laurence's sister [Mollie]. He wishes that they could all celebrate together, 25 July 1917;

/11 Letter from H. Lafond addressed to 'Monsieur Cadbury'. He is sorry he missed seeing him in Paris and hopes to have dinner with him and Captain Maxwell soon, 26 December 1917, in French

/12 Letter from Laurent Mounier writing from the French Embassy in Switzerland addressed to 'Monsieur Cadbury., thanking him for the Christmas present of some books, and sending his best wishes to F.A.U. staff in S.S.A. 13, 19 January 1918

/13 Postcard from Captain Philip J. Baker and writing from Italy in which he asks Cadbury to write, telling him that 'we have got the spot sectors again all right' and saying that 'I expect you are preparing for your most active time of all since it began', postmarked 12 February 1918;

/14 Photograph postcard of a man in military uniform, recipient not named, signed 'Gunner ''Hayreed'' March 1918' asking for news of [S.S.A.]



'14 in this offensive business', March 1918;

/15 Letter from Leon Sef written on headed notepaper of the publication 'L'automobile aux Armees' addressed to 'Mr Cadbury' of the Friends Ambulance Unit, Hotel Pyl, saying that he is sorry to leave S.S.A. 13 because he has been promoted, 18 May 1918;

/16 Letter from Sir George Newman addressed 'Dear Jackie' asking him to remain with the Friends Ambulance Unit, 25 March 1918. This is a lengthy letter which appears to be the result of Cadbury's desire to join the regular army and on the reverse are pencil notes, probably by Laurence Cadbury, listing reasons for and against staying with the Unit, which include the words 'shame of not being a combatant'

/17 Letter from Sir George Newman [Chairman, The Friends Ambulance Unit] addressed 'Dear Jack' saying that they will not spend 'our small balance unwisely', 8 March 1919;

/18 Letter from Arthur Lawley [British Red Cross] saying he was sorry not to say goodbye before he left France because he was called away to a series of Conferences held by the Red Cross of the five Inter-allied Powers. He comments on the F.A.U.'s 'splendid work' and hopes he may see 'your wonderful Works near Birmingham', 12 March 1919;

/19 Letter from M. Tatham written from the Friends Ambulance Unit in London addressed 'LJ' referring to some papers relating to undelivered cars, asking when the histories of the three Sections will be published and suggesting that Laurence Cadbury write an introduction to the history of the convoys, 4 April 1919;

/ 20 Letter from John van Schaick of Washington DC in which he writes 'I had nothing much to do with your getting a Red Cross decoration' and recounting a phone call he received from the Red Cross asking about Laurence Cadbury's service with the Friends Ambulance Unit, 6 March 1921. This presumably relates to the award of the Bronze Medal by the American Red Cross: see



MS327/B/4/11-12

/21 Letter from Julian P. Fox addressed to 'LJ' , discussing his personal history of the 'work at the front of the convoys', n.d.

[Julian Pease Fox (b. 1894 at Wellington, Somerset) served with the Friends' Ambulance Unit on the Western Front from Jan 1915 until the Armistice]

19 letters

Access: Open

MS327/B/4 Certificates, honours and awards made to Laurence Cadbury relating to his service with the Friends Ambulance Unit

Official awards and associated papers and formal letters of congratulation as follows

/1- 3 Letters of congratulation on receiving the Croix de Guerre, May-July 1917.

Letters received from the Commissioner of the British Red Cross Society, Sir George [Newman] of Friends Ambulance Unit, and J.S. Fry and Sons;

/4-10 Papers relating to his appointment as an Officer of the Civil Division of the British Empire [O.B.E.]

These comprise the letter from the Home Office informing him of his appointment, 18 December 1918, the Royal Grant dated 1 January 1919 and papers relating to his attendance at the investiture and various letters of congratulation on the appointment. Congratulatory letters received from the Staff Committee of Cadburys Ltd, officers of the Joint War Committee of the British Red Cross and the Order of St John, and John Van Schaick, Commissioner for Belgium, American Red Cross

/11-12 Bronze Medal certificate awarded to Laurence Cadbury by the American National Red Cross, 9 January 1920 with accompanying

1917-1921



testimony from the American Red Cross describing Laurence Cadbury's career with the Friends Ambulance Unit , 25 September 1920

/13-16 Various certificates issued and presented to Laurence Cadbury by the British Red Cross and Order of St John comprising:

'Chevron Certificate' certifying that he has served overseas from 1914-1918 and is entitled to wear three blue chevrons and one red chevron, 30 April 1918; certificate of discharge, 2 March 1919; certificate of service with the Field Ambulance Unit, November 1914-March 1919 with Convoy S.S.A 13 [1919]; and certificate in recognition of service [1919]

1 file

Access: Open

MS327/B/5 Dinner menus, concert programmes and other ephemera

Menus and programmes as follows:

