~ Left The letter to The Times
THE NATURAL HISTORY
Snapshot
of war
THE 100TH ANNIV ERSAR Y
OF WORLD WAR ONE
After nearly four and a ha lf years, the war ends. The Museum
faces huge tasks - of reconstruction, of ensuring the qu ick
return of its staff serving in the military and, most vita l of all, as
Karolyn Shindler reports, selecting the man most able to lead it
I through the post-war turmoil.
I felicitation s on th e gloriou s victor y of the Alli es
I over the common enemy. It is ha rdly necessary
November 1918
In the first week of November, there is o great
British ond allied advance. Belgium has been
liberated. Turkey and Austria are out of the war.
8 November 1918
In August. Jahn Ram sbottom, the Botany
assistant currently in Solonika servin g with the
Roya l Army Medical Carps as a protozoologist,
req uested insect and vermin pamphlets and
posters lo be sent to him, but they hove not
yet been dispatched. Charles Fogon, the
assistant secretary, writes to the Admiralty
to osk whether th ey could take charge of the
consignment ond ensure it is shipped as soon
os possible. The package now contains 210
pamphlets □ nd 2,000 poster-leaflets. Its weight
is between two ond three hundredweight. The
Admiralty agrees and the package is dispatched
on 16 November.
9 November 1918
Zoology assistant, Arthur Knyvett Tatton,
who was severely wounded in 1916•ond has
undergone a serie s of operations, now wis hes
to return to work. Fagan writes to him, 'By all
me ons come ba ck to work ot the Museum as
soon os you can. I don 't th ink that you could do
better service ta the co untry at the present time
under the circumstances than resuming duty
- 60 - evolve issue 37
here. We shall be very gla d to hove you.' An d
Fagan ends, 'Th e war looks likely to end in a
debocle for Germany as well as for Austria.'
Germany is given 48 hours to accept the
armistice.
11 November 1918
At 5am, the armistice is signed. Hostilities wil l
cease on □ I I fronts ot 11am. The Prime Mini ste r,
David Lloyd George appears at the door of
10 Downing Street. 'At 11 o'clock this morning ',
he tells o huge cheering crowd, 'the wa r wi ll
be over. We hove won o great victo ry, and we
ore entitled too bit of shouting'. The Union
Jock fli es an the Museum, os it does on □ I I
pu bl ic bui ldings. At Buckingham Palace, crowds
appear from every di rection, cheering, shou tin g,
sin ging, cry ing. The rain fall s. No one cares. Th e
tran sition.from war to peace begi ns.
12 November 1918
Basil Soulsby, o clerk in the Director 's Office,
writes to the Office of Works requesting that
arrangements be mode to remo ve the sand-bags release from military se rvice as so on as possib le.
ond sa nd that hove been used os protection in
cose of air-raids.
Charles Faga n se nds o memo ta all releva nt
sta ff informing them that in two da ys' tim e, 'Air finally eve ry member of staff is free to return to
Raid Rota Duty will be discontinued'
of1 March 1919 from fell ows
14 November 1918
Fa gan hos heard that the Army is preparing a
scheme for the educational tra inin g of soldiers,
including o series of lectures by volu nteer
lecturers. Today he writes to the Directo r of
Army Education at the War Office, suggesting
that the Museum might be ab le 'to render some
assistance in the matter'.
16 November 1918
Fogo n wri tes to the Permanent Secretary at the
War Office, requesting that three key membe rs
of the Entomology departm ent be released
from military se rvic e os soon os possible, as
the Museum urg ently requires their services 'far
work of Natio nal importance in connection with
researches on insects in relation to di seases and
agriculture'. Four weeks later he ho s to write
□ g a in as nothing hos happened.
2 December 1918
Fagan writes to Dr Frederic Luca s of the
America n Museum of Natural History. 'I am
writi ng to express to you ,' he begin s, 'our hearty
for me to assure you of ou r sense of the splend id
aid ren dered by the United Stoles in effecting
thi s great resu lt.' To the Belgian Minister of
Science and Art, Fagan offers 'o ur respectful
ond si ncere congratu lati ons on the glorious
termina tion of the devastating war'.
Th e Mu seu m rece ives similar letters from
it s many interna tional corre spondents. One of
these, from the Nation al Museum of Natural
Science in Madrid, is 'not a mere formula of
co urtesy', but on ex pression of 's ince re fe eling s
of sympathy' towards Britain. It reads, 'Please
let us congra tulate very warmly yo ur Museum
on the end of the great war, so gl orious on end
for yo ur country and for the cause of un ive rsal
freedom □ nd peace.' Th e Mu se um is so struck
by the tone of this letter, that it se nds it to The
Times, which reprints it on 8 January 1919.
5 December 1918
Capta in John Gu y Dallman, a Zoo logy assistant,
is stationed at Hun stanton in Norfolk. Fagan
writes to the Ministry of Labou r's Demobili sation
□ nd Resettleme nt Depa rtme nt requesting his
Fagan hos been writing many such letters, but
so for, no members of staff hove been released.
It will take perseveran ce ond many letters before
duty in the Mu se um.
