Stanley Warren and the Changi Murals - The Last Supper

The fourth of the series of murals painted by Bombadier Stanley Warren in the the chapel of St Luke's hospital in Changi Barracks depicted the Last Supper.  It shows Christ giving the sacrement of the very first communion with the words

 

THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT WHICH IS SHED FOR MANY

 

 

One interpretation of the figure of Christ is like a lighthouse, wearing a white cape and adorned by a halo.  Stanley had spent time in a lighthouse which had served as an observation post at Pulau Pisang before the fall of Singapore.  The disciples are shown like rocks strewn around the lighthouse at different heights and angles.

The sandals Christ is wearing are Stanley's own, what he called `a very personal signature' and the table and bowls are copied from ones used by the RAMC in camp.  The table is particularly unusual as most depictions of the Last Supper have the disciples sitting around a long table, but this one is small, with just enough room to contain the sacrements.

Stanley Warren and the Changi Murals - The Crucifixion

The Crucifixion was the third of Stanley's murals to be completed.  He deliberately chose slaves to depict people carrying out the crucifixion as, `after all we don't know the full details of who crucified Christ, merely, "they took him and crucified him".' 

The slaves wore loincloths, a direct reference to the prisoners' own experience, but in choosing to represent those carrying out the action as slaves, he was also saying that the ordinary Japanese soldiers were slaves of their commanders when carrying out atrocities.  Indeed, many of the individuals carrying out atrocities were Indian and Korean conscripts. 

This work continued the themes of peace and reconciliation, with Stanley appearing to forgive his captors for the way he and his fellow POWs were being mistreated.  He noted that many of the guards showed a great interest in the progress of this particular mural, probably being very aware of the significance of its message.

He painted Jesus' eyes closed, as he thought it an `impertinence' to look into the eyes of Christ.

The message, `FATHER FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO' comes from Luke 22:34.

I find this the most moving of all of the Changi Murals, as it gets to the heart of how Christian faith was able to overcome the abomination of the treatment of FEPOWs in many cases.  It is the message of universal love and forgiveness, which Christ showed on the cross and set as an example for all his followers in the centuries to come.

Stanley Warren and the Changi Murals - The Ascension of Christ

Stanley Warren's health began to improve after Christmas 1942, and he began work on the second mural in St Luke's Chapel, Changi.

It depicts the risen Christ saying, "Go and teach the nations, I am with you".  Stanley had chosen this as his second mural in case he should die before the set of five were completed, as with the Nativity, it would show the beginning and end of Christ's life on earth.

Stanley remembers completing it in two to three weeks.  St Peter is shown going forward to Jesus as the other disciples look on.  He wanted to depict the individual characters of each disciple, including their weaknesses.

He showed St Peter going forward with his hand on his heart, remembering that he had denied Jesus three times the night he was arrested.  St John is shown jealously guarding his position as Christ's most loved disciple, and Thomas, on the extreme right of the picture, is shown covering his face in memory of having doubted the accounts of Jesus' resurrection.

Therefore the mural directly alludes to the Bible quotes of Matthew 28:19-20 of the Ascension, Luke 22:59-62 of Peter's denial of Christ and Thomas' doubts as written in John 20:24-27.

Stanley Warren and the Changi Murals - Nativity

The first mural to be completed was the Nativity scene.

Stanley recalled, `It isnt curiously enough...an impassioned work.  It is gentle and full of humour. I wanted it to be so.' He painted each of the three kings who presented gifts to the baby Jesus as being from different ethnic backgrounds.  The figure holding the cup is oriental, the robed and turbaned kneeling figure at the front is Middle Eastern, and the third figure is Northern European.

Had tradition allowed a fourth king, Stanley would have made him African, `so that was a concept of universality'.  The old shepherd has his lips pursed, cooing at the child, and the animals, except the red calf, are moving towards the infant Jesus in the crib.