/1 Menu for an 'Old Leightonians Dinner' at the Hotel de l'Ocean, Malo, Dunkirk, signed by those who attended, 28 July 1917;

/2-5 Various Christmas cards sent by the Friends Ambulance Unit, including one design showing the entrance to the Queen Alexandra Hospital, 1917;

/6 Programme for a Friends Ambulance Unit Anniversary concert, Xmas 1917

/7 Programme for the Friends Ambulance Unit Anniversary Concert, 31 October 1918;

/8 Menu for a ['Old Leightonians Dinner' ] dinner at the Hotel de l'Ocean, Malo-les-Bains, signed by those who attended, 25 January 1919;

/9 Programme for a [Friends Ambulance Unit] concert entitled 'The Duds', nd;

/10 Programme for a [Friends Ambulance Unit] Divisional Concert Party by 'The Crumps' and

1917-1919



others, nd

/11-12 Printed programmes for public entertainments, presumably attended by Laurence Cadbury, nd. In French

/13-17 Hand painted designs for Friends Ambulance Unit badges or logos, nd

1 file

Access: Open

MS327/B/6 Maps and posters

Some of these items were in active use, as evidenced by the pin holes; others were presumably acquired

Arrangement: Arranged in date order.

8 items

Access: Open

1917-1920

MS327/B/6/1 Road regulations for vehicles in the vicinity of Bergues near Dunkirk

Memorandum titled 'Road Regulations in French Zone' which states that the supervision of traffic has been placed in the hand of a 'Commission regulatrice automobile' and gives rules for driving while in the zone. With accompanying map (referred to in the memorandum) titled 'Circulation' produced by the 1st Army, 2nd Cartographic Office, dated 17 July 1917, showing roads and one-way systems around the River Yser

2 items

Access: Open


1917

MS327/B/6/2 Map of roads in the Dunkirk administrative area

Printed map dated July 1917, issued by the War Office, showing motor traffic circuits in the Dunkirk area

1917



1 map

Access: Open

MS327/B/6/3 'Operations sur les frontieres Nord et Est Belgique, Luxembourg, Lorraine, Palatinat Alsace'

Printed map showing the position of the German front line in October 1918, annotated in pencil 'Map of Western Front Extreme German Advance Line Oct 1918'.

1 map

Access: Open

1918

MS327/B/6/4 'British Battles during 1918'

Printed map of the Western Front showing the locations of major battles and numbers of guns and prisoners. With printed list of the battles titled 'The Battles and their Effects'.

1 map and printed list

Access: Open

[c1918]

MS327/B/6/5 Printed map of area around Hazebrouck, Reninghels, Steenvoorde and Bailleul

German sheet map, dated August 1918, showing military features

1 map

Access: Open

Physical description: The north-west portion of this map has been torn away

Language: German

1918

MS327/B/6/6 Provisional edition of Taride map of Central Europe

Printed map, in French, showing new borders and occupied zones in Europe

1 map

Access: Open

Language: French

1920



MS327/B/6/7 Printed poster

French poster which appears to have been produced to promote its colonies to its own people. The poster depicts a map showing its colonies, coloured in red, with surrounding text.

Part of this message reads: 'Francais tu fais partie de la Grande France et que peupleut pres de 70 millions d'habitants. Cet empire achete a la mere patrie huit milliards par an, soit plus que les principaux pays d'Europe reunis', translated as: French people, you are part of Greater France, which numbers almost 70 million people. This empire brings the mother country eight billion per year, more than the principal countries of Europe put together.

1 poster

Access: Open

Language: French

[early twentieth century]

MS327/B/6/8 Printed coloured map showing where bombs landed in Dunkirk

Commemorative map produced for sale to depict the effects of war on the town. On the back there is a printed calendar recording in some detail the bombardments on the town between October 1914 and October 1918. In addition to the key to category of bombings, there is list of the numbers of wounded and killed and a key to prominent buildings in the town

1 map

Access: Open

Language: French

[1919]

MS327/B/6/9 Map titled 'Department de l'Oise'

An engraving from the Atlas National Illustre, the map shows the area around the towns of Compiegne and Beauvais, and is surrounded by illustrations and written information about the region.

1 map

nd [nineteenth century]



Access: Open

Language: French

MS327/B/7 Diaries

2 volumes and 3 items

Access: Open

1915-1917

MS327/B/7/1 Diary

Soldiers' Own Notebook and Diary printed by Letts, London, kept by Laurence Cadbury.

He usually writes sentences, noting the name of the place he is visiting, the people he has met, and giving a description of fighting or bombing in the area, and work he has done that day. October and November are mostly blank and there are occasional gaps of a week.

The Diary also contains useful printed information for soldiers including signals, knots, and bugle calls.

1 volume

Access: Open

1915

MS327/B/7/2 Diary

Military diary printed by Agence Fournier, Paris, in French.

