## Armistice & Legacy

A graphic novel collection from The National Archives Written by Carol Adlam & illlustrated by Kai Conlon, Sam Cunningham, Blythe Eveleigh- Evans, Eloise James, Ned Knight, Matthew Lee, Emily Lodge, Bluebell Selley & Chang Yi-Yun

## Armistice & Legacy

Text by Carol Adlam Illustrated by Kai Conlon, Sam Cunningham, Blythe Eveleigh-Evans, Eloise James, Ned Knight, Matthew Lee, Emily Lodge, Bluebell Selley 
& Chang Yi-Yun Produced by Ela Kaczmarska Text © Carol Adlam 2018.

Illustrations © the artists and The National Archives 2018.

Chapter break illustrations for The Artist, The Pigeoneer, *The Piper*, and *The Doctor* are by Sam Cunningham.

Chapter break illustrations for The Cavalryman, *The Mapmaker*, The Captain, *The Officer*, and *The Unknown Warrior* are by Matthew Lee. 

Cover illustration is by Chang-Yi Yu ('Mimi'). 

Design and layout by Carol Adlam (www.caroladlam.co.uk)

## Contents

 
Preface by Ela Kaczmarska The ARTIST ………………….................................

Text by Carol Adlam; *Illustrated by* Emily Lodge The CAVALRYMAN ……………………………….

Text by Carol Adlam; *Illustrated by* Ned Knight The PIGEONEER …………………………………..

Text by Carol Adlam; *Illustrated by* Sam Cunningham The MAPMAKER …………………………………..

Text by Carol Adlam; *Illustrated by* Bluebell Selley The PIPER …………………………………………..

Text by Carol Adlam; *Illustrated by* Eloise James The CAPTAIN ……………………………………….

Text by Carol Adlam; *Illustrated by* Kai Conlon The DOCTOR ………………………………………..

Text by Carol Adlam; *Illustrated by* Blythe Eveleigh-Evans The OFFICER ……………………………………….

Text by Carol Adlam; *Illustrated by* Matthew Lee The UNKNOWN WARRIOR ……………………….

Text by Carol Adlam; *Illustrated by* Chang-Yi Yun Notes on the Stories by Carol Adlam

## Preface I

n this year which marks the centenary of end of the First World War, nine school (GCSE and A-Level) and university students took part in a graphic novel workshop at The National Archives, led by author-illustrator Carol Adlam. Drawing on the extensive research carried out by staff of The National Archives over the last four years into the First World War, Adlam used a wide variety of original records—including war diaries, attestation files, pension records, photographs and maps—to create the nine interlinked naratives that comprise the script for the graphic novel 'Armistice & Legacy'. The striking individual histories that emerged were then illustrated by the nine students in the course of a week-long illustration workshop led by Adlam. From the voyage of Indian Cavalrymen sailing from Bombay to Marseilles, to the machinations of the Pigeon Service, students interpreted these original stories in their own unique style. 

The National Archives' collection of First World War documentation is vast, complex and often makes for uneasy reading. The graphic novel is increasingly used as a way of telling complex and difficult histories in new and accessible ways, reaching out to a wide range of readers. 'Armistice & Legacy' tells of these diverse stories of the First World War in a truly original manner. The students were a committed and gifted group of young people who had the opportunity to engage with our collections in an innovative and positive way. 

It was exciting to see how they rose to the challenge of creating beautiful and exciting artwork to illustrate each story.

I would like to thank the Education Department at The National Archives, particularly the many members of staff who contributed to the research and final production of the novel. I am indebted to George Hay, Principal Record Specialist, who gave the students invaluable insight into the records, as well as to the Friends of The National Archives for funding this project and for recognising its value and outcome.

Ela Kaczmarska The National Archives November 2018 

## The Cavalryman

The Mapmaker Text by Carol Adlam Illustrations by Bluebell Selley Kai Conlon

## The The Officer

Carol Adlam Matthew Lee

## The Unknown Warrior Notes On The Stories The Artist The Cavalryman

The lines of poetry Orpen utters then, and later on, are from his poem 
'A Memory of the Somme', and his description of the battlefield is taken from his war diary, An Onlooker in France.