MUSEUM, · tho opportunity of learning them before taking
APPOINTMENT OF A NEW
D IRECTOR
. ' . ·•
To· THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
. . , . tific standing, and havo ample experience of the
Su-,-Tho_ Direc:or of tho ~ritish Museum lluseum it.self. To pass over t-hose or several
(No.tural History)1.Sabouttorchre,andwelenrn eminent o.nd eligible men not on· t-he staff in.
wit-h deep apprehension that · the principal trust- . favour of one of the ordinary office sta.ff wqu1d be
ees with whom the appointment rests, hci.ve re - : on o.ffront to scientific men nnd of. grave detri ..
cei~•od ol' o.re abOut to rcceivC from the general · m ent t-o science.
body ~f trustees a. recommend~_tion t-o pass over
the claims of scientific men and to appoint a. ln.y
official, . who.~ nt prose~t os~istnnt secrcfo~-
Tho former directors, ·S11' R1cbord Owen, Sir
,Villinm F1owe~, and Sir. Ray Lo.nkester, like
the present ~ctor, Sir Lazarus Fletche7:,
wore nil distinguished scientific men. The
Natural History Museum i~
ond oSsis~aD.ts. _
0. scientific in.Btit~-
tion. There is a largo staff of scientific keepers
rhe direc_tor has to ro~res~nt·
natural lustory to t,he public, to other scientific
institutions at home., in the . DominioJ18 nn<i.
t colonies; nnd ill: for~.i ~ co":lltries~ and to th~
mo.ny Government Departments ''"'ith which
the :Museum hos relations. H e must represent
it with kno.vtlcd~o and ~u.qiC?rity. Thoro ~~e
fow posts w1th such poss1b1lit1es of odvancmg
the 1.1atural history s.ciences, of making t,heI)l
useful to tl1e nation, and of int-orpreting them
to tho p~blic. ·'.rho oxistonce of tbo P,o~t is B
great _st1mulua t-o t.1_10 zeol , and ft.mb1t10n of
zoologists and geologists.
The orgumeiits alleged in •fnvoUl' of the re~
commendation are hivial. It in stated that
former directo~ ~s s_llowed by the trustees to
leave t-he c.<lmiD.1$trot1vo details t-o the member_
of the clerical staff w_h om_it i_s proposed to pro:· · · E. B. POULTON, F.R.B. (Hope Pro!..;..
mote, that he p crform.ed t-bcse duties with
ability; and durmg the ro11ure ·of the present
dir~ctor reto~tid arid: e"Xt:o!l~ed l~!J p_owers.
It IS urged t,b at the ~nure. off.he new duector
would bo short, os he would. have to retir~
in two years under the ago limit. It is pleaded
that promot-i on would entitle him to a Jargc!r
pension 8nd .thnt _he need not be coiled directo~,
but only acting-director. . ·
Pli>inly, if tb~ a66lsi~lit secretary be the oJl)y
man who lmol\·s t-b e de-t-Oile· Of adm.inist-rntfon
Among th e last is Dollman, who fin ds him self
in a bureaucratic nightmare where his
demobilisation pap ers are se nt from department
to department in the Min istry of Labour and
th en various deportments of the Army , but □ II he
hos, as he writes too fr iend in the Museum, is 'a
nice collection of rubber stomp s and si gnatures'
and no approval for rel ease. As his un it no
longer needs hi s experti se - he is □ bomb ing
in structor - he is in danger of being sent to
Germany. It is only when the Museum writes
directly to th e War Office in March 1919 that his
release is effected so me weeks later.
10 December 1918
Fagan begin s the process of organising with
th e Ministry of Works the return of specimens
tha t hove been se nt to places of safety. Th e
meteorites sent to Tring ore fir st on the li st. The
Mineralogy clerk, Thoma s Frederick Vincent,
wi ll go to Tring to supervise their packi ng and
remova l, and wi ll travel bock with th em in th e
Mini st ry of Work 's van.
16 December 1918 .
All exhibiti on gal leries re-o pen to th e public.
it i. important toot t110 permo.nent director
should be f\ppomted at one(', 1n order t-0 have of the Royal Society deploring
any idea of Charles Fog on,
t,hom oVer. In 0;ct.ual fact there i s nothing in
t.he 8.dm.inii:i:trat-ivo work of the directorship that the assistant secretary ,
could not be loarn.od in" fow weeks or months being appointed Director.
by any person of ordinary inrolligence. At
least t-\\'o of the prcsont keepers ore eligible for Witheringly, they describe
j the vacancy, have ottained the necessary sc en- Fagan as 'one of the ordinary
office staff'.
I Below Zoology keeper Dr
Sidney Frederic Harmer (left)
· was appointed Director, and ,
w~~o~ ~Aio!~· !t·irul~es~ri as he had throughout the war,
llan~bostor). · ' continued to work closely
J". N~?:!fiu.st~~'ljmt~gt",.
(Professor of with Fagan (right) who was
F . 'Y· GAJIBLE, F.R.8. (Profo3Sor of Zoology, ·
promoted to secretary with
;r. B~1R.i/iNEii, F.R-.S. ~fessor of
enhanced salary and pension.
Zoology, Camlmd~e).
WALTER GARST.L"l"G, D.&. (Professor
J.~o~ii.i~£16J·.R.s.
E.0 (.Aldrichian Demon•
fi lntor of Com&nratin Anntol!l-Y, Oxford).
Wit!· :fF'S!~!f;,, ~~l;~~~~re~oa~cg~~
J,
an:f ot Natura.I Hl800ry, Liverpool),
S. J. HICKSON, F.R:S. (Professor of Zoology,
Yp~ctit-fl,· F.R,8, (Jodrell Professor of
Zoolo~. London). . .