September to December have been filled in by Laurence Cadbury; the rest of the diary is blank. He usually writes three to four sentences, noting the name of the place he is visiting, the people he has met, and giving a description of fighting or bombing in the area, and work he has done that day.

The diary also contains various listings he compiled including details of insignia of different ranks of infantry and cavalry and information about vehicles used by the different Sections of the Field Ambulance Unit

About a third of the diary is devoted to printed information for soldiers

1916



1 volume

Access: Open

MS327/B/7/3 Diary entries

Diary entries kept by Laurence Cadbury on loose blank and lined paper.

Entries begins on 1 April 1917 and end on Tuesday 1 May. The first entry dated 1 April notes rations given to soldiers by the French Army. Entries for 21-27 April describe a journey from Dunkirk to Boulogne and Paris and in Paris, Laurence Cadbury visits Paget. Entries for 28 April to 1 May relate to time spent at Varincourt near Bar-le Duc. These include references to Sections '13', '14' and '19', descriptions of billets and recreational activities. The entry for Tuesday 1 May refers to movement the next day to 'Belrupt Division'.

2 items

Access: Open

[1917]

MS327/B/7/4 Diary entries

Diary notes kept by Laurence Cadbury on loose headed notepaper of the Field Ambulance Unit relating to movements by motor vehicle from Amiens to Rheims and Somme Suippe and Bar-le-Duc, via Compiegne, Soissons and elsewhere. The notes begin with a itinerary of the journey, Wednesday to Saturday and include journey times. Notes include descriptions of the countryside and of bomb damage to the towns. This appears to be incomplete record of the tour as there are no entries relating to the places visited after Rheims

1 item

Access: Open

[1917]

MS327/B/8 Newspapers and magazines

Issues of and excerpts from miscellaneous publications as follows:

/1 Pages from 'L'Illustration': photograph of Joseph Joffre and Ferdinand Foch: double spread pencil drawing of the ruined centre of Ypres, by George

1915-1928



Scott, captioned 'La Grand'Place d'Ypres-La-Silencieuse', and a photograph of captured German officers, nd, French;

/2 Pages from 'The Illustrated London News': double spread aerial photograph of the ruins of central Ypres, 28 August 1915;

/3 Issue of 'L'Illustration': includes colour illustrations by the artists, P. Jouve, F. Roybet and others of both war scenes and of individuals, Christmas 1915, French;

/4 Issue of 'L'Illustration': featuring the Battles of Verdun and the Somme and including four pages of croquis drawings by Francois Flameng , 23 September 1916, French;

/5 Pages from 'The Autocar' of an article by R. Cartwright, titled 'A Motor Ambulance Driver's Notes from the Front', 3 March 1917;

/6 Pages from incomplete issue of 'Le Miroir': features a range of prints of photographs relating to the war, 5 August 1917, French;

/7 Issue of 'Le Nord Maritime, Journal de Dunkerque et des Ports du Littoral', 20 October 1918, French;

/8 Issue of 'Le Telegramme' the newspaper for Northern France, Calais, and the Somme, with headline 'Cessation des hostilites. L'Armistice est signee', 12 November 1918, French;

/9 Cutting from 'The Daily News' of an article titled 'The Tragic Story of the Salient', by A.J. Cummings, which describes his experiences in the Battles of Ypres and Passchendaele, 23 July 1927;

/10 Cutting from 'The Times' titled 'The Menin Gate. Its Significance in the War, The Unknown Dead of Ypres', describing the battles fought at Ypres and the strategic importance of the Salient and the town, 23 July 1927;

/11 Page from 'The Times': photographs of the unveiling ceremony of the Memorial to the British at the Menin Gate, Ypres, 25 July 1927;



/12 Page from 'The Times' titled 'German Panoramas of the War: the Salient from 1915 to 1916', panoramic photographs of the view across the Allied front lines at Ypres taken by a German officer and donated to the Imperial War Museum, 13 March 1928.

12 items

Access: Open

Physical description: /6 is torn, with part of the front cover lost

MS327/B/9 Miscellaneous

/1 Christmas card sent by Cadbury Brothers to wounded soldiers and sailors, Christmas 1914;

/2 Part of a letter to 'Guv and Muv' written by a member of the F.A.U. commenting on an article about the ambulance convoys written by Laurence Cadbury in 'The Friend', 17 May [1917];

/3 Printed memorial for Colin Priestman, 13 September 1918;

/4 Typescript note in envelope to 'Deputy Officer i/c Cars, F.A.U.' asking him to provide a car and some strawberries and cream for a picnic, 1918;

/5 50 centime note, issued by the Chamber of Commerce, Bar-le-Duc nd;

/6 Printed note left by the German army for the British: 'Dear Tommy, You are quite welcome to what we are leaving. When we stop we shall stop, and stop you in a manner you wont appreciate. Fritz', nd;

