Fr Michael John Mullins

Nov 1913 – May 1915

1886 Born; studied at Ware and Douai; Doctorate in Canon Law
1909 Pope’s Gold Medallist in Canon Law
22 Sep 2910 Ordained
1910-11 Served at St Swithun, Portsmouth
1911-14 Served at St Thomas, Newport
1914-15 Served at St Boniface
1915-1918 Army Chaplain in the trenches of France and Belgium, World War I. Mistakenly reported wounded
27 Sep 1938 Died, remaining an Army Chaplain up until his death and Vicar General to Bishop of the Forces

Arrival from Poland

After the end of the Second World War, Polish soldiers were welcomed and stayed on in England. Locally, they lived in the army camp in Hiltingbury, Eastleigh, with pastoral care provided by Polish military chaplains.

By 1947 the camp, which by now was administered by the National Assistance Board with an English warden at its head, was already housing over 800 displaced Polish people from all walks of life: teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers to farmers and farm workers. This diversity of people, who under normal circumstances would have had little contact with each other, now found themselves in the same boat and had to adapt to a new way of life. There was also a sick bay staffed by Polish doctors and nurses, a Polish infants school and nursery. Life in the camp did not differ in any significant way from that in any of the other Polish camps that were scattered throughout the UK in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.

Fr Jankokwsi

Despite the difficult circumstances Polish people soon established a close knit community. One of the large Nissen huts was converted into a church. The first priest, Fr. Tadeusz Urbański, arrived in the camp with the army in 1945. In 1951 Fr. Antoni Jankowski arrived. Both priests ministered to the religious needs of their congregation by providing Masses, services and teaching in the camp school & preparing the children for First Holy Communion. Both he and Fr Urbanski were later created Canons of the Diocese of Warsaw for their unstinting work with the large numbers of Polish refugees.

Canon Jankowski continued his work when the Hiltingbury Hostel closed in 1956, at another hostel at in Wimpson Lane, Millbrook. The parish he founded, Our Lady Queen of Poland, comprises the areas of Southampton, Eastleigh, Bournemouth and Portsmouth. It was thanks to Canon Jankowski that we have had a Polish Parish Centre in Portswood Road since 1963.

He died at the early age of 58 on 26^th July 1972 and is buried at Hollybrook Cemetery.

First Holy Communion 1953, Hiltingbury Polish Camp. The priest is Fr Antoni Jankowski

Polish Corpus Christi procession, Hiltingbury camp 1940s/50s

Canon Jankowski's grave, Hollybrook cemetery

A parishioner at St Boniface, he was ordained here on 6 June 1992. He subsequently worked as assistant priest in Guernsey, after which he became the hospital chaplain in Portsmouth. He served for three years in this post and then became parish priest of St Swithun, Yateley, North Hampshire. He retired in 2007 because of increasing ill health.

He first underwent surgery for bowel cancer in 2007 but it was then discovered that the cancer had spread to the liver and was inoperable. He was living in retirement in Portchester and, for as long as he could, helped out in the local churches.

His funeral will be at St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth at 11am on Fri Jan 28th, followed by burial in Portchester.

Official records of his service do not survive but The Catholic Magazine (produced as a monthly newsletter) tells of his (censored) letters home stressing the grand job the soldiers were doing for their country. He was in the trenches ministering to the wounded and was reported wounded once.

This proved false and he came through the war. In 1921 when he applied for his medals he lived at Deal, Kent and served the diocese of Portsmouth until his death as Monsignor on October 22^nd 1938.

Fr Michael Mullins

Charles was a British naval airman during the First World War, regarded as one of the best Naval airmen of his day. He was a parishioner at the St Boniface tin church.

