Lieutenant Colin Rowntree 23 years old when entering the war  Orderly with the  British Red Cross Friends Ambulance Unit 1914-1916 Started training for FAU - 25th Aug 1914 Went to France - 30th Oct 1914 Lieutenant in Royal Engineers -  War Graves Registration 1916- 1919 More of the life of Colin Rowntree in peacetime   It can be noted briefly that Colin Rowntree worked also in WW2 as a Captain, while his son Paul Rowntree was training as a doctor at Barts in London and working in a First Aid post during the first Blitz   Museum containing Colin's Documents  Diaries 1914-1916 Diaries 1916-1918 Colin Rowntree's World War photographs Postcards of the Ypres area Colin's Photographs of Ypres

This section is now part of an article about One Branch of the Rowntree Family in the WW1 Era.

The Article on the Friends Ambulance Unit may also be of interest

Since this article about the Family at War were first produced, much more information has come to light.
A complete set of Colin's diaries give details of his work in both the Friend Ambulance Unit and in the Army working on war graves. Also photographs and post card of the area are available as well as numerous letters and documents.

It is difficult to summarise Colin's life over four years and the diaries give in a few words a strong impression of what was happening in his world behind the lines. He was in the first contingent of FAU to go to France, having written to Philip Baker, who re-started the FAU,  early in August and started training on 25th in London followed by a short spell at Jordans. On the journey over to Dunkirk they were involved in the rescue of men from a sinking ship and then on arrival at Dunkirk walk straight into two Railway sheds of injured men with little or no medical help or supervision. The FAU was to be run on strict military lines and it was intended that it should fit in tactfully with the army medical corp. and local French authorities as it was a voluntary organisation without a proven record and, in some instances, its existence was grudging accepted. In this respect there are echoes of the work of Florence Nightingale in the Crimea. The lightly trained men of the FAU went straight to work in the Railway sheds without attention to protocols and there are many references as to how well they did. The shock of the smell of injured, dying and dead soldiers was one of the few details mentioned years later by Colin, within earshot of younger generations of the family. 

"The first part of the work was concerned with the end of the big battles which finished the autumn campaign on the northern line, and began on the very first night on which the Unit, without any proper authorisation, without any proper attachment, without any permis de sejour, without anything else official, came to Dunkerque and went into the shambles at the railway station. Beginning with that work, going on with the establishment of St. Pierre, from that to the growth of the ambulance work, which went on roughly till the end of December, the Unit accomplished in the first two months a very considerable work. "

It seems that Colin was in the transport and spent most of his time driving either refugees, children, orphans, or significant personal around Northern France and Belgium just behind the lines. It is difficult to imagine the growing devastation in the area and the need sometimes to move quantities of sick and injured because of movement of the fighting line and the amount of damage created by bombardment. We are lucky to have some photographs taken by Colin during his time with FAU but there are none showing the full extent of the damage. 

It would be easy to image Colin driving a vintage vehicle around Northern France on road similar to those in existence nowadays or for that matter roads that were there during the Second World War however 
not only were the roads often nothing more that cart tracks but also bombardment and bombing ranged over the whole area.

Colin Rowntree – Friends Ambulance Unit

This article is based on Colin Rowntree’s diaries from the World War I period and documents and letters relating to that time. At the beginning of World War 1 Colin had applied to work with the Friends Ambulance Unit by contacting Philip J.Baker who was responsible, with others, for initiating the FAU and had appealed for volunteers in a letter to the Friend Magazine of August 21st. By the 25th of August Colin was invited to a First Aid Course in London and subsequently went to Jordans Quaker Meeting for a few weeks training in medical and military matters.  Acceptance letter from Philip Baker

With this minimal training, Colin at the age of 23, left for Dunkirk with the FAU on the 30^th Oct 1914 having just got married that day, leaving his new wife with her father and mother at Fairfax Road and with the responsibility of finding a house for them to live in when the war was over, presumably "by Christmas" of that year. It is worth remembering that the members of the FAU were voluntary and so got no pay. However they were respected although many would be conscientious objectors. With Colin on that first ship were the following members of the family Donald, Charles and James Henry Gray, all first cousins. Later members of the Rowntree family were to go across. The journey across became a dramatic introduction to their work as explained in one of the longest entries in Colin’s Diaries.