/7 Envelope addressed to M. L.J. Cadbury, 11 Kings Parade, Cambridge sent from Paris and containing a booklet advertising a device for changing the shape of your nose, nd;

/8 Booklet advertising the Societe Evangelique de France for private circulation, nd;

/9 Printed leaflet appealing for funds to purchase a Birmingham Friends motor ambulance, with list of named contributors and extracts of letters received in support including a quote from Laurence




Cadbury, nd;

/10 Typed copy of testimonies to the work of the Unit given by General E.Putz, Sir Arthur Lawley,

/11 Last page of typescript report by Laurence Cadbury on the car section of the Friends Ambulance Unit and highlighting the role of the repair department, nd;

/12 Notebook containing Laurence Cadbury's identity card, 1917 and diary notes kept by Laurence Cadbury during a holiday in Spain and other places, nd;

/13 Manuscript pencil notes made by [Laurence Cadbury], written on a fragment of a letter to him from 'H.B.M. Consul', addressed to him at the 'Palace Hotel'; the very miscellaneous notes include his passport number, names of European places to visit and details of furntiure

1 file

Access: Open

MS327/C Photographs and postcards

Access: Open

1914-1923

MS327/C/1 Postcards

5 files

Access: Open

[1914-1918]

MS327/C/1/1 Envelope of postcards showing the ruins of Ypres, Dinant, and Malines

Black and white photographs

6 postcards

Access: Open

1914

MS327/C/1/2 Photographic postcards showing the ruins of Ypres

Black and white photographs

1914



4 postcards

Access: Open

MS327/C/1/3 Postcards captioned 'Bisschoppelijk College te Poperinge'

Black and white postcards - photographs of the inside and outside of a college building and grounds.

12 postcards

Access: Open

1914

MS327/C/1/4 Postcards of bombed towns

Postcards showing black and white photographs

/1 and /1a Two identical photographs of a bunker by a road in a bombed town, one labelled 'Bailleul';

/2 and /2a Two identical photographs of a bombed square, with two ambulances parked in the centre under a lamp post. One is labelled 'Armentieres';

/3 and /3a Two identical photographs of an ambulance parked opposite some ruined buildings, with rubble in the foreground, one labelled 'Bailleul';

/4 A pile of rubble

4 postcards

Access: Open

1914

MS327/C/1/5 Postcards

/1 Black and white picture postcard of a man in military uniform

/2 Photographic postcard of a man in theatrical costume, wearing a long black jacket and cravat

/3 Photographic postcard of a man in theatrical costume, wearing a black cap with a feather, and holding a sword

3 postcards

Access: Open

nd [1914-1918]



MS327/C/2 Photographs

3 series

Access: Open

1914-1923

MS327/C/2/1 Photograph albums

5 volumes

Access: Open

1914-1923

MS327/C/2/1/1 Photograph album

Photographs of the Unit's training camp at Jordans, 1914, Poperinghe, the Unit's hospital at Chateau Elizabeth, the Pump, the Parc St. George, Ferme Dryc, and Elverdinge. There is a typed list which gives the names of places and people in the photographs.

1 volume

Access: Open

1914-1915


Photographs of the Sacre Coeur, Dickebusch, Vlamtinghe, Neuve Eglise, and Coxyde. There is a typed list which gives the names of places and people in the photographs.

1 volume

Access: Open

1915


Photographs of the ruins of Ypres, with typed list giving names of places and people featured in the photographs.

1 volume

Access: Open

1915-1919


Photographs of:

S.S.A. 14, Malo, June 1915;

A. Pearson and R.M. Barrow lying on a heap of

1915-1923



sandbags, nd

S.S.A. 13, Spring 1916, returning from Woesten, lined up for inspection with their new Vulcans, at the Billet, Rexpoede,

S.S.A. 19 at Malo, October 1916

Drawing of S.S.A 19's billet at Coxyde, signed 'A.N.C' [Arthur Cotterell?]

Various photographs of Coxyde

Various photographs of Nieuport-Bains, including billet, main street, and the church, 1916

Sketch by Ernest Procter of the Poste de Secours at Nieuport-Ville, 1917

Photographs of an inspection of S.S.A. 13 by Sir A. Stanley, Maffrecourt, July 1917

Painting by Ernest Procter of two men and a dug-out, 1917

Cuttings from a magazine: ambulances parked at Chalons-sur-Vesne, and Aid Post Villers Franquenx, 1918 and the 'Cab Rank', Bouleuse, December 1917

Cuttings from a magazine: S.S.A. 14 at Malo-les-Bains, March 1916; group photograph of a convoy at Vanault-le-Chatel, July 1917; Workshop staff, August 1917; aid post at Ferme de Wacques, April 1917; Presentation of Croix de Guerre by General Mordacq, June 1917

