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| 1914 General Map showing European frontiers at the beginning of the First World War. |
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| Captain S. Montague Tuke |
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COMING UP TO THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY; THE COMMENCEMENT OF WORLD WAR ONE - A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF CAPTAIN TUKE
WHAT A WEALTH OF HISTORY HAS BEEN STORED AWAY IN TRUNKS
FATHER HEFFERNAN PROBABLY WOULDN'T AGREE WITH ME, THAT JUST BEING HANDED A SIGNED COPY OF HIS RECORD, A FEW MOMENTS AGO, COULD BE CONSIDERED ANY KIND OF HEAVENLY SIGN, TO THE UNSUSPECTING RECIPIENT. WELL, HE'S ENTITLED TO HIS OPINION. SINCE I MET FATHER ON THE PLAYING FIELD, OF BRACEBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL, BACK IN 1966, WHEN HE WAS THE PRIEST AT ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH, WE HAVE HAD MANY HAPPENSTANCE MEETINGS THAT ALWAYS MEANT A LOT TO ME. PRETTY MUCH FOR THE SAME REASON. I WOULD BE ANGRY OR FRUSTRATED, WORKING ON A PROJECT, AND SOMETHING OUT OF THE BLUE, MAYBE HEAVEN, WOULD MAKE ME THINK OF FATHER, AND HOW HE WOULD HANDLE A SIMILAR SITUATION. BY THE WAY, I'M NOT CATHOLIC, AND I NEVER ATTENDED EVEN ONE OF HIS SERVICES. JUST BEING EXPOSED TO HIS KINDNESSES OF ONCE, DID IT FOR ME OVER A LIFETIME.
HE USED TO COME OVER TO THE NEIGHBORING SCHOOL EVERY RECESS AND SOMETIMES AT LUNCH, TO PLAY FOOTBALL WITH US. HE WAS AN AMAZING SPORTSMAN, WHO INSISTED ON INVOLVING AS MANY KIDS IN RECREATIONAL EVENTS AS POSSIBLE, INCLUDING HOCKEY. I CALLED HIM "ELBOWS" BECAUSE I TASTED HIS MANY TIMES, ESPECIALLY IN HOCKEY; HE WAS ROUGH IN THE CORNERS, BUT HE ALWAYS APOLOGIZED, AND HELPED ME BACK TO MY FEET AFTER KNOCKING ME DOWN. I HAVE FOLLOWED HIS YEARS WITH THE CHURCH, A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE MANY OF US, THE FOLKS FROM THE OLD DAYS, THAT HE INSPIRED, STILL CONSIDER HIM OUR OWN FATHER O'MALLY, FROM. OF COURSE, THE PORTRAYAL OF THE CHARACTER-FATHER, BY BING CROSBY, IN MOVIES, "THE BELLS OF ST. MARYS," AND "GOING MY WAY." FATHER HEFFERNAN'S INSPIRATION SURFACES AT THE STRANGEST POINTS IN MY LIFE, AND TODAY, AT THE PEAK OF FRUSTRATION, WHEN I WANTED TO THROW THIS LAPTOP INTO THE STREET, TO BE RUN OVER. AND WITHOUT KNOWING IT, REACHING OUT AND ACCEPTING A FREE RECORD FROM MY SON, THAT JUST CAME IN THE DOOR, WITH A BUNCH OF OTHER BOXED VINTAGE VINYL, HERE IT ARRIVED AT MY SIDE ONCE MORE. THE RECORD IS ENTITLED "RADIO AND T.V. REFLECTIONS." "I KNEW YOU WOULD WANT THIS ONE DAD," ANDREW SAID, WITH A BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE, BECAUSE HE HAS HEARD EVERY ONE OF MY FATHER HEFFERNAN RECOLLECTIONS. AND BY GOLLY, IT'S SIGNED. I'M GOING TO GET SON ROBERT TO PLAY IT FOR ME, LATER THIS AFTERNOON. I NOW HAVE TWO COPIES. JUST SEEING HIS BIG SMILE ON THE RECORD COVER, AND I'M GOOD TO GO ANOTHER THOUSAND MILES.
