Today, Greg celebrated his 20th birthday. His training and service on the Western Front had taken place entirely while he was a teenager. Back home in Holyhead, he would soon be resuming his studies in Bangor. It was in Bangor that he had portrait photographs in the new RAF uniform taken by Wickens’ Studio. His award of the British War Medal and the Victory Medal (“Squeak” and Wilfred” as they were popularly known) marked the end of his service in the First World War.
100 years later, on what would have been Greg’s 120th birthday, it seems an appropriate time to bring to a conclusion the story of Greg’s War.
Studio Portraits of Greg
It was probably around now that Greg had these two studio portrait photographs taken:
Studio portrait photograph of Greg by Wickens of Bangor. Click for larger image. Credit: Greg’s War CollectionStudio portrait photograph of Greg, probably also by Wickens of Bangor. Click for larger image. Credit: Greg’s War Collection
Light Blue RAF Uniform
The uniform that Greg was wearing was probably the light blue 1918 service dress, which was never very popular. ‘Somewhat Ruritanian’ seems to have been the general verdict. According to the Uniforms and Insignia of the British Air Force website, where the uniform’s colour can be seen, it was:
Originally introduced at the outset the Royal Air Force as optional Mess Dress for the duration of the war, and then reclassified for general wear in July of 1918.
John Wickens, Photographer
The portrait of Greg seated is mounted on card. An inscription reads:
Wickens’ Studios, Upper Bangor, N. Wales
The second is unmounted, but it looks as though it was taken at the same time.
John Wickens (1865-1936) was a noted portrait photographer of the day. The National Library of Wales has this to say about him:
John Wickens was a well-known Bangor photographer with studios in The Crescent and College Road, Upper Bangor and High Street, Bangor. According to trade directories, he first operated as a photographer in the town in 1889 and remained in business there for the remainder of his life.
By 1900, he had two premises at Retina Studio, Upper Bangor, and Studio Royal, 43 High Street. He was a prolific portrait photographer, and won awards for his images, including a Gold medal at the Swansea Eisteddfod in 1891.
So the location for the portraits was probably Retina Studio (which 100 years later sounds more like an iPhone app).
Medals
Greg’s war record has a stamp that says “Service considered for the grant of war medals”. In due course, the medals arrived. He was eligible for the British War Medal and the Victory Medal:
Greg’s British War Medal and Victory Medal – “Squeak” and “Wilfred”, or “Mutt” and “Jeff”. Click for larger image.
These were two of the service medals of the First World War. He was not eligible to receive either the 1914 Star (also known as the Mons Star) or its alternative the 1914-1915 Star, as he had only signed up in 1917.
Greg’s medals have, as is the norm for those of First World War, inscriptions on their rims with his rank, name and unit (in his case the RAF):
The inscriptions on the rims of Greg’s medals, seen here in the hands of his great-granddaughter. Click for larger image.
Pip, Squeak & Wilfred, or Mutt & Jeff
The three First World War medals were properly speaking service medals rather than campaign medals. They were irreverently known as Pip, Squeak and Wilfred after the characters in a Daily Mirror strip cartoon that first appeared in 1919. So Greg was the recipient of “Squeak” and “Wilfred”. This pair was also – and equally irreverently – known as Mutt and Jeff, after the pioneering US cartoon strip of that name.
University College of North Wales (now Bangor University)
Apart from the portraits, Greg’s more substantive connection with Bangor was that it was there that he would be returning to university to finish his undergraduate degree. The history of the institution is summarised on Bangor University’s website here:
The University was founded as a direct result of a campaign in the late nineteenth century for higher education provision in Wales. Funds were raised by public subscription to establish a college of university rank in Bangor. An important feature of its foundation was the voluntary contributions made by local people, including farmers and quarrymen, from their weekly wages over a period of time.
Opening its doors in 1884…
The University was founded as the University College of North Wales. It opened its doors on 18 October 1884 in an old coaching inn with 58 students and 10 members of staff. The students received degrees from the University of London until 1893 when the University of Wales, Bangor became one of the three original constituent colleges of the University of Wales .