Cuttings from a magazine: Refugees in the Marne Retreat, May 1918; a crashed ambulance, May 1918; Chateau-Thierry, 29 May 1918; En route, Argonne Forest, 8 July 1918; Relieving 8th Italian Division, June 1918; Camp des Autos, July 1918; Wrecked Tanks, August 1918;

Ambulances and the bridge at Pont St Maxence, January 1917

Views of the River Aisne, February 1917



Cars and ambulances at Vavincourt, April 1917

S.S.A. 13 at Maffrecourt

Sketch of a Poste de Secours, Bligny by A.N. Cotterell, nd

Christmas cards sent by S.S.A.13

S.S.A.13 Demobilisation, January 1919

S.S.A.19 at Coxyde, Zuydcoote, and Nieuport-Ville, 1917

Sketch of a bombed farm by E. Procter, September 1917

Sketch of a Poste de Secours, Aberlenhof by Ernest Procter, September 1917

Photographs of an unidentified bridge, nd

Unidentified photographs of cars

Photograph of a man standing in front of a vehicle, captioned 'The Repair Van', nd

Christmas card from S.S.A. 19, 1918

Headquarters of Colonel Barry, Chalous-sur-Marne, nd

Christmas card from Kenneth and Isabel depicting a view of Amiens Cathedral from across the River Somme, December 1923

Amiens Cathedral from across the Somme, nd

Bombed buildings in Rheims, nd

Rheims Cathedral, nd

M.T. on a German tank, North of Rheims, 1918

The Hotel de Ville at Valenciennes, nd

Bombed buildings in Valenciennes, 1918

Headquarters of Marschal Foche at Senlis, 1918



A street in Meaux, nd

Bombed streets in Verdun, 1918

Buildings in Metz, December 1918

Paris, December 1918

The 'Beetle' being dug out of snow by German prisoners, 1919

Buildings in Nancy, February 1919

Unidentified photographs of a town

Drawing of an ambulance convoy, August 1918

Press cutting - a picture of a shell-shattered ambulance which has been exhibited in Trafalgar Square, London, nd

1 volume

Access: Open


Photographs of Dunkirk Harbour, the Dredge, and the Porte Rosendale

Painting of Dunkirk harbour at night, signed 'David', nd

Photographs of Dunkirk including the Place Jean Bart, Porte Rosendale, and the Moat

Copy of a painting of Dunkirk on fire during an air raid, nd

Press cuttings: photograph of Headquarters after bombing, August 1918; Hotel du Kursaal and Hotel Pyl, Malo, 1919 and Rue Forbin, Malo, 1918

Copy of a watercolour by Ernest Procter of a shell in Corps H.Q., 1917

Photographs of the Transport Office, F.A.U. H.Q, nd

Photograph of Laurence Cadbury and others in the Transport Office, Laurence Cadbury with 'The Beetle' H.Q. Despatch Riders, and the Unit's staff

1917-1920



at Rue Forbin and the Avenue du Kursaal, nd

Group photograph of Garage Staff, H.Q., 1918 and group photograph labelled 'Groupement F.U.'

Photograph of men at the Car Hangar, Petit Casino

Group photograph labelled 'H.Q. Motors'

Photographs of men and ambulances at No 3 Garage, nd

Photographs of a car before and after repair, nd

A bomb in the 'graveyard'

A bombed car at Dunkirk Station

Copy of a drawing of a bombed ambulance, signed Ernest Procter, 1917

Photographs of F.A.U. men and ambulances in Dunkirk

Embarking cars at Dunkirk, February 1919

Photographs labelled 'Decorations, Coxyde, 1917'

Copy drawing and photograph of the kitchen at Queen Alexandra Hospital, nd

Copy drawing labelled 'Q.A.H. dug-out', nd

Painting of a building in Calais at night, labelled 'Calais Ancien Phare', signed 'David', nd

Photograph of Etaples, showing the foundations of the St John's Hospital, which was destroyed in an air raid, nd

The ruins of Vlamatinghe Church, 1918

Copy sketch labelled 'Civilian Hospital Evacuation, Bethune', nd

Photographs of workshop and hospital staff at Courtrai, 1918

Photographs of the ruined Rue de la Gare and the Menin Road, Bailleul, 1918



Photographs of the ruined Level crossing and main road at Armentieres, nd

Photographs of 'the Leyghenboom gun which shelled Dunkirk regularly', nd

Photograph of Valenciennes Station, nd

HQ Billets, 11 November 1918, Fancy Dress at the Q.A.H., 11 November 1918

Joy Ride to Courtrai, November 1918

Christmas card, 1917

Group photographs at Jordans, 1920

Photograph of a group of men wearing suits and ties, standing on some steps, nd

Laurence Cadbury in military uniform, nd

Photograph of the outside of the Chateau Elisabeth, Poperinghe, nd

Photograph of two buildings, labelled 'Parc St George, Poperinghe'

1 volume

Access: Open

MS327/C/2/2 Photograph of a man in military uniform

Photographer: Henri Manuel, Paris.

