The Jewel in the Crown takes to the Field

 

World War One brought about the mobilisation of not only the British nation, but the call would be heard in all of her dominions and territories across the seas. One nation who answered the call was India, the jewel of the crown, who mobilised in 1914 with the Indian Army becoming a crucial bolster to the British Expeditionary Force’s lines in late 1914 and 1915. The Indians Army conduct in the First World War has, in part, has been forgotten by history, considering their sacrifice on the Western Front and other theatres. During the war an estimated 74,000 Indian troops were killed, with as many wounded, many of whom reinforced the British line in 1914 ensuring the termination of the German advance. The Indian Army were also to serve with gallantry in Gallipoli and Mesopotamia defending the Empire.

The Royal Pavilion, also known as the Brighton Pavilion, was completed in 1823 to serve as Georges IV’s coastal retreat. In 1914 under the ownership of the Brighton Corporation it was decided that the Pavilion would be transformed into a military hospital. More specifically the hospital was to be for wounded Indian troops as it was believed the oriental architecture would provide a more comfortable and homely atmosphere for the convalescing men. The Pavilion hospital accommodating around 720 beds and two operating theatres considered its patients religious and cultures needs rather attentively. To accommodate its patients the Pavilion created nine kitchens for the different religions and caste members and particular areas were designated for prayer. The Indian Army hospital closed in 1916 after the role of the Indians on the Western Front declined as they took a greater role in the Middle East theatre. In its place the Pavilion acted as a Hospital for amputees, concentrating on rehabilitation until its closure and return to the Brighton Corporation in 1920. The Royal Pavilion’s role not only demonstrates the utility of Britain’s architectural monuments during WW1 but the hospital highlights the British Army’s dedication to the care and rehabilitation of the wounded Indian troops fighting far away from their home nation.

BBC magazine, ‘Why the Indian Soldiers of WW1 were forgotten’, <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-33317368&gt;

Royal Pavilion, ‘WW1 and the Royal Pavilion’ <http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/history/ww1-and-the-royal-pavilion/&gt;

Music From Upon High

From the mid-16^th century to the early 20^th century a musical phenomenon gripped Europe, although today considered barbaric, where boys were castrated in order to preserve their singing voices. The castrati singing voice was considered particular extraordinary as it neither resembled a child’s, woman’s, or male soprano’s voice but considered pure and angelic. By going through this process of castration, boys were denied the usual process of puberty which had inevitable physical and emotional impact.  The physical effects, the first of course their high voices, the castrato’s were observed to have long legs and arms due the unchallenged growth hormones, feminine features, hairless bodies and obviously infertility. Many were described as barrelled chested, caused by the continuous breathing techniques taught throughout their life in order to allow them to hold a long notes. [see picture]

 

Although originally ‘created’ for the choirs of the Catholic Church, the castrati made their name with the Italian baroque era Operas. Singers like Farinelli and Senesion who became the pop stars of the 18^th century had voices of such perfection that they were described to have “moved audiences to tears and standing ovations.”  The Italian Operas although being popular were not as popular in England as they were on the continent due to the use of Italian language and its association with the Catholic faith, a most feared entity in protestant 18^th century England. The castri craze, rather amazing, lasted until the late 19^th century, until the newly formed Italian state banned the practice in 1870.

 

The last of the castrati, Aleesandro Moreschi, born in 1858 is the only catrato voice to have been recorded. At this point I would recommend you listen to the recording of Moreschi, to get a sense of the voice produced by the castrati. [see the link bellow] There has being some debate concerning Moreschi recording, some argue that he was never a particularly good singer while others detect hints of a once great singer, unfortunately passed his prime. In any case the recording gives an insight into a lost musical phenomenon which saw the mutilation of thousands of boys in order to achieve a voice not naturally heard. During the 17^th and 18^th century an estimated 4,000 boys a year were castrated in Italy to preserve their voice. Tragically however most would not become great opera or choir singers and only those in Protestant countries were permitted to marry due to a papal proclamation, but all would be condemned to a childless life festoon with health and emotional issues associated with male genital mutilation.

(Alessandro Moreschi singing Ave Maria (circa 1904) )

Sources

Martin Hatzinger et al., ‘Castrati Singers’, Journal of Sexual Medicine, 9, 9 (2012) 2233

J. S Jenkins, ‘The Voice of the Castrato’, Lancet, 251, (1998) 1877- 80, <http://www.usrf.org/news/010308-jenkins_lancet.html&gt;

Images taken from, Helen Berry, ‘20 facts about castrati’ (2015), <http://www.sinfinimusic.com/uk/features/other-features/20-things-you-need-to-know-about-castrati-singers&gt;

Donald Duck Goes to War

 

In Disney’s 1942 ‘In Der Fuhrer’s face’ [See link below] Donald Duck is seen to be living in the totalitarian German State in which he faces unsatisfactory food rations and then a gruelling work regime in a munitions factory where he subsequently has a nervous breakdown, not a typical Disney occurrence. In the opening scenes a German military band marches though a swastika-centric world singing the rhetoric’s of their fuhrer, Hitler. The bands comprising of particular interest cohort consisting, for one, of a racial derogative Japanese tuba player whose character adheres to American racial stereotyping of the time.

During WW2 the American government would intern an estimated 110,000 citizens of Japanese ancestry purely because they were deemed enemies of the state due to the racial ethnicity. The next band member, of interest, is a rather effeminate Herman Goering depicted as quite the mincing machine, a typical depiction during WW2, where Allied propaganda aimed to give the impression that the German High Command were weak and womanlike. The last member of the band to be shown is that of Benito Mussolini depicted as a small bald drummer, which perhaps isn’t too far from a true depiction. In the closing scenes we see Donald awake from his nightmare, draped in the star and stripes, typical of every propaganda film of the time, to see Lady Liberty standing in the window encouraging him to proclaim, ‘Boy am I glad to be a citizen of the United States of America.’

As well as being a rather endearing rendition ably performed by Donald and some character who did not stand the test time, the film does however show the rather forgotten contribution Disney had in propaganda production with its ever lovable characters during the Second World War. Covering everything from recruitment, war bond drives, income tax and Christmas greeting cards Disney did what it does best in contribution to the war effort. With the War costing around $300 billion the American government, in part, depended on contribution of the American people through war bonds and taxes, which Disney helped to facilitate.

 

For more on Donald Duck’s contribution to the propaganda war see,

Donald Ducks Patriotic Duty

 

and for more on Disney’s role in WW2 see,

Disney’s Education for Death

 

Sources

Disney, ‘In Der Fuhrer’s Face’, (1942) <https://archive.org/details/DerFuehrersFace>

David Lesjak, ‘Disney to the Front’, American in WWII, <http://www.americainwwii.com/galleries/disney-to-the-front/>