DID I EVER TELL YOU ABOUT THE TIME, I GOT A CALL FROM FATHER, ON A SNOWY CHRISTMAS EVE, ONE YEAR, VIA A PHONE BELONGING TO A NEIGHBOR BUSINESS; JUST A SECOND BEFORE I WAS HEADED OUT INTO THE STORM THAT NIGHT, TO INCH MY WAY HOME TO GRAVENHURST FROM BRACEBRIDGE. FATHER HAD HEARD OUR SHOP WAS LOCATED BENEATH MARTIN'S FRAMING, ON MANITOBA STREET, SO HE PHONED IT ON THE HUNCH, BARB MARTIN, WOULD ADVISE ME OF THE CALL. AS I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF WISHING BARB A "MERRY CHRISTMAS," SHE GOT THE CALL, AND I JUST DECIDED TO WAIT A FEW MORE MINUTES, TO FINISH MY FAREWELL. THAT'S WHEN SHE YELLED DOWN TO ME, STANDING AT THE DOOR, WITH HER HAND OVER THE MOUTHPIECE, "TED, YOU MAY NOT BELIEVE THIS, BUT FATHER HEFFERNAN IS ON THE PHONE FOR YOU." WHAT A NICE CONVERSATION WE HAD, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, I WAS ABLE TO THANK THE MAN, FOR KEEPING SO MANY OF US YOUNGSTERS BACK THEN, PLAYING SPORTS, INSTEAD OF MISCHIEF. AS ALWAYS HE WAS HUMBLE. HE WAS OUR FATHER O'MALLY. I FEEL UPLIFTED BY THIS MOST RECENT, INADVERTENT ACT OF GENEROSITY. ONCE AGAIN, AND CALL IT WHAT YOU WILL, FATHER HAS INSPIRED ME TO FINISH TODAY'S WORK, NO MATTER WHAT ADVERSITY THIS LAPTOP THROWS AT ME. I FEEL REFRESHED. THANK YOU, WHOEVER IT WAS, WHO KINDLY BROUGHT THIS RECORD INTO THE SHOP, AND THANK YOU, FATHER HEFFERNAN, ONCE AGAIN.
IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AS OFTEN AS I WOULD LIKE, BUT THERE ARE FOLKS WHO DROP INTO OUR SHOP, WHO GENEROUSLY OFFER, AND EVEN DONATE, (FOR DISPLAY) INTERESTING AND EVEN UNIQUE HERITAGE ITEMS, SUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE RECENT MEDICAL OFFICER'S PRESENTATION SWORD, (YOU CAN ARCHIVE BACK TO CIVIL WAR SWORD IN THIS BLOG COLLECTION) USED IN SERVICE, BY ONE OF THEIR KIN, WHILE HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE MEDICAL CORP, OF THE ILLINOIS REGIMENT, OF THE FEDERAL ARMY, DURING THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR. WHILE WE DIDN'T PURCHASE THE SWORD, BECAUSE IT IS AN HEIRLOOM, BEING PASSED ALONG IN THE FAMILY (WHICH IS WHAT WE WANT TO HEAR), WE WERE OFFERED THE RARE OPPORTUNITY TO PHOTOGRAPH IT, HANDLE IT, PLUS RESEARCH ITS LEGACY, AND BEST OF ALL, WRITE A FEATURE STORY ABOUT IT (AND WAVE IT AROUND IN THE SHOP FOR A FEW MOMENTS); AND TO VIEW UP CLOSE, THE DOCTOR'S CIVIL WAR BUTTONS, FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES, REMOVED FROM THE SOLDIER'S "GREAT COAT." WE KNOW THERE ARE CIVIL WAR BUTTONS OUT THERE, BUT, BEFORE THIS, WE HAD ONLY SEEN THEM IN PUBLISHED PHOTOGRAPHS. WE EVEN HAD THE CHANCE TO MEASURE THEM, JUST IN CASE WE CAME UPON SOME, DOWN THE ROAD, AS WE ARE ALWAYS BUYING JARS OF BUTTONS FROM YARD SALES. THE ANTIQUE BUSINESS, AS WE OPERATE IT, IS A STRANGE