What is so significant about this episode, as well as the sheer horror of it all, is that the members of the FAU functioned without clearance to do so, by what ever authorities there were. The FAU was to be run on strict military lines and it was intended that it should fit in tactfully with the army medical corp. and local French authorities as it was a voluntary organisation without a proven record and, in some instances, its existence was grudgingly accepted. In this respect there are echoes of the work of Florence Nightingale in the Crimea. The lightly trained men of the FAU went straight to work in the Railway sheds without attention to protocols and there are many references as to how well they did. The shock of the smell of injured, dying and dead soldiers was one of the few details mentioned years later by Colin, within earshot of younger generations of the family.

The Nevinson Connection Serendipity demands that reference be made at this point to an occurrence in 2013 in London. There was an exhibition of art work "A Crisis of Brilliance" at the Dulwich Gallery including paintings by Paul Nash, Bomberg and and C.R.W.Nevinson. La Patrie by C.W.R. Nevinson who was an artist before the war and joined the FAU with Colin. Later during the war, he was recognized as a war Artist and there is on example of one painting of two dead soldiers by the wire, that was too detailed to be published at the time. Amongst these was a painting by C.W.R. Nevinson "La Patrie" showing the insides of the train sheds referred to by Colin. FAU documents show that Henry W. Nevinson, a journalist and the painter's father, was in the first corps across to Dunkirk with Colin, another one amongst the first 35. Records indicate that Christopher Richard Nevinson left for France on the 12th November 1914. Nevinson was the only card-carrying Marinetti-certificated English Futurist. His father was a well known war correspondent, his mother a leading Suffragette. When War came in 1914 he was the first of the group to get to the Front. He would not have passed a medical so he volunteered for the Quaker-run Friends Ambulance Service. This led to some interesting debates with his fellow-workers, most of whom were convinced pacifists who nevertheless felt they had a duty to relieve suffering. Nevinson, as a good Futurist, was ideologically in favour of war as a hygienic principle (his views shifted more than once later). Nevinson's unit served mostly in the rear of the French armies in the early months of the war, when the worst slaughter occured (for all the mythical status of Verdun something like 50% of French war losses came in the first 18 months of the war). Nevinson's health broke down under the stress but back in Britain he painted a series of pictures reflecting his experiences. This is one of them, showing the ghastly conditions in an improvised field hospital (it's dated 1916 but must have been prepared well before that date- by 1916 French infantrymen had long since given up the red trousers visible in the picture). Thanks to http://www.ipernity.com/doc/330873/25376155 It is very moving to realise that this painting may have derived from the first hand experience of a person confronted by scene on his first day in action. The diary's give a wonderful insight into life just behind the lines and in fact we are introduced to the horrors of war on the second day when the first batch of Friends Ambulance personal arrived at Dunkirk on 31st Oct 1914. Colin's diary enter gives some idea of the misery of hundreds of injured in the Railway Sheds and by chance the painting of the scene by Nevinson, was encounter at an exhibition in Aug 2013 at the Dulwich Art Gallery. The painting on the right by Nevinson while he was working as a "war artist" was considered to be too unsettling to be published during the war. Amongst Colin archives were some pictures that he took during his time with the FAU and postcards of the area. What happened to Ypres is well known and comment was made by Colin that it did not now look like the postcards anymore This somewhat cubist painting by Nevinson gives a feel of what was happening in Ypres in the early days long before the town was virtually flattened. Colin's Photographs of Ypres Post cards

Some idea of the importance of these first few days can be gained from the speech by the Officer in Charge, presumably Philip J Baker made on 2^nd May 1915.
"The first part of the work was concerned with the end of the big battles which finished the autumn campaign on the northern line, and began on the very first night on which the Unit, without any proper authorisation, without any proper attachment, without any permis de sejour, without anything else official, came to Dunkerque and went into the shambles at the railway station. Beginning with that work, going on with the establishment of St. Pierre, from that to the growth of the ambulance work, which went on roughly till the end of December, the Unit accomplished in the first two months a very considerable work. "

See speech by OC probably Philip Baker

A complete set of Colin's diaries gives details of his work in both the Friends Ambulance Unit and in the Army working on war graves.

