Julian Grenfell
Encyclopedia
The Honourable
Julian Henry Francis Grenfell DSO
(30 March 1888 - 26 May 1915), was a British soldier and poet
of World War I
.
, the eldest son of William Grenfell
, later Baron Desborough, and Ethel Priscilla Fane, daughter of Julian Fane. He was educated at Eton
where he was good friends with Denys Finch Hatton
, and latterly with Patrick Shaw-Stewart
. From Eton he went up to Balliol College, Oxford
, where he bullied Philip Sassoon
by cracking a stock whip within inches of his head.
in 1914. On 13 May 1915 as a Captain
in the Royal Dragoons
Julian stood talking with other officers, a shell landed a few yards from them, and a splinter of the shell hit him in the head. He was taken to a hospital in Boulogne
where he died of his wounds 13 days later with his mother, father and sister at his bedside. He was 27 years old and was buried at the Boulogne Eastern Cemetery. The day after his death, together with news of his death, his most famous poem 'Into Battle' was published for the first time, in The Times
.
In a letter that was written in October 1914, Grenfell wrote "I adore war. It is like a big picnic but without the objectivelessness of a picnic. I have never been more well or more happy." This letter became infamous when its publication sparked a backlash of arguments that it was naive and that it strengthened propaganda in the media, which had led to thousands of young men signing up to the British Army, under false pretences.
Grenfell perhaps represented the last generation of young men for whom war was considered mainly to bring glory rather than suffering. Scholars have argued that had he lived, Grenfell might well have become disillusioned like his fellow war poets Siegfried Sassoon
and Wilfred Owen
. The latter referred ironically to how young warriors' "wounds in umentionable places" reduced their romantic warrior status in the eyes of young women.
Julian's younger brother Gerald William (Billy) Grenfell was killed in action on 30 July 1915 within a mile of where Julian had been wounded.
's Poet's Corner. The inscription on the stone was written by a fellow Great War poet, Wilfred Owen
. It reads: "My subject is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity."
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Julian Henry Francis Grenfell DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(30 March 1888 - 26 May 1915), was a British soldier and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Early life
Julian Grenfell was born at 4 St James's Square, LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the eldest son of William Grenfell
William Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough
William Henry Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough, KG, GCVO, was an athlete, sportsman, public servant and politician. He sat in the House of Commons firstly for the Liberal Party and then for the Conservatives between 1880 and 1905 when he was raised to the peerage...
, later Baron Desborough, and Ethel Priscilla Fane, daughter of Julian Fane. He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
where he was good friends with Denys Finch Hatton
Denys Finch Hatton
Denys George Finch Hatton was a big-game hunter, and the lover of Karen Blixen , who wrote about him in her autobiographical book Out of Africa first published in 1937...
, and latterly with Patrick Shaw-Stewart
Patrick Shaw-Stewart
Patrick Houston Shaw-Stewart was a brilliant Eton College and Oxford scholar of the Edwardian era who died on active service as a battalion commander in the Royal Naval Division during the First World War....
. From Eton he went up to Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, where he bullied Philip Sassoon
Philip Sassoon
Sir Philip Albert Gustave David Sassoon, 3rd Baronet, GBE, CMG , was a British politician, art collector and social host, entertaining many celebrity guests at his homes, Port Lympne, Kent, and Trent Park, Hertfordshire, England.-Family:Sassoon was a member of the prominent Sassoon family and...
by cracking a stock whip within inches of his head.
Military service
Grenfell joined the army in 1910, and was awarded a Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
in 1914. On 13 May 1915 as a Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in the Royal Dragoons
Royal Dragoons
The Royal Dragoons was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1661, and served until 1969, when it was amalgamated with the Royal Horse Guards to form The Blues and Royals....
Julian stood talking with other officers, a shell landed a few yards from them, and a splinter of the shell hit him in the head. He was taken to a hospital in Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
where he died of his wounds 13 days later with his mother, father and sister at his bedside. He was 27 years old and was buried at the Boulogne Eastern Cemetery. The day after his death, together with news of his death, his most famous poem 'Into Battle' was published for the first time, in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
.
In a letter that was written in October 1914, Grenfell wrote "I adore war. It is like a big picnic but without the objectivelessness of a picnic. I have never been more well or more happy." This letter became infamous when its publication sparked a backlash of arguments that it was naive and that it strengthened propaganda in the media, which had led to thousands of young men signing up to the British Army, under false pretences.
Grenfell perhaps represented the last generation of young men for whom war was considered mainly to bring glory rather than suffering. Scholars have argued that had he lived, Grenfell might well have become disillusioned like his fellow war poets Siegfried Sassoon
Siegfried Sassoon
Siegfried Loraine Sassoon CBE MC was an English poet, author and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both described the horrors of the trenches, and satirised the patriotic pretensions of those who, in Sassoon's...
and Wilfred Owen
Wilfred Owen
Wilfred Edward Salter Owen MC was an English poet and soldier, one of the leading poets of the First World War...
. The latter referred ironically to how young warriors' "wounds in umentionable places" reduced their romantic warrior status in the eyes of young women.
Julian's younger brother Gerald William (Billy) Grenfell was killed in action on 30 July 1915 within a mile of where Julian had been wounded.
Commemoration
On 11 November 1985, Grenfell was among 16 Great War poets commemorated on a slate stone unveiled in Westminster AbbeyWestminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
's Poet's Corner. The inscription on the stone was written by a fellow Great War poet, Wilfred Owen
Wilfred Owen
Wilfred Edward Salter Owen MC was an English poet and soldier, one of the leading poets of the First World War...
. It reads: "My subject is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity."
Honours and awards
- 1 January 1915 - Lieutenant The Honourable Julian Henry Francis Grenfell, 1st (Royal) Dragoons is appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
in recognition of service with the Expeditionary Force - On the 17th November he succeeded in reaching a point behind the enemy's trenches and making an excellent reconnaissance, furnishing early information of a pending attack by the enemy.