The calf has somewhat irreverently begun to move away, but if by afterthought has turned its head to the crib.  The ox is not as might be envisaged by European, but has the hump characteristic of the Asian variety.

Joseph is seen throwing his hands in the air as if in astonishment.  `We all laughed at that, including Padres Chambers and Payne', remembered Stanley

The Madonna is portayed in quite a traditional manner, `I wanted it to be a familiar figure to the men who had seen stained glass.'

Stanley concentrated his efforts on the head of the virgin, working on expressing the greatest tenderness possible from the harsh media he was using.  `I [had] almost elimnated all line work down to the absolute barest and just working with the white patches to work up the face as gentle as a young mother would be.'

In the end he was satisfied that the refinement he achieved was the best he could do under the circumstances.

There was a disagreement between Stanley and Padre Chambers about the wording to be used on the mural.  Stanley wanted to use the text from the 1611 King James Version of the Bible:

ON EARTH, PEACE, GOODWILL TO ALL MEN

However Padre Chambers insisted on the Vulgate translation of:

PEACE ON EARTH TO MEN OF GOODWILL

Stanley thought that the latter version left the possibility of the individual deciding that some men were not of goodwill, which was at odds with his vision of peace and reconciliation.  The arguments were fierce, with the Padre being reduced to tears, but Stanley eventually gave way.

Stanley, still suffering with dysentery, worked himself into exhaustion to get the mural completed in time for the Christmas service.  He did so, but had to lie in his bed upstairs listening to the carols waft around the building, as hundreds packed the chapel and verandah outside.

Stanley Warren and the Changi Murals

Recently I have been reading The Changi Murals: The Story of Stanley Warren's War by Peter W. Stubbs.

The Changi Murals are five most beautiful pieces of art produced in conditions of extreme hardship and deprivation and, for me, give a message of eternal hope, faith and optimism.

Stanley Warren was born in 1917 and studied art at Hornsey Art College, London.  He then went on to work as a poster designer for Granada Cinemas before joining the army in January 1940.  Due to his artistic talent, he was made an Observation Post (OP) Assistant, tasked with making fast but accurate sketches of enemy positions.



Stanley Warren in later life

He set sail for the Middle East theatre of war in 1941 but was diverted towards Singapore following Japanese advances in the Far East.  He landed in Singapore in January 1942. Before his capture he was able to save the life of a Chinese boy:

`He had been peppered with stones that had been thrown out by a bomb.  Now, the injuries were not serious. This poor little Chinese boy, hair cut in a circular fringe. And he didn't cry....he was just shivering.  I gently carried him down to the road and got an ambulance to take him.  I just hoped that someone would be able to take the stones out and cauterize the wounds.  Just looked at me. I can still see his face.'

He was not so fortunate with a young anti-aircraft gunner whose leg was blown off whilst trying to disable his gun before capture.

I saw the man was bleeding to death.  The trouble is the Japanese planes were over all the time and the fighters were strafing.  So I lay on the road...beside him and pressed my thumbs on the artery to stop him from bleeding any further.  I was hoping that if the fighters came...and if they see that great patch of blood and see two figures there, they won't bother [because] they'll think I was dead anyway.

The ambulance took a long time to come, by which time Stanley's thumbs were numb with pressure.  Sadly the officer died through loss of blood.

I can almost see him now - the young man's face, his grey eyes, the perspiration on his face.

Stanley was taken to Changi camp, where he witnessed executions of men who had tried to escape.  He then became seriously ill with overwork and under-nourishment and was moved to the Roberts Barracks hospital, where there was a chapel dedicated to St. Luke the Physician.  There was an altar, altar rails and wooden benches, all made by the prisoners.  He was asked by two of the army chaplains, Chambers and Payne, if he would decorate the chapel walls with murals. Stanley agreed and set to work reading the Gospels for inspiration.

There was no paint available in the camp, and men put themselves in considerable danger to provide Stanley with the materials he needed, including some billiard cue chalk which was crushed to make blue paint.

