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UNA TOMLIN KEAST (née Hunter)
Nurse, Voluntary Aid Detachment
(wife of Major Sydney Banks Keast, OBE, MC*, R.E.)

by

Lieutenant Colonel Edward De Santis
© 2008. All Rights Reserved

1. INTRODUCTION

This research was performed by the author after the acquisition of Mrs. Keast’s medals in November of 2008. Her medal group consists of the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and Victory Medal, the 1935 Jubilee Medal, the 1937 Coronation Medal and the Belgian Medal of King Albert, 1914-1918. Major Keast’s medals and those of his wife became separated at some point after the death of Major Keast in 1964. In 2008 they were reunited again after 44 years.

The author completed a rather extensive biography of Major Keast in the 1980s and has updated that work with new information through 2005. A full account of Keast’s life may be found on the Internet at www.reubique.com/major. Major Keast was a remarkable man. His story is well worth reading.

2. FAMILY HISTORY

Una Tomlin Hunter was born in 1886 at Newcastle upon Tyne, in the Civil Parish of Elswick, in the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Paul’s, in the County of Northumberland. She was the daughter of Edward Hunter, a bank manager, and Anne Cunningham Hunter.

Her mother’s family can be traced back to the 1871 British Census, which provides the following information:

The census indicates that Annie Cunningham was born about 1861 and that her mother was the head of the household. There is no indication of the whereabouts of her father, although the 1881 British Census appears to shed some light on him, or at least on his occupation, and why he might have been absent from the household at the time of the census. Mary Cunningham employed no domestic servants in 1871. Apparently the family’s financial circumstances did not permit her to do so at that time.

The 1881 British Census^[1] shows the Cunningham family living at 40 Stepney Lane in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland. The census return also provides the following information:

The men of the Cunningham family, Peter and Thomas, appear to have been watermen. Annie’s father is still not shown in the census return. Either he was deceased even before the 1871 census, or his work as a steam boat engineer kept him at sea or away from home for both years that the census was taken. Annie, at age 20, was still living in her mother’s home and had not yet married Edward Hunter. She worked as a housekeeper to help her mother and although Peter and Alice were employed, the family still could not afford any domestic servants.

Una’s father’s family can be traced to the 1881 British Census,^[2] which shows the following information regarding the Hunter family living at 59 Elswick Row in Westgate, Northumberland:

The Hunter family appears to have been better off financially than the Cunningham family in 1881. With two members of the family employed and one member of the family of independent means, the family could afford one domestic servant.

At some time between 1881 and 1891 Edward Hunter and Annie Cunningham were married. In addition to Una, the 1891 British Census shows the following information for the Hunter family living at 8 Wentworth Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland:

Edward Hunter’s occupation as a bank manager must have provided very well for the family. With three small children, they were still able to afford two domestic servants in the household, although one of the servants, Isabella Tomlin, may have been a relative.

Una Tomlin Hunter was christened in St. Paul’s Parish in Newcastle upon Tyne on the 25th of May 1886,^[4] her middle name obviously coming from the family name of her paternal grandmother. Una’s brother George was born on the 27th of March 1887 and he was christened in St. Paul’s Parish on the 18th of May 1887.^[5] No precise birth date could be found for Una’s brother Howard although his christening date was found to be on the 2^nd of November 1888 at St. Paul’s Parish.^[6]

The 1901 British Census shows the following individuals living in the Hunter household at 8 Wentworth Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland:

At the time of the 1901 census Edward George Hunter, age 15, and Howard Tomlin Hunter, age 12, were no longer living in the household of their parents. It is likely that they were away at boarding school. Edward Hunter’s occupation as a share and stock broker must have paid well enough for him to be able to afford to send them off to school. In addition, the family was able to employ two domestic servants. A worldwide census search for the two boys produced negative results. Their whereabouts in 1901 was not discovered during this research.

George Edward Hunter became an architect after leaving school and later joined his father’s brokerage firm. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the 3^rd Volunteer Battalion (late Newcastle-on-Tyne Battalion), The Northumberland Fusiliers in 1904.^[7]

Howard Tomlin Hunter followed his brother some two years later and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the 3^rd Volunteer Battalion, The Northumberland Fusiliers on the 27^th of April 1906.^[8]

George was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in the battalion on the 28^th of September 1906 ^[9] and his brother Howard received a promotion to the same rank on the 1^st of June 1907.^[10] The headquarters of their battalion during this period was located at St. George’s Drill Hall on Northumberland Road in Newcastle on Tyne.

On the 1^st of April 1908 Lieutenant George Edward Hunter was appointed to the 6^th Battalion, The Northumberland Fusiliers, a battalion of the regiment in the Territorial Force (T.F.) and on the 4^th of June 1908 he was promoted to the rank of Captain.^[11]

While Howard was serving in the Northumberland Fusiliers, he too was appointed to the 6^th Battalion (T.F.). He had also decided to study medicine at the Durham College of Medicine and in 1910 he qualified for the degree of Bachelor of Medicine (M.B.). He also studied surgery at St. Bartholomew’s in London, qualifying for the degree of Bachelor of Surgery (B.S.) and later went abroad for further studies in Vienna.^[12] The Monthly Army List of December 1912 indicates that Howard was promoted to the rank of Captain on the 22^nd of January 1912.

