Christmas 1914 and the 10th Battalion the Kings (Liverpool Regiment) was in reserve in Belgium, near the village of Kemmel. Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse was serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps as Medical Officer to the 10th Battalion the Kings (Liverpool Regiment) – the Liverpool Scottish.
In her book ‘Chavasse Double VC’ Ann Clayton describes Noel Chavasse’s first Christmas in the war. Of course, only a few miles away other soldier’s were taking part in the famous Christmas Truce.
“Life was more agreeable In Christmas 1914. The battalion had the good fortune not to be in the line on 25 December. On Christmas Eve Noel was in billet in a ruined building with (Lieutenant) McKinnell, and the two of them slept head to foot on a small mattress. When they woke, they went out for their usual cold baths, but decided not to bother in view of the freezing temperature. At midday the battalion paraded in a nearby field and received gifts of chocolate, Oxo cubes, writing paper and pencil set, sent out from Liverpool by the wives and relations of the officers. The Commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Davidson, said there was only one thing he wanted to know – were they downhearted? The whole battalion roared ‘NO!’
The battalion pipes were borrowed from the store at St. Omer, and bagpipes were not usually permitted. Only four pipes turned out, the fifth piper having been killed the previous day. Their uniforms were tattered and torn, but the men pressed them to play again and again. A carol was sung, then up galloped a pair of horses and a transport wagon full of Princess Mary’s Christmas gift tins, each containing pipe and tobacco and there was Christmas card for every man from the King and Queen. Lord Derby, by now Director-General of Recruiting, but with a special interest in the Liverpool battalions, had sent a plum pudding for all ranks and for the offices a hamper containing green turtles, ready-to-eat turkeys and cigars.
There was also a cigar for each of the non-commissioned officers. The men had special rations of rum, bread and fresh meat. More than 250 sacks of mail had been received, containing foodstuffs – so much, in fact, the Sam Moulton was sick after eating too much. Indeed, normal daily rations were not drawn by most men for the next day or two, they received so much food from home.”
(Noel Godfrey Chavasse was the younger of two identical twin boys born to the Rev. Francis James Chavasse (later Bishop of Liverpool and founder of St. Peter's College, Oxford) and Edith Jane Chavasse (nee Maude) on Sunday 9th November, 1884 at 36 New Inn Hall Street, Oxford.
He was educated at Magdalen College School in Cowley Place, Oxford, Liverpool College and Trinity College, Oxford. On 3rd March, 1900, Rev. Chavasse was offered the Anglican Bishopric of Liverpool. The family moved to the Bishop's Palace at 19 Abercromby Square, Liverpool. Noel and Christopher went to school at Liverpool College where they excelled at sports from the start. Their academic progress was initially rather slower but as they grew older, both did well until in 1904, both were admitted to Trinity College, Oxford.
In January 1909, Noel joined the Oxford University Officer Training Corps Medical Unit. By the following May, he was promoted to lance-sergeant.
In early 1913, after discussions with some of his fellow doctors, he applied for and was accepted by the Royal Army Medical Corps (R.A.M.C.) and thanks to one of his mentors, a Dr McAlistair, who was then Surgeon-Captain of the 10th Battalion of the Kings (Liverpool Regiment), the Liverpool Scottish, he was attached to the battalion as surgeon-lieutenant. The 10th Kings had been a Territorial Battalion since the Haldane Reforms in 1909. He joined the battalion on 2nd June, 1913 and was welcomed by Lieutenant-Colonel W. Nicholl, the Commanding Officer. As an officer in a Territorial unit, Chavasse now had to attend to both his civilian and military duties.
When the First World War started, he was a captain with the Royal Army Medical Corps, British Army attached to the 1/10th (Scottish) Battalion of the King's (Liverpool Regiment).
Chavasse was first awarded the VC for his actions on August 9, 1916, at Guillemont, France. His second VC award was made during the period July 31 to August 2, 1917, at Wieltje, Belgium. Chavasse died of his wounds on August 4th 1917 and is buried at Brandhoek New Military Cemetery, Vlamertinge).
For more information about Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse you can visit these two websites:
Wikipedia or Chavasse.u-net.com or buy the excellent book 'Chavasse Double VC’ by Ann Clayton at Amazon.co.uk
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