Murdo and Evelyn, Honored in the Arras 100 Celebrations

Arras, 8 April, 2017

Arras holds a special place in my heart. I spent six very happy months of my university career here. Although that’s a fraction of the three and a half years I spent in Chestertown, MD I have been back to Arras three times since I graduated, and I haven’t been back to Chestertown once.

I was eternally grateful that I got a few hours sleep on the flight from New York. Having to jumpseat worked to my advantage as I got to use one of the crew rest bunks. 

We drove right back to Arras from Tyne Cot, and I spent the time examining the PDF files on the Arras 100 Centenary that the Carriere Wellington organizers had sent out. In late 2015 one of my Twitter followers informed me that the Carriere Wellington (Wellington Quarry, an ancient chalk quarry on the outskirts of Arras and one of the starting points for the New Zealand tunnelers who made 12 miles of tunnels up to the German front lines at Vimy) were looking for pictures, letters, and personal details of those who had fought at the Battle of Arras, which includes Vimy Ridge. I had just posted my great-grandparents wedding photo, both in uniform, from October, 1918.

Of course, my father and I excitedly submitted their wedding photo, a picture of their two cap badges, and a copy of their marriage certificate along with information of their service. 

Sergeant Murdo Nicolson was number 86 in his regiment, and joined the 90th Royal Winnipeg Rifles on 4 August, 1918 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Evelyn Vice joined the Royal Canadian Nursing Corps shortly thereafter from Ontario. They had known each other slightly in Ontario, but Murdo had emigrated from the Isle of Skye in Scotland in 1912 at the age of 20 to work for the Canadian Railroads and had moved to Winnipeg as part of his work. They lost touch, but when Murdo found out that Evelyn was in Flanders he spent his two days leave trying to track her down unsuccessfully. In April, 1915 the 8th Battalion was part of the line at St. Julien near Ypres, next to the French Colonial troops during the first poison gas attack of the War. When the French Colonial troops fled the chlorine gas, the 8th Battalion held the line for a full day in the face of the gas before reinforcements could be sent up. One of their number, a chemistry professor in civilian life, recognized the gas as chlorine because of the tarnishing of the brass buttons and instructed the men to urinate on their handkerchiefs and hold them over their mouths and noses. The ammonia in the urine would partially crystalize the chlorine and might save them. Even so, many died and Murdo ended up in a hospital for several week. Evelyn's hospital!

We were absolutely thrilled to be informed that they had been chosen as one of 120 photos that would be placed around the city of Arras from mid-March 2017 to mid-May 2017. Their sweet story and the fact that they had both served in Flanders and on the Arras front singled them out. Of course, we had to go see them! We could only manage to go for the weekend, but it was completely worth it.

We parked just outside the Grand’Place, and walked in. If you haven’t been to Arras, you must go— it has been beautifully rebuilt, and is a stunning town. At the corner where the Grand’Place meets the Petite Place (also known as the Place des Heroes) is a cafe with a dozen tables, in the prettiest corner of the main squares.  

We decided to sit down and have a drink and as we did, I looked up and saw one of these posters. To our surprise, it was Murdo and Evelyn! At the best spot in the whole city! Naturally we decided to stay with them. How many people have the chance to have a drink with their great-grandparents? We ended up staying there almost the whole afternoon, and we chatted with the people who came to look at them. We were quite surprised by how many people stopped to take their picture,  wanted to know more, and were thrilled to discover their story.

(I’m taking the picture, obviously.) This was definitely one of the coolest things we have ever done.

Two men who stopped by with whom we were chatting turned out to be from Winnipeg! And they are personally acquainted with Bruce Tascona, who wrote the regimental history of the 90th Winnipeg Rifles. We have the book, and while it’s interesting, we found it very difficult to get through. Murdo was twice mentioned in dispatches and had several decorations, but all his war records were destroyed in the London blitz in 1940.

There are a few errors, Murdo was born in Scotland, though Evelyn was born in Canada. They ended up in Vancouver, but they had known each other in Ontario.

The website with all their information is here: https://www.regardsdesoldats.com/86-nicolson

They are in very august company; around the corner are Billy Bishop, Baron von Richtoffen, the Colonel who was in charge of the defense for Arras, General Carton de Wiart, Siegfried Sassoon, Ernst Junger, and the most decorated nurse in the First World War. Not to mention all the other incredibly brave men who spent five years of hell on the Western Front. On April 9th, we decided to return and spend more time with them. Like the Oscars, “It’s a honor just to be nominated”, and we are incredibly honored and grateful that Murdo and Evelyn were included in the amazing Arras 100 celebrations.

Tyne Cot 8 April 2017

I missed the lovely bus that would take me right from Charles de Gaulle to Arras for only 12 euro because of a bomb scare in Customs. I ended up taking the TGV to Lille for a whopping 67 euro, and Dad and Simon (my younger brother) came to pick me up. We continued up to Tyne Cot Cemetery in the Ypres Salient, which we hadn’t previously visited. In our past trips we have focused more on the Canadian sites because my great-grandfather had emigrated to Ontario in 1912 when he was 20. 