:W. · E. l!OYLE, D.Sc. (Director, National
A.I~:£~~ KfE}W~s)F.R.S. (Hunteria.n Pro-
f o:;;sor,. .,tnd Consorvator of the llusi,um
of tho Royal CoUogo of 6Ul'W,ona).
' :J, GRABA..'1 KERR,.F.B.S. (Regiua-Pro!esr.o'l'
J.
E,01 00~fcBj{int~w~.R,S, (Profe550]: ot
_ Zoology, JmpoTiAl -Collego of Bciet1.et1).
o,
W , (). MclNTOSB, F ,lt.S. (Emoritua Pro-
lessor of Natural History. St. Andrews).
J. E. MARR, F .R.S. (WoodwArdian ProfossM
p_''1c:/i'.~."tfE:R~lMt~tLL, o.B.E., F .R.S.
(Scorotar-y z oologlcal Society of London)
· of Zoology, Oxford).
R. c. PUNNETT, .F.R.S. tArthar Ball<>ar
A,~f's°IUP~~n;R:s~Ain~:'tf Chriet.'e
CoUego and Re:J.der of Zoology, Combrldgo).
,W, ·J". SOLL.c\S, F.~.S. (Professor of Get,togy;
. Oxlo,d). . . . .
.
J.
~~::t:r
J"ETHRO J". H. TE~, F.R.S. {lately
~f- _tho, Gcol~gical Survo~ o_f_Great
A.RTHUl,l., -THOMSON, LL.D. · (Prol<>SS<>r
· of Notw-t\l Hittory, Abordeon). ·
February 27. ·
Post-War Restoration and suggests, 'There would seem to be strong
Th e reopening of the gall eries is, far the public, reason for co ntinuing this British propaganda
the first very visible and welcom e sign that work abroad in face of the unceasing effort s
norma lity is returning to the Museum. For and insidious methods of Germany to create
Charles F □ gon , from the moment the armistice on otmospher~ fa vou rable to herself during the
was sig ned, his oim fo r the Museum is 'to peace conference.'
co mmence restoration □ t once'. He is tireless
in applyi ng far the rel ease of staff from the Fog an hos done an extra ord inary job throughout
mi litary and those attached to other Government the war in utilising the Museum's contacts to
departments, and in organisin g th e return of se nd Government propaga nda round the world
th e evacuated specim ens from Tring and Exeter. to where it con do most good. He does not stop
Precious specimens move d to secure places now. The Mu seum conti nu es to send out this
within the Museum are returned to gall eries material until well into 1919, by which time it hos
and collections. o new Director and much deserved promotion
for Fagan .
For weeks after the war ends th e Mus eu m
is stil l sending out Government propaganda The Mu seum's Dire ct or, Sir Laza rus Fletcher,
to its international correspondents. On has long suffered from poor health. He lets it be
29 November, The Times carries a report known in December 1918 that he will retire on
headlined, 'Germany still lying to neutral s. Need his 60th birthday in March 1919. The Trustees'
far British pr □ pa g □ nd o', and states 'the Ge rmon fir st thought to succeed him is the man who
propaganda se rvice has never been more active'. hos carried the administrative burden of the
On 3 December, Fa gan writes di rectly to the Museum for th e post 20 years, not only far
head of th e Pr op □ gond □ deportment, Colonel Fletcher, but also for his predecessor, Sir Will iam
Buchan - John Bu chan, the nove li st. He asks Flower - whose lost years in office were
Buchan if he hos seen th e report in Th e Times, similarly shadowed by illness.
evo lve issue 37 -61-

Snapshot
of war
THE 100TH ANNIV ERSAR Y
OF WORLD WAR ONE
After nearly four and a ha lf years, the war ends. The Museum
faces huge tasks - of reconstruction, of ensuring the qu ick
return of its staff serving in the military and, most vita l of all, as
Karolyn Shindler reports, selecting the man most able to lead it
I through the post-war turmoil.
I felicitation s on th e gloriou s victor y of the Alli es
I over the common enemy. It is ha rdly necessary
November 1918
In the first week of November, there is o great
British ond allied advance. Belgium has been
liberated. Turkey and Austria are out of the war.
8 November 1918
In August. Jahn Ram sbottom, the Botany
assistant currently in Solonika servin g with the
Roya l Army Medical Carps as a protozoologist,
req uested insect and vermin pamphlets and
posters lo be sent to him, but they hove not
yet been dispatched. Charles Fogon, the
assistant secretary, writes to the Admiralty
to osk whether th ey could take charge of the
consignment ond ensure it is shipped as soon
os possible. The package now contains 210
pamphlets □ nd 2,000 poster-leaflets. Its weight
is between two ond three hundredweight. The
Admiralty agrees and the package is dispatched
on 16 November.
9 November 1918
Zoology assistant, Arthur Knyvett Tatton,
who was severely wounded in 1916•ond has
undergone a serie s of operations, now wis hes
to return to work. Fagan writes to him, 'By all
me ons come ba ck to work ot the Museum as
soon os you can. I don 't th ink that you could do
better service ta the co untry at the present time
under the circumstances than resuming duty
- 60 - evolve issue 37
here. We shall be very gla d to hove you.' An d
Fagan ends, 'Th e war looks likely to end in a
debocle for Germany as well as for Austria.'
