British Expeditionary Force in Palestine in WWI – Allenby and Jerusalem

Stephen Snobelen from the Bedford Nova Scotia Ecclesia is looking for Christadelphians who served in the British Expeditionary Force in Palestine in WWI.

He first send out an appeal in 2008 and was very grateful for the additional names that appeal raised. Although the generation of WWI is now gone and while some of the generation of WWII are also passed away, it is his hope that this appeal will jog some memories. The list at the moment includes seven names and two fathers of Christadelphians. He would be grateful for any information about those in the list below or others who are not in this list. Here is the list:

Percy Coates (Hounslow Old Paths Ecclesia in West London)
Quentin Finlay (Scottish, but came into the Truth in Hamilton, Ontario)
Frederick Alexander King (English; sadly left the Truth, but has many Christadelphian descendants in the UK and Canada)
William Patch (New South Wales, Australia)
William “Bill” Smillie (Scottish, but made his way to Australia)
Eric (or Walter) Smith (Oldham Ecclesia)
William Watson (Old Hope Ecclesia, Jamaica)

He also found on p. 567 of the September 2007 issue of Logos Magazine a letter from a brother Michael Walker (UK) entitled “Allenby and Jerusalem”. This letter mentions that around 1963 this brother encountered another brother at the Suffolk Street Ecclesia in Birmingham who said that he had served under Allenby in Jerusalem. This letter does not mention the brother’s name, but if it is recoverable, Stephen Snobelen should very much like to learn it (it could be one of the names listed above).

Finally, his list includes Edward “Ted” Cheetham, who never became a Christadelphian, but who has ancestors in the Moorestown, NJ Ecclesia and another man with the surname Woodcock. This is the father of the late brother Frank Woodcock of Victoria, BC (but originally from Coventry he thinks). Brother Stephen does not have his first name, but would be grateful for it.

Snobelen his hope Lord willing is to write up a short account of these men and, where available, their experiences. He has a draft already and would be happy to share it with any brother or sister who contacts him.

Stephen Snobelen (snobelen@dal.ca) Bedford Nova Scotia Ecclesia