Diaries 1914-1916

It seems that Colin returned to London in Mid November 1914 for four days as a courier and then returned to France. From mid December, for 2 months, he was on sick leave and then was well enough to return to Dunkirk to work in a typhoid Hospital having probably help conceive his first born. At this time, Dunkirk and other towns behind the lines were being shelled and bombed by German Taubes. The Germans seriously wanted Dunkirk to give them a port in the Channel.

Larger picture of Taube

	Colin then worked in Poperinghe close to the lines and it soon became apparent that he was operating in the transport section of the FAU and spent much of his time ferrying significant people and as well as bringing refugees and orphans to safety back behind the lines or from Belgium to France. An example of the damage that caused Colin to have to move patients further back behind the lines.

Although not as ridiculously risky as life for those "going over the top" on the front line, Colin and his colleagues were always in the line of fire. Dunkirk was shelled and there is a note in Colin’s diary referring to a FAU member, F Garratt Taylor, being killed on 25th September 1915 by a shell landing a few feet from him at Nieuport. The emotional distress of helping so many badly injured, dead and dying must have been immense as was the responsibility of evacuating ill civilians from hospitals when the front line or the shelling moved too near.

Again another member of the FAU, Walter Messer, was killed by a bomb on 28 Nov 1915 at Adinkerke Station.

In all about 23 FAU members died on service with the unit and then another 16 died in action after joining the armed forces.

It would be easy to image Colin driving a vintage vehicle around Northern France on roads similar to those in existence nowadays, or for that matter, on roads that were there during the Second World War. Far from it, not only were the roads often nothing more that cart tracks, but also, bombardment, and bombing ranged over the whole area.

	On a more light hearted note, he does in one entry, on Christmas Eve 1915 refer to racing Wigham home after dinner and breaking an axle at Caestre, arriving home at midnight. The back axle was fixed at Dunkirk on Christmas Day and then on his way to Wisques, on Boxing Day, the crankshaft broke and he spent the day taking the engine apart. On the 28th December, two fellows came and fitted a new engine.
Problems included a broken axle, crank case and body work as a result of a collision. We are unsure about the make of car Colin drove but perhaps The picture shows the probable style of car
t needs to be remembered that in 1914 there were few people that would have felt confident at driving a car let alone repair the cars of the time and so Colin’s job as Chauffeur was of great importance. Perhaps the picture the conditions the under which he was driving.

[Original reads: 'OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN ON THE FRONT IN FRANCE. A car in trouble after the thaw.']

Car in trouble after the thaw Car being towed, France, during World War I. This image shows a car being towed through thick mud. As the car in front tries to pull the other free, a soldier lends a hand by pulling on the tow rope. A group of soldiers standing next to the immovable car add their weight to the struggle. There appears to be a camp directly behind the road they are on. The car in front has the number 'M25446' painted on the bonnet. Extreme weather conditions, and the floods and mud that ensued, created tremendous problems and hazards for the soldiers at the Front.

It is difficult to imagine the growing devastation in the area and the need sometimes to move quantities of sick and injured because of movement of the fighting line and the amount of damage created by bombardment. We are lucky to have some photographs taken by Colin during his time with FAU but there are none showing the full extent of the damage.