T
his story introduces the theme of art and war, and raises questions of class and military rank. It also touches on the question of who has permission to record historical events, since only commissioned officers were allowed to draw at the front in case sketches giving away tactical information fell into the wrong hands. 

An exhibition of Orpen's war paintings in 1918 in London was a huge success, and Orpen was then commissioned by the Imperial War Museum to create three paintings on the Peace Treaty, one of which was the painting referenced in the story 
(To the Unknown British Soldier in France). This painting was altered by Orpen before its unveiling in 1923, as described, although he later he painted out the soldiers, leaving only the coffin.  
'The Artist' centres on the story of Major Sir William Orpen (1878-1931), who was one of the most prominent visual artists to serve in the Artists' Rifles (many other artists, writers and poets also served in the Artists' Rifles, including John and Paul Nash, Muirhead Bone, Charles Hamilton Sorley, Philip Edward Thomas, and Wilfred Owen). Orpen was given the title of Official War Artist by General Haig, and in 1917 he travelled to the Somme. 

The items he finds in the story here are based on those listed as in the possession of Edward Thomas (an author and poet, also in the Artists' Rifles). 

While Orpen was the best known of war artists, there were many more, unacknowledged artists, working with great skill and courage as mapmakers, engineers, and surveyors. This aspect of the story of art at the front is covered in the story 'The Mapmaker'.

MacDonald, Juliet. 'Drawing on the Front Line', in Peter Liddell, ed., Britain and the Widening War 1915-1916: From Gallipoli to the Somme. Pen & Sword Military. 2016: 
304-16.

Orpen, William. *An Onlooker in France, 1917-1919*, at http://www.gutenberg.org/
ebooks/20215 [accessed July 2018].

Orpen, William. 'A Memory of the Somme', at https://www.royal-irish.com/
stories/a-memory-of-the-somme [accessed July 2018].

The National Archives: TNA WO 339/57475 (Orpen's Service records); T161/212/5 (Records of the purchase of Orpen's paintings by the Imperial War Museum); TNA WO-9503119-2 (War Diary of the Artists' Rifles); for other poets and artists in the Artists' Rifles see TNA WO 339/77762 (Geoffrey Studdart-
Kennedy), TNA WO 339/11501 (Charles Hamilton Sorley), and TNA WO 
339/73576 (Philip Edward Thomas). 

Singh was an officer who is listed in the documents as having been injured in battle. While it is not known what happened to Konsal Singh, many wounded Indian officers were sent to Brighton for treatment, where the Pavilion had been set up as a hospital for Indian soldiers.

T
his story addresses the contribution made to the war by the British Indian Army, drawing on records held by The National Archives of the transportation of the 20th Deccan Horse Regiment from India to the Western Front, as part of the Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade.  The story draws on the records of the entrainment and shipping of the regiment, on the veterinary report, and on the war diary of the regiment, imagining some of the experiences of Risalder Konsal Singh. 

The National Archives: TNA WO 372/11/208926 (Konsal Singh's medal card); TNA WO/95/1187 (War Diaries of the 20th Deccan Horse and Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade).

Brighton Museums, at www.brightonmuseums.org.uk [accessed July 2018].

## The Pigeoneer The Mapmaker

Today, there is no record of  the Pigeon Office in Doughty Street, which is better known for being the location of  a legal chambers that employs the wife of  a Hollywood film star. Pigeons, of  course, are now routinely considered a nuisance requiring pest control measures.

D
oughty Street, London, was the home of the General Headquarters of  the Pigeon Office, employing 600 people in the training and organization of  the pigeon carrier service. According to A.H. Osman (below), some 22,000 pigeons were in service by the end of the war, with a vast network of  both mobile and stationery lofts throughout France and Italy, and along Britain's eastern coastline. In the Battle of  the Somme some 5,000 pigeons were in use, with fewer than 2% casualties. 'The Pigeoneer' is an imagined account of  the journey of  one pigeon as it leaves HQ and travels to the Front, and eventually makes its way back home. 

