Mooney & Cooney

The Canadian soldiers and airmen were very popular with the girls of the area . I don’t know whether the girls are ‘snapping up’ the boys or the boys are ‘snapping up ‘ the girls. There were a lot of such marriages during the war years. Captain John Hodgson Mooney was born in 1914.  He was later Lieutenant-Colonel, E.D.,C.D. of Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery & Canadian Army Intelligence Corps.  He died in 2000. Mollie (sometimes spelt Molly) Eileen Cooney was born on the 4th December 1920.  After their marriage…

Canadian Visitor talks to local Toc H group

Toc H (an abbreviation of Talbot House) was styled as an “Every Man’s Club”, where all soldiers were welcome, regardless of rank. Founded in 1915, by Neville Talbot, a then senior army chaplain, and the Reverend Philip Thomas Byard (Tubby) Clayton, it became a soldiers’ rest and recreation centre, with an aim to promote Christianity.  It was named in memory of Neville’s brother Gilbert Talbot, who had been killed at Hooge in July 1915 Talbot House soon became known by its initials TH,  and then by the radio signallers’ phonetic alphabet of the…

Canadians & Americans bring their national game to Bromley

Ensuring that the oversea visitors felt at home, a game of Baseball was arrange at the Spartan Athletic Ground in Bromley between Canadian and American servicemen on the 6th July 1918. The event drew in a large crowd attracted to the sport with all proceeds raised divided between the Lewisham Prisoners of War Fund and the Canadian Convalescent Hospital. Canadians and Americans at Baseball A large number of people were attracted to the Spartan Athletic Ground, Bromley Hill, last Saturday, where Canadians and Americans met in their national game of…