Germany is given 48 hours to accept the
armistice.
11 November 1918
At 5am, the armistice is signed. Hostilities wil l
cease on □ I I fronts ot 11am. The Prime Mini ste r,
David Lloyd George appears at the door of
10 Downing Street. 'At 11 o'clock this morning ',
he tells o huge cheering crowd, 'the wa r wi ll
be over. We hove won o great victo ry, and we
ore entitled too bit of shouting'. The Union
Jock fli es an the Museum, os it does on □ I I
pu bl ic bui ldings. At Buckingham Palace, crowds
appear from every di rection, cheering, shou tin g,
sin ging, cry ing. The rain fall s. No one cares. Th e
tran sition.from war to peace begi ns.
12 November 1918
Basil Soulsby, o clerk in the Director 's Office,
writes to the Office of Works requesting that
arrangements be mode to remo ve the sand-bags release from military se rvice as so on as possib le.
ond sa nd that hove been used os protection in
cose of air-raids.
Charles Faga n se nds o memo ta all releva nt
sta ff informing them that in two da ys' tim e, 'Air finally eve ry member of staff is free to return to
Raid Rota Duty will be discontinued'
14 November 1918
Fa gan hos heard that the Army is preparing a
scheme for the educational tra inin g of soldiers,
including o series of lectures by volu nteer
lecturers. Today he writes to the Directo r of
Army Education at the War Office, suggesting
that the Museum might be ab le 'to render some
assistance in the matter'.
16 November 1918
Fogo n wri tes to the Permanent Secretary at the
War Office, requesting that three key membe rs
of the Entomology departm ent be released
from military se rvic e os soon os possible, as
the Museum urg ently requires their services 'far
work of Natio nal importance in connection with
researches on insects in relation to di seases and
agriculture'. Four weeks later he ho s to write
□ g a in as nothing hos happened.
2 December 1918
Fagan writes to Dr Frederic Luca s of the
America n Museum of Natural History. 'I am
writi ng to express to you ,' he begin s, 'our hearty
for me to assure you of ou r sense of the splend id
aid ren dered by the United Stoles in effecting
thi s great resu lt.' To the Belgian Minister of
Science and Art, Fagan offers 'o ur respectful
ond si ncere congratu lati ons on the glorious
termina tion of the devastating war'.
Th e Mu seu m rece ives similar letters from
it s many interna tional corre spondents. One of
these, from the Nation al Museum of Natural
Science in Madrid, is 'not a mere formula of
co urtesy', but on ex pression of 's ince re fe eling s
of sympathy' towards Britain. It reads, 'Please
let us congra tulate very warmly yo ur Museum
on the end of the great war, so gl orious on end
for yo ur country and for the cause of un ive rsal
freedom □ nd peace.' Th e Mu se um is so struck
by the tone of this letter, that it se nds it to The
Times, which reprints it on 8 January 1919.
5 December 1918
Capta in John Gu y Dallman, a Zoo logy assistant,
is stationed at Hun stanton in Norfolk. Fagan
writes to the Ministry of Labou r's Demobili sation
□ nd Resettleme nt Depa rtme nt requesting his
Fagan hos been writing many such letters, but
so for, no members of staff hove been released.
It will take perseveran ce ond many letters before
duty in the Mu se um.
THE NATURAL HISTORY
MUSEUM, · tho opportunity of learning them before taking
APPOINTMENT OF A NEW
D IRECTOR
. ' . ·•
To· THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
. . , . tific standing, and havo ample experience of the
Su-,-Tho_ Direc:or of tho ~ritish Museum lluseum it.self. To pass over t-hose or several
(No.tural History)1.Sabouttorchre,andwelenrn eminent o.nd eligible men not on· t-he staff in.
wit-h deep apprehension that · the principal trust- . favour of one of the ordinary office sta.ff wqu1d be
ees with whom the appointment rests, hci.ve re - : on o.ffront to scientific men nnd of. grave detri ..
cei~•od ol' o.re abOut to rcceivC from the general · m ent t-o science.
body ~f trustees a. recommend~_tion t-o pass over
the claims of scientific men and to appoint a. ln.y
official, . who.~ nt prose~t os~istnnt secrcfo~-
Tho former directors, ·S11' R1cbord Owen, Sir
,Villinm F1owe~, and Sir. Ray Lo.nkester, like
the present ~ctor, Sir Lazarus Fletche7:,
wore nil distinguished scientific men. The
Natural History Museum i~
ond oSsis~aD.ts. _
0. scientific in.Btit~-
tion. There is a largo staff of scientific keepers
rhe direc_tor has to ro~res~nt·
natural lustory to t,he public, to other scientific
institutions at home., in the . DominioJ18 nn<i.
t colonies; nnd ill: for~.i ~ co":lltries~ and to th~
mo.ny Government Departments ''"'ith which
the :Museum hos relations. H e must represent
it with kno.vtlcd~o and ~u.qiC?rity. Thoro ~~e
fow posts w1th such poss1b1lit1es of odvancmg
the 1.1atural history s.ciences, of making t,heI)l
useful to tl1e nation, and of int-orpreting them
to tho p~blic. ·'.rho oxistonce of tbo P,o~t is B
great _st1mulua t-o t.1_10 zeol , and ft.mb1t10n of
zoologists and geologists.
