Transcript of interview with David Isaacs

Peter and Christopher McGrane were two Dublin brothers who served in the First World War. They were Roman Catholics who grew up in Knocklyon Castle, Templeogue Co Dublin, Ireland. Both enlisted in September 1915. Neither were married and Peter had worked as a bank official prior to enlistment. Peter (known as Leo) was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Irish Regiment attached to the 3rd battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He received officer training in London and was sent to France in November 1916. His letters home from France describe playing sport behind the lines and how used he has become to the sound of the guns at nighttime. He describes the fun of the Brigades sports day during their period of rest and the 'extremely good music', remarking wryly that 'most people here thought on yesterday afternoon that this was a very fine war'. The awareness of danger was however ever present and he mentions how glad he is that there is a Catholic chaplain with them to provide services before going into danger. In April 1917 he was hospitalized for scabies and was due to be sent home but the hospital ships were cancelled and he remained in France. A month later Peter was dead. He was killed at the Battle of the Arras on the 19th May 1917 on the Western Front. He was aged twenty-eight. His final letter, collected here, was dated 13th May 1917, less than a week before his death, making it particularly poignant, especially his closing promise to write again at the first opportunity. Peter is commemorated on the Arras memorial in France. His brother Christopher served with the Royal Flying Corps during the war. He enlisted at the age of twenty-one. He was based in France during the war, and his letter in this collection is written to his brother Jim who was back in Ireland. His letter suggests he missed home, evident by his desire for ‘all the local news’. Peter and Christopher were located less than 40 miles apart in France in May 1917 and had made plans to meet just before Peter's death. After the war Christopher left Ireland and moved to Rhodesia where he joined the police force. He did not return to Ireland except for a brief visit in 1939. The war story of Peter and Christopher was passed down through the family and his relatives found Peter's photograph a few years ago, making the story more real to them. They were recently invited to a ceremony at the Arras memorial in France. || 1 photograph of Peter McGrane in his army uniform circa 1916. 2 letters from Peter to Dublin from France dated 6 April 1917 and 13 May 1917 1 photograph of Christopher at home in Dublin circa June 1917 Letter from Christopher to his brother Jim in Dublin, July 1917 || || Photograph || This is a photograph of Peter Leo McGrane, in his British Army uniform. It was most likely taken in 1916 before he departed for France in November 1916. Peter was killed during the Battle of Arras on 19 May 1917. As such this photograph is very important to his family and serves as a poignant reminder of the young lives lost in the war. || Peter Leo McGrane || Front || Photograph of Peter Leo McGrane || Remembrance || United Kingdom || || Home Front || Dublin, Ireland || This is a photograph of Christopher McGrane in his army uniform, at home in Dublin in June 1917. Christopher served with the Royal Flying Corps during the war. This photograph was taken on leave home, about a month after the death of his brother Peter in the war. Christopher's relatives note his courage in wearing a British Army uniform in Dublin in 1917, considering the increased hostility in Ireland towards the British Army in the aftermath of the Easter Rising of April 1916. || Photograph || Front || Christopher McGrane || Photograph of Christopher McGrane || || Peter Leo McGrane || Letter from Peter Leo McGrane to Jim McGrane, 13 May 1917 || Letter || This is a letter written by 2nd Lieutenant Peter Leo McGrane, Royal Irish Regiment, attached to the 3rd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He sent it from France to his brother Jim at home in Dublin on 13 May 1917. Peter's letter describes playing sport behind the lines and how used he has become to the sound of the guns at nighttime. He describes the fun of the Brigades sports day during their period of rest and the 'extremely good music', remarking wryly that 'most people here thought on yesterday afternoon that this was a very fine war'. The awareness of danger was however ever present and he mentions how glad he is that there is a Catholic chaplain with them to provide services before going into danger. He mentions receiving a letter from his brother Christy, (Christopher) who was serving with the Royal Flying Corps, and how he hoped to meet Christy in France as they were less than 40 miles apart. His letter ends with his love to his family and his promise to write again at the first opportunity. This was Peter's last letter however as he was killed on 19 May 1917 during the Battle of Arras. As such this letter is highly valued by his relatives, giving as it does some insight into the life lost in the war. || || Letter from Peter Leo McGrane to Jim McGrane, 13 May 1917 || Letter || Peter Leo McGrane || || Letter from Peter Leo McGrane to Jim McGrane, 13 May 1917 || Letter || Peter Leo McGrane || || Medical || Letter || Letter from Peter Leo McGrane, 6 April 1917 || This is a letter written by 2nd Lieutenant Peter Leo McGrane, Royal Irish Regiment, attached to the 3rd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He sent it from France to his brother Jim at home in Dublin. The letter was sent on 6 April 1917. He mentions the fact that he has been ill and that he had expected to be sent home but no hospital ships was sailing so he had to stay in France to recover. He inquires about news from home and asks after his brother Christopher who was serving with the Royal Flying Corps. He also notes that it had been snowing all the previous day and hopes the weather is better at home. || Trench Life || || Medical || Peter Leo McGrane || Letter || Letter from Peter Leo McGrane, 6 April 1917 || Trench Life || || These are the envelopes which contained letters from Peter Leo McGrane and Christopher McGrane which were sent to Dublin from France in 1917. They were addressed to their brother James McGrane at Knocklyon Castle, Templeogue, Dublin, Ireland. || James McGrane || Envelopes sent from France to Dublin, 1917 || Other || || Aerial Warfare || Letter || Letter from Christopher McGrane to Jim McGrane, 18 July 1917 || This is a letter written by Christopher McGrane in France and sent to his brother Jim back home in Ireland in July 1917. Christopher serving with the Royal Flying Corps during the war. He appears frustrated at the difficulties of receiving and sending post from France and the delays he has experienced recently. He mentions however how much he enjoyed reading two books that his brother mentioned in a letter to him. He states that there is not much happenings where he is at the moment due to bad weather which he doesn't mind. Most of the other pilots are practising on the new machines which are 'good and mighty of engine'. He states that there is not much to tell that he is 'at liberty to say' but seems to prefer discussing news from home regarding the family farm. He observes that Jim must be 'living the peaceful life' and asks for all the local news from home. || Christopher McGrane || || Letter from Christopher McGrane to Jim McGrane, 18 July 1917 || Christopher McGrane || Aerial Warfare || Letter || || Letter || Christopher McGrane || Aerial Warfare || Letter from Christopher McGrane to Jim McGrane, 18 July 1917