BUT ENJOYABLE MIX OF BUYING AND SELLING, AND EXHIBITING ITEMS WE WANT YOU TO SEE. MANY ANTIQUE DEALERS CRINGE AT THE VERY IDEA OF HAVING ANYTHING IN THEIR SHOP THAT ISN'T FOR SALE, AS THEY BELIEVE HAVING "NOT FOR SALE," AND "FOR EXHIBIT ONLY" SIGNS, ON ARTIFACTS, SCARE CUSTOMERS AWAY. FUNNY THING THAT, BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY KEEP CUSTOMERS IN OUR SHOP LONGER, BECAUSE OF OUR DISPLAYS, DUE TO THE FACT, THEY USUALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE PIECES IN THE EXHIBIT. WE TALK HISTORY HERE, FROM MORNING UNTIL NIGHT. WORKS FOR US. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEND A CENT. NOW THAT'S A BARGAIN.
CHRIS THOMPSON, A FAMILY FRIEND, AND HOBBY FAMILY HISTORIAN, (DID I MENTION COLLECTOR OF NEAT ARTIFACTS), BROUGHT US IN, FOR DISPLAY, AN ENGRAVED 1960'S PRESENTATION TRAY, RECEIVED BY THE FORMER OWNER OF WINDERMERE HOUSE RESORT, ON LAKE ROSSEAU, FROM THE CANADIAN ALBACORE SAILING ASSOCIATION, TO ACKNOWLEDGE MARY ELIZABETH AITKEN'S HOSPITALITY TO THE GROUP, DURING THEIR ANNUAL RACES. THIS IS A NICE RELIC OF MUSKOKA MEMORABILIA, IN GREAT CONDITION, AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE IT ON DISPLAY IN THE SHOP. WE ARE ALWAYS RECEPTIVE TO EXHIBITING MUSKOKA COLLECTABLES, WHENEVER WE GET THE OPPORTUNITY.
THERE ARE MANY OF US, WHO HAVE IMPORTANT RELICS, WITH STORIES ATTACHED, TUCKED AWAY IN KEEPSAKE TRUNKS, IN ATTICS AND CLOSETS, INCLUDING WAR LETTERS AND PIONEER JOURNALS, THAT ARE VIEWED, IN SOME REGARDS, AS BURDENSOME, BECAUSE IT IS ASSUMED, NO ONE WILL WANT THEM WHEN THEIR ESTATE IS FINALLY SETTLED. THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SENSITIVITY OF THE MATERIAL OF JOURNALS, DIARIES AND LETTERS, AND IT IS OFTEN THE CASE, BUNDLES OF IMPORTANT CORRESPONDENCE, ARE BURNED OR RUN THROUGH A SHREDDER, INSTEAD OF CONSERVED AND SHARED WITH THOSE OF US, WITH A KEEN APPRECIATION FOR THESE SMALL, BUT IMPORTANT PIECES OF THE GIANT PUZZLE OF WORLD HISTORY. I REMEMBER TALKING TO A DESCENDENT OF A WELL KNOWN MUSKOKA FAMILY, WHO SHOWED ME A THICK FAMILY JOURNAL, (HANDWRITTEN) WITH MANY PAGES REMOVED, BECAUSE ONE OF THE OTHER SIBLINGS, HAD DECIDED, ON HER OWN, THAT THE MATERIAL WITHIN WAS TOO PERSONAL TO SHARE WITH OTHERS. HAVING WORKED WITH ALL KINDS OF SENSITIVE MATERIAL IN THE PAST, I COULD HAVE SAVED THOSE PAGES, WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE GOOD STORY WITHIN. AT LEAST THE FULL INTEGRITY OF THE JOURNAL WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSERVED, FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, TO BENEFIT FROM; AND NOT JUST IN THE FINANCIAL SENSE. I DON'T SELL IMPORTANT MUSKOKA DOCUMENTS WE HAVE UNCOVERED, BECAUSE I USE THESE MATERIALS FREQUENTLY, IF NOT FOR SPECIFIC