Memorials to Captain
Noel Chavasse VC and Bar MC - under reconstruction
There are memorials in
the following locations
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the Museum
Chavasse Memorial originally at
Forbes House in Childwall, Liverpool - Erected 1979
At the
suggestion of Brigadier Tom Robbins, a Liverpool Scottish veteran
of the Great War, an appeal was made and the memorial was paid
for by the subscription of over 200 members and friends of The
Liverpool Scottish. The money was raised within six weeks. The
work was executed by Mr Alan Roberts, a Liverpool craftsmen, and
features individually cast relief replicas of the First World War
bonnet badge of The Liverpool Scottish, the Victoria Cross and
the RAMC capbadge. The badge of The Liverpool Scottish measures
13 cm across.
On the closure of Forbes House, this memorial went
into store and is now re-erected at the new museum premises.
Clicking
on the Piper icon will play a version of the pipe tune 'Captain
Noel Chavasse VC' written by Pipe Sgt Glyn Pritchard of The
Liverpool Scottish for the occasion of the unveiling of the
Chavasse memorial at Forbes House in 1979. It is recorded
electronically in MIDI format by 'Bagpipes at Best' which makes it a fairly small file for
downloading. A recording of a real piper would take a
considerable time to download.
A link will shortly be added to
give an enhanced electronic recording in MP3 format but this will
be a very large file of about 2Mb. This version may be found at
the 'Midipiper' page but may take up to 20 minutes to
download (The copyright to the tune itself belongs to the estate
of the late Glyn Pritchard).
The text reads
To the memory of
Captain Noel Chavasse VC and BAR, MC, MB, RAMC
Medical Officer
to The Liverpool Scottish
He was twice
awarded the Victoria Cross for conspicuous bravery and devotion
to duty in rescuing and caring for his wounded comrades whilst
under direct fire
On the second
occasion he received severe wounds, refused to leave his post and
subsequently died
"Courage
is the Quality Which Guarantees All Others"
The quotation at
the end, "Courage is the Quality Which Guarantees All
Others", was included at the suggestion of Brigadier Robbins
who was visiting Liverpool from his retirement home in France. It
was understood to originate from Winston Churchill but it has
been hard to track down. Research led to the publications of
Professor R.V. Jones, a man at the heart of scientific research
during the Second World War as related in his book 'The Secret
War', and to Professor M.R.D. Foot, the historian. Correspondence
with both these men left the original source of this quotation
obscure but it would now seem that it can be traced to Sir
Winston Churchill in his book 'Great Contemporaries' (1932) when
writing of King Alfonso XIII of Spain: "Courage
is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities, because as has
been said, it is the quality which guarantees all others". This
has not yet been verified by reference to the book.
Brigadier Robbins
had returned to Liverpool in 1979 for the service to mark the
completion of the Anglican Cathedral, in the presence of H.M.
Queen Elizabeth. He had been present as a choirboy when King
Edward VII and Queen Alexandra had laid the foundation stone in
1904.
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the Museum
Chavasse Memorial at Brandhoek
Church, near Ieper in West Flanders, Belgium 1998
The
memorial is of contemporary design in local brick and acrylic
with a Union flag on the adjacent flag staff. It was erected by
the local members of the Flambertus History Society of
Vlamertinge and unveiled in 1998 by Captain Edgar Chavasse. It
reflects the theme of Ieper, City of Peace initiated by Pope
John-Paul II on his visit to the city.
A
party of about 60 members of the Liverpool Scottish went over to
Ieper to see this memorial unveiled. There was a presentation in
the church prior to the ceremony, television crews driving madly
around in ex-army 4WD vehicles, drinks in the local pub and then
a progess through the battlefields of the salient led by Piet
Chielens of the 'In Flanders Fields Museum' (via a detour through
the grounds of Chateau Elverdinghe,the scene of the Liverpool
Scottish dinner in honour of Noel Chavasse's first VC) and a much
more refined 'academic' presentation and reception in the Cloth
Hall in the late afternoon.
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the Museum
English Heritage Blue Plaque,
Abercrombie Square, Liverpool:
An English Heritage 'Blue Plaque' was placed on the building in
Abercromby Square in Liverpool where Captain Noel Chavasse VC and Bar, MC had
lived and which had been the Bishop's Palace. Captain Chavasse's father had been
Bishop of Liverpool at the time of the First World War. The building now belongs
to the University of Liverpool. The plaque was unveiled on November 13th 2001 by
his nephew, Captain Edgar Chavasse, who is President of the Liverpool Scottish
Officers' Association (pictured left in camel coat). Other memorials to Noel Chavasse (including the memorial
in the churchyard at Brandhoek near Ypres/Ieper which was place there by the
local people in 1998 and has not been previously recorded by the Museum
website) can be seen here.
The photograph on the left appears by courtesy
of the University of Liverpool
Explanatory Notes:
-
Captain Noel Chavasse was the
medical officer of the 1/10th (Scottish) Battalion of the King's (Liverpool
Regiment), generally know as the Liverpool Scottish, and was the only man to
win the Victoria Cross (the highest award for gallantry) twice during the
First World War. Other memorials can be seen by clicking on the link.
-
Blue Plaques: English Heritage commemorates people
with Blue Plaques if they have been dead for 20 years or were born more than
100 years previously. They must have a strong reputation and have gained
recognition through their life and work. Only one Blue Plaque is erected for
any person. They are circular and are about two feet (60 cm) in diameter.
Please notify detail of any
other memorials
to Captain Noel Chavasse to the webmaster