1 volume

Access: Open

nd [1914-1918]

MS327/C/2/3 Photographs

Various photographs of the Friends Ambulance Unit ambulance convoys. Includes group photographs, portraits, and photographs of the Unit's ambulances and billets. Most of the photographs are unlabelled. The file includes a portrait of Laurence Cadbury in military uniform.

1 file

Access: Open

nd [1914-1918]



MS327/D Prints and drawings

7 files

Access: Open


MS327/D/1 Drawings by Arthur N. Cotterell, with related papers

5 sub-series

Access: Open

1917-1920

MS327/D/1/1 Copies of sketches by Arthur Cotterell.

Folder labelled 'Sketches S.S.A.13' containing copies of drawings by Arthur Cotterell, with a letter from Arthur Cotterell to Laurence Cadbury, 20 June 1918, written from S.S.Anglaise No. 13 Secteur Postal 54, France, asking him to send payment for six drawings to his home address in Bristol.

The drawings enclosed are titled:

'S.S.A 13 The Billet Maffrecourt'

'Maffrecourt 'The Cathedral' Garage'

'Dug-outs Promontoire'

'Promontoire G.B.D.16 Dug-out'

'Promontoire G.B.D. 16 Dug-out'

'Maffrecourt'

'S.S.A. 13 The Billet Maffrecourt'

'Maffrecourt The Billet S.S.A. 13'

'Champagne Boyau G.B.D. 16'

'Champagne Villers Marmery. Billet S.S.A. 13'

'St Menehould. View in the old town'

'Ancemont. The Billet S.S.A. 13'

'Cuisine. La Chifour. Near Verdun'

'Cabaret Ferme. Verdun. Poste de Secours G.B.D.

1917-1918



16'

'Thuisy, Champagne, Post de Secours. G.B.D. 16'

Arrangement: Original order

1 file

Access: Open

Publication notes: Some of these sketches were used as illustrations in the official history of the Friends Ambulance Unit (see MS327/E/6).

MS327/D/1/2 Copies of sketches by Arthur Cotterell.

The sketches are labelled:

'Promontoire. The G.B.D. Dug.out'

'Promontoire. G.B.D. 16 Dug out'

'Dug-outs. Promontoire'


'S.S.A. 13 The Billet. Maffrecourt'

'Maffrecourt. The Billet. S.S.A. 13'

'Champagne. Boyau G.B.D. 16.'

'Champagne. Villers Marmery. Billet. S.S.A. 13'

'Ancemont. The Billet, S.S.A. 13'

'Cabaret Ferme. Verdun. Poste de Secours G.B.D. 16'


'Thuisy, Champagne, Post de Secours. G.B.D. 16.'

1 folder

Access: Open

Publication notes: Some of these sketches were used as illustrations in the official history of the Friends Ambulance Unit (see MS327/E/6).

1917-1918

MS327/D/1/3 Letter from Arthur Cotterell and notes 1920



Letter from Arthur Cotterell to Mr Cadbury [Laurence Cadbury], written from Inworth, Patchinghall Lane, Chelmsford, concerning titles of the some of the sketches he has sent to Laurence Cadbury, 6 February 1920; typed list of titles of sketches; two sheets of pencil notes, probably made by Laurence Cadbury, one sheet headed 'Small pictures', the other 'Large pictures' listing titles of sketches and the artist's initials.

1 folder

Access: Open

MS327/D/1/4 Copies of sketches by Arthur Cotterell and Ernest Procter

Folder labelled 'Convoy Sketches No. 2' containing sketches titled:

'St Thomas, Argonne. The Aide-poste'

'Dug-outs. Promontoire'

'Promontoire. G.B.D. 16 Dug-out'

'Promontoire. Dug-outs'

'St Menehould. View in the old town'

'Ancemont. The Billet, S.S.A. 13'


'Cabaret Ferme. Verdun. Poste de Secours G.B.D.16'

'Verdun. A Street Scene'

'Gizaucourt Billets and the Soup Kitchen'

'Gizacourt. En repos in snow'

'Maffrecourt. The Billet, S.S.A. 13'

'S.S.A. 13. The Billet. Maffrecourt'


'Maffrecourt'

'Champagne. Boyau G.B.D. 16'

1917-1920



'Champagne. Villlers Marmery. Billet. S.S.A. 13'

'Promontoire. The G.B.D. Dugout'

'At Braux St-Remy'

'Epense. En repos'

'Poilly'

'Convoy Billet. Poilly'

'Thuisy, Champagne, Post de Secours. G.B.D. 16'

'Braux Chateau, from the S.E.'

'Poste de Secours, Bligny'

untitled sketch signed 'Ernest Procter: in the foreground two figures standing in front of an ambulance; in the background, ambulances parked in a barn.

