Sheffield Fencing Club

[RichardB]

Count P. Fourier d'Hincourt, Master of Arms (1910's)

[Guest Trefcon]

He lived in Sheffield for many years, he also ran the International School of Languages, and was founder of the Sheffield Anglo-French Society. Was also a war correspondent for the Independent. He once staged a sword duel at Nether Edge, aiming to kill his opponent ! This was filmed by Jasper Redfearn, a Sheffield cinematographic pioneer. He died in France in 1949.

During WW1 he acted as Official Translator for the British and French Armies. Photographs of him appeared in the Independent on 1st Dec 1914 and 3rd Aug 1915, when he was pictured on horseback about to start a journey with a confidential despatch.

He wrote an imaginative and poetic account of life in the trenches which appeared in the Independent of 3rd Aug 1915. It ended thus -

"And each evening the concert begins.... Under the avalanche of iron and fire, in the midst of this infernal music, before this fairy pyrotechnic, the troopers get close to the parapet to avoid the bursting shells, dreaming of the comfort of their own hearths, resting through the weary time with their heads on the butts of their rifles, stirring occasionally at the periodic summons of a shell, which bursts too close or too vividly to be agreeable. Slowly the hours pass in their clamorous monotony; little by little the stars fade from sight, the night becomes less dark, a yellow hand surges on the horizon behind the German trenches, forerunner of the sun. The night is finished. "

this from Pat Clark.

Dean.

[RichardB]

Excellent addition, I just found an advertisement and posted it up, now we have some interesting background information too.

Thanks to Pat and to Dean.

Not able to find anything else ...