The diary shows that Colin spent much of that time driving around the North West area of Belgium and France. He was collecting children from towns and villages on the front line and searching in Chateau's for children that had been orphaned. He transported war victims about, on one occasion taking a Creche woman 195 kilometre to see her cousin. He, at times, was working under fire and there is reference to his colleagues being killed by shells. There is a description of bombs being dropped on the town. He seems to have been responsible for the running of his car that for a 1914 vehicle was experiencing the most appalling conditions.
Record from the time indicate that the FAU had complete workshops to enable them to do every type of repair. Link to Friend's Ambulance Unit article for details and photographs

Records from the time indicate that the FAU had complete workshops to enable them to do every type of repair and Colin was involved in many repairs while on the road and back at the garage. One occasion a front spring broke and fortunately he was near a Belge Ambulance Station and they helped. He spent time carrying senior members of the FAU and local dignitaries around, such as the Countess d’Ursel, a Lady in Waiting to the Queen of Belgium and a self appointed manager of "Relief Work". Records indicate that at time there was tension between her and the English relief system.

Because of breakdowns and yet the necessity to keep mobile there are references to Colin driving other peoples vehicles such as a Ford and a Studebaker.

After leave in August 1915 there is an entry

Colin’s first son, Michael, was born to Mary on 7^th Nov 1915 and Mary had already taken on the commitment of renting Picton House on Strand on the Green in July and with Fred’s help and financial support had the decoration and furnishing done.

It would seem likely that Colin felt by April 1916 it was time to find some paid work with the war effort and officially left FAU in June 1916, probably in fact slightly earlier, to join the Royal Engineers. He was back in France on 27^th June 1916

In this respect his actions and motivations must have been similar to those of Lionel Dibdin who had no real stomach for war, unlike his brother in law Stanley Haycraft, but who saw many of his family involved, recognised the need for his skills in the Royal Engineers and needed an income.

For nearly two years Colin spent the time driving around Northern France and that part of Belgium behind the Allied lines and must have developed quite a knowledge of the area as well at getting to know many people working in relief, English, French and Belge.

In June 1916 Colin left the Friend Ambulance unit and join the Royal Engineers working for the War Graves Commission

It is considered significant that Colin and Mary's first son was born in November 1915  and as the FAU were working voluntary for no pay he may have felt the need to earn a living. There would have been little work in the Architecture Practice with his father Fred so the next best thing was to join up. In this respect his actions and motivations must have been similar to those of Lionel Dibdin who had no real stomach for war, unlike his brother in law Stanley Haycraft, but who saw many of his family involved, recognised the need for his skills in the Royal Engineers and needed an income. Colin in June 1916 joined the Royal Engineers as a 2nd Lieutenant like Lionel, but unlike him went to France with the minimum training time presumably because his service in FAU in France and Belgium was seen as very relevant. He worked in the same area as before and so the diaries in the second two years of the war echo those of the first but instead of helping the wounded he was serving the dead, working for the War Graves Registration. This work was in many respect no less harrowing than before and just as dangerous. He had the additional responsibility of being in charge of soldiers. Of course at the end of the war his work was not to finish however on 18th Nov 1918 he caught Pneumonia and was seriously ill for some months.

Photograph of members of the Friend's Ambulance Unit in Colin's belongings.

A diary shows that on 27 June 1916 Colin left for France to join Graves Registration Units.

Colin Rowntree – Lieutenant Royal Engineers

Colin, in June 1916, joined the Royal Engineers as a 2nd Lieutenant similar to Lionel Dibdin, but unlike him went to France with the minimum training time presumably because his service in FAU in France and Belgium was seen as very relevant. He worked in the same area as before and so the diaries in the second two years of the war echo those of the first but instead of helping the wounded he was serving the dead, working for the War Graves Registration. This work was, in many respects, no less harrowing than before and just as dangerous. He had the additional responsibility of being in charge of soldiers.

Diaries 1916-1918

  Of course, at the end of the war his work was not to finish, however a list of dates on a scrap of paper indicate that on 18 Nov 1918 Colin went down with flu and pneumonia and was sent back to England. He was ill and convalescing until 24 April 1919

Letters between Colin and Mary, unlike those between other members of the family during the war, give us few insights as to war activities and feelings during that period.

A diary shows that on 27 June 1916 Colin left for France to join Graves Registration Units.
From then on until the end of March 1918 when his records stopped, he visited and worked at a number of different cemeteries nearly ever day.
Initially it seemed an interesting idea to identify each cemetery logged in the diary but it became apparent that one was going to work through the vast number that are listed on a number of websites.