George worked as an architect during this period. In 1913 he discontinued his practice as an architect and became a partner in his father’s firm of Hunter & Henderson, Stockbrokers, of Newcastle.^[13]

 3. THE GREAT WAR, 1914-1918

When the Great War of 1914-1918 broke out in early August of 1914, both of Una’s brothers were serving as company commanders in the 6^th Battalion, The Northumberland Fusiliers, with George commanding "C" Company and Howard in command of "D" Company.^[14]

On the 16^th of August 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the war, No. 9 Red Cross Hospital (Millicent, Duchess of Sutherland’s Ambulance) was established at Namur in Belgium. The hospital was disestablished after the German occupation of Belgium, but it would be re-established and would play a large roll in Una Tomlin Hunter’s life during the Great War.^[15]

Una apparently had taken up nursing prior to the war and in October of 1914 she was working at the Hospital for Sick Children in Newcastle on Tyne.^[16] In November of 1914 No. 9 Red Cross Hospital was re-established at the Hotel Belle Vue at Malo les Bains, Dunkirk, France as an evacuation hospital with the capability of providing 70 to 100 beds for sick or wounded soldiers. Una would eventually be assigned to this hospital as the war progressed, but before she was she had to put in some time at the military hospital located in Brancepeth Castle near Durham. She was assigned to this hospital in December of 1914.

Una Tomlin Hunter (left) with two friends, probably at the Hospital for Sick Children, c. 1914

The spacious and luxurious interior of Brancepeth Castle was converted to accommodate the "Old Contemptible" casualties as they returned from the front. Its hallways, dining room, drawing room and saloon were converted to wards for the sick and wounded. Living quarters were provided on the upper floors for the staff and nurses. The soldiers were given access to the library and billiard room for recreation and could walk and exercise in the courtyard and rosery. The castle contained a splendid Armour Gallery which was converted to a game room but was little used according to Una who wrote:

"The armour is covered up with sheeting-the one place they (the patients) may not smoke, so a notice up "no smoking". Consequently not a soul sits there now-not even all the "games in Christendom" set out there will tempt without my lady nicotine."

The old castle was damp and very cold in winter and Una complained about her bedroom, writing:

"Tell it not but I have 6 blankets! Putting the fur coat over my bed had the desired effect. Presto 2 more blankets-warm as toast (of course there is not counterpane)."

A ward at the Military Hospital, Brancepeth, Castle

Una became fond of many of the patients and they liked her as well, many of them giving her picture postcards of themselves as a remembrance. The majority of the troops at the hospital appear to have been Northumberland Fusiliers although she did have a photo in her personal album of two sappers. Lance Corporal G. Lansberry and Sergeant Jack Hinson both of the 2nd Northern Division, Royal Engineers, who were patients at Brancepeth in February 1915. Frenchmen were also treated at Brancepeth as evidenced by a group photo in which appears a soldier named Prosper of the 1er Regiment de Chasseurs a Pied who was recovering from a hand wound.^[17] Una appeared to be particularly fond of postcards and she acquired them wherever she went. Among the possessions of her future husband, Major Sydney Banks Keast, were numerous postcards showing the interior and exterior of Brancepeth Castle.^[18]

^{BRANCEPETH CASTLE
Left: Sapper Lansbery and Sergeant Hinson, Royal Engineers.
Right: Private Crawford, 6th Northumberland Fusiliers (seated) and pal.}

^{Una's many French postcards collected while in France}

On the 5^th of April 1915 Una, then 29 years of age, enrolled as a Nurse in the Voluntary Aid Detachment (V.A.D.), Northumberland, Number 64.^[19] From "The History of the Voluntary Aid Detachment"^[20] the following excerpts are provided to describe the beginnings of the V.A.D.:

"In 1914 there was no Ministry of Health and no one had overall control of the hospitals, however the British Red Cross Society, founded in 1870 linked up with the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in 1909 and formed the organization known as the Voluntary Aid Detachment or V.A.D. for short."

"Since 1909 many middle or upper class women became keen to give up their time to do some useful work, mainly in hospitals. However not all volunteers were upper class women and not all V.A.D. work was completed in hospitals. At the outbreak of war there were already a number of V.A.D. Auxiliary Nurses working in hospitals."

"Before the outbreak of war some V.A.D. Nurses would do a short course to gain a certificate. Qualified nurses had three years training and soon became suspicious of the short V.A.D. courses. Inevitably quarrels broke out and from time to time there was open conflict. These disagreements were even printed in ‘Nursing Journals’ reporting the V.A.D. nurses as ‘ignorant amateurs."

"In nursing itself old traditions had been shaken and nurses had to adapt to new conditions, and in spite of conflicts professionals and amateurs began to work together for mutual benefit. There had been a new spirit in which people accepted change for the sake of unity in the war effort. . . . V.A.D. Nurses used social influence to get themselves to the conflicts in France to nurse the sick and wounded soldiers. This above all other matters carved out a clear role for the V.A.D. workers. They became very active in the war effort, assisting nurses or orderlies in hospitals at home and in all major theatres of war."

"The novelist Agatha Christie, famously known as an English author of detective stories, was once a V.A.D. Nurse. The new spirit of war brought volunteer after volunteer to do what they could for the war. V.A.D. Volunteers also became fundraisers, cooks, kitchen maids, clerks, ward-maids, and ambulance drivers."

As Una Tomlin Hunter was enrolled in the V.A.D. as a Nurse, it would appear that she was more than an "ignorant amateur." Although the exact nature of her nursing training and amount of experience as a nurse are not known, she was working as a nurse at the Hospital for Sick Children in Newcastle in October of 1914. She was 28 years of age at that time, so it may be assumed that she had been working as a nurse for some time prior to the war.

The month of her enrollment as a nurse in the V.A.D., April of 1915, was to be the most horrific month in her lifetime. Prior to the war she had become engaged to Lieutenant Arthur Richmond Garton, the son of Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs. William G.A. Garton.^[21] Lieutenant Garton was an officer in the 6^th Battalion, The Northumberland Fusiliers along with Una’s two brothers. The 6^th Battalion was called to the Colours at the outbreak of the war and on the 20^th of April 1915 the battalion, with Una’s brothers and fiancé, left Blyth in Northumberland to embark for France. The battalion arrived at Boulogne at 2140 hours on the 20^th of April and marched to a rest camp at St. Martin. The 6^th Battalion, at this time, formed part of the Northumberland Brigade of the Northumbrian Division.^[22]

On the 21^st of April the battalion marched three miles to Pont du Briquet and then entrained to travel to Cassel. In the early morning hours of the 22^nd of April the battalion marched five miles from Cassel to Winnezeele, arriving there at 0430 hours.