The National Archives: TNA WO-95-123-10 (Booklet for troops, On the Organisation of the Carrier Pigeon Service in France); TNA WO-95-123-4 (War diaries of the O.C. Carrier Pigeon Service).

Osman, A.H. Pigeons in the Great War: A Complete History of  the Carrier-Pigeon Service During the Great War, 1914-1918. London: The 'Racing Pigeon' Publishing Co., Ltd., 
1929.    
'The Mapmaker' is also a tribute to the artistry and skill of those who created the extremely detailed maps of the terrain that were such an important part of the campaign.   
T
his story was inspired by the story of Rifleman Barnett (Barney) Griew, who served as a mapmaker and scout in the run-up to an attack on Gommecourt Wood on 1 July 1916, and who tragically died during the attack.  Both the figure of the mapmaker and the German he encounters are imaginary creations, but the spirit of the encounter - in which a mutual recognition of a shared humanity takes place - is reflected in the historical record of the war in general, in which there are accounts of the suspension of hostilities - sometimes to collect the wounded, or to exchange gifts, play football, or even sing songs together. 

The National Archives: TNA WO-3167-38 (Panorama of Gommecourt Wood); 
WO 95/2686 (Poem about Gommecourt Wood); TNA WO 372/8/148642 (Medal card of Barnett Griew); TNA WO 95/2957; TNA WO 95/2931; TNA WO 
153/167 (War diaries of Gommecourt Wood attack).

Kogan, Sarah. Changing the Landscape exhibition. See http://www.

nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/news/contemporary-art-exhibition-changing-thelandscape-opens-at-the-national-archives/ [accessed July 2018].

MacDonald, Juliet. 'Drawing on the Front Line', in Peter Liddell, ed., Britain and the Widening War 1915-1916: From Gallipoli to the Somme. Pen & Sword Military. 2016: 
304-16.

## The Piper The Captain '

The Piper' tells the story of Piper James Cleland Richardson (1895- 1916). Poole was born in Scotland and was resident in Canada, and joined the 72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada. He received the Victoria Cross for his courage in battle at Regina Trench, the Somme, when he played his pipes while walking up and down alongside the entangled razor wire that was blocking his fellow troopers' way. Thus encouraged by him, they rushed over the top and gained possession of the trench. Richardson was unharmed, but later disappeared when he returned to collect his pipes, which he had left behind while assisting a wounded comrade.

The National Archives: TNA WO 98/8/587 (Victoria Cross details).

Canadian-Scottish Regiment Collection at University of Victoria. Special Collections http://www.canadianscottishregiment.ca [accessed July 2018].

Thanks also to Andrew Ashmore for sight of his script on Richardson.

Mathy acquired celebrity status in Germany as a result of his raids on London, Hull, and elsewhere. The comments he makes in 'The Captain' come from accounts of interviews with him in which he appeared to express regret at targeting civilians, and to anticipate his own death. He died on October 1916 when the L31 Zeppelin he was piloting was shot down near Potters Bar.

T
his story began from a single photo from The National Archives: an image of two women next to their houses in Edwin Place, Hull, with the aftermath of the bombing raid by the L9 Zeppelin all around them. Zeppelins 
(also known as rigid inflatables, dirigibles, and blimps) were a terrifying weapon that meant that war was no longer confined to a far-off battlefield, but had no boundaries, and was now 
'total war' - that is, inflicted upon civilians as well as soldiers. 

On 6 June 1915 Hull was attacked by two dirigibles, one of which (the L9) was piloted by Kapitanleutnant Heinrich Mathy. 19 people were killed, 40 injured, and many local shops and landmarks were destroyed or damaged.

The National Archives: TNA RAIL 227/503 (Map of Zeppelin Raids); TNA 
AIR 1/569/16/15/142/A (Report by Major General Ferrier, Commander of the Humber Defences 1915); TNA AIR 1/569/16/15/142/B (Report by Major Robert Hall, Fire Commander, Humber Defences, 1916); TNA AIR 
1/569/16/15/142 (Photograph of damage to Edwin Place, Porter Street, Hull.