Stanley used the same technique as he had when producing bold cinema posters; clear black lines and large bold brush strokes of solid colour.  He started work on the murals in September 1942 and could only paint for fifteen minute stretches due to extreme weakness from his illness. He would start at 9am and by 11am he would be exhausted. The progress of the murals was followed with interest by prisoners and guards alike:

The Japanese soldiers would come in, the Japanese sergeant and Korean guards.  They would sit along the wall...[and] press their rifles on the wall.  They would look on and never interfere. [The altar was] decked with frangipani blossoms cut from the trees that did grow within the POW area, they gave out their fragrance and it always seemed cool....and men would sit quietly on the benches, often discussing home, discussing family affairs.  They would also follow the progress of the murals and trade stories about the artist!

Stanley chose themes that would make no remark about the squalor surrounding him, but give relief and uplift from it.  For him the chapel was about peace and reconciliation, so he chose universal themes.  The next series of blog posts will take each mural in turn and discuss its significance.

Captain Edward William Walker, 7th Royal Welsh Fusiliers

I often say to Dawn on our travels, that if we find ten churches during the day, there will be two in which there will be something that takes one's breath away.

On our tour of Shropshire during the New Year 2014, I decided to turn off the A453 as I saw a sign saying `Knockin'. This was too good to resist so a random visit there was in order. Firstly we found the shop which, to, the surprise of neither of us, was called `The Knockin Shop.' After paying our respects at the war memorial, we were delighted to find the church was open and even more awestruck by a memorial window therein.

The inscription underneath reads:

To the Glory of GOD and in memory of EDWARD WILLIAM WALKER, D.S.O., Capt in 1/7 Royal Welsh Fusiliers, son of WILLIAM GREAVES WALKER, Rector of the Parish, who fell in action at KHUWEILFEH in the HOLY LAND on Nov 6th 1917, aged 25

The second thing that struck me after the commanding nature of the memorial was that a Captain in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers was being commemorated with an image of St. George of England, complete with the red cross and having slayed the dragon. Presumably in this case the dragon is meant to represent the enemy, rather than Wales!

A little bit more research revealed the following information:-

He was the son of Rev William Greaves Walker of Knockin, Shropshire and Sarah Caroline Walker. His mother was a native of Shropshire, but his father had been born in Pitsmoor, Sheffield. He appeared to have had a relatively comfortable upbringing, being taught by a Governess according to the 1901 census,

Walker had been gazetted into a commission on the 8th August 1914, just a month after the beginning of the war. He had served with the 53rd Division at Gallipoli in 1915 and survived that disaster.

In March 1917 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for bravery. His citation read:

During the action near Gaza on the 26th March, 1917, he showed conspicuous gallantry and exceptional capability in handling his men. On this day he led his Company forward and, with the help of an officer and men of another battalion, captured an important point and held it, in the face of sharp counter attacks, until the remainder of the enemy position was won.

He lies buried in Beersheba War Cemetery, in an area mentioned frequently in the Bible, in connection with Abraham and Isaac in Genesis, and as the place where the Prophet Elijah took refuge when fleeing from Queen Jezebel.

He fell in the Third Battle of Gaza, also known as the Battle of Beersheba. The website firstworldwar.com gives a brief account of the battle which shows that Walker was killed in the final action:-

With Edmund Allenby's appointment to command of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in the wake of two failed attacks at Gaza in March and April 1917 - replacing Sir Archibald Murray who was recalled to London - he was tasked by British Prime Minister David Lloyd George with the capture of Jerusalem by Christmas 1917.

In the light of the British army's two recent failures it appeared a tall order in spite of clear British numerical supremacy in the area. Allenby nevertheless delivered Jerusalem to London handily in time for Christmas with over two weeks to spare.

In order to ensure the fall of Jerusalem however Allenby needed first to break the Turkish line atGaza-Beersheba overseen by recently arrived German commander Erich von Falkenhayn, the former army Chief of Staff.