The 6^th Battalion departed Winnezeele at 0900 hours on the 23^rd of April and marched eleven miles to Brandhoek, where it arrived at 1330 hours that same day. At Brandhoek the battalion took over a section of front line trenches on either side of the Ypres-Poperinghe Road.

The Hunter brothers along with Lieutenant Garton and the rest of the 6^th Battalion departed the Brandhoek area at 1545 hours on the 24^th of April and marched by way of Ypres toward Potijze to form part of the Corps reserve. The unit arrived at Potijze at 2230 hours on the 25^th of April, having been shelled while passing through Ypres and having already suffered casualties.

On the 26^th of April 1915 the 6^th Battalion, The Northumberland Fusiliers was placed under the command of the 1^st Canadian Division and was given orders to attack St. Julien village through the line of trenches held by the British 4^th Division. Thus it was that the battalion, having been in France only seven days, and consisting of green troops and inexperienced officers and non-commissioned officers, was ordered to attack an enemy defensive position as its first mission of the war.

In his book The British Campaign in France and Flanders, 1915, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle describes the advance and the attack on St. Julien on the 25^th and 26^th of April.^[23]

"Reinforcements were now assembling to the immediate south of St. Julien. By evening [of the 25^th of April] the Northumberland Brigade and the Durham Light Infantry Brigade – both of the Fiftieth Territorial Division – had reach Potijze. [These troops] were placed under the hand of General Alderson for the purpose of a strong counter-attack upon St. Julien. This attack was planned to take place on the morning of Sunday, April 26."

"The advance was made at 6.30 in the morning of April 26, General Hull being in immediate control of the attack. . . . Little progress was made, however, and it became clear that there was not weight enough behind the advance to crush a way through the obstacles in front. . . . Finally a brigade of Northumberland Territorials came up to sustain the hard-pressed line, passing over some two miles of open country under heavy fire on their advance. It was then nearly mid-day. From that point onwards the attackers accepted the situation and dug themselves in at the farthest point which they could reach near the hamlet of Fortuin, about a mile south of St. Julien."

Doyle then goes on to describe the final assault on St. Julien by the Northumberland Brigade.^[24]

". . . [on the eastern flank of the attacking divisions a] fine advance had been made by the Northumberland Brigade of Territorials (Riddell) of the Fiftieth Division, who had just arrived from England. Some military historian has remarked that British soldiers never fight better than in their first battle, and this particular performance, carried out by men with the home dust still upon their boots, could not have been improved upon. In this as in other attacks it was well understood that the object of the operations was rather to bluff the Germans into suspending their dangerous advance than to actually gain and permanently hold any of the lost ground. The brigade advanced in artillery formation which soon broke into open order. The fire, both from the German guns, which had matters all their own way, and from their riflemen, was incessant and murderous. The 6^th Northumberland Fusiliers were on the left with the 7^th [Northumberland Fusiliers] upon the right, the other two battalions being nominally in second line but actually swarming up into the gaps. In spite of desperately heavy losses the gallant Geordies won their way across open fields, with an occasional rest, behind a bank or hedge, until they were on the actual outbuildings of St. Julien. They held on to the edge of the village for some time, but they had lost their Brigadier, the gallant Riddell, and a high proportion of their officers and men. . . . The battalions which had reached the village were compelled to fall back. Shortly after six in the evening the survivors had dropped back to their own trenches. Their military career had begun with a repulse, but it was one which was more glorious than many a facile success."

Both of Una Tomlin Hunter’s brothers and her fiancé were killed in this battle. None have a known grave, so their deaths are commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.

An officer in the 6^th Battalion who survived the battle wrote that Captain George Edward Hunter, in command of "C" Company "led his men with the greatest courage and a total disregard for himself, was right in front of the enemy’s position when he was killed by a shell fired at short range." ^[25] The circumstances of George’s death explain why his body was not recovered for burial. He probably took a direct hit from an artillery shell, thus making his body unrecoverable.

A writer in the Durham College of Medicine Gazette wrote of the death of Captain Howard Tomlin Hunter who on the day of the battle commanded "D" Company of the battalion.^[25]

"We have all heard with pride and aching heart of his entry into action. The first torrent of bullet and shell only seemed to increase his absolute indifference to danger, and his example of courage infected the whole company. He led his men through a crossfire of machine-guns and shrapnel, trying to reach the German trenches by a series of rushes. When close to his objective he was struck on the leg but stuck to his job, gamely cheering on his men. We can imagine his bitter disappointment when he had to fall out so near the end of his task. While being helped to the rear he was struck again in the chest and almost immediately dropped dead."

One can only surmise that when Howard was hit the second time he was not close enough to the British trenches for his body to be recovered and buried. His body probably remained in "no man’s land" in front of St. Julien for some time and was not later recovered by advancing British troops.

Nothing was found during this research regarding the manner of death of Una’s fiancé, Lieutenant Arthur Richmond Garton, age 26. Lieutenant Garton was probably killed much in the same way as Una’s brothers, during the attack on St. Julien. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) indicates that Lieutenant Garton had received a mention in despatches (MID) for his actions prior to his death. A search of the London Gazette could not turn up the date or circumstances for this recognition of his service. His Medal Index Card showing his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal includes a notation that states "No Record of M in D." The source used by the CWGC indicating his MID could not be found; therefore, his MID has not been verified.