BBC 'live' recasting of the Hull Raid, at www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-englandhumber-32920960 [accessed July 2018].

Crowe, Ken. *Zeppelins over Southend*. Southend-on-Sea Museums Service, 2008.

Powis, Mick. *Zeppelins over the Midlands*. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Aviation, 2016.

## The Doctor The Officer

Moody unsuccessfully applied for compensation for the terrible effects she suffered, which included facial deformity and the loss of her unborn child. The government official who rejected Moody's application was the eminent physician Sir Seymour Sharkey 
(1847-1929). Moody wrote of him that 'his manner was offensive and his examination brief and perfunctory […] 
he clutched my swollen body with great violence and afterwards I had to take to my bed again'. 

T
his story touches on the many medical innovations and advances that took place during and after the war, referencing facial surgery, advances in the administration of anaesthetics, and improvements in understanding what was then known as neurasthenia and later became better known as shellshock. 

This broader story of a new generation of attitudes and medical advances (in the form of Frank Morley, a fictional character) is offset by the case of Lily Moody, a munitions worker (or 'canary woman') who was poisoned by her exposure to TNT. 

Moody also raises the question of the wider treatment of women in the war, writing that 'in the cold light of day a reckoning will be demanded: how did you treat our women?'

The National Archives: TNA ADM 318/5 (Maud Massey Cottrell); ADM 318/18 
(Hilda Nora Bell); T/12200/36707; MUN 164/1124 (documents relating to Lily Moody).

See also http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/first-world-war/home-front-stories/
womens-war-work/ [accessed July 2016].

Bamji, Andrew. 'Facial Surgery Rehabilitation and the Impact of Medical Specialisation', in Peter Liddell, ed., Britain and the Widening War 1915-1916: From Gallipoli to the Somme. Pen & Sword Military. 2016: 199-212.

Marr, H.C., *Psychoses of  the War, including Neurasthenia and Shell Shock*. Hodder & 
Stoughton, London, 1919.

T
his story is based on the court martial of Eric Skeffington Poole (b. 

Nova Scotia, Canada, 20 January 1885-
d. 10 December 1916). Poole became the first British officer to be shot for desertion. 

Despite these accounts, and recommendations that he be given a lesser penalty, the Medical Commission ruled that he was of sound mind at the time of desertion, and that the penalty was to be death by shooting.

Poole was one of 306 British soldiers who had been shot at dawn for cowardice or desertion, and who were pardoned by the Ministry of Defence in 2006.

The case was not made public at the time, as the War Office wanted to avoid adverse publicity. Poole's trial documents, held at The National Archives, show that many witnesses were united in their belief that he was lacking in mental capacity, and that his situation was aggravated by shell shock. 

The National Archives: TNA WO 71/1027 (General Courts Martial documentation); TNA WO 95/2184 (11th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment war diaries).

Further information is available here: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
pathways/firstworldwar/people/poole.htm [accessed July 2018].

## The Unknown Warrior

On the morning of 11 November the coffin was transported through London on a gun carriage, past extremely large crowds, to be interred at Westminster Abbey. The procession went past the Cenotaph, which was unveiled by King George V
.  
T
he Tomb of the Unknown Warrior contains the remains of a unidentified British soldier who fell on the Somme. Between 7 and 
8 November 1920 his remains were transported through France with great ceremony, and on 9 November, they arrived at Dover port. The coffin was then transferred to the same train that had carried Edith Cavell's remains a year earlier. On 10 November the coffin arrived at Victoria Station, and was kept there overnight. 

In the documents held by The National Archives, civil servants Mr Macintyre and Mr Lovell are praised for their work with the many thousands who applied for tickets to the ceremony: they 'exhibited the utmost patience and consideration in dealing with the numerous callers for tickets: in all cases bereaved parents or widows labouring under deep emotion.'

The National Archives: TNA WORK 20/1/3 (Cenotaph, Whitehall: general arrangements in respect of the unveiling ceremony and burial of the unknown warrior in Westminster Abbey, 11th November, 1920); TNA WORK 20/139 (plan for erection of permanent cenotaph).