CONTENT, FOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION, AND YES, POTENTIALLY FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES. SOME MATERIAL I WOULD NEVER RELEASE FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION, BECAUSE OF THE SENSITIVE NATURE OF WRITTEN MATERIAL, WHICH COULD, MOST DEFINITELY, HURT THE FEELINGS OF KIN, ADVERSELY NAMED IN THE TEXT. IT HAPPENS. THE JOURNAL WRITERS NEVER THOUGHT THEIR HANDIWORK WOULD EVER BE PUBLISHED. IT REMINDS ME OF THE JOURNAL OF MUSKOKA ARTIST, ADA FLORENCE KINTON, WHO WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF CONSIDERABLE ACCOMPLISHMENT, WITH THE SALVATION ARMY. WHEN SHE PASSED AWAY, EARLY IN THE 1900'S, HER SISTER, SARA RANDLESON, DECIDED TO PUBLISH HER HANDWRITTEN JOURNAL, UNDER THE HEADING,
"JUST ONE BLUE BONNET," AND IT'S A PRECIOUS, HIGHLY IMPORTANT BIOGRAPHY, WITH MANY REFERENCES TO THE DISTRICT OF MUSKOKA, AND HUNTSVILLE SPECIFICALLY; WITH OBSERVATIONS ABOUT HUNTSVILLE IN THE 1880'S UP TO AN INCLUDING THE PERIOD JUST BEFORE SHE DIED IN THAT COMMUNITY.
AS AN EXAMPLE, I KNOW OF A BOOK THAT WAS WRITTEN, AS A FAMILY HISTORY, THAT REFERRED TO AN IN-LAW'S KIN, BEING A NO GOOD HORSE THIEF. THIS, I KNOW FOR FACT, HAS NEVER BEEN FORGIVEN, AMONGST THOSE KIN WITH LONG MEMORIES. THIS KIND OF REFERENCE AND TESTIMONIAL, SHOWS UP MORE THAN YOU MIGHT THINK. IN A RECENT COLLECTION WE ACQUIRED, THERE ARE MATERIALS, PRINT ITEMS, RELEASED BY GROUPS DENYING THE HOLOCAUST. SOMETIMES YOU GET THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE TO WHAT YOU EXPECT, WHEN ACQUIRING ESTATES. WE OF COURSE, SHREDDED THESE OFFENSIVE DOCUMENTS. WE KNOW WHAT GOES AND WHAT REMAINS. AFTER A LOT OF YEARS, BEING UP TO OUR EARS IN OLD PAPER, KEPT BY WELL INTENTIONED HOARDERS, WE KNOW THAT YOU CAN FIND THE STRANGEST ITEMS, WITH AMAZING IMBEDDED CONTRADICTIONS, AND CORRECTIONS, TO WHAT WE HAD, AS PRIOR EXPECTATION, KNOWN OF THE PEOPLE WE THOUGHT WE KNEW. IT'S ALL THE SAME TO US, BECAUSE OF OUR FIRM COMMITMENT TO CONFIDENTIALITY. EVEN IF WE ARE GIVEN PERMISSION TO USE THIS MATERIAL, WE JUDGE WHAT FALLS BENEATH OUR BYLINE, OR IS ON DISPLAY AT OUR SHOP. CALL IT CENSORSHIP, BUT WE ARE LOYAL TO SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS. IT'S SURPRISING WHAT INFORMATION CAN HURT THESE UNSUSPECTING FOLKS, SO IT'S OUR JOB, ABOVE AND BEYOND, TO MAKE SURE IT REMAINS UNDER WRAPS.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, WE'VE HAD ACCESS TO A SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FIRST WORLD WAR ARTIFACTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS, WHICH IS PERFECT FOR OUR PLANS, THIS SEPTEMBER, TO HOST A MINOR BUT HEARTFELT EXHIBIT OF MATERIALS, COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR. AS A MEMORIAL TRIBUTE, OF COURSE.
