department in France. We have a postcard of the cemetery and his individual gravestone, as these were requested by his parents. We also have a picture of a family gravestone in England which includes his name; presumably added to provide a marker of his death in his home country. One aspect of war rarely considered is what happens in the aftermath of a soldier’s death. The documents
was a precarious hold”. It is unimaginably hard to grasp just how painful this letter would have been to receive, and the sad reality is that this chaplain probably wrote many more of these letters the same day. One letter which is useful to understand the everyday needs of soldiers is a letter from Leonard
to his father. He asks for “tinned goods, plus preserved fruits, plus chocolate but no meat”. It helps us to understand just how vigilant the army was
we have include letters of sympathy from royalty. One document reads: “The King commands me to assure you of thetrue sympathy of
His family recently donated a treasure trove of letters, pictures and personal items to the College Archive
about security. In the letter he says: “We are not allowed to disclose what regiment we are”, and on the envelope there is a triangular censored stamp to illustrate it did not contain compromising in- formation – in case it was seized by the Nazis. Another letter is a letter from Leonard’s mother to Leonard. Presumably the only reason we have this letter is because he passed away before receiving it, meaning it was sent back to his family. Some sentences illustrate a mother’s worry: “Well dear Len I do hope with all my heart you are safe what a blessing it will be when this awful war is over + you [are] home again it will be lovely… I do hope you are quite well + safe, we have not heard from you for some little time”. In hindsight reading his mother’s words is heart-wrenching. “Learn from your mistakes”, I’m sure everyone reading this has had this said to them at some point in their lives. Whether it be on a test you didn’t do so well on, or a job interview that didn’t go to plan, it is a phrase everyone is familiar with. Winston Churchill famously stated in 1948: “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. Unfortunately, when it comes to war, history repeats itself time and time again. Whether that be Russia’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine, or the Israel–Palestine conflict, war remains prevalent. So, although the form of warfare has changed, the result is the same: loss of life. Sadly, due to the current polarisation of the world, it appears that war will remain a constant, certainly in my lifetime. ◎
His Majesty and the Queen in your sorrow.” The letter is signed by the Secretary of State for War who was Edward Stanley — 17th Earl of Stanley. Other documents are formalities — for example, how his parents received the wage he was due, which was three pounds and eight shillings — as well as other personal belongings such as his Holy Book. Here you can see me holding the book open on 8 May, the date that he died:
Private Leonard Rabbet
Treasures from the past
A ny student at Dulwich College will be aware of the Year 9 Old Alleynian project where each boy is assigned a different OA who was killed during the First World War and delves into their life. This project is a highlight of the year for all, whether history is your “thing” or not; it is the first time boys conduct independent research, made more poignant as the person sat where they now sit more than 100 years later. The project helps us to remember the loss of life which occurred and honour the memory of the fallen by recognising their sacrifice, and by trying to learn from the mistakes that resulted in war. I recently had the opportunity to work in the arc- hive and complete a project on the life of a man named Leonard George Rabbet.
Private Rabbet died on 8 May 1917 in France from wounds. During the war he was in frequent correspondence with his parents – who lived in Dulwich – via letter, and whilst he was not an OA, his family recently donated a treasure trove of letters, pictures and personal items to the College Archive. I selected some of the most impactful letters, pictures and government documents and presented them in an exhibit to honour Rabbet’s life. Leonard fought as a member of the 1 st Honourable Artillery Company in the Second Battalion – which was incorporated by Henry VIII in 1537, making it the oldest regiment in the British army. He was survived by his siblings and parents and is buried in the English Cemetery at Aubigny-en-Artois in the Pas-de-Calais
by Max Vara, Year 13, pictured
From a vast number of letters, I selected a few I believed to be the most emotive and interesting. The first is a letter is from a chaplain who wrote to Leonard’s parents informing them of their son’s passing. He writes in a direct but sombre tone: “I write with sorrow to tell you of the death of your son from wounds in hospital” he tries to offer comfort by emphasising that Leonard was brave and fought hard: “for a while he held his own but it
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THE ALLEYNIAN 713
OPINION, INTERVIEWS & FEATURES
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