In addition to the Hunter brothers and Garton, three other officers of the 6^th Battalion, The Northumberland Fusiliers were killed on the 26^th of April 1915. These men were Lieutenant Edmund Mortimer, Lieutenant William Black Noble and 2^nd Lieutenant Edward Noel Mather. In addition, the battalion lost 3 sergeants, 2 lance sergeants, 3 corporals, 1 lance corporal and 26 privates killed in action on this date.^[26]

The news of the tragic deaths of her brothers and her fiancé must have been horrible for Una to bear. Although it is not known for certain, but she may have been in France at the time they were killed. Evidence of this is a postcard dated the 6^th of March 1915, which she sent to her father from France. Why she would have been on the continent at that time is not known. News of her brothers’ deaths would have been sent first to her parents at Gosforth. She may have learned about their deaths while in France or she may have been told of the tragedy after she returned home. She did, in fact, return home from France before taking up her V.A.D. duties, as records indicate that she did not officially report to France as a nurse until October of 1915.^[27] In all likelihood she also learned of her fiancé’s death from her parents when she returned to Gosforth; however, it is possible that through military channels she may have learned of his demise while she was in France.

No. 9 Red Cross Hospital became a Tent Unit at Bourbourg in July of 1915. In October of 1915 the hospital closed at Bourbourg in preparation for a move to Calais. This was the hospital in which Una would serve the major part of her V.A.D. duty and to which she would shortly be assigned.^[28]

Una officially arrived in France to begin her V.A.D. nursing duties on the 22^nd of October 1915. Her initial assignment was to the 26^th General Hospital at Etaples. On the 30^th of October 1915 she sent home a postcard from Etaples indicating that she had arrived safely. Shortly thereafter she was reassigned to No. 9 Red Cross Hospital, which was on the move from Bourbourg to Calais in November of 1915. The hospital opened at Calais on the 12^th of January 1916 as a hospital for British wounded. Its initial capacity was 100 beds, but this was subsequently increased to 120 beds.^[29]

A postcard written by Una to her parents, dated the 22^nd of October 1916, indicates that she returned to Wentworth on home leave from active service after a year in France. She stayed with them for about a month and on the 24^th of November 1916 she wrote them a postcard indicating that she had boarded a ship to sail back to Calais.

Una was a great one for postcards. She filled an entire album with post cards that she purchased from the various places in France where she was stationed. Most of them contained no message or note on the back, although some did, and these give some indication of where and when she was at a certain location. Following the postcard announcing her sailing back to Calais, the album contains numerous picture postcards from Etaples and Calais.

On the 10^th of August 1917 Captain Sydney Banks Keast, R.E. was wounded and was evacuated to No. 9 Red Cross Hospital at Calais. It was there that Una and her future husband were to meet. Una nursed Sydney during his convalescence and they kept in close contact through postcards after he returned to the front.^[30]

It must have been love at first sight for Sydney and Una. On the 9^th of November 1917, only about three months after they first met, the engagement of Captain Keast and Miss Hunter was announced in The Times. The announcement read as follows:^[31]

CAPTAIN S.B KEAST, M.C. AND MISS HUNTER

An engagement is announced between Captain Sydney Banks Keast, M.C. Royal Engineers, of Accra, West Africa,^[32] only son of the late Walter Keast and of Mrs. Keast, St. Helens, Folkestone, and Una Tomlin Hunter, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hunter, Wentworth, Gosforth, Northumberland.

Una continued her duties with the V.A.D. and in March of 1918 No. 9 Red Cross Hospital moved to Longuenesse, near St. Omer. True to form, Una continued her collection of postcards, which show her traveling with the hospital to St. Omer and Abbeville.

In April of 1918 Una was posted to the Duchess of Westminster’s (No. 1 British Red Cross) Hospital in Le Casino de la Foret at Le Touquet-Paris-Plage.^[33] Una collected numerous postcards from this new location. On the 14^th of August 1918 she wrote out a postcard indicating that the hospital had been visited by the Queen of the Belgians and that the Duchess of Westminster had been awarded the Order of St. Elizabeth by the Queen during her visit.

No. 1 British Red Cross Hospital
(Note the censor's clipping of the location of the scene at the bottom of the card)

Una returned to No. 9 Red Cross Hospital which by September 1918 had moved to Hazebrouck and by October to Roubaix. Una filled pages of her album with postcards from both Roubaix and Tourcoing. A final postcard written by her indicates that she was still with No. 9 Red Cross Hospital on the 13^th of November1918. The hospital was demobilized on the 20^th of November after performing valuable service with the British Expeditionary Force and Una was temporarily assigned back to No. 1 British Red Cross Hospital.

No. 9 Red Cross Hospital, in which Una had served for most of her time in France, was recognized for its efficient use of the Carrel-Dakin treatment of wounds. This treatment consisted of intermittently irrigating wounds with Dakin’s solution, a highly diluted antiseptic consisting of sodium hypochlorite and boric acid.^[34] The hospital had also provided excellent treatment of fractured limbs by means of suspension and counter-extension. The total number of patients treated by No. 9 Red Cross Hospital between the 12^th of January 1916 and the 20^th of November 1918 was 5,914.^[35] Given her long-term assignment to this hospital it can be said that Una was at the forefront of the medical technology of the time, especially as it pertained to treating war wounds.

Una was discharged from the V.A.D. on the 28^th of November 1918 while at No. 1 British Red Cross Hospital.^[36] For her service as a nurse during the Great War she was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.^[37] It appears that she also was awarded the Belgian Medal of King Albert, 1914-1918 as this medal is mounted on a bar along with her other medals as she wore them. No verification of this award could be found in the London Gazette.