Like many men who lived through the First World War, Granddad didn’t talk much about it, and I was too young to have developed my later interest in military history, so didn’t cross-examine him. So reconstructing his army career is a mixture of the odd anecdote I remember him telling me, and some background research. Granddad enlisted into the 7th City of London Regiment. He always referred to this regiment by its nickname, the ‘Shiny Seventh’. It seems odd that he joined a London regiment; at the time he was living in Ipswich. However, the 2/7th London Regiment were stationed in Ipswich from 19 June 1915 to 13 July 1916 , so he may just have decided to join the nearest regiment. However, his regimental number (7244) falls within the pattern of four-figure numbers used in the 1st Battalion – all the 2nd Battalion men I have traced had 6-figure number. He married my Grandma Ethel in Ipswich on 13 March 1915, so must have been newly-married when he joined up There is a photograph of him which almost certainly was taken as soon as he was issued his uniform: it looks bran-new. Mum said that when she was little he used to kid her that it was taken when he was in camp – there is a tent in the background, but it is obviously a painted backdrop of the kind commonly used by studio photographers. I think I remember Granddad saying that he entered France through Le Havre. He said he liked the French people he met, but didn’t like the Belgians at all, for some reason. Having worked as an ‘oil carman’ (i.e. delivering paraffin on a horse-drawn cart), he was assigned to the regimental transport section at some time, although one of his anecdotes suggests he spent time in the trenches. He told me that one day an aeroplane flew over their trench, and he took a pot-shot at it with his rifle. The sergeant told him off and said it was ‘one of ours’ – while they were arguing the plane returned, and the black crosses on the wings were clearly visible! Although service in the transport section was a little safer than with the front-line companies, it could still be hazardous. When he was part of a convoy one night driving horse-drawn wagons, taking supplies close to the front-line, and well within German artillery range, they came to a cross-roads. The Germans were slowly and systematically shelling the crossing, but Granddad counted the interval between shells, and held back until he calculated that he had a few moments, then galloped across, just making it before the next salvo came down. This story corresponds closely with an incident recounted by Lieutenant P B Berliner, the battalion transport officer at that time, who describes how during an attempt to get rations to the troops on the night of 22 March 1918 (during the great German offensive), an attempt to retrieve a bogged field kitchen caused a ‘frightful clatter’ which caused the support company to open fire, thinking it was a German tank. The Germans clearly must have heard it too, as they opened fire with a battery of 5.9’s traversing down the road in the forest fortunately just ahead of us all the way down to the cross roads where they concentrated all four guns. When we got within about fifty yards, we waited until all four rounds had come over & then hared around the corner to the right & got clear. So being in the transport section wasn’t altogether a ‘cushy’ option! Granddad told me another story of the ‘Great Push’ by the Germans in Spring 1918. The Germans almost reached Amiens, with the British retreating before them. Granddad decided that his battalion would need a hot meal, so rounded up every scrap of food he could find and put it into a giant stew, which perhaps didn’t smell too good. At any rate when the Germans caught a whiff of it they retreated and so the British army was saved! Granddad may have exaggerated his part in the German defeat slightly. He also talked a little about the execution of soldiers found guilty of ‘cowardice.’ He didn’t actually say he took part in a firing squad, but described how at an execution the men’s rifles were taken away, loaded with one round, and then returned. One man’s rifle was loaded with a blank cartridge, so that each man could comfort himself with the thought that he had the blank round, and had therefore not fired the fatal shot. However, Granddad said that it was possible to tell if your rifle was firing a live or a blank round, so the process was pointless. Of course, this could well have been only soldiers’ gossip. No man of either the 1/7th or 2/7th Londons was shot during the War, but Robert Loveless Barker of the 1/6th Londons, and Frederick William Slade of the 2/6th Londons, were shot, in 1916 and 1917. Since these battalions were in the same brigades as the 1/7th and 2/7th respectively, Granddad would have been aware of the executions. These are the only details that I can remember of Granddad’s war service, although there are a number of published and unpublished personal accounts by people who served in the Shiny Seventh, including two by transport officers, whom Granddad must have known. I think Granddad was discharged in 1919, in which year he and Grandma moved to Great Yarmouth. Granddad was awarded the usual two medals – the British War and Victory Medals – which we still have, along with his army-issue spurs. || Photographs of Grandfather in uniform and at his wedding also of his medals and spurs || || Front || George Frederick Harvey || Photograph || Portrait photograph of George Frederick Harvey in uniform || || Front || George Frederick Harvey || Photograph of George Frederick Harvey in uniform || Photograph || || Memorabilia || Army issue spurs given to George Frederick Harvey || George Frederick Harvey || photograph of the spurs worn by George Frederick Harvey. || || George Frederick Harvey's wedding day 1915 || Photograph of wedding day George married shortly before enlisting in 1915 || George Frederick Harvey's wedding photograph || Front || Photograph || || Front || Medal || George Frederick Harvey's War and Victory medals || George Frederick Harvey