Caricature of Major-General Montague-Stuart-Wortley published in Vanity Fair in 1899 (Wikipedia)
Monday 16th November 1914: The Territorials of the North Midland Division who had been billeted in Luton have left the town. The order to move was issued late last night, speedy preparations were made, and the men started to leave early this morning leaving the town eerily quiet. Their commanding officer, Major-General Edward Montagu-Stuart-Wortley, has written a letter of thanks to the Mayor for the hospitality shown by the townspeople of Luton:
[1] Major-General The Hon. Edward James Montagu-Stuart-Wortley served in the British Army from 1877 to 1919. In 1914 he was put in command of the 46th (North Midland) Division. He was dismissed from his command in July 1916 after the failure of his Division in the first stages of the Battle of the Somme, gaining the dubious distinction of becoming the only General to be sacked during the Great War.
Luton, 16th November 1914
Dear Mr Mayor,
On the eve of leaving Luton, I wish to express to you, and through you to all the Borough Authorities, as well as to the inhabitants of Luton, my grateful thanks for all the assistance that has been given to the North Midland Division since their arrival in Luton. Nothing could have exceeded the kindness shown by everyone at Luton to the troops under my command. It has been a source of great satisfaction that the relationship between the military and civilian population has been all that could have been desired. The almost complete absence of crime and drunkenness both on the part of the military and civilian population has reflected the greatest credit on all concerned.
On behalf of all ranks of the North Midland Division, I beg you once more to convey our thanks to all concerned, and to assure you of our best wishes for the prosperity of the town of Luton.
Believe me, dear Mr Mayor,Yours very faithfully, E. Stuart Wortley, Major-General, North Midland Division [1]Source: Luton News 19th November 1914
[1] Major-General The Hon. Edward James Montagu-Stuart-Wortley served in the British Army from 1877 to 1919. In 1914 he was put in command of the 46th (North Midland) Division. He was dismissed from his command in July 1916 after the failure of his Division in the first stages of the Battle of the Somme, gaining the dubious distinction of becoming the only General to be sacked during the Great War.
No comments:
Post a Comment