A Sad Assemblage

Alan Hervey d'Egville (1891-1951) had an older sister, Evelyn Marguerite (1883-?), known a Madge. She married Dr. William Harold Stott and they made their home together in South Africa. They had at least two sons, Michael and Alan.

Alan was born in 1920 and was perhaps named after his uncle. By the age of 24 Alan was a Lieutenant in the South African Air Force and was flying on operations as a Navigator with 178 Squadron Royal Air Force.

In the summer of 1944 Warsaw was still occupied by the Nazis; but on the 1 August the Polish resistance Home Army rose up against the occupying forces. Stalin's Red Army sat on the opposite bank of the River Vistula within a few hundred metres of the Polish lines yet made no attempt to support them.

Churchill's requests to both Roosevelt and Stalin for support were unsuccessful. Under British command the Royal Air Force, the South African Air Force and the Polish Air Force began over 200 low level missions to supply the Polish Home Army.

To avoid the heavily defended areas of the Reich an alternative route was chosen over northern Italy with a round trip of 3200 km. The cost in human lives to supply the Polish allies was high - 69 South Africans never returned. 17 aircraft were shot down on the weekend of 13-16 August alone. On the 15 August Alan d'Egville Stott was one the men who did not make it home.

Alan is buried in Krackow Rakowicki Cemetery but some of his effects were returned to his family. These have now come to light on a South African auction site, bid or buy.co.za. The small collection includes a cap badge that has been turned into a brooch, some buttons from his tunic, his "pips," a cigarette lighter and an identity tag.

The starting bid was R150.00 but the collection does not appear to have been sold. It seeems particularly sad to me that these personal items might become buried in somebody's personal collection of militaria.

Alan d'Egville's Silver Screen Career

In 1936 two films in which Alan d'Egville had a part were released. He collaborated in the screenplay of Highland Fling with Ralph Stock. According to the British Film Institute Library Synopsis, the plot of this film can be condensed to, "Private detectives are asked to find a will mislaid in a haunted Scottish castle."

Ralph Stock wrote at least seven screenplays either alone or in collaboration with other authors. His scripts were given life by actors such as Sir John Mills, Gordon Harker and Patrick Macnee.

Alan seems to have worked on just the one production but unlike Ralph Stock he also appeared in a film which was released in the same year. Fox British Pictures produced a comedy short starring the great comedian Robb Wilton, Servants All. The British Film Institute describe this movie as, a "Comedy in which servants change places with aristocrats."

This cast are an interesting little company in themselves, including Viola Compton - the sister of the writer Compton MacKenzie - and an early performance by Cyril Cusack. Alan played the character of Mr. Horton-Pratt.

Alan had experience of acting and appeared in Berlin - whether before or after these movies I do not yet know - although from the dates I suspect that it was before 1936. I'm eager to read his autobiography, Adventures in Safety (London: Sampson Low, 1937).

Alan's Ski-ing Holiday In Canada

Among the collections of the Canadian Ski Museum is Alan Hervey d'Egville's memoir of a ski-ing holiday. I too have excused myself for drinking an entire bottle of spirits on the grounds that it had "gone off." Which just demonstrates that there is nothing new under the sun - particularly where excuses are concerned. I should probably state that nighttime ski-ing under the influence of alcohol should not be emulated at home.

The Admiral had provided me with the world's largest flask in case of accidents, and I had a couple of big accidents the moment I arrived. Besides in the inn was a certain Major, with bottles and bottles of De Kuyper's gin. God rest his soul - the Major's I mean, not so much De Kuyper, though I helped the Major out of a great difficulty by drinking nearly a whole bottle to prevent it going mildewed. After dinner we played charades. I was rotten. I must take a course in "How to become a 100 per cent charader and earn big dough on the side. Be popular! Be the life and soul of the party. Send no money! Merely pay the postman three hundred dollars and a few cents postage. The College of Charades. Olikaboof. Wash."