IN THE HISTORY GAME, THERE SEEM TO BE A LOT OF COINCIDENCES, BUT WHEN YOU'RE ALWAYS ON THE LOOK-OUT FOR CONTINUOUS THREADS, WEAVING THROUGH MANKIND'S CHRONICLE, RESEARCHERS BY DUE DILIGENCE, FIND RELATED HERITAGE SEAMS, BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THE RIGHT VEIN FROM THE BEGINNING. AND LIKE VEINS, THERE ARE MANY INTERSECTING ARTERIES, THAT LEAD TO OTHER JUNCTIONS AND LOW AND BEHOLD, SO MANY MORE DISCOVERIES. THERE ARE TIMES HOWEVER, AND MOST OF US DON'T OVER-ANALYZE THESE THINGS, WE SCRATCH OUR HEADS, AS TO HOW IN THE WORLD ALL THESE SOURCES CAME TOGETHER, AND WHAT, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, ARRIVED AT THE PERFECT TIME. THERE ARE OTHER TIMES, WHEN LIKE THE PUZZLE-MAKER, WE DRIVE OURSELVES NUTS TRYING TO SPLICE-IN PIECES THAT SEEMINGLY DON'T EXIST, OR CAN'T BE FOUND. WHETHER THEY ARE STUCK TO OUR SOCK-BOTTOM, OR HAVE SLIPPED DOWN A HEATING DUCT, ON THE LIVING ROOM FLOOR, WE START FEELING REAL BAD, ABOUT THE FACT WE CAN'T FINISH THE PUZZLE. EVEN BEFORE WE COMMENCE SUCH A PROJECT, WE ALWAYS KNOW THIS "MISSING" PIECE SYNDROME, COULD HAUNT US, WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT OF RESEARCH EXHAUSTION, WHEN NOTHING ELSE CAN BE DONE, AT THAT POINT, TO MAKE A COMPLETE PICTURE THAT OTHERS CAN VIEW WITH SENSIBLE CONTINUITY. WHILE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE UNTURNED STONES, AND MISSING INFORMATION FOR HISTORIANS AND BIOGRAPHERS, WE CAN GET TO A POINT, WHERE WE HAVE AT THE VERY LEAST, WHAT WE CALL A PROPORTIONAL OVERVIEW, DONE TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. IT'S A PICTURE, A PROFILE, AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE THAT WE CAN LIVE WITH, BECAUSE IT COVERS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINTS OF THE STORY. SO IF WE GO BACK TO THE PUZZLE-MAKER, IF WE HAVE MISSING PIECES IN RESEARCH, WE WOULD HOPE THEY WOULD BE WELL DISTANT FROM THE FOCAL POINT OF THE PROJECT. NOT A BORDER. WE HATE NOT HAVING OUR WORK PROPERLY FRAMED. BUT IF A PIECE, OR PIECES, WERE MISSING FROM, SAY, THE BOTTOM, AND IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WOULD DETRACT FROM THE REST OF THE PICTURE, WE COULD LIVE WITH THE SHORTFALL. IT'S WHEN THERE ARE MISSING DETAILS IN THE CENTER OF THE HISTORY, OR BIOGRAPHY, THAT KEEPS US AWAKE AT NIGHT.