Una’s brothers, Captain George Edward Hunter and Captain Howard Tomlin Hunter also were posthumously awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. Their parents would also have received memorial plaques in their honour. The locations of their medals and plaques are not known to the author. On the 31^st of December 1918, Edward Hunter, Esq., Una’s father, applied to the War Office for the 1914-15 Stars of his dead sons.^[38]

Una’s former fiancé, Lieutenant Arthur Richmond Garton also was posthumously awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal for his service during the war. His Medal Index Card indicates that his father applied for his late son’s medals on the 6^th of February 1922. The medals subsequently were sent to his mother at 87 Merton Hall Road, Wimbledon S.W.19. The whereabouts of Lieutenant Garton’s medals is not known to the author.

Una returned home after her discharge and kept in touch with Sydney who moved from France into Germany. He sent her numerous postcards from various locations in both countries during the month of December 1918.

On the 1^st of April 1919 the marriage of Major Sydney Banks Keast, MC, R.E. was announced in The Times. The announcement read as follows:

"The marriage of Major Sydney Banks Keast, M.C., R.E., of Accra, West Africa, only son of the late Walter Keast and Mrs. Keast, to Una Tomlin, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hunter, of Wentworth, Gosforth, Northumberland, will take place on April 16, at All Souls Church, Langham-place, London at 1 o’clock. There are no invitations, but friends will be welcome at the church, and afterwards at the Langham Hotel."

The marriage took place as scheduled and following the reception Sydney and Una went off on their honeymoon to Bournemouth, the greatly favored seaside resort on Poole Bay in Dorsetshire. Bournemouth was known for its excellent sands and gardens, and beautiful valleys, called "chines." It also offered an art gallery and museum with a fine collection of paintings, as well as the delightful Compton Acres Gardens on Canford Cliffs. While at Bournemouth they also enjoyed some boating, golf and sightseeing. They remained at Bournemouth for two weeks, returning to London during the first week in May. Major Keast had given up his rooms at Lanpham Street and took up suitable lodgings for himself and his new bride at 85 Howard's Lane, Putney. He bought an automobile, a small Stellite convertible, which both he and Una drove.

Una in Bournemouth, 1919

4. THE GOLD COAST, 1919 - 1937

On the 5^th of May 1919 Major Keast contracted for re-engagement as Superintending Sanitary Engineer on the Gold Coast, a position he had held prior to the Great War. Sydney and Una immediately began making preparations to leave for Africa. Prior to their departure for Africa the Keasts visited their parents. In the latter part of May and early June they visited Sydney's mother and sisters at Folkestone. His father had died some years earlier. They then proceeded to Gosforth, Northumberland where they visited Una's parents. At Gosforth they enjoyed the lovely spring weather, taking long drives in the country, playing croquet, and lounging on the luxurious lawns of the estate.

Their honeymoon over, the Keasts left for Liverpool to board the H.M.S. Elmina, which would take them to their home for the next 18 years in the Gold Coast. They departed Liverpool bound for Seccondee on the 11^th of June 1919 but arrived instead in Freetown, Sierra Leone on the 22^nd of June. Traveling overland they finally arrived in Accra on the 28th where they were assigned to Bungalow 64 in the Government Compound. Sydney immediately assumed his duties in the Public Works Department. The Keasts were fortunate in being assigned to Accra itself rather than to some smaller town in the outlying areas of Ashanti or the Northern Territories. While many of Keast's fellow P.W.D. officers were stationed in such out of the way places as Tamale, Salaga and Kumasi, Sydney and Una enjoyed the relative comfort and social life that the capitol city afforded them. The Keasts moved very shortly into Bungalow 49, which was anything but a "bungalow". It was a four-wing, two-story house, beautifully constructed and surrounded by lush lawns, trees and hedges. It was a spacious dwelling with an elegant veranda and large airy rooms. It was tastefully furnished with an assortment of wicker and wood furniture of African design and manufacture, the majority of it of course being hand made. Its highly polished wooden floors were partially covered with a variety of oriental rugs. Una used the profusion of windows to provide sunlight for the large number of houseplants that she grew indoors. Additionally she tried her hand, and was very successful, at growing a beautiful assortment of roses in large flower boxes around the outside of the house.

In addition to their lovely living quarters, the social side of colonial life in Accra was also at their disposal. Among the many diversions available to them were the polo club, the hunt breakfasts, receptions at Government House, tea parties, supper parties, horse races, and the military reviews and ceremonies which took place with great frequency in Accra.

With regard to food, it appears that Una was an accomplished cook. She was a contributor to a book entitled The Ghana Cookery Book, which eventually would be published in 1933. One of West Africa’s earliest recipe books, The Ghana Cookery Book contains over 800 traditional African and colonial recipes making use of a wealth of local ingredients such as ripe tropical fruit, abundant fresh fish from the Atlantic Ocean, exotic spices and a profusion of vegetables, grains and nuts from the fertile plantations of the Gold Coast.^[39]

As their first year in Africa came to a close Sydney became eligible for leave. He and Una departed Accra on the 26^th of July 1920 and returned to England to visit their families. By the 30^th of December they had arrived back in Accra and Sydney resumed his duties. Unusual as it may seem, they appear to have spent Christmas of that year aboard ship, probably due to the requirement to return to Accra no later than the end of the year.

The Keasts took no home leave in 1921, but they did travel rather extensively through the Gold Coast and Togoland. It was not until the 5^th of March 1922 that they again departed Accra for England. Again they spent their time visiting their families and returned to Accra on the 24^th of August 1922. They took no home leave in 1923 and waited until the 2^nd of February 1924 to return to England. The Keasts visited Somerset while at home and in April Sydney took part in a stag hunt at Haddon Hall while Una was visiting with her family at "Wentworth." On the 20^th of August 1924 the Keasts returned to Accra.