The orgumeiits alleged in •fnvoUl' of the re~
commendation are hivial. It in stated that
former directo~ ~s s_llowed by the trustees to
leave t-he c.<lmiD.1$trot1vo details t-o the member_
of the clerical staff w_h om_it i_s proposed to pro:· · · E. B. POULTON, F.R.B. (Hope Pro!..;..
mote, that he p crform.ed t-bcse duties with
ability; and durmg the ro11ure ·of the present
dir~ctor reto~tid arid: e"Xt:o!l~ed l~!J p_owers.
It IS urged t,b at the ~nure. off.he new duector
would bo short, os he would. have to retir~
in two years under the ago limit. It is pleaded
that promot-i on would entitle him to a Jargc!r
pension 8nd .thnt _he need not be coiled directo~,
but only acting-director. . ·
Pli>inly, if tb~ a66lsi~lit secretary be the oJl)y
man who lmol\·s t-b e de-t-Oile· Of adm.inist-rntfon
Among th e last is Dollman, who fin ds him self
in a bureaucratic nightmare where his
demobilisation pap ers are se nt from department
to department in the Min istry of Labour and
th en various deportments of the Army , but □ II he
hos, as he writes too fr iend in the Museum, is 'a
nice collection of rubber stomp s and si gnatures'
and no approval for rel ease. As his un it no
longer needs hi s experti se - he is □ bomb ing
in structor - he is in danger of being sent to
Germany. It is only when the Museum writes
directly to th e War Office in March 1919 that his
release is effected so me weeks later.
10 December 1918
Fagan begin s the process of organising with
th e Ministry of Works the return of specimens
tha t hove been se nt to places of safety. Th e
meteorites sent to Tring ore fir st on the li st. The
Mineralogy clerk, Thoma s Frederick Vincent,
wi ll go to Tring to supervise their packi ng and
remova l, and wi ll travel bock with th em in th e
Mini st ry of Work 's van.
16 December 1918 .
All exhibiti on gal leries re-o pen to th e public.
~ Left The letter to The Times
of1 March 1919 from fell ows
it i. important toot t110 permo.nent director
should be f\ppomted at one(', 1n order t-0 have of the Royal Society deploring
any idea of Charles Fog on,
t,hom oVer. In 0;ct.ual fact there i s nothing in
t.he 8.dm.inii:i:trat-ivo work of the directorship that the assistant secretary ,
could not be loarn.od in" fow weeks or months being appointed Director.
by any person of ordinary inrolligence. At
least t-\\'o of the prcsont keepers ore eligible for Witheringly, they describe
j the vacancy, have ottained the necessary sc en- Fagan as 'one of the ordinary
office staff'.
I Below Zoology keeper Dr
Sidney Frederic Harmer (left)
· was appointed Director, and ,
w~~o~ ~Aio!~· !t·irul~es~ri as he had throughout the war,
llan~bostor). · ' continued to work closely
J". N~?:!fiu.st~~'ljmt~gt",.
(Professor of with Fagan (right) who was
F . 'Y· GAJIBLE, F.R.8. (Profo3Sor of Zoology, ·
promoted to secretary with
;r. B~1R.i/iNEii, F.R-.S. ~fessor of
enhanced salary and pension.
Zoology, Camlmd~e).
WALTER GARST.L"l"G, D.&. (Professor
J.~o~ii.i~£16J·.R.s.
E.0 (.Aldrichian Demon•
fi lntor of Com&nratin Anntol!l-Y, Oxford).
Wit!· :fF'S!~!f;,, ~~l;~~~~re~oa~cg~~
J,
an:f ot Natura.I Hl800ry, Liverpool),
S. J. HICKSON, F.R:S. (Professor of Zoology,
Yp~ctit-fl,· F.R,8, (Jodrell Professor of
Zoolo~. London). . .
:W. · E. l!OYLE, D.Sc. (Director, National
A.I~:£~~ KfE}W~s)F.R.S. (Hunteria.n Pro-
f o:;;sor,. .,tnd Consorvator of the llusi,um
of tho Royal CoUogo of 6Ul'W,ona).
' :J, GRABA..'1 KERR,.F.B.S. (Regiua-Pro!esr.o'l'
J.
E,01 00~fcBj{int~w~.R,S, (Profe550]: ot
_ Zoology, JmpoTiAl -Collego of Bciet1.et1).
o,
W , (). MclNTOSB, F ,lt.S. (Emoritua Pro-
lessor of Natural History. St. Andrews).
J. E. MARR, F .R.S. (WoodwArdian ProfossM
p_''1c:/i'.~."tfE:R~lMt~tLL, o.B.E., F .R.S.
(Scorotar-y z oologlcal Society of London)
· of Zoology, Oxford).
R. c. PUNNETT, .F.R.S. tArthar Ball<>ar
A,~f's°IUP~~n;R:s~Ain~:'tf Chriet.'e
CoUego and Re:J.der of Zoology, Combrldgo).
,W, ·J". SOLL.c\S, F.~.S. (Professor of Get,togy;
. Oxlo,d). . . . .
.
J.