THIS IS PRECISELY THE CASE OF THE EVER SO BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF CAPTAIN SHIRLEY JOHN MONTAGUE TUKE, SON OF DR. GEORGE MONTAGUE TUKE, A DOCTOR FROM KENT, ENGLAND. (IF YOU MISSED THE FIRST COLUMN REGARDING THE TUKE FAMILY, YOU CAN ARCHIVE BACK TO YESTERDAY'S STORY). WE HAVE REALLY JUST BEGUN OUR RESEARCH ON CAPTAIN TUKE, BASED ON A COLLECTION OF FAMILY HEIRLOOMS, JUST RECENTLY ACQUIRED, FOR EXHIBITION PURPOSES IN OUR GRAVENHURST SHOP. WE DECIDED TO KEEP THE COLLECTION TOGETHER, BECAUSE IT IS RARE TO HAVE SO MANY CONNECTED ARTICLES, EVEN WHEN WE HAVE PURCHASED ENTIRE ESTATES IN THE PAST. MOST OF THE INTIMATE KEEPSAKES, INCLUDING LETTERS, DOCUMENTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS, ARE KEPT BY SURVIVING FAMILY; AND OR DESTROYED, AS WE HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF MANY TIMES, BECAUSE THE FAMILY DID NOT WANT THE MATERIAL FALLING INTO THE WRONG HANDS. IN THIS CASE, THE FAMILY OF CAPTAIN TUKE, LIVING HERE IN SOUTH MUSKOKA, WANTED THE ITEMS TO GO TO PEOPLE WHO APPRECIATED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE THREAD, PASSING THROUGH THE GENERATIONS, WHICH IN THIS CASE, DATED BACK TO THE EARLY 1700'S. DUE TO THE CONNECTEDNESS OF THIS PARTICULAR COLLECTION, AND THE UPCOMING RECOGNITION OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY, OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR, IN SEPTEMBER, OUR FAMILY DECIDED THAT WE HAD TO PRESERVE THE ITEMS FOR DISPLAY, AS PART OF THE COMMEMORATION. AND WE HOPE, BY SEPTEMBER, TO HAVE EVEN MORE INFORMATION ON CAPTAIN TUKE, AND HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMONWEALTH'S WAR EFFORT.
IN TODAY'S BLOG, WE WANTED TO SHOW READERS THE SILVER "SALVER" THAT WAS PASSED DOWN IN THE COLLECTION, HAVING BELONGED TO THE MONTAGUE FAMILY ORIGINALLY, (A PRESENTATION PIECE), AND BECOMING A FAMILY RELIC (HEIRLOOM), WHEN THE MONTAGUE, AND TUKE FAMILIES, MERGED IN MARRIAGE, IN THE LATE 1800'S. THERE IS ALSO AN IMAGE OF AN ORIGINAL 1914 MAP OF EUROPE, FOLLOWING OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR I, AND A POST CARD IMAGE OF CAPTAIN TUKE. THERE WILL BE OTHER IMAGES OF THE CAPTAIN, IN THE NEXT SEVERAL BLOGS THIS WEEK. WHILE ADMITTEDLY, AT THIS POINT, WE ARE EARLY IN THE RESEARCH OF CAPTAIN TUKE'S MILITARY CAREER, WE HAVE SOME DOCUMENTS TO SHARE, THAT GIVE US INFORMATION ABOUT HIS ADVANCE THROUGH THE RANKS OF THE BRITISH MILITARY.
IT IS, TO AN OLD HISTORIAN, LIKE ME, A BREATHTAKING MOMENT, TO BE AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO HOLD A DOCUMENT, SIGNED BY "KING GEORGE THE FIFTH," BESTOWING HONOR ON CAPTAIN TUKE. BUT HERE IT IS, IN MY HAND, FOR PURPOSES OF THIS FEATURE COLUMN. (IT WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED AND PUBLISHED IN FUTURE BLOGS THIS WEEK). IT'S LIKE CHRISTMAS YOU MIGHT SAY BUT BY GOLLY, IT'S ONLY MAY.