1 folder

Access: Open

MS327/D/1/5 Original drawings

Access: Open

1917

MS327/D/1/5/1 A tram driving down a street at night

Untitled.

Signed: 'A.M.C.'

Medium:

1 drawing

Access: Open

nd [First World War]

MS327/D/1/5/2 'Gizancourt'

A man in military uniform carrying two buckets from a building. An ambulance is parked in front of the building.

Signed: 'A. Cotterell 1917'

Medium: Charcoal

1917



1 drawing

Access: Open

MS327/D/1/5/3

A man in military uniform painting a picture

A man in military uniform standing in a dugout near the front lines painting a picture.

Untitled.

Signed: 'A. Cotterell/1917'

Medium:

1 drawing

Access: Open

1917

MS327/D/1/5/4 'The Cathedral Maffrecourt'

An ambulance parked in a barn.


Medium:

1 drawing

Access: Open

1917

MS327/D/1/5/5 Ambulances parked in a town square

A row of ambulances parked in a line in front of a two-storey building, with a church in the background.

Untitled.


Medium: Pencil

1 drawing

Access: Open

1917

MS327/D/1/5/6 'The Cathedral' Maffrecourt'

Ambulances parked in a barn

1917




Medium:

1 drawing

Access: Open

MS327/D/1/5/7 Painting of the F.A.U. motor stores

A spoof poster advertising the new F.A.U. motor stores.

Untitled.


Medium:

1 drawing

Access: Open

1917

MS327/D/1/5/8 'The Mill. La Neuville-au-Pont (Aisne)'

View across a field, with a stream in the foreground and a building and forest in the background.


Medium:Watercolour

1 drawing

Access: Open

1917

MS327/D/2 Drawing by Chandler

Untitled

Laurence Cadbury asleep in his car, the Beetle

Signed: 'A. Chandler 1916'

Medium:

An A. Chandler appears in the list of members of the Friends Ambulance Unit published in the official history of the Unit (p.252)

1 drawing

1916



Access: Open

MS327/D/3

Drawings by Ernest Procter

Administrative history: Born in Northumberland, Ernest Procter (1886-1935) was the son of a distinguished scientist and staunch Quaker.

In 1907, he came to Newlyn to study at the Forbes’ School of Painting where he fast became a star student. After three years there, he went to Paris to attend the Atelier Colarossi, where he was joined by Doris (‘Dod’) Shaw, whom he had met at the Forbes’ school.

The couple married in Newlyn in 1912, but did not settle there until after the First World War, Ernest having spent the War years in the Friends Ambulance Service.

In 1920, Procter and his close friend Harold Harvey set up a school of painting of their own in Newlyn, offering tuition in oils and watercolour, studying the Figure, Still Life and Landscape.

Dod and Ernest Procter were among those who painted religious scenes for the church of St. Hilary (near Penzance), at the request of Rev. Bernard Walke. These can still be seen there today.

In 1934, Procter was appointed Director of Studies in Design and Craft at Glasgow School of Art. He retained his base in Cornwall and continued to exhibit all over the country. Having long suffered from high blood pressure, the combined stress of the job and the travel doubtless contributed to his tragically early death, aged forty-nine, only a year later.

Information from Penlee House Museum catalogue (www.penleehouse.org.uk)

3 drawings

Access: Open

[1914-1918]



MS327/D/3/1 A horse-drawn ambulance in front of a bombed building

Untitled

Signed: Ernest Procter

Medium:

1 drawing

Access: Open

nd [1914-1918]

MS327/D/3/2 F.A.U. Headquarters

Untitled


Medium:

Labelled, probably by Laurence Cadbury, 'Headquarters 'The Bank' before the Motor Hangar was built. Behind the first tree is the 'Pyl' while just to the right of it is the Kursaal'.

1 drawing

Access: Open

nd [1914-1918]

MS327/D/3/3 'Bombing of Dunkirk the night of June 3rd 1917'


Medium:

1 drawing

Access: Open

Publication notes: This drawing was used as an illustration in the official history of the Friends Ambulance Unit (see p. 184, MS 327/E/6)

nd [1914-1918]

MS327/D/4 Prints

Prints of pencil and ink sketches, all untitled.

/1 View of a muddy field, signed Bone, nd

/2 View of the river in the centre of Rouen, signed [Michael] Bone, nd

nd [1914-1918]



/3 A town square, signed M Bone, nd

/4 Cranes and a railway at a docks, unsigned, nd

4 items

Access: Open

MS327/D/5 Drawings published in 'L'Illustration'

/1 'Les Halles d'Ypres', by C. Duvent, showing the bombed Cloth Hall in Ypres, 3 September 1915

/2 'Les Victimes du Taube', by A. de Broca, a child weeping next to the bodies of her mother and brother, 1915

