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Dunhill: Difference between revisions
→Alfred Henry Dunhill
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The telegram from the War Office Mother had been dreading for four years arrived on Armistice Day. Alfred Henry had been wounded and was being brought back to Bethnal Green where a workhouse had been converted into an emergency hospital. Mother and I dashed off in silent terror, but we found him in reasonable spirits, surrounded by soldiers in their hospital blue, pale and tired and obviously glad to be home. He had nothing worse than a burst of shrapnel in one of his legs, though they failed to get all of it out and the wound was to trouble him for the rest of his life. Then, as soon as he was fit enough to limp about on a stick, Father, with his customary thoroughness, organized a festive dance to welcome my brother home. | The telegram from the War Office Mother had been dreading for four years arrived on Armistice Day. Alfred Henry had been wounded and was being brought back to Bethnal Green where a workhouse had been converted into an emergency hospital. Mother and I dashed off in silent terror, but we found him in reasonable spirits, surrounded by soldiers in their hospital blue, pale and tired and obviously glad to be home. He had nothing worse than a burst of shrapnel in one of his legs, though they failed to get all of it out and the wound was to trouble him for the rest of his life. Then, as soon as he was fit enough to limp about on a stick, Father, with his customary thoroughness, organized a festive dance to welcome my brother home. | ||
On his next leave Alfred Henry returned with a Sam Browne belt and the shoulder badges of a Captain who, apparently, for such was the death toll, had already had to act as Colonel. According to the hilarious story he made of it, he had had to parade on a spritely horse during a marchpast of his battalion after spending no more than a couple of hours in the saddle. Never a word about the mud, the rats, the deprivations, the terrifying bombardments and the unimaginable butchery of the Western Front. Like thousands of other boys who had gone to the front, Alfred Henry was one of those who returned with the face of a man who never spoke of what he had seen and felt.</q> Dunhill, Mary. Our Family Business (The Bodley Head - Great Britain, 1979).</blockquote> | On his next leave, Alfred Henry returned with a Sam Browne belt and the shoulder badges of a Captain who, apparently, for such was the death toll, had already had to act as Colonel. According to the hilarious story he made of it, he had had to parade on a spritely horse during a marchpast of his battalion after spending no more than a couple of hours in the saddle. Never a word about the mud, the rats, the deprivations, the terrifying bombardments and the unimaginable butchery of the Western Front. Like thousands of other boys who had gone to the front, Alfred Henry was one of those who returned with the face of a man who never spoke of what he had seen and felt.</q> Dunhill, Mary. Our Family Business (The Bodley Head - Great Britain, 1979).</blockquote> | ||
His bravery was mentioned in a column of The London Gazette | His bravery was mentioned in a column of The London Gazette<ref name=ahd1>London Gazette (1 February, 1919). "2nd Lt. Alfred Henry Dunhill, R*. W. Surr. R. (Spec. Res.), attd. 7th Bn[https://pipedia.org/images/7/7d/London_Gazette%2C_1_February%2C_1919..pdf]</ref>: | ||
< | <blockquote>For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to ' duty on 1st September 1918, in the attack on Fregicourt. After encountering considerable opposition, he manoeuvred his company skilfully in a flank attack, which, | ||
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to ' duty on 1st September 1918, in the attack on Fregicourt. After encountering considerable opposition, he | |||
though harassed by heavy machine-gun fire resulted in the capture of over 200 prisoners. This success was largely the outcome of his coolness and daring." London Gazette, 1 February, 1919.</blockquote> | though harassed by heavy machine-gun fire resulted in the capture of over 200 prisoners. This success was largely the outcome of his coolness and daring." London Gazette, 1 February, 1919.</blockquote> | ||
<blockquote><q>During World War J. Mr | <blockquote><q>During World War J. Mr Dunhill entered the army as a private and ended as a captain with the Military Cross. Once, in the Second World War when a bomb wrecked the company's offices in 1941, the chairman sat among the debris selling the remnants of the pipe stock to passers‐by.</q> The New York Times - July 9, 1971, Page 34. See more about it here [[WWII Phase]].</blockquote> | ||
Alfred Henry took over as president after his father's retirement, but as we can see in Mary's accounts, he had little autonomy - his uncle Bertie centralized everything in his hand with strict control. the business was run by Herbert until his death in 1950. | Alfred Henry took over as president after his father's retirement, but as we can see in Mary's accounts, he had little autonomy - his uncle Bertie centralized everything in his hand with strict control. the business was run by Herbert until his death in 1950. | ||