IT READS AS FOLLOWS: (SIGNATURE OF THE KING ON THE TOP)
"GEORGE THE FIFTH, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN, AND IRELAND, AND OF THE BRITISH DOMINIONS, BEYOND THE SEAS, KING DEFENDER OF THE FAITH, EMPEROR OF INDIA AND SOVEREIGN OF THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, TO OUR TRUSTY AND WELL BELOVED 'SHIRLEY JOHN MONTAGUE TUKE, ESQUIRE, LIEUTENANT ACTING MAJOR IN OUR ARMY,' GREETING, WHEREAS WE HAVE THOUGHT FIT TO NOMINATE AND APPOINT YOU TO BE AN OFFICER OF THE MILITARY DIVISION OF OUR SAID MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE.
"GRANT OF THE DIGNITY OF AN OFFICER, OF THE MILITARY DIVISION OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, TO LIEUTENANT (ACTING MAJOR), SHIRLEY JOHN MONTAGUE TUKE. WE DO BY THESE PRESENTS GRANT UNTO YOU THE DIGNITY OF AN OFFICER, OF OUR SAID ORDER AND HEREBY AUTHORISE YOU TO HAVE AND ENJOY THE SAID DIGNITY, OF OUR AFORESAID ORDER, TOGETHER WITH ALL AND SINGULAR, THE PRIVILEGES THEREUNTO BELONGING OR APPERTAINING. GIVEN AT OUR COURT AT SAINT JAMES'S UNDER OUR SIGN MANUAL AND SEAL OF OUR SAID ORDER, THIS THIRD DAY OF JUNE, 1919, IN THE TENTH (KING'S) YEAR, OF OUR REIGN. BY THE SOVEREIGN'S COMMAND, EDWARD P., GRAND MASTER."
THERE IS AN IMPRESSED EMPIRE STAMP, "F O P' FOR GOD AND EMPIRE," ON THE TOP LEFT CORNER, OPPOSITE THE SIGNATURE.
INCLUDED IN THE ARCHIVES COLLECTION, ARE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS FROM THE WAR OFFICE. THE FIRST ONE READS AS FOLLOWS:
"THE WAR OF 1914-1918 ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS, LT. T. CAPTAIN S.J.M. TUKE, WAS MENTIONED IN A DESPATCH FROM LIEUTENANT GENERAL W.R. MARSHALL, K.C.B. K.C.L.J., DATED 11TH OF NOVEMBER, 1918, FOR GALLANT AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICES IN THE FIELD. I HAVE IT IN COMMAND FROM THE KING, TO RECORD HIS MAJESTY'S HIGH APPRECIATION OF THE SERVICES RENDERED." THIS DESPATCH CAME FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR, FROM THE WAR OFFICE AT WHITEHALL, AS ISSUED MARCH 1ST, 1919.
A SECOND DESPATCH, WITH A DIFFERENT DATE, BEING THAT OF THE 7TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, WAS ISSUED WITH THE SAME WORDING, ON BEHALF OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL SIR W.R. MARSHALL.
THE WAR OFFICE ALSO ISSUED ANOTHER DESPATCH, DATED THE 9TH OF SEPTEMBER, 1921, WHICH READS AS FOLLOWS:
"MESOPOTAMIA, 1920. ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS, LT. (A./MAJ.) S.J.M. TUKE, O.B.E. WAS MENTIONED IN A DESPATCH FROM LIEUTENANT-GENERAL, SIR J.A.L. HALDANE, K.C.B. D.S.O., DATED 7TH, FEBRUARY, 1921, FOR DISTINGUISHED AND GALLANT SERVICES IN THE FIELD, I HAVE IT IN COMMAND FROM THE KING, TO RECORD HIS MAJESTY'S HIGH APPRECIATION OF THE SERVICES RENDERED." IT IS SIGNED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR.