/3 'Les Ruines de Sermaize-les-Bains (Marne)' by P. Vignal, nd

/4 'Gerbeviller' by George Scott: a figure walks down a ruined street, 1915

/5 'L'Hotel de Ville d'Arras' by C Duvent, a bombed building, 12 August 1918

/6 'La Croix d'Honneur' by Georges Scott, a portrait of a man in military uniform, smoking a pipe and wearing two medals, nd

/7 'La Medaille Militaire' by Georges Scott, a portrait of a man with a beard holding a pipe and wearing two medals, 1915

/8 'Aux Eparges (April 1915)', by J. Simonet, drawing of a battle, 1915

8 drawings

Access: Open

1915-1918

MS327/D/6 Press cuttings of drawings

/1 A ship leaving harbour, signed Gribble, nd

/2 Two men in uniform, dancing with two women, nd

/3 A crowd at the door of a church or cathedral, nd

/4 A crowd carrying flags underneath a triumphal arch, with banners reading 'Labor' and 'Pax', nd

nd [early twentieth century]



4 items

Access: Open

MS327/D/7 Miscellaneous

/1 cardboard model of Laurence Cadbury's car, the Beetle, with a label 'O.B.E.ETLE' (this can be seen above his desk in photographs of the Unit's Transport Office in Dunkirk) n.d.;

/2 copy of a sketch of a single storey building with a sign hanging outside, possibly a pub, nd

/3 copy of a portrait of a woman, labelled 'Norah', signed Lewis Baumer, 1915

/4 copy of a picture of Christ with a lamb, nd

4 items

Access: Open


MS327/E Books and magazines

12 items

Access: Open

1916-1959

MS327/E/1 'Friends Ambulance Unit Monthly Magazine'

/1 No 1 Christmas Number, January 1916

/2 No 6 , [1916]

2 booklets

Access: Open

1916

MS327/E/2 'Friends Ambulance Unit Association Magazine'

/1-/2 No 3, July 1920 (two copies)

/3-/4 No 4, November 1920 (two copies)

/5 No 5, April 1921

/6 No 6, September 1921

/7 No 7, April 1922

7 items

1920-1922



Access: Open

MS327/E/3

'British Red Cross Work on the Continent'

The booklet is written by Gordon Campbell, Chairman of the Red Cross Headquarters Collection Committee and describes a tour in France, Belgium, and Italy between October and November 1918

1 booklet

Access: Open

1918

MS327/E/4 'Field Ambulance Sketches'

1 volume

Access: Open

1919

MS327/E/5 'Lines of Communication'

A Souvenir Volume of pages from the Train Magazines which were published whilst on active service with descriptions of Ambulance Train life.

1 volume

Access: Open

1915-1919

MS327/E/6 'The Friends Ambulance Unit 1914-1919'

The official history of the Friends Ambulance Unit, by Meaburn Tatham and James E. Miles.

1 volume

Access: Open

1919

MS327/E/7 'Friends' Ambulance Unit'

A history of the Friends Ambulance Unit during the Second World War, by A. Tegla Davis.

1 volume

Access: Open

1919

MS327/E/8 'Ypres - Then and Now'

Booklet describing the Friends Ambulance Unit's work in Ypres during the First World War by Robert

1965



J. Stopford. Enclosed, note to Paul Cadbury from Laurence Cadbury correcting some details in the pamphlet.

1 booklet

Access: Open

MS327/E/9 'Section Sanitaire Anglaise No 13 1915-1919'

Bound souvenir volume listing the itinerary, citations, and personnel of S.S.A. 13.

1 volume

Access: Open

1919

MS327/E/10 'S.S.A. 16 1915-1919'

Bound souvenir volume listing the itinerary, citations, and personnel of S.S.A. 16.

1 volume

Access: Open

1919

MS327/E/11 'Acknowledgements of service rendered by the Friends' Ambulance Unit'

Bound volume titled 'Acknowledgements of service rendered by the Friends Ambulance Unit', a presentation copy citations given by officers of the Red Cross to the Friends Ambulance Unit.

1 volume

Access: Open

1919

MS327/E/12 List of F.A.U. names and addresses

The list includes F.A.U. members from both the First and Second World Wars.

1 volume

Access: Open

1959

MS327/F Papers concerning research on the Friends Ambulance Unit

1960-1999



1 file

Access: Open

MS327/F/1 Letter to Laurence Cadbury enclosing copy of an extract from book

Letter to Laurence Cadbury concerning a book, written in Flemish, about events in and around Ypres in 1914-195 together with a translation of part of the book which relates to the work of the FAU.

2 items

Access: Open

1960

MS327/F/2 Cutting and photographs

Cutting probably from a Cadbury's staff magazine, of an article about a Cambridge University tiller which bears Laurence Cadbury's name discovered in a museum in Perronne, France, with two photographs of the tiller, nd.

3 items

Access: Open

Papers of Laurence Cadbury Reference: MS327

Documents

Transcript of Papers of Laurence Cadbury Reference: MS327