Allenby opened preparations by first relocating his GHQ from a first-class Cairo hotel to the front line; a symbolic act designed to boost the flagging morale of the British troops. Next he amassed reinforcements of men, artillery, gas shells and tanks, adamant that he would not proceed until certain of victory. Seven infantry divisions plus a Light Horse unit (nicknamed the Desert Mounted Corps and consisting of both horses and camels) were assembled, a total of 88,000 men.

Ranged against him were the Turkish Seventh and Eighth Armies, totalling just 35,000 men stretched out along a 40km line. A key component of Allenby's plan was the securing of Beersheba's water supplies at an early stage during the planned attack - its wells.

Both earlier attacks at Gaza had to some extent foundered on account of water shortages - an ever-present concern in desert warfare - and Allenby understood that establishing command of water supplies would be a key factor in his wider plan of capturing Jerusalem.

Thus the Third Battle of Gaza - also referred to as the Battle of Beersheba - was initiated early on the morning of 31 October 1917. Not for Allenby a frontal attack, as at the Second Battle of Gaza. Instead he resolved to take the Turkish forces by surprise in the relatively lightly defended area of Beersheba (a plan initially proposed by General Chetwode), deploying 40,000 troops in the area.

He nevertheless ensured a hefty British presence directly in front of Gaza. Three divisions, aided by a heavy artillery presence of 218 guns, bombarded the garrison for six days before the attack began in order to fool the Turks into believing that a full frontal attack was imminent.
Allenby's ploy, which demanded the utmost secrecy in planning, succeeded in its entirety. British RFC aircraft - of newly deployed Bristol fighters - ensured British air superiority, crucial in preventing German aircraft from detecting British troop movements.

Allenby deployed infantry forces to take Beersheba from the front while despatching his Light Horse unit far to the east. Following an all-day battle an Australian Light Horse unit finally penetrated the Turkish defences and secured control over the town's wells before the Turks could execute a prepared plan to contaminate them.
The Turkish Seventh Army meanwhile retired to the stronghold of Tel es Sheria commanded by German commander Kress von Kressenstein's Eighth Army. Panicked there by another diversionary attack to the east by a 70-strong camel company, the Turkish defenders began to scatter believing it to be a large-scale flank attack, thus leaving the flank of Seventh Army exposed.

Promptly exploiting this Allenby struck north at Tel es Sheria at dawn on 6 November splitting Seventh and Eighth Armies. Allenby hoped to trap Kressenstein's Eighth Army at Gaza but the Turks retreated in some haste further up the coast, Gaza being abandoned on 6-7 November. Meanwhile Eighth Army established itself in Jerusalem preparatory to a stand against the British.
Having concluded the successful capture of Gaza Allenby next turned his attention to the fall of Jerusalem, which he succeeded in securing the following month.

Memorial Window to the Huntriss Brothers, Mattersey, Nottinghamshire

One memorial window which takes the breath away is situated on the south wall of the parish church in Mattersey, Nottinghamshire. The church is one of the majority which thankfully is open during daylight hours. In fact, given the fact that the Church of England is a major custodian of the nation's heritage as the official state church, I think it is beholden on them to open all churches unless there is a compelling reason not to. But that is a topic for another day.

The window commemorates the deaths of three brothers who spent some of their youth in the quiet village. They were the sons of William and Charlotte Huntriss. William had married Charlotte in 1883 and was a successful farmer who by 1911 was living at Mattersey Hall. He died in 1912 before the war broke out. Charlotte was thirteen years younger than her husband and would live until 1939.

The quote above the figures is from Revelation 2:10 and reads:

BE THOU FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH AND I WILL GIVE THEE A CROWN OF LIFE

Underneath the tableau is the inscription:

IN EVER LOVING MEMORY OF LIEUT WILLIAM HUNTRISS, 3RD DUKE OF WELLINGTON'S WEST RIDING REGIMENT (ATTACHED TO GOLD COAST REGIMENT) BORN DECEMBER 16TH 1886; DIED OCTOBER 23RD 1918 AT COOMASSIE, AFRICA.