IN ANOTHER DESPATCH, DATED 1936, THE FOLLOWING IS NOTED OF THE CAREER SOLDIER:
"OPERATIONS IN PALESTINE 1936. CAPTAIN S.J.M. TUKE, O.B.E. ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS, WAS MENTIONED IN A DESPATCH FROM THE GENERAL OFFICER OF COMMANDING, THE BRITISH TROOPS IN PALESTINE AND TRANS JORDAN, DATED 4TH, DECEMBER, 1936, FOR GALLANT AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICES IN THE FIELD. I HAVE IT IN COMMAND FROM THE KING, TO RECORD HIS MAJESTY'S HIGH APPRECIATION OF THE SERVICES RENDERED," AND WAS SIGNED BY 'DUFF COOPER,' SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR.
ALSO INCLUDED IN THE SMALL COLLECTION OF DOCUMENTS, IS A SPECIAL MEDAL PRESENTATION TO THE CAPTAIN, FROM BUCKINGHAM PALACE, WHICH READS:
(BENEATH THE RAISED RED SEAL OF BUCKINGHAM PALACE) "BUCKINGHAM PALACE, BY COMMAND OF HIS MAJESTY THE KING, THE ACCOMPANYING MEDAL IS FORWARDED TO CAPTAIN S.J.M. TUKE, O.B.E. (ORDER OF BRITISH EMPIRE), TO BE WORN IN COMMEMORATION OF THEIR MAJESTIES' CORONATION, 12TH MAY, 1937."
IT ARRIVED IN A PACKAGE IDENTIFIED, AS "ON HIS MAJESTY'S SERVICE," AS SENT BY THE WAR OFFICE, IN WHITEHALL, TO CAPTAIN TUKE, WITH THE INVITATION TO ATTEND THE CORONATION CEREMONIES.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU, FROM THIS HISTORIAN'S ROLE, IN THE MINI BIOGRAPHY, HOLDING ONTO THESE OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS, IS AN EXCEPTIONAL HONOR, HAVING FULL APPRECIATION OF THE INCREDIBLE SERVICE TO HOME AND COUNTRY, PROVIDED BY CAPTAIN TUKE. SO HERE NOW, IT WINDS UP IN THE HANDS OF A MUSKOKA HISTORIAN, HERE IN GRAVENHURST, ONTARIO, ON THE CUSP OF THIS WORLD WAR ONE COMMEMORATION, OF A CALAMITY THAT OCCURRED ONE HUNDRED YEARS EARLIER. THIS WILL BE PART OF OUR OWN WORLD WAR ONE EXHIBITION, TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ANNIVERSARY, WHICH WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED IN OUR MAIN STREET, GRAVENHURST ANTIQUE SHOP, OPPOSITE THE OPERA HOUSE. POSSIBLY YOU CAN FIND A FEW MOMENTS, TO DROP IN FOR A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR PLANNED DISPLAY, SCHEDULED FOR THIS COMING SEPTEMBER.
IN ADDITION TO THE DOCUMENTS, ARE A FEW SPECIAL ARTIFACTS, AND KEEPSAKES, PRESENTED TO CAPTAIN TUKE, BY HIS FELLOW LEADERSHIP OF THE ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS. THERE ARE TWO ENGRAVED SILVER PIECES, INCLUDED AS PART OF THIS COLLECTION, THAT I WILL DETAIL IN TOMORROW'S PART THREE, OF THE MINI-BIOGRAPHY, PLUS IMAGES OF OTHER ITEMS CAPTAIN TUKE OBTAINED, WHILE ON SERVICE, IN WHAT WAS ONCE KNOWN AS "MESOPOTAMIA" WHICH INCLUDES THE PRESENT COUNTRY OF "IRAQ," TERRITORY BETWEEN THE "TIGRIS," AND EUPHRATES" RIVERS. THERE WILL ALSO BE ADDITIONAL IMAGES PUBLISHED, THIS WEEK, OF MEDALS AND FAMILY ITEMS, THAT BELONGED TO MEMBERS OF THE EXTENDED TUKE FAMILY. IT IS WITH SINCERE REVERENCE TO CAPTAIN TUKE, THAT WE PUBLISH THIS TRIBUTE.
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