~~::t:r
J"ETHRO J". H. TE~, F.R.S. {lately
~f- _tho, Gcol~gical Survo~ o_f_Great
A.RTHUl,l., -THOMSON, LL.D. · (Prol<>SS<>r
· of Notw-t\l Hittory, Abordeon). ·
February 27. ·
Post-War Restoration and suggests, 'There would seem to be strong
Th e reopening of the gall eries is, far the public, reason for co ntinuing this British propaganda
the first very visible and welcom e sign that work abroad in face of the unceasing effort s
norma lity is returning to the Museum. For and insidious methods of Germany to create
Charles F □ gon , from the moment the armistice on otmospher~ fa vou rable to herself during the
was sig ned, his oim fo r the Museum is 'to peace conference.'
co mmence restoration □ t once'. He is tireless
in applyi ng far the rel ease of staff from the Fog an hos done an extra ord inary job throughout
mi litary and those attached to other Government the war in utilising the Museum's contacts to
departments, and in organisin g th e return of se nd Government propaga nda round the world
th e evacuated specim ens from Tring and Exeter. to where it con do most good. He does not stop
Precious specimens move d to secure places now. The Mu seum conti nu es to send out this
within the Museum are returned to gall eries material until well into 1919, by which time it hos
and collections. o new Director and much deserved promotion
for Fagan .
For weeks after the war ends th e Mus eu m
is stil l sending out Government propaganda The Mu seum's Dire ct or, Sir Laza rus Fletcher,
to its international correspondents. On has long suffered from poor health. He lets it be
29 November, The Times carries a report known in December 1918 that he will retire on
headlined, 'Germany still lying to neutral s. Need his 60th birthday in March 1919. The Trustees'
far British pr □ pa g □ nd o', and states 'the Ge rmon fir st thought to succeed him is the man who
propaganda se rvice has never been more active'. hos carried the administrative burden of the
On 3 December, Fa gan writes di rectly to the Museum for th e post 20 years, not only far
head of th e Pr op □ gond □ deportment, Colonel Fletcher, but also for his predecessor, Sir Will iam
Buchan - John Bu chan, the nove li st. He asks Flower - whose lost years in office were
Buchan if he hos seen th e report in Th e Times, similarly shadowed by illness.
evo lve issue 37 -61-
 Charles Fagan is o man whose abilities ore In Nature, Harmer writes, 'It is impossible to
legion, and who commands almost universal speak too highly of t he services Mr Fog on
sp irit of the Natural History Museum alive
through more than four year s of war. Yet it
THE FALLEN
respect. He is, however, an administrator, not rendered to the Natural History Museum.' He was their dedication and effort, working in
an eminent scientist. When his name emerges touche s on his tact and 'remarkable insight', and
as a possible successor, there is uproar from gloomy and often bitterly cold rooms, that
his 'extraordinary capacity for forming o correct nurtured, maintained and preserved the
the scientific community. Twenty fellows of judgment on o difficult question '.
the Royal Society - including many who know priceless collections for their success ors. It is
lfwas Fagan, Harmer writes, who 'thoroughly not possible to quantify how many live s were
of Fogan's tireless work for the Museum in the realised' that as well as its ro le as o 'treosure-
war, sign a letter that appears in The Times on saved by the Museum's wartime re searches,
house' of natural history, there was 'the but what is undoubted ly true is that many lives
1 Morch 1919, deploring his appointment. There importance of making it a centre of research,
ore 'at least two of the present keepers' and were improved through the tireless work to
and there con be no question that his initiative improve public health, fight insect and bacteria
several eminent men not an the staff who ore 2nd Lieutenant Duncan Hepburn Gotch , Gunn er Robert Jome s Swift , o cont ra cto r's labourer at the Lan ce Sergeant Charles Hill, Civil Service Rifles, and on
wa s responsible far many new departures which born infection s, and the many and varied
eligible, the fellows write. To pass over these ... on assistant in the Imperial Bureau of Entomo logy, based Museum, killed in action on the Somme, 10 November 1916. at tendont in Entomolog y, who was occidentally killed on
have materially assisted in the advancement of contributions to the mil itary effort, and not to
in favour of one of the ordinary office staff in the Mu seum's Entomology deportment, killed at Neuve He was 35. 10 Moy 1918 during o machine-gun demonstration in London.
knowledge'. That the consultative functions of mention the hundreds of thousands of visitors
would be an affront to scientific men and of Chapelle 11 March 1915. He was 24. He was 28
the Museum hove been increasingly appreciated who found respite from war in the galleries of
grove detriment to science'. in recent years, and particularly during the war, the Museum - in spite of repeated attempts by ·
is 'largely due to his influence' Charles Fogon's Government to close it.
For many this description of Fagan as 'one of career, Harmer writes, 'was one long record
the ordinary office staff' is an equal affront. of single-minded service, strenuou sly and
One of those is the Keeper of Zoology, Dr Sidney The endeavours of them all shou ld be honoured.
successfully performed.'