CAPT. HAROLD EDWARDS HUNTRISS, 1ST BATTALION BEDFORDSHIRE REGIMENT, BORN MAY 23RD 1890; DOED OF WOUNDS AT FESTUBERT, FRANCE MAY 17TH 1915.

CAPT. CYRIL JOHN HUNTRISS, 1ST BATTALION EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. BORN JANUARY 23RD 1893, KILLED AT FRICOURT, FRANCE JULY 1ST 1916.

Cyril was born in Scarborough and educated at Uppingham School. He had served in France since January 1915. Cyril had won the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry on 9th August 1915. At Hooge, Belgium, he had, `led four bombing parties up to the assault on the enemy's position with the greatest coolness and daring.' He had also been mentioned in despatches by Field Marshal Sir John French in January 1916. He was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916, along with nearly 20,000 other British troops. His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Thiepval memorial.

Harold was born in East Markham, Nottinghamshire. The following information comes from the website www.bedfordregiment.org.uk :

Captain Harold Edward HUNTRISS

Killed in action 17th May 1915, aged 24

Harold was born 23rd May 1890 in East Markham, Nottinghamshire, the son of William Huntriss, J.P. and Charlotte Elizabeth Huntriss. He was educated at Uppingham between 1904 and 1908, after which Harold applied to the Sandhurst Royal Military Academy on 29 September 1908, giving his address as Mattersey Hall, Bawtry, Yorkshire.

He was promoted to Lieutenant on 3rd May 1911 and arrived with the 2nd Battalion in France 6th October 1914. Lieutenant Huntriss was hit by shrapnel in the left thigh on the 29th or 30th October, during intense fighting east of Ypres and returned to England to recover after an operation.

Harold returned to the 2nd Battalion in April or May 1915 but was killed at the head of his Company as they advanced to the second German trench line, Major MacKenzie and Lieutenant Hutton-Williams being killed close by. All three were buried together despite the difficulties their men had recovering their bodies after the battle.

At the time of his death, he lived at Harlsen House, Belvedere Road in Scarborough, his widowed mother being his next of kin (resident at 116 Wheelwright Road, Gravelly Hill in Birmingham). There also seems to be a link to Huntriss and Huntriss Solicitors in Halifax who handled his mother's affairs, his brother William seemingly being a partner within the firm.

Lieutenant Huntriss is buried in the Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy, 7km east of Bethune..

William was born in Scarborough and died on the Gold Coast (now Ghana) and died in 1918, a few weeks before the end of the war.

Their names also appear along with the others from the village who made the ultimate sacrifice on the marble tablet next to the window.



One final twist to the tale was that when I came to sign the church visitors' book, the last entry was for a Brian Huntriss from Leicestershire. I wonder if he is a relation.

The Christmas Truce 1914. Bernard Brookes and John Esslemont Adams

The Christmas Truce 1914 - An Alternate Perspective. Rifleman Bernard Brookes and Chaplain John Esslemont Adams

With ongoing discussion as to the merits of alleged football matches taking place in No Man's Land between British and German troops (see for example http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-one/11313103/Christmas-Truce-football-match-romanticised-historians-warn.html ) , I thought I'd publish a couple of reports of events which took place with a Christian element to them.

Bernard Brookes

Rifleman Bernard Brookes of the Queen's Westminster Rifles received permission to attend a mass at a nearby church which had been badly shelled. A priest had come from Armentieres to minister to the local population,

At 9 am as I was off duty I received permission to go to Mass at a Church which I had discovered whilst hunting for the missing men. This Church was terribly shelled, and was within the range of rifle fire, as was clearly proved by the condition of the wall facing the trenches, and no effort had been made to clear the wreckage, as to attempt this would have been fraught with danger. A priest, however, had come in from Armentieres to minister to the few people who were still living in the district. In this Church which would hold about 300, there were some 30 people, and I was the only soldier. It was indeed a unique service, and during a short address which the priest gave I was about the only one who was not crying, and that because I did not understand much of what was being said.