In September 1925 Sydney departed Accra on leave. Una had left for England some time earlier and was in Gleneagles, Perthshire at the time. After Sydney's arrival they had a short visit with their families in England and then went on holiday to Lenzerheide, Switzerland, arriving there on the 1^st of January 1926. They spent almost a month at this beautiful Swiss resort and engaged in every type of winter sport. They stayed at the Kurhaus, a magnificent alpine hotel, and accompanied by friends they packed their vacation with cross country skiing, ski jumping, ice-skating, and curling. Sydney appears to have been a rather accomplished skier but there is photographic evidence that Una must have taken frequent spills on the slopes. Sydney apparently learned to ski as early as 1908 when in July of that year he made a trip to Switzerland, presumably while he was on home leave from the Sudan. On the 28^th of January 1926 their holiday came to an end and they departed for England. They spent about a month at home before returning to Accra on the 18^th of March.

On the 7^th of October 1926, with over seven years of seniority with the Gold Coast P.W.D., Keast was appointed Assistant Director of Public Works. After settling into his new assignment he and Una departed Accra on the 26^th of February 1927 for another period of leave. In addition to their normal family visits Sydney went stag hunting at Tiverton, Devonshire and attended some polo matches at Dunster in Somerset during April. In June he returned to "Wentworth" to spend some time with Una's family and returned to Accra on the 20^th of July 1927 to resume his duties.

Keast rose quickly in the civil service receiving a promotion to Deputy Director of Public Works on the 4^th of May 1928. With this promotion came the requirement to travel to outlying districts in the Colony to visit P.W.D. projects. He and Una also took this opportunity to visit old friends and do a bit of socializing. Sydney and Una headed north from Accra and visited their friends the Pomoroys in Salaga on the River Daka near the Togoland border. From here they preceded to Nararonga to visit Captain Ardron, the District Commissioner. Tamale in the Northern Territories was their next stop, which they reached by automobile. Their final stop was at Wa in the upper regions of the Northern Territories along the border with the Ivory Coast. Here they visited the local native chief and the mosque as part of their sightseeing junket. The Keasts returned to Accra and remained there until the 28^th of October 1928 when they again departed for England on leave. After spending Christmas with Una's family the Keasts departed for Switzerland, arriving at Lenzerheide on New Year's Day 1929. They stayed again at the Kurhaus resort and again spent a month actively pursuing winter sports. They did break up their stay this time with some side trips to Basel, which they visited on the 7^th of January 1929 and to Lucerne where they arrived on 2 February. While at Lenzerheide they engaged in their normal round of skiing, skating, sightseeing and socializing. Una appears to have improved her skiing and cut a handsome figure as an ice skater.

By the 8^th of February 1929 the Keasts were in Folkestone visiting Sydney's family. They returned to Accra on the 23^rd of April and Sydney returned to duty after a very pleasant and restful vacation. How they must have enjoyed the cold Swiss weather after experiencing the tropical climate of the Gold Coast year round.

The year 1929 was also a very busy one on the Gold Coast. It was a good year for polo with the Accra team competing against the club from Tamale at the Tamale Polo Ground. The Keasts were the proud owners of a new Humber convertible that they used for their travels in country. There were the hunt breakfasts and the Poppy Bay celebrations at Accra and Kumasi. There was Una's work with the Nurses of Maternity Hospital in Accra and the gala wedding of Sir A.R. Slater's daughter Betty at Government House.

Sydney had remained active in military affairs while working on the Gold Coast. He joined the Gold Coast Defence Force and was Second-in-Command to Colonel R.A. de B. Rose, C.M.G., D.S.O., an officer with whom he had served in the Cameroons during the war. On the 5^th of May 1930 Keast assumed command of the Defence Force when Colonel Rose departed for England on leave. Sydney and Una departed shortly thereafter on their own home leave. After a medical examination on the 25^th of May, which found Sydney to be in good health, he and Una departed Accra for England aboard the SS "Aba" on the 28^th of May. They arrived at Plymouth on the 10^th of June and visited Una's family at "Wentworth". During this leave Sydney went to Bisley Camp at Brookwood in Surrey where he fired in the National Rifle Association competitions.

After the shooting matches Sydney returned to "Wentworth" and he and Una visited Torquay, Teignmouth, Dartmoor and Princetown between the 10th and 17th of July. In September of 1930 they visited Taunton in Somerset where they stayed at the Carnarvon Arms Hotel. Here they attended the Devon and Somerset Hunt at Winsford. On the 30^th of September the Keasts left Taunton for Folkestone for a visit with Sydney's mother who was ill. Emma Mary Keast had moved from the family estate on Cheriton Road and was now residing at 30 Kingsnorth Gardens, Folkestone. After a stay of about two weeks Sydney and Una traveled to Liverpool where they departed for the Gold Coast on the 22^nd of October 1930 aboard the mail steamer "Adda." The Keasts arrived in Accra on the 4^th of November and Sydney was again appointed Acting Director of Public Works.

On the 15^th of December 1930 Sydney and Una departed Accra for England aboard the SS "Apapa." The Keasts arrived at Plymouth on the 28^th of December and proceeded to Una's family estate.

On the 25^th of January 1931, while they were in England, Sydney’s permanent promotion to Director of Public Works became effective. But his duties on the Gold Coast would wait, for April was stag season in Devonshire and there is exactly where Sydney and Una headed. They returned to Tiverton where they had last been in 1927 to ride to the hounds. On the 18 of May 1931 the Keasts left Liverpool for the Gold Coast aboard the SS "Appam" and arrived in Takoradi on the 31st.

The Keasts remained in Accra during the remainder of 1931 and all of 1932. They departed Accra on the 25th of February 1933 aboard the steamer "Accra" arriving at Plymouth on the 4^th of August, after apparently making some stops along the way.. As usual they visited Una's home and in October they attended the Devon and Somerset Stag Hunt at Tiverton, staying once again at the Carnarvon Arms Hotel. They departed Liverpool on the mail steamer "Accra" on the 13^th of December 1933 arriving in Accra on the 27^th .