That night we sallied forth to try a bit of road ski-ing by moonlight. Unfortunately there was no moon, but that made no difference till you hit an electric light post or a wandering cow.

The Canadian Ski Annual, Season 1931

The entire article can be downloaded in pdf format.

Darts With The Lid Off

A splendid defensive uniform made in the home

I've never given too much thought to darts unlike Alan and Geoffrey d'Egville or Dr. Patrick Chaplin. I found Patrick's site while tangled in the World Wide Web and discovered a 1983 review of Darts With The Lid Off (Alan and Geoffrey d'Egville, Cassell, 1938) by Mat Coward.

The last time I can remember playing darts I think I had probably already spent too much time and money in a pub and my opponent and I picked craters in the plaster on the kitchen wall in a rented basement flat. My opinion of darts as a sport would have been influenced by the Not The Nine O'Clock News sketch which is now as much a part of the history of darts as Alan and Geoffrey's book.  

According to his website, Patrick's "unique thesis focuses mainly on the period 1918 to 1939 and reveals the forces that transformed the humble traditional English pub game of darts into a social phenomenon during the interwar years, forces that laid the foundations for the international sport that we all recognise today." (http://www.patrickchaplin.com/Doctorofdarts.htm 2006, Gerald O’Lapane and Patrick Chaplin). The dust jacket of Darts With The Lid Off has wonderful cartoons of stereotypes we recognise today and probably still associate with that sport.

Darts With The Lid Off (Cassell, 1938)

Patrick also has an article on the Language of Darts which quotes extensively from Darts With The Lid Off. So if you want to know the meaning and origins of the phrase "Euston Road" you must visit his site. This is entirely consistent with a certain discreet ribaldry that is present in Alan's writing.

I'm compiling a bibliography of Alan's work and until I began the task was unaware of how prolific he was as a writer and the esteem with which he is held by sporting enthusiasts even sixty years after his death. Alan's significant contribution to the development of modern winter sports is apparent from the number of skiing guides he published as much as his reputation in Murren.

The Humour Of Alan d'Egville

I feel that Internet shopping should never be allowed to replace the experience of visiting a bookstore. Blackwell's Online Bookshop is convenient but cannot compete with the otherworldly experience of descending into the Norrington Room. The elegant entrance to the shop in Broad Street hides more secrets than the Leaky Cauldron. 10,000 Square feet were excavated beneath Trinity College Gardens where three miles of shelving form the nexus to many magical worlds.

Buying books on the Internet evokes a similar sense of guilt to microwaving a supermarket ready meal. But as there are - maybe surprisingly - some good ready curries to be had there are independent used book dealers who sell the work of authors which would be rarely found in a local store. This allows both the work and the bookseller to exist in a world where high sales volumes and small percentages are survival.

eBay not only provide a market place for those wishing to auction their unwanted gifts and clutter but is a window for traders selling at a fixed price. It was here that I found the Batting Bunny... In anticipation of your question, no, I don't know. Maybe the owner lives in a world of cricketing rabbits.

The reason why this dealer was listed by Google is because the Bunny is selling a first edition of Money for Jam or How to be a Magnate by Alan D'Egville - published by Cassell in 1947. This posting isn't intended as an advertisement for either eBay or the Bunny and there are other dealers who presently stock this title.

I will devote a future posting to the life of Alan Hervey d'Egville (1891-1951). Amongst his works are other humourous books on sporting subjects and contemporary issues, a screenplay and his cartoons.

Photo by the Batting Bunny

In Money for Jam, Alan describes himself as the author of, among other titles,

"Business English as she is spake."
"Commercial Correspondence as she is wrote
"Book-keeping for pleasure and profit - and loss."

There are some other imaginary titles subtly aimed at the private secretary which no longer seem appropriate but would certainly appeal in 1947. And on that note, "Miss Jones, come in and take down everything I say..."