Much of the recorded work involved pegging out and some areas were still very close to the front line and were still under fire. All the initial work must have been of a temporary nature.

This is reference in one entry to ordering wooden crosses.

It is difficult to grasp the full extent of his work but whereas now these cemeteries are beautifully laid out havens of peace with desperately sad undertones, at that time they must have been mud baths of devastation with Colin and his men striving to give the dead some dignity against a background of gunfire and shelling.

The building of the cemeteries as we see them today started in 1921.

Much of the recorded work involved pegging out and some areas were still very close to the front line and were still under fire. All the initial work must have been of a temporary nature.  There is reference in one entry to ordering wooden crosses.

It is difficult to grasp the full extent of his work but whereas now these cemeteries are beautifully laid out havens of peace with desperately sad undertones, at that time they must have been mud baths of devastation with Colin and his men striving to give the dead some dignity against a background of gunfire and shelling.

Colin’s diaries give a day by day note of his activities between June 1916 and March 1918. His time was spent travelling from cemetery to cemetery, plotting out graves and moving the odd short term temporary graves, sometimes searched out from hearsay or found by the roadside, to established cemeteries. Sometimes, these would be laid on fresh ground negotiated with the local dignitaries such as the Mairie (Mayor) and sometimes begging space in established community graveyards. A visitor to the WW1 graves in Belgium and France will see many community graveyard with military extensions and many purpose built cemeteries but no examples of what the cemeteries were like at the time in the middle of a war zone.

Colin was often visiting between five and eight sites a day, responsible for marking out grave plots and seeing that some sort of cemetery was established. A look at a map of the period will show that these cemeteries were only just on the English side of the front line and that war had no respect for the dead or the living. Cemeteries were often shelled and one can only imagine the chaos and unholy mess after such an event.

The job at times must have got him down.

One letter, 3rd Aug 1916, from Colin soon after he joined the Royal Engineers working on Graves Registration indicates a philosophic acceptance with regard to being killed by a shell while working. It is difficult to judge whether or not the risks were greater than during his time with the FAU.

This letter develops into a maudlin comparison between himself and a once possible rival for Mary’s affections. He also points out that Mary is not keeping him up to date with how Michael is growing up. He mentions that his batman has been with the war since Dec 1914 and was blown up by a mine and was unconscious for 4 days. All the men on Grave Registration are called Permanent Base Men and are deemed not fit for action in the trenches because of injury, shell shock or old age. He says they are a curious crowd. – "Goodbye Princess"

It seems that Colin at the time was billeted out in the locality but well behind the lines. However it is believed that he was responsible for men who may have been stationed in dugouts on the cemetery sites. The diaries suggest that he visited certain cemeteries fortnightly to pay out the wages to his men and he had on occasions to move them about to sort out disputes.

There were days when Colin stayed in the office, no doubt to do the immense amount of paperwork that must have been associated with being responsible for so many burials.

It is interesting to note that he was working in exactly the same area, behind the lines at Ypres, as he was for the Friends Ambulance Unit and so he must after so many years have been extremely knowledgeable of the terrain. From time to time he would journey back into France, down to Dunkirk, Calais and Boulogne and occasionally met up with family and friends from the FAU. In this respect life may not have been as grim as for those in the trenches but the overview he had and the experiences he had on a daily basis must have taken their toll.

From another letter home to Mary

From Colin's Diary2

4-Dec-16
Dickebusch Ridge Wood Dranouter in morning  Dranouter Dickebusch shelled just before getting there (in the middle of the cemetery ) Brandhoek Pop. Lijssenthoek and FAU for tea.  

A list of dates on a scrap of paper indicate that on 18 Nov 1918 Colin went down with flu and pneumonia and was sent back to England. He was ill and convalescing until 24 April 1919

More of the life of Colin Rowntree in peacetime

http://www.ww1cemeteries.co.uk/

http://www.ww1cemeteries.com

http://www.cwgc.org/