 On 31^st of March 1935 Sydney and Una departed Accra on the steamer "Accra" for leave in England. They arrived at Plymouth on the 13^th of April and proceeded to "Wentworth". Keast again attended the N.R.A. After the N.R.A. competitions the Keasts went on holiday to one of their favorite vacation spots at Taunton, Somerset. They then returned to "Wentworth" on 7^th of September 1935 to spend a few days with Una' s family.

On the 18^th of September 1935 the Keasts departed England on the SS "Appam" and arrived in Accra on the 3^rd of October. They took no leave during 1936 but remained in Accra where Sydney played polo and organized the celebrations for the coronation of King George VI.

As the wife of the Director of Public Works, Una was awarded the 1935 Jubilee Medal and the 1937 Coronation Medal. From the way they were mounted on a pin-back bar, it is apparent that she wore these medals at state occasions and government functions, along with the medals she had been awarded for her service in the Great War.

In 1937 Sydney retired from his position in Ghana. Prior to their departure from Accra the Keasts were honored by their friends in the P.W.D. A beautiful silver serving set was presented to them with the following inscription:

"PRESENTED TO MAJOR S. BANKS KEAST, O.B.E., M.C., Director of Public Works, Gold Coast by the European Staff of the Department on the Occasion of His Retirement in 1937."

Una was also honored with a silver serving tray engraved as follows:

"Presented to Mrs. S. Banks Keast by the European Staff of the Public Works Department of the Gold Coast as a token of their regard."

The Keasts in turn presented their beloved Accra Polo Club with a silver statuette of a polo pony with the following engraved plaque:

"Presented to THE ACCRA POLO CLUB by Major & Mrs. S. Banks Keast in Memory of Many Happy Times - 1936."

Sydney and Una sailed for Lobito Bay, South Africa on the 15^th of February 1957 aboard the Woermann Liner SS "Wangoni". After a stay of some two months in South Africa they sailed for England from Durban on the SS "Dunluce Castle" arriving in Tilbury on the 11^th of June.

5. THE FINAL YEARS, 1937 - 1942

From July 1937 to March 1940 the Keasts remained at their home in Somerset. On the 4^th of December 1942 Una Tomlin Keast died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston, Birmingham at the age of 56. Her death certificate lists the cause of death as uremia.^[40] The certificate also lists their residence as Eden Bridge, Leigh Linton Road, Malvern Link, Worcestershire. Apparently they had moved from Lopen House in Somerset sometime before Una' s death.

ADDENDUM NO. 1: Photographs of Brancepeth Castle in Una Keast's Album dated December 1914 to April 1915

Armour Gallery, Brancepeth Castle			Brancepeth Castle and Church
Brancepeth Castle from the Park			Brancepeth Church, South Entrance
Brancepeth Station			Brancepeth Village
Dining Room, Brancepeth Castle			Gates & Lodge, Brancepeth Castle
Military Hospital, Brancepeth Castle (during the Great War of 1914-1918)			Military Hospital, Brancepeth Castle (during the Great War of 1914-1918)
The Billiard Room, Brancepeth Castle			The Courtyard, Brancepeth Castle (arrow marks Una's bedroom)
In the Courtyard of Brancepeth Castle			The Drawing Room, Brancepeth Castle
The Front Hall, Brancepeth Castle			The Kitchen, Brancepeth Castle
The Library, Brancepeth Castle			The Rosery, Brancepeth Castle (in summer)
The Saloon, Brancepeth Castle			The Wine Cellar, Brancepeth Castle
Nurse Cooper                                                   Nurse Crystal			Nurse (unidentified)                                   Nursing Sister (unidentified)

REFERENCES

Books

1. DE SANTIS, E. An Account of the Life of Major Sydney Banks Keast, OBE, MC*, R.E. Privately printed, Columbia, Maryland, 2005.

2. DOYLE, A.C. The British Campaign in France and Flanders, 1915. Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1917.

3. MERRIAM WEBSTER. Geographical Dictionary, Springfield, MA, 1997.

Census Data

1. 1871 England Census, Registration District; Newcastle upon Tyne. Sub-registration District; All Saints. Enumeration District; 17. Household Number: 181.

2. 1891 England Census, Registration District; Newcastle upon Tyne. Sub-registration District; Westgate. Enumeration District; 33

3. 1901 England Census, Registration District; Newcastle upon Tyne. Sub-registration District; Westgate. Enumeration District; 40. Household Schedule Number; 284.

Computer Software

1. Officers and Soldiers Died in the Great War. The Naval & Military Press Ltd., Heathfield, East Sussex, 1998.

2. 1881 British Census and National Index, England, Scotland, Wales, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, and Royal Navy. Family History Resource File, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Salt Lake City, 1999.

3. British Isles Vital Records Index, England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Family History Resource File, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Salt Lake City, 2001.

Correspondence

1. MOON, Antonia, Archives Assistant, British Red Cross Museum and Archives, date unknown (document provided by Dr. Robert G. Rogers).

2. ROGERS, Dr. Robert G. Hospitals, France and Belgium, pp. 345 to 346. Author, title and date of publication unknown (pages from document provided by R.G. Rogers).

Diaries

1. War Diary, 150^th Field Company, Royal Engineers.

2. Diary of 1584 Corporal Henry G. Smith, 6^th Northumberland Fusiliers during the Battle of St. Julien, 20-26 April 1915.

Internet Web Site

1. Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty Details (CWGC.com).

2. TILBROOK, Simon. Head of History at Newcastle RGS. Details provided to Internet web site.

www.1914-1918.net/heroes/hunter.

