MEMORIAL UNVEILED IN AFRICA

IN MEMORY OF LIEUT. G. H. SHIELDS, BERWICK

In February, 1917 Lieut. George Hilliard Shields, son of the late Sergt. Major Instructor Stewart Shields, Berwick, and Mrs Shields, Quay Walls, was killed while on service in the bush country of German East Africa, by an enemy sniper. Now the staff and pupils at the school at Accra have honoured his memory by erecting in the school a handsome brass tablet and hanging on the wall a photo of the deceased officer taken by the side of a stream in the wild bush land.

Lieut. Shields, who was in the Gold Coast regiment, was the headmaster of the school in Accra, and took a great interest in his boys. He was a keen sportsman, and in 1915, the same year as his sister, Miss Agnes Shields (now Mrs Drylie) won the Officers’ Cup and several competitions on the Magdalene Fields course, he won the Sanitation Cup presented to the Accra Golf Club by the Doctors on the Gold Coast. His mother now has a solid silver miniature of this trophy.

THE UNVEILING CEREMONY

The ceremony of the unveiling of the tablet in memory of Lieut. Shields took place at Accra Government Senior Boy’s School, West Africa, on March 10th, and the Director of Education gave an address to the European staff, pupils and native staff.

In proceeding to unveil the Memorial, the Director of Education said- “We are assembled here to pay a united tribute to the late Lieut. Shields, headmaster of the school, who lost his life while on active service in East Africa. Mr Shields came to Accra as headmaster on the 17^th January, 1913. He very soon obtained a sound grasp of the organisation of the school and was very quick to appreciate good work done by the members of the staff as well as that done by the pupils. In order to obtain a better understanding of his work he began to take lessons in the Ga language and quickly acquired sufficient knowledge of it to engage in ordinary conversation with the natives of the country. With that, however, he was not content. He made a study of the language and was not satisfied until he could act as interpreter in a native court dealing with purely native affairs. In the study of the Ga language he showed the same thoroughness which he later showed in east Africa. When war broke out he was amongst the first to offer his services, and on August 8^th (four days after the outbreak of war) he was attached to the Lome Field Force for service aboard in the “Marina,” a small German ship captured at Accra. On the Marina he acted as chief officer. After the capture of Togoland he returned to his duties at Accra, but when volunteers were required for the Gold Coast regiment he again came forward, and in May, 1916, he was stationed at Coomassie. He proceeded on active service to East Africa in August, 1916. On February 3rd, 1917, he was killed in action. His death is a great loss to this Department, because he was an exceedingly capable headmaster. The good work which he has done was recognised by the Board of Education in May, 1917, when the following resolution was passed:- “That this Board desire to place on record its deep regret at the lamented death of Mr George Hilliard Shields, late headmaster of the Government School at Accra, who whilst serving as Lieutenant with the Gold Coast Regiment in East Africa was killed in action, and that the Board requests His Excellency the Governor to convey to the relatives of the late Mr Shields an expression of the Board’s appreciation of the services rendered by him in the cause of Education in this Colony, and its heartfelt sympathy with them in this, their great sorrow.”

In conclusion, the Director of Education said:- He was mourned by teachers and pupils, who in order to perpetuate his memory subscribed to purchase the brass plate, to be unveiled. By the side of the plate will be placed a photograph of Lieut. Shields, an enlargement from a snapshot taken by Capt.; Harman in East Africa. The brass plate and photo are permanently placed in the building in memory of an excellent headmaster, a brave soldier and a man who gained the esteem of all those with whom he came in contact. It will serve to inspire future generations of schoolboys with that sense of duty, love of country, and allegiance to their King.

The Director’s speech was interpreted, sentence for the benefit of the younger pupils, by Mr Kennedy, one of the teachers who served under Lieut. Shields in East Africa.

At the conclusion of the address, all present rose to their feet and amidst dead silence the Director unveiled the tablet. As the drapings fell away the pupils stood at attention whilst the “last post” was sounded on the bugle.

The plate, which is of brass with black engraved lettering, has in the left hand corner the cap badge of the Gold Coast Regiment and the Elephant and Palm Tree, the regiment badge, in the opposite corner. The inscription reads as follows:- “In Memory of George Hilliard Shields, Lieut. Gold Coast Regiment, Headmaster, Government Senior Boys’ School, Accra, (1913-17), who was killed on active service, near Njimbwe, German East Africa, on February 3rd^,1917.” “This Tablet is erected by the staff and pupils of his school.”

The ceremony terminated with the singing of the National Anthem. The bearing of pupils and colleagues, who numbered a thousand persons, bore striking testimony to the esteem in which Lieut. Shields was held.

SPITTAL NOTES

On Sunday evening last, when Mr Peter Cowe, fish merchant, Berwick, was standing near the Fish Quay at Spittal waiting for a ferry boat, he noticed what appeared to be a boy’s head come up above the water at the end of the Ferry landing.

He watched and saw the head disappear and rise a second time, and without waiting any longer he ran to the Jetty Corner, where he gave the alarm. Some fishermen were near, but they had never noticed the boy go into the water. The men, accompanied by Mr Cowe, ran to the spot, and the boy was pulled out in an exhausted condition. He proved to be the nine-year old son of Mr McIntosh, hotel-keeper, and after having been subjected to artificial respiration, he was taken home. We understand he is little the worse of his emersion. It was a happy chance indeed that Mr Cowe happened to be on the spot, otherwise the young fellow might have been drowned.

