Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
The Kate War
Documents reveal story of three great-great-uncles who perished
THE First World War was brought vividly to life for the Duchess of Cambridge as she read heartbreaking letters from three relatives who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Kate visited the Imperial War Museum in South London yesterday ahead of next month’s Armistice centenary.
And she was said to be “emotional” at seeing correspondence from her greatgreat-uncles Francis, Maurice and Lionel Lupton – who were all killed in action.
Major Francis Lupton served with the 8th battalion West Yorkshire Regiment and was killed by a bomb on February 19, 1917, aged 31. In a telegram sent home saying his brother-in-law’s remains had been found, Kate’s great-grandfather, Lieutenant Richard Noel Middleton, wrote: “Bad news. Francis body found. Killed instantaneously. Bomb.”
Kate, 36, said: “It’s so bland, hardly any words.” But head of documents Anthony Richards said: “You break someone’s heart in just a few words in a telegram.”
He revealed the family papers were donated by one of Kate’s distant relatives a month ago and now form part of the IWM’S documents archive.
And he added: “She was extremely interested, it’s nice to have that family connection that helps you understand something like the First World War.”
Francis had only been on the front line in France for six weeks when he was killed. His brother, Lieutenant Lionel Lupton, had been killed in action aged 24 a year earlier on July 16, 1916, at the Battle of the Somme. Lionel served with the 28th Brigade Royal Field Artillery, mainly in the trenches in France. He sent his last field service postcard home the day he died, writing: “I am quite well.”
The Duchess also saw a letter written by Maurice, a captain with the 7th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, describing trench life as offering “a little place you can crawl into for protection”.
At the time it was written – May 24, 1915 – it was very hot and the wind blew towards the German lines, which stopped them “using their gas business”.
The men were allowed to relax in the sun and listened to the occasional shell, which Maurice thought the enemy fired “through sheer boredom or to satisfy themselves their guns are still working”.
Kate said of the brothers’ letters: “What struck me is the positivity, they’re writing home with such a positive light.”
IWM director general Diane Lees said another letter from Maurice joked about vegetable seeds being sent to the front line – but not cauliflower, as he hated it.
“There were some interesting things on the family tradition of gardening,” she said. “Kate said it was a very Middleton thing, so she recognised that. Kate was very struck by how upbeat the letters were. When people were writing home, they didn’t want their families to realise how bad life was in the trenches.”
In one letter, Maurice described meeting Lionel, writing: “Lionel was here the day before yesterday for a bit, and I
You break a heart in just a few words in a telegram... I think she was moved to see them ANTHONY RICHARDS ON DUCHESS SEEING THE FAMILY CORRESPONDENCE
have seen him two or three times in the last four days.”
Maurice was the first family casualty, killed by a sniper at Lille on June 19, 1915, aged 28. Kate was shown a letter of condolence sent on behalf of King George V after all three brothers were gone. It read: “The King realises this is the third beloved son you have given in your country’s cause and trusts you may be granted strength and comfort in the further sorrow you have been called upon to bear.” The Duchess, wearing a special Royal British Legion Women of The First World War poppy brooch, also saw the war registration card of great-gran Olive Middleton, nee Lupton, who volunteered as a nurse for the British Red Cross. Anthony said he gathered the documents – mainly kept by Olive’s sister and Kate’s great-great-aunt Anne, who died in 1967 – after Kate personally requested to see them.
He said: “There were about 160 documents related to the family, so we picked the key ones which told the story. I think she was moved to see them. It makes a huge difference to see them and handle them.
“To think this telegram she has in her hands was on her great-greatgrandfather’s desk, handled by him, and he might have been crying, and it’s been handed down throughout the years – that’s really emotional.”