Harmer, who writes to the journa l Nature on
13 Morch, in defence of Fagan, argu ing that his Without Fagon's exceptional combination of
work 'has been essentially scientific, and that passion fo r his institution and its staff, his clarity
his services in rendering the national mu se um Lance Corporal Ernest George Gentry, an attendant in Private Felix Gilbert Wilts hear, Botany department librarian,
of thought and his selfless duty, the Museum's
a scientific in stitution have been exceptionally Botany, killed 13 July 1915. He was 31. died 23 November 1917 from wounds received in action. Privat e Edward Alb ert·Batemon, 1st Battalion Norfolk
path through the vicissitu des of the Great War
· great'. But Nature is also aga inst Fagan , ond the He was 35. Regiment, boy attendant in the Imperial Bureau of
might hove been very, very different. Sidney
Trustees, in the face of such a weight of scientific Harmer's grief far his colleague is unconcealed, Entomology , based in the Entomology department, which he
opinion, cannot proceed . Fagan is due to retire joined straight from school. He died in northern Fra nce from
'He is deeply mourned by his many friends,'
in two years. and his appointment as Director wounds inflicted by o gas-shell on 29 June 1918. He was 18.
he writes, 'and particularly by his co lleagues
would therefore have been short, but long who recog nised his lovable qua lities and the
enough to mastermind the reconstruction of the great value of his services to the Museum and
Museum after the war. It would also have given to science.' A MUSE UM AT WAR
him a much-deserved increase ta both his salary ,.,._ .,u,.., ... ,._--,i..,.,..,_
and pens ion Privat e John G~briel, an attendant in Entomology,
In the spring of 1919 there is one more mi litary /
killed 30 Ju ly 1916 ot N euville -StV□ ast. He was 27.
death for the Museum to absorb. It is that of
What is decided instead is that Fogan's title Private Isaac James Frederick Kingsbury, an attendant
29-yeor-old Thomas Douglas, o member of the
wil l became secretary (rather than assi stant in Zoology , died 22 Februar y 1918 from wounds received in
cleaning staff, who dies on 13 Morch 1919. In
secretary), with increased salary and pension. action near Jerusalem. He was 24.
February 1916 he joined the 2nd Fin sbury Rifles
He will be in a position to carry through Priva te Frederick John Bean, boy attendant in Geology,
(11th Battalion County of London Regiment)
the difficult transition from war to peace. killed near Albert 22 August 1918. He wos 18.
and saw service in Fronce. In September 1917
The Director is to be Dr Harmer, the distinguished he was severely wounded and was in hospital
Keeper of Zoology , an appointment that is near London for nearly four months. In April
much deserved. While every deportment - most 1918 he returned to Fronce and was engaged
particularly Entomology - has carried its shore of in the horrendous fighting against the German Private Stanley Thomas Wells, an at tendant in Zoology , is
war work, it is Harmer and Fagan whose work is 'great offensive' He su rv ived and in October he reported missing in action on the Somme, 24 September 1916.
outstanding. Harmer's exceptional abilities have was transferred to Belgium. In Morch 1919, he He is declared dead in November. He wa s 22.
been evident from his first arrival at the Mu seum becomes ill - probably influenza. It develops into Private John Henry Smitheringal e, of the Mu seum's
from Cambridge in 1907. It is apparent, just from bronco-pneumonia, which kil ls him. He is buried contra ctor s' staff, killed in action on 21 March 1918.
his monthly reports to the Trustees, that he is of at Tournoi, in Belgium. He was 39. Thomas Douglas, o member of the cleaning sta ff, was th e
a diffe rent order to every other keeper. Museum's la st military death - in this war. He died in Belgium
an 13 March 1919. He was 29.
Sixty-five Museum men went to war. Thirteen
For nearly two years they run the Museum of them died. Their sacrifice is commemorated
together, but in December 1920, Fagan becomes in the simple bronze plaque placed in the Central
ill. On 30 January 1921, two months before he Holl (now Hintze Ho ll) in 1921
is due ta retire, Charles Fagan dies. Harmer hos Private George Pagnoni, bay attendant in.the Geology
There is no physical memorial to those men
lost o great friend and esteemed colleague. deportment. He died of war wound s in hospital in Londo n,
and women who were left, and who kept the
in Septemb er 1916. He was 18.

- 62 - evolve issue 37
evolve issue 37 - 63 -
 Charles Fagan is o man whose abilities ore In Nature, Harmer writes, 'It is impossible to
legion, and who commands almost universal speak too highly of t he services Mr Fog on
sp irit of the Natural History Museum alive
through more than four year s of war. Yet it
THE FALLEN
respect. He is, however, an administrator, not rendered to the Natural History Museum.' He was their dedication and effort, working in
an eminent scientist. When his name emerges touche s on his tact and 'remarkable insight', and
as a possible successor, there is uproar from gloomy and often bitterly cold rooms, that
his 'extraordinary capacity for forming o correct nurtured, maintained and preserved the
the scientific community. Twenty fellows of judgment on o difficult question '.
the Royal Society - including many who know priceless collections for their success ors. It is
lfwas Fagan, Harmer writes, who 'thoroughly not possible to quantify how many live s were
of Fogan's tireless work for the Museum in the realised' that as well as its ro le as o 'treosure-
war, sign a letter that appears in The Times on saved by the Museum's wartime re searches,
house' of natural history, there was 'the but what is undoubted ly true is that many lives
1 Morch 1919, deploring his appointment. There importance of making it a centre of research,
ore 'at least two of the present keepers' and were improved through the tireless work to
and there con be no question that his initiative improve public health, fight insect and bacteria
several eminent men not an the staff who ore 2nd Lieutenant Duncan Hepburn Gotch , Gunn er Robert Jome s Swift , o cont ra cto r's labourer at the Lan ce Sergeant Charles Hill, Civil Service Rifles, and on
wa s responsible far many new departures which born infection s, and the many and varied
eligible, the fellows write. To pass over these ... on assistant in the Imperial Bureau of Entomo logy, based Museum, killed in action on the Somme, 10 November 1916. at tendont in Entomolog y, who was occidentally killed on
have materially assisted in the advancement of contributions to the mil itary effort, and not to
in favour of one of the ordinary office staff in the Mu seum's Entomology deportment, killed at Neuve He was 35. 10 Moy 1918 during o machine-gun demonstration in London.
knowledge'. That the consultative functions of mention the hundreds of thousands of visitors
would be an affront to scientific men and of Chapelle 11 March 1915. He was 24. He was 28
the Museum hove been increasingly appreciated who found respite from war in the galleries of
grove detriment to science'. in recent years, and particularly during the war, the Museum - in spite of repeated attempts by ·
is 'largely due to his influence' Charles Fogon's Government to close it.