In 2014 when we came for the Centenary of the beginning of the War, I discovered some wonderfully useful apps, including “Find a Grave” which is connected to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database. Murdo’s brothers were mostly in the War too, but they were all in British regiments as they remained in Scotland. Murdo’s youngest brother John had been declared “Missing, believed dead” in October 1917 after the Battle of Passchendaele (3rd Ypres). I used this app, “Find a Grave” to locate him (you need a little information because there were so many war dead) and we discovered that his name was on the Tyne Cot Memorial Wall. 

For some reason, this memorial was more shocking than Thiepval, although it is much smaller. There are thousands of names on the walls, and since it is continuous and only about 8 feet tall there seem to be even more. It is a lovely memorial, on the “high ground”, meaning about 15 feet above the surrounding country. There remain two German machine gun posts, giant concrete bunkers that have held up very well to the years. Chunks are missing from the concrete, presumably from artillery or mortar hits, and you can look through the machine gun ports to the inside. Since the artery trenches that would have led to the entrances are all gone, you can only guess at where the entrances are, but on the left bunker there is a suspiciously large gap  right where a door should be, that the grass doesn’t quite cover. 

The main bunker is now underneath the cross and sword at the center of the memorial, and was taken by the Australians. Now the entrance to the bunker is marked with a laurel wreath of victory and a plaque commemorating the Australian victory and their bravery. There aren’t very many actual graves, and it wasn’t hard to notice that many of the original headstones have been replaced with marble. Perhaps as the concrete disintegrates they have been replacing them little by little? If so, that’s lovely.

 

Private John S. Nicolson was in the Gordon Highlanders. We found him without too much trouble. 

When we were heading to the little museum attached to the site, I was very startled to hear a voice reciting names coming out of the bushes to the left. I realized after a moment that, of course! it was a recitation of the names of all those listed on the walls. It’s a rather eerie sensation, but the whole point of the Memorial and of the Centenaries is to remember those who sacrificed everything, as well as those who made it home but lived in hell for years.

We left feeling quite somber, and headed into Zonnebeke, home of the Passchendaele Museum, to sit and talk about it, completely surrounded by dozens of people all wearing Canada sweatshirts, jackets, scarves, etc. We had a quick bite and a Passchendaele Beer (odd? but I suppose making a buck off of all the Centenary tourists is legit?) and headed back down to Arras.

Centenaire de la Bataille d'Arras: April 8-10, 2017

Well, here I am again on the way to Flanders. Dad and Simon got out the night before last, thank goodness. The weather disaster that started in Atlanta on 4/5 and moved up the coast reached New York on 4/6, which meant I was stranded in Florida. (Since our 4 day trip had turned into a 5 day, they nabbed us to work.) I got lucky and deviated from the deadhead flight, getting on the last JetBlue flight to White Plains, and the Delta flight cancelled.

Simon got business, but he let Dad have the seat since Dad had to drive later. They arrived OK, got the car, and made it to the hotel. I’m not sure what they actually did yesterday but that’s not important.

Someone who follows my WWI account on Twitter notified me in 2016 that the Carriere Wellington in Arras was putting on a Centenary celebration and memorial for the Battle of Arras, which began April 9, 1917. The Battle of Arras included the capture of Vimy Ridge which is widely credited with creating a national identity for the Canadians.

I had posted Murdo and Evelyn’s wedding picture, taken in Folkstone, England while they were both on leave, in 1918. He was in the 8th Battalion, The Royal Winnipeg Rifles, known as “The Little Black Devils”. Evelyn was in the Royal Canadian Nursing Corps and was stationed throughout Flanders during the War.

Dad and I spent a little time writing down interesting information about Murdo, and I included scans from the book that mentions him a few times, including the patrol where he was third in line and the first man stepped on a mine. The first man basically disintegrated, and the second man was blown up all over Murdo.

I was notified that we were chosen! Murdo and Evelyn’s picture had been picked to be part of the collection at the Musee des Beaux Arts in Arras, at the Palais Saint Vaast. Tomorrow, April 9 2017, is both Palm Sunday and the Dawn Ceremony, as well as about 6 other memorial services. I think we’ll try to go to all of them. Murdo and Evelyn are the only photo that has a woman in it, which I think definitely sets us apart!

I am currently sitting in the TGV station at CDG Terminal 3. I sadly missed my 12 euro bus direct to Arras that left at 8:45, and am now paying 63 euro to take a train one way to Lille Europe. What a rip-off. Dad and Simon are coming to get me at the Lille station, and we’ll have to decide what we want to do today. I’ll be getting in just after 11, so we have the whole day. I’m assuming that Dad won't mind driving, since I’ll be pooped. I can navigate and DJ, hahaha!

The photo is on the Trail of Remembrance, which starts at Place Marechal Foch (the train station) and ends at the Palais Saint Vaast. Good to walk the whole thing, I think. It shouldn’t take more than a few hours. Perhaps today we can also visit the German cemetery on the Somme, but I’m holding that lightly. More likely we will find Tyne Cot Memorial, where John Nicolson’s name is one of those listed as missing. Of course, he was “missing, presumed killed” at the Battle of Passchendaele which began in July, 1917. Then he turned up ten years later without any explanation and no-one said a word. So obviously we have to go find his name!!

I realize that I rode a jumpseat across the Atlantic to be in France for not even 2 full days… but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m not going to miss it.