In last Saturday’s pigeon race from Durham, 53 birds were liberated at 12.25. Seven birds arrived about 2.30, and seconds divided the winners:- 1, Alex. Elliott; 2 and 3, A. Johnson. The first club race will be flown on Saturday from the same place, liberation at 12.30. The prizes will be:- 1st, £1; 2nd^,12s; 3rd, 8s; 4th, 6s; 5th, 4s. A special prize of 5s (by a Friend) will be given for the first hen timed in. There will also be a 6d. “pool.” Two birds will be nominated from each loft on Saturday morning to compete for the Vice-President’s (Mr W. Tait) Nomination Prize from York on Saturday, May 22nd.

“Tommy” Burn, who sailed last Friday for South Africa with the English football team has promised to write articles for the “Athletic News” dealing with the tour.

While playing with a salmon net winch on the beach at Spittal a little boy named Wood was struck with the handle on the chin and sustained a severe cut on the tongue, on Wednesday night. The child was conveyed home and had to be put under chloroform while two stitches were put into the wound.

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 13 AUGUST 1915

DEAD HERO’S LETTER

Life in the Trenches.

The following is a copy of a letter by Lance-Corporal J. Frater, 4^th K.O.S.B., Ayton, who was killed at the Dardanelles on 12^th July. It was written on the 28^th June:-

Dear Father, – We have just got back to the rest camp after being five days in the firing line. Everything in the firing line is different from what I expected it to be. In the first place I always thought the trenches would be at least eighty yards apart, and that half of that distance would be covered with wire entanglement, but the trench that we were in was originally a Turkish fire trench, and when they retired they just moved into the communication trench, therefore their trench actually ran into ours. The end was blocked up with sandbags, but still they creep up and throw in hand grenades. Of course, our boys can deal with them the same way. Well, to give you an idea of life in the trenches, I will give you an ordinary day in the first line. Whenever it gets dark every man stands to and fixes his bayonet, and after a while if nothing brisk is going on every second man can rest (nobody is allowed to rest), but, of course, they take turn about, one hour on and one off. If anything is noticed they send up a star shell. It lights up the whole place, but it shows your position to the enemy just the same as you see their’s, (sic) so everybody has to keep out of sight.

WW1 trench in Gommecourt, France - Source UBC Library — WW1 trench in Gommecourt, France – Source UBC Library

Of course, some of the sentries can have a shot if there is anything to be seen. Well, just after dawn everybody has to be on the look out, and after it is daylight bayonets are unfixed and one man in six is on sentry. The rest can sleep, but there is food, water and ammunition to be brought in, and as you have all your cooking to do, you don’t get much rest. Of course, that is on a quiet day. You might have to be firing both day and night. The second night we were in our tanks advanced a little, and thinking we were going to do the same the Turks kept up a rapid fire the whole night. We went into the trenches as if it was an everyday occurrence. Nobody was excited when we were fired on for the first time. You would have thought that everybody wanted to fire, but still I never saw anybody fire unless he had something to fire at. The enemy’s snipers were a bit troublesome at times, and got some of our chaps, but a good many snipers were sent to the happy hunting grounds. The casualties in our Platoon, No. 3, Bob Wilson of Coldingham was wounded, and Lance-Corporal Ford (Sergt. Ford’s brother was killed. John Mack was wounded by a shell the second day we were here. All the Ayton chaps are all right so far. I will have to close now. When replying, enclose a sheet of writing paper and an envelope, and please write soon.

I remain,

Your loving son,

J. FRATER.

LOCAL NEWS

Saved by Motor Boat – On Monday evening a small boy, four years old, named Warnach, and residing in Palace Street, Berwick, while playing near the edge of the Quay fell into the Tweed.

Spowart ferry landing and Spittal - Berwick Record Office BRO 1887-2-4 — Spowart ferry landing and Spittal – Berwick Record Office BRO 1887-2-4

After being in the water for some time he was observed by Mr Phillip Spowart, owner of the Berwick and Spittal motor boat ferry service who, with one of his boats, immediately went to the boy’s assistance and pulled him out of the river in an exhausted condition. After receiving treatment the boy proceeded to his home little the worse for his immersion.

Suspicion as to Lady Spy –

On Wednesday an English lady, presently on holiday at Wooler, aroused the suspicions of the authorities by taking sketches of the old bridge from the Tweedmouth side of the river. It is understood that at the same time she stupidly indulged in making some enquiries as to the military dispositions of the troops and this had the effect of strengthening the suspicions of the police. On being taken to the police station the lady was able to give a satisfactory explanation of her movements, as well as regarding her personality, and she was not detained for any lengthened period. The incident however, should not be without its warning to others to be careful, and not attempt to take drawings in prohibited areas, especially in the vicinity of harbours close to the east coast.

FOULDEN

The inhabitants of Foulden were very pleased to have a visit of two Belgian soldiers straight from the front, a few days ago, one of them having spent some time in Foulden House hospital, and this being the other’s first trip to bonnie Scotland. He has had nine months in the trenches without receiving a scratch. The other one, since leaving Foulden, had got a bayonet wound in the wrist but is now quite better. They are both in perfect health, and in no way cast down. It is very gratifying to think any little kindness shown them while in hospital has been fully appreciated in their hurried trip to see old friends again. They got a most hearty welcome, and what with motor trips and cycle runs, tea and dinner parties, they more than enjoyed it, and will carry back with them sweet memories of their recent visit. They came on the 27th July and left on the 31st, with the promise of coming back again at some future date.

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 14 May 1920