42 Squadron RAF is about to move: from Rely, where they have been since 25 April 1918, to Chocques. In celebration of the almost six months that they spent at Rely, B and C flights of 42 Sqn held a dinner this evening.
The Rely Farewell Dinner
Spirits were probably high, given that the tide of the war now seemed to be flowing eastwards, in the Allies’ favour. Greg kept the menu from this memorable occasion. As might be expected, it contains a few in-jokes.
10th October 1918 42 Sq.,B.&.C.,
FRANCE
M E N U .
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HUITRES DE ST. OMER.
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HORS D'OUEVRES VARIES DE RELY.
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POTAGE TOMATE DE CHOCQUES.
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POISSON
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SAUCE PIQUANT DE CARFEW.
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BOEUF ROTI
ASPERGE.
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POULET ROTI D'UNTER
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POMMES DE TERRE.
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TREFLE DE MERVILLE.
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OEUFS SOUFFLES.
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FILETS D'ANCHOVE.
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E T C .
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Y. KAVALLIO. GNE. Y. KAVALLIO GNT. [???]
W.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A. [???]
In-Jokes
So what can we make of the in-jokes? Some are more decipherable than others.
Huîtres de St. Omer
St. Omer is not an obvious source of oysters, being some 20 miles (32 km) inland from the coast. However, it was connected by a canal to Dunkirk and by rail links to Calais, Gravelines and Dunkirk. So fresh seafood could easily have been brought in. But I haven’t seen any reference to St. Omer being known for its seafood market. Cauliflowers and other vegetables, yes – it’s ‘the cauliflower capital of France’, according to this website – but not seafood.
Just possibly, this was some hard-to-decode reference to St. Omer being the spiritual birthplace of the RAF and RFC before it (see for example here and here).
Hors d’Oeuvres Variés de Rely
At least this is more straightforward! A simple farewell to 42 Squadron’s home for the last few months.
Potage Tomate de Chocques
And an equally straightforward look forward to their new home at Chocques.
Sauce Piquant de Carfew
Back to speculation for this one. Although it might seem like the name of someone – the chef, perhaps – a search for anyone of answering to the name Carfew in the RFC or RAF on airhistory.org.uk drew a complete blank. As did a search on the IWM’s Lives of the First World War. So to whom might it refer?
A prime candidate has to be The Admirable Carfew, the fictional subject of a series of short stories by Edgar Wallace, published by Ward, Lock & Co. of London in 1914. Wallace is more widely known for his Sanders of the River short stories and, particularly, as the initial script writer for King Kong (1933).
The complete text of The Admirable Carfew is available from Project Gutenberg Australia, who say this about the work:
The author gives pleasantly a series of important phases in the life of an irrepressible young man, Carfew, whose ready wit and daring and downright “front” carry him through anything and everything. Carfew volunteers for any kind of forlorn hope in business, and usually wins handsomely. The sketches of this tornado of energy are done brightly; even a languid reader will be hurried, along gladly. He would be a sad man who would not be obliged to laugh heartily at some of Carfew’s “turns.”
Quite an appropriate sort of chap to lend his name to a piquant sauce that was deemed admirable!
Asperge
Asparagus in October in Northern France? Really? Must have been tinned.
Poulet Rôti d’Unter
I think the key to this lies in an unwritten aspirate, or mute, ‘h’. When the final word is written ‘Hunter’ it all makes a lot more sense. This was because the CO of 42 Squadron was Major Henry John Francis Hunter MC, who has already been mentioned in the post for 19 May 1918. Possibly it was he who signed the top dead centre of the front of the menu as ‘Jack Hunter’.
Trefle de Merville
If there was one town with which 42 Squadron was closely associated during their time at Rely, it had to be Merville. It was Merville’s skies that they patrolled. And it was enemy positions and strategic points in and around Merville to which they directed artillery fire while it was under occupation. So this was the squadron’s affectionate tribute to the town. Rather more affectionate, in fact, than the squadron’s nickname for Spanish Flu (Merville Fever) which struck Greg in an early wave in June.
‘Trefle’ is a bit puzzling, though. Trèfle, with a grave accent, translates to clover, trefoil or shamrock, but not to the English dessert trifle. A dessert trifle might be loosely translated as un diplomate, or simply left untranslated. But that all might be to over-analyse the lighthearted reference to the dessert that celebrated Merville.
And the last two lines…
…are very hard to read, let alone understand. I have hazarded “Kavallio” for the two longest words, but it is difficult to make them out. The last line looks like a typographical flourish – or an attempt at one on a typewriter. But who knows? Any suggestions will be gratefully received.