For many this description of Fagan as 'one of career, Harmer writes, 'was one long record
the ordinary office staff' is an equal affront. of single-minded service, strenuou sly and
One of those is the Keeper of Zoology, Dr Sidney The endeavours of them all shou ld be honoured.
successfully performed.'
Harmer, who writes to the journa l Nature on
13 Morch, in defence of Fagan, argu ing that his Without Fagon's exceptional combination of
work 'has been essentially scientific, and that passion fo r his institution and its staff, his clarity
his services in rendering the national mu se um Lance Corporal Ernest George Gentry, an attendant in Private Felix Gilbert Wilts hear, Botany department librarian,
of thought and his selfless duty, the Museum's
a scientific in stitution have been exceptionally Botany, killed 13 July 1915. He was 31. died 23 November 1917 from wounds received in action. Privat e Edward Alb ert·Batemon, 1st Battalion Norfolk
path through the vicissitu des of the Great War
· great'. But Nature is also aga inst Fagan , ond the He was 35. Regiment, boy attendant in the Imperial Bureau of
might hove been very, very different. Sidney
Trustees, in the face of such a weight of scientific Harmer's grief far his colleague is unconcealed, Entomology , based in the Entomology department, which he
opinion, cannot proceed . Fagan is due to retire joined straight from school. He died in northern Fra nce from
'He is deeply mourned by his many friends,'
in two years. and his appointment as Director wounds inflicted by o gas-shell on 29 June 1918. He was 18.
he writes, 'and particularly by his co lleagues
would therefore have been short, but long who recog nised his lovable qua lities and the
enough to mastermind the reconstruction of the great value of his services to the Museum and
Museum after the war. It would also have given to science.' A MUSE UM AT WAR
him a much-deserved increase ta both his salary ,.,._ .,u,.., ... ,._--,i..,.,..,_
and pens ion Privat e John G~briel, an attendant in Entomology,
In the spring of 1919 there is one more mi litary /
killed 30 Ju ly 1916 ot N euville -StV□ ast. He was 27.
death for the Museum to absorb. It is that of
What is decided instead is that Fogan's title Private Isaac James Frederick Kingsbury, an attendant
29-yeor-old Thomas Douglas, o member of the
wil l became secretary (rather than assi stant in Zoology , died 22 Februar y 1918 from wounds received in
cleaning staff, who dies on 13 Morch 1919. In
secretary), with increased salary and pension. action near Jerusalem. He was 24.
February 1916 he joined the 2nd Fin sbury Rifles
He will be in a position to carry through Priva te Frederick John Bean, boy attendant in Geology,
(11th Battalion County of London Regiment)
the difficult transition from war to peace. killed near Albert 22 August 1918. He wos 18.
and saw service in Fronce. In September 1917
The Director is to be Dr Harmer, the distinguished he was severely wounded and was in hospital
Keeper of Zoology , an appointment that is near London for nearly four months. In April
much deserved. While every deportment - most 1918 he returned to Fronce and was engaged
particularly Entomology - has carried its shore of in the horrendous fighting against the German Private Stanley Thomas Wells, an at tendant in Zoology , is
war work, it is Harmer and Fagan whose work is 'great offensive' He su rv ived and in October he reported missing in action on the Somme, 24 September 1916.
outstanding. Harmer's exceptional abilities have was transferred to Belgium. In Morch 1919, he He is declared dead in November. He wa s 22.
been evident from his first arrival at the Mu seum becomes ill - probably influenza. It develops into Private John Henry Smitheringal e, of the Mu seum's
from Cambridge in 1907. It is apparent, just from bronco-pneumonia, which kil ls him. He is buried contra ctor s' staff, killed in action on 21 March 1918.
his monthly reports to the Trustees, that he is of at Tournoi, in Belgium. He was 39. Thomas Douglas, o member of the cleaning sta ff, was th e
a diffe rent order to every other keeper. Museum's la st military death - in this war. He died in Belgium
an 13 March 1919. He was 29.
Sixty-five Museum men went to war. Thirteen
For nearly two years they run the Museum of them died. Their sacrifice is commemorated
together, but in December 1920, Fagan becomes in the simple bronze plaque placed in the Central
ill. On 30 January 1921, two months before he Holl (now Hintze Ho ll) in 1921
is due ta retire, Charles Fagan dies. Harmer hos Private George Pagnoni, bay attendant in.the Geology
There is no physical memorial to those men
lost o great friend and esteemed colleague. deportment. He died of war wound s in hospital in Londo n,
and women who were left, and who kept the
in Septemb er 1916. He was 18.

- 62 - evolve issue 37
evolve issue 37 - 63 -