Lives of the First World War

1911 - 19th August 1915

In the preface to his book ‘She Makes No Fuss When I Go’ the great nephew of Douglas describes how his interest and that of other family members in their great uncle, Douglas, was roused by childhood memories of their grandmother, Honor’s locket and other inherited family artefacts: watercolours, medals, letters and two journals written after Douglas’s death by his mother Grace. It was Grace’s journal, in which she recounted her only son’s life story from birth and transcribed many of his letters, which provided the core narrative to a commemoration of Douglas’s life. The commemoration which took the form of three exhibitions, a book and a DVD was planned and executed by his great nephew. The exhibitions took place at Buxton Museum, The Knutsford Heritage Centre and the Cheshire Military Museum in Chester. Buxton was where Douglas spent his early life and his fondness of the hills of this area are apparent in many of his early watercolours. Knutsford was where Douglas lived post 1911, at the time he had decided not to pursue an artistic career but to join his uncle’s business in Manchester. However, he continued to draw and paint at every opportunity until the end of his life. When war was declared he enlisted into the Cheshire Yeomanry, a cavalry brigade formed of men of every class from the County of Cheshire, he declined a commission to become a junior officer. Several months later, Douglas accepted a commission in the 6th Cheshire Regiment. The following story and letters are extracts taken from the text of the book, as are the images and they are reproduced here with the kind permission of the family. Edited Extracts from his mother’s journal describing his early life: Douglas was born on the 27th of July 1891. From infancy, he was fond of drawing, his earliest efforts being drawn upside down. On his fourth birthday, he had a blackboard, a source of keen delight. Soon after he was seven he drew and painted surprisingly well for so young a child. In April 1905 he went to Marlborough. There, although he had drawing and painting lessons he had to make time or opportunities for art. …..In Michaelmas term of 1907, he won the school watercolour prize. He begged to leave school when he was 17 and go to a studio as he had no desire to be anything but an artist: He had no taste or aptitude for law. He therefore went to a studio at Kensington and lived with a family nearby. He thoroughly enjoyed his life there, both at the studio and visiting places of interest and friends. But he felt that too much money was being spent on his training. He realised that he was not good enough to be at the top of the tree and that it would be long before he would make his butter, let alone the bread. After about a year he therefore said that he thought he had better go into business – that to his father’s great delight. He was taken into the office of an uncle, an iron and steel merchant and worked in the day and often studied iron and steel in the evenings. But office work in the drab and dirty city for one whose love was of an outdoor life and whose head was bulging with beautiful ideas seemed to be a case of a round peg in a square hole. The family moved from Buxton to Knutsford in 1911 and he missed the hills. Douglas enlisted early when war was declared in 1914 and sailed to Havre in France in late July 1915 with the 6th Regiment, British Expeditionary Force (BEF). What follows are a few of Douglas’s letters. They have been chosen to include on this website as they show how Douglas cared for the men in his command and how through his artistic ‘eye’ he saw the landscape around him. 19 August 1915 - 6th Cheshire Regt., BEF, Boulogne Base My dear Honor (Douglas’ sister), These Germans have been going strong these last few days. Look at what they are doing on the Russian front. The sinking of that troop ship and the latest Zep (Zepellin) (sic.) raid (which I would imagine did a dickens of a lot of damage) must be very encouraging to the Germans. Some papers seem to pretend that the occupation of territory, town, etc. which the Germans have already got can easily be regained later, but I should have thought that it would absolutely drain the allies to get it back (by force of arms). I wish I had done some months up at the front, then I expect I would be jolly glad to stay at the base. As it is one feels a blooming hypocrite doing nothing after 12 months. The only time that you can kid yourself that you are on active service is when you are visiting posts at night with a loaded revolver!

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