3. Wikipedia. Henry Dry dale Dakin. Internet Web Site.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Drysdale_Dakin.

4. CROFT, N. and CROFT, J. The History of Voluntary Aid Detachment (V.A.D.)

http://www.micklebring.com/oakwood/ch01.htm

Maps

LETTS, C. Roadbook of Britain. Charles Letts and Company Limited, London, 1977.

Official Documents

1. Medal Index Card of Una Tomlin Hunter, Volunteer Aid Detachment. National Archives Catalogue Reference WO 372/23.

2. Medal Index Card, Captain George Edward Hunter, 6^th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers.

3. Medal Index Card, Captain Howard Tomlin Hunter, 6^th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers.

4. Medal Index Card, Lieutenant Arthur Richmond Garton, 6^th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers.

5. Certified Copy of an Entry of Death (Una Tomlin Keast), General Register Office, London, Copy No. DA 651725, dated 16 June 1977.

Periodicals

1. The London Gazette, November 17, 1908.

2. The Times, November 9, 1917, page 9, issue 41631, column C, "Marriages."

3. The Times, April 1, 1919, page 15, issue 42063, column C, "Marriages."

4. ROWE, R.M. A Note on the Carrel-Dakin-Daufresne Treatment. The British Medical Journal, September 22, 1917.

5. DIMOND, L. and McQUEEN, R. The Carrel-Dakin Treatment and a Method for its Application on an Extensive Scale. The British Medical Journal, September 22, 1917.

6. The Monthly Army List, April 1907.

7. The Monthly Army List, October 1910.

8. The Monthly Army List, December 1912, p. 939.

9. The Monthly Army List, April 1915, p. 939a.

10. Supplement to the Half-Yearly Army List for the Period ending 31 December 1924, War Services of Officers on Retired Pay. The London Stamp Exchange, Ltd., London.

11. The Monthly Army List, April 1903, p. 563.

ENDNOTES

[1] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Family History Library Film 1342222, Public Record Office Reference RG 11, Piece 5064, Folio 56, page 43.

[2] The entry in the census is not legible; however, the word appears to be Sails. It would seem more likely that the word would be Sales.

[3] Vital Records Index – British Isles, Family History Library Film 1068650, 1872-1905.

[4] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index: 1837-1983, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Volume 10b, page 17.

[5] England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index: 1837-1983, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Volume 10b, page 31.

[6] TILBROOK. www.1914-1918.net/heroes/hunter.

[7] The Monthly Army List, April 1907, p. 566.

[8] Ibid.

[9] The Monthly Army List, October 1910, p. 565.

[10] The London Gazette, November 17, 1908, p. 8410.

[11] TILBROOK. www.1914-1918.net/heroes/hunter

[12] Ibid.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Hospitals, France and Belgium, pp. 345 to 346.

[15] De SANTIS, E., www.reubique.com/major.htm

[16] Ibid.

[17] These postcards, in albums, are in the possession of the author.

[18] MOON, A.

[19] Internet Web Site http://www.micklebring.com/oakwood/ch01.htm

[20] William G.A. Garton (Honorary Lieutenant Colonel Quartermaster, retired pay). Commissioned in the Royal Horse Guards. Served in the Sudan Expedition of 1885 and was awarded the Egypt 1882 Medal with clasp [SUAKIN]. Also awarded the Khedive’s Star. Served in the South African War 1900-1902 and was mentioned in despatches in the London Gazette dated 10 September 1901. He was granted the honorary rank of Captain (Quartermaster) during this period and was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasps [WITTEBERGEN] [CAPE COLONY] and [TRANSVAAL] and the King’s South Africa Medal with clasps [SOUTH AFRICA 1901] [SOUTH AFRICA 1902]. He served during the Great War of 1914-1918 and was awarded the 1914 Star and bar, the British War Medal and Victory Medal. During the war he was granted the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

[21] This division was later numbered the 50^th Division.

[22] DOYLE, pp. 62 and 63.

[23] Ibid., pp. 68 and 59.

[24] TILBROOK. www.1914-1918.net/heroes/hunter

[25] It should be noted that Officers Died in the Great War indicates that Captain Howard Tomlin Hunter actually died on the 27^th of April 1915. This is in conflict with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty Details. If Howard was killed on the 27^th of April he was the only battalion officer to die on that day. However, 24 non-commissioned officers and other ranks were killed on the 27^th, to include 1 company sergeant major, 1 sergeant, 1 acting sergeant, 1 lance sergeant, 1 acting corporal, 2 lance corporals and 17 privates.

[26] De SANTIS, E., www.reubique.com/major.htm

[27] ROGERS, Dr. Robert G. Hospitals, France and Belgium, pp. 345 to 346.

[28] Ibid.

[29] De SANTIS, E., www.reubique.com/major.htm

[30] The Times, November 9, 1917, page 9, issue 41631, column C.

[31] It is interesting to note that Keast’s address at the time of the engagement announcement was given as Accra, West Africa. This was where he was living at the time he received his commission in the Royal Engineers and it appears that he still considered it to be his home.

[32] De SANTIS, E., www.reubique.com/major.htm

[33] DIMOND, L. and McQUEEN, p. 387 and ROWE, R.M., p. 387.

[34] ROGERS, Dr. Robert G. Hospitals, France and Belgium, pp. 345 to 346.

[35] MOON, A.

[36] Medal Index Card of Una Tomlin Hunter.

[37] Medal Index Cards of Captains E.G. Hunter and H.T. Hunter.

[38] Reprinted in 2007, The Ghana Cookery Book currently is available for sale at Amazon.com and other distributors.

[39] This description of the contents of the book has been taken from an article by D.S. Irvine published in "African Affairs", Vol. 53, No. 212, July 1954.

[40] Certified copy of the death certificate of Una Tomlin Keast.