Towards evening the Germs became very hilarious, singing and shouting out to us. They said in English that if we did not fire they would not, and eventually it was arranged that shots should not be exchanged. With this they lit fires outside their trench, and sat round and commenced a concert, incidentally singing some English songs to the accompaniment of a bugle band. A German officer carrying a lantern came slightly forward and asked to see one of our officers to arrange a truce for tomorrow (Xmas day).

An officer went out (after we had stood at our posts with rifles loaded in case of treachery) and arrangements were made that between 10 am and 12 noon, and from 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm tomorrow, intercourse between the Germs and ourselves should take place. It was a beautiful night and a sharp frost set in, and when we awoke in the morning the ground was covered with a white raiment. It was indeed an ideal Christmas, and the spirit of peace and goodwill was very striking in comparison with the hatred and death-dealing of the past few months. One appreciated in a new light the meaning of Christianity, for it certainly was marvellous that such a change in the attitude of the opposing armies could be wrought by an Event which happened nigh on 2000 years ago

John Esslemont Adams

Chaplain Esslemont Adams of the 6^th Gordon Highlanders conducted a service near Fleurbaix following the collection of about a hundred dead British and German bodies from No Man’s Land.This was described by Second Lieutenant Arthur Pelham-Burn-

We then had a most wonderful joint burial service.Our Padre… arranged the prayers and psalm etc, and an interpreter wrote them out in German.They were read first in English by our Padre and then in German by a boy who was studying for the ministry.It was an extraordinary and wonderful sight.The Germans formed up on one side, the English on the other, the officers standing in front, every head bared.Yes, I think it was a sight one will never see again.

Esslemont Adams read the 23^rd Psalm, followed by the young German student:

The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters…

Der Herr is mein Hirt: mir wird nihts mangeln.
Er weidet mich auf einer grunen Aue:
Und fuhrt mich zum frischen Wasser

The chaplain then stepped forward to salute the German commander. The Regimental History of the 6^th Gordons stated, `It was an impressive sight; officers and men, bitter enemies as they were, uncovered, reverent, and for the moment united in offering for their dead the last offices of homage and honour.’

Adams and the German commander exchanged gifts. The German gave Adams a cigar. He said that he did not smoke but would keep it as a souvenir (he brought out that souvenir at subsequent talks he gave in Aberdeen). Adams gave the German a small card with a `Soldiers Prayer’ which he had kept in his cap. On the one side it had the Lord’s Prayer. On the other side the following prayer:

Almighty and most Merciful Father,
Forgive me my sins:
Grant me Thy peace:
Give me Thy power:
Bless me in life and death,
for Jesus Christ’s sake.

Amen

The Regimental Diary of the Gordon Highlanders recorded `It was an impressive sight, officers and men, bitter enemies as they were, uncovered, reverent, and for the moment united in offering for their dead the last offices of homage and honour.’

A British officer wrote in his diary, `Both sides have played the game and I know this (German) Regiment anyhow has learnt to trust an Englishman’s word.

At the end of the service Adams saluted the German commander.They shook hands and bade farewell.

New Year, New Blog Title

As I move into 2015, the url of the old blog www.faithinworldwartwo.blogspot.com is now semi-redundant.  Having been commissioned by Pen and Sword to produce a book about Christianity in the First World War, and still having the Bible Society research ongoing, I have rechristened my blog www.faithinwartime.blogspot.com.  It promises to be an exciting year ahead, and once my first volume is completed by April,  I have plenty of other ideas brewing for publications and papers.

I hope to migrate some of the old work onto hear for a complete record of my work.

John