The location…
The University was originally based in an old coaching inn called the Penrhyn Arms. In 1903, the city of Bangor donated a 10-acre site overlooking the city at Penrallt for a new building, and substantial sums of money were raised by local people to help meet the cost. The foundation stone for this was laid in 1907, and four years later in 1911 the main building was opened, together with some arts and social science buildings and part of the Library.
The Science Departments remained in the Penrhyn Arms for another fifteen years. In 1926 they moved to new purpose-built accommodation which had been constructed with the assistance of funds raised by the North Wales Heroes Memorial.
The Penrhyn Arms Hotel
So, since Greg was a Chemistry student, he would have spent his time and around in the original building that was formerly The Penrhyn Arms Hotel. In 1840, it had looked like this:
The Penrhyn Arms Hotel, Bangor. From a ca. 1840 print held by the National Library of Wales/Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru. Stated to be in the public domain. Click for larger image.
Its location was here:
Bangor, showing the College marked in red, from a 1904 Bartholemew’s map. Click or tap for a larger, zoomable image. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.
All that remains today, following demolition of the hotel building as a result of a scheme to realign the A5 road, is a portico:
Penrhyn Arms Hotel Portico, with the Menai Straits and Anglesey visible in the background. Click for larger image. Credit: People’s Collection Wales. Use licensed under a Creative Archive Licence.
It was here, in the former Penrhyn Arms Hotel, that Greg completed his undergraduate – and subsequently graduate – studies in chemistry. Much later in his life, he told me that the syllabus for his undergraduate degree was simply “chemistry”. Astonishing as it seems to us today, undergraduate students were then expected to be abreast of literally all developments in the subject. That wasn’t sustainable for much more of the 20th century.
Syllabus aside, though, I have often wondered how he settled back into student life. There must have been something of a gulf between those who had been to war and those who hadn’t. He had only been in the armed forces for less than two years in total, and on the Western Front for just over five months before Armistice Day. But while he was away, he probably aged rather more than the elapsed time would suggest.
The Last Post?
This concludes the story of Greg’s War – the First World War experiences of 2nd Lt. C. E. Gregory RFC/RAF in 1918. Greg’s 120th birthday seems a fitting day to stop.
His pilot’s log book is now published in full, as is his diary of active service, to the extent that he kept it. Practically all his photographs and printed memorabilia have also found their way into the blog. I have tried to provide enough surrounding material to set his experiences in context, and to make them understandable. In the course of doing that, I have learnt and come to understand a great deal more myself.
So there may not be another Greg’s War post…but I would never say never!
Thank you…
…to all who have visited Greg’s War. You have been a truly international readership. Since the blog’s inception, there have been visitors from 55 countries, in all continents (well, OK, not Antarctica). At the time of analysis (31 January 2019), visitors have come most frequently from (in descending order): the UK, the US, Canada, France, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Belgium, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Russia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Bermuda, Spain, Poland, Kenya and India.
And thank you to those who have helped and supported this endeavour. Particular thanks to those of you who have subscribed to the blog, and to those who have commented or contacted me with further information or corrections. And what I said at the foot of the About page still applies:
I am grateful to my stepfather, Rob Parsons, for his research and input, including his recollection of Greg’s telling of some of the events in the blog; to my good friend Michael Seymour (a real historian) for his advice and substantial contributions; to my daughter Lizzie for social media and content advice; and to my wife Barbara, who has both encouraged me in this endeavour and kindly put up with my wittering on about Greg’s War for some time. I am sorry that Greg never met either his granddaughter-in-law or his great-granddaughter.
I remember Greg with affection and admiration.
Greg’s War 2?
In the Second World War, Greg was back in uniform. Squadron Leader C. E. Gregory RAF was an intelligence officer in Coastal Command. One day, there may be a Greg’s War 2.
But in the meantime, in the words of the song associated with Harry Tate, and hence indirectly with the Royal Aircraft Factory RE8:
Bonsoir old thing, cheerio! chin chin!
Nah-poo! Toodle-oo!
Good-bye-ee!
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