Julian Grenfell

Julian Henry Francis Grenfell DSO (March 30, 1888 - May 26, 1915), was a British poet of World War I.

Julian Grenfell was born at 4 St James's Square, London. He was the first son and heir of Lord Desborough and Ethel Priscilla Fane.

He was educated at Eton College where he was good friends with Denys Finch Hatton. From Eton he went up to Balliol College, Oxford.

He joined the army in 1910, and was awarded a Distinguished Service Order in 1914.

On May 13 1915 as a Captain in the Royal Dragoons Julian stood talking with other officers, a shell landed a few yards from them, and a splinter of the shell hit him in the head. He was taken to a hospital in Boulogne where he died of his wounds 13 days later with his mother, father and sister at his bedside. He was 27 years old and was buried at the Boulogne Eastern Cemetery.

The day after his death, together with news of his death, there was published in "The Times" for the first time his most famous poem 'Into Battle'.

In a letter that was written in October 1914, Grenfell wrote "I adore war. It is like a big picnic but without the objectivelessness of a picnic. I have never been more well or more happy." This letter was infamous when its publications sparked a backlash of arguments that it was naive and that it strengthened propaganda media, which had led to thousands of young men signing up to the British Army, under false pretence.

Julian's younger brother Billy Grenfell was killed in action on July 30, 1915 within a mile of where Julian had been wounded.

On November 11th, 1985, Grenfell was among 16 Great War poets commemorated on a slate stone unveiled in Westminster Abbey's Poet's Corner [http://net.lib.byu.edu/english/wwi/poets/poets.html] . The inscription on the stone was written by a fellow Great War poet, Wilfred Owen. It reads: "My subject is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity." [http://net.lib.byu.edu/english/wwi/poets/Preface.html]

References

* "Julian Grenfell : His Life and the Times of his Death" (1976) by Nicholas Mosley [http://grenfell.history.users.btopenworld.com/Biographies/julian_francis_grenfell.htm Profile]

(Julian Henry Francis Grenfell (1888-1915) was born on 30 March 1888 and educated at Eton and Oxford Grenfell was commissioned into the Royal Dragoons in the summer of 1910, and was immediately despatched to India, arriving at the tail-end of the year.

Until the outbreak of war in August 1914 Grenfell served in cavalry positions in India and South Africa. With the First World War underway Grenfell was posted to Flanders where he immediately saw service during the First Battle of Ypres.

Based near Zillebeke thereafter Grenfell was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in November 1914 for his action in stalking German snipers and dispatching them from close range. Noted (and much respected) for his bravery Grenfell was twice mentioned in despatches.

Offered a staff position with General Pulteney in the wake of his award he chose instead to continue serving in the front line, believing he would be of better use to his country in active commands.

Seriously wounded by shrapnel while serving near Ypres at Hooge he was taken to hospital in Boulogne where he died after two failed operations on 26 May 1915. The announcement of his death in The Times three days later - the date of his burial in Boulogne - was accompanied by publication of this, his most famous poem, Into Battle)