Charles Collet DSO

Background

Charles Collet was born in India in 1888, the son of an engineer James Francis Herbert Collet and his wife Teresa Collet (née Pilley). For a time the family lived on Guernsey. At the time of his death, Charles Collet’s parents lived in Woodleigh, West End, Hampshire Southampton, They had previously lived at Lansdowne House Regents Park Rd Southampton.. He was educated at Dulwich_College

Düsseldorf Air Raid, September 1914

On 22 September 1914, Flight Lieutenant Collet flew two hundred miles to Düsseldorf and bombed the Zeppelin shed there. Despite being hit, he returned safely. For this act he received the Distinguished Service Order.

Collet’s feat was described by Frederick A. Talbot:

”Flight Lieutenant Collet approached the Zeppelin shed at Düsseldorf at an altitude of 6,000;feet. There was a bank of mist below, which he encountered at 1,500;feet. He traversed the depth of this layer and emerged therefrom at a height of only 400;feet above the ground. His objective was barely a quarter of a mile ahead. Travelling at high speed he launched his bombs with what proved to be deadly precision, and disappeared into cover almost before the enemy had grasped his intentions.”
Frederick A. Talbot, (1997), “Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War”

Other notable achievements

Collet was also the first Naval officer to loop the loop. He was also able to play chess blindfolded!

He was promoted Captain (British Army and Royal Marines) in his secondary regiment, the Royal Marine Artillery.

Apart from the Distinguished Service Order, he was also twice mentioned in despatches.

He achieved the rank of Flight Commander in the Royal Naval Air Service before his death.

Death

Collet died in an aircraft accident on Imbros on 19 August 1915 and is buried at the Lancashire Landing Cemetery in Turkey.

ANDERSON Leslie Herbert Sergt 907274 RAFVR
Born Dec 1915 Portsmouth died 15 July 1941 in the skies over Europe. Son of Mabel Anderson of Southampton

BATCHELOR Denis D’Arcy Flying Officer 148538 117 Squadron RAFVR
Died 17 February 1945 Singapore Commemorated Singapore War Memorial Cemetery.. Son of William and Mary Batchelor. Husband of Phyliss J Batchelor whom he married Dec 1937 Southampton of Millbrook. She remarried 1947 to Stanley G Jones at Gosport.

CARROLL Wilfred Patrick Flying Officer 82665 Pilot 144 Squadron RAFVR.
Born Walsall March 1915 son of Thomas and Mabel Emily Carroll and husband of Phylisss Lucy Carroll, Shirley. Died 21 September 1941 age 26 Buried Hollybrook Cemetery Southampton

Grave of Wilfred Caroll

ETTLINGER Peter, Flight Engineer, flying Officer 187482 159 Squadron RAFVR
Son of Peter and Madeleine Ettlinger of Shirley. Died 26 July 1945 at Madras, India. Buried Madras.

MAYO William James Sergt REME 7642456
Born Southampton Sept1910 s of William P and  Eliza Mayo of Southampton and husband of Laura Evelyn  ( nee Deacon) Of English Rd Shirley. Died1944 buried Caserta. War Cemetery.

LUCEY Neville Richard Police Sergt
Son of Richard and Evelyn Lucey of 38 Grosvenor Rd, Shirley husband of Winifred Helen Lucey. D 3 March 1943 while off duty attempting to put out incendiary bombs during an air raid. On Roll of Honour New Scotland Yard for Officers killed carrying out dangerous duties or acts of gallantry.

Remembrance Day crosses

VICTOR VINCENT MCCULLEN RNVR P/J41676
Born 8/8/1899 Drogheda son of John and Jane McCullen.He married Alice Maud Dallimore in Plymouth in 1922.WW1 service at Jutland in battleship HMS Marlborough which was hit by torpedo but reached port.

WW2 service Royal Naval Reserve serving in HMS Ancasta which was sunk North Sea 9 June 1940 along with HMS Ardent and HMS Glorious by German battle cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Before sinking the Ancasta was able to torpedo the Scharnhorst. Victor was drowned. He lived in Coxford

ROBERT WILLIAM BIGG MERCHANT NAVY

Steward MV Warwick Castle died 12 April 1943

MV Warwick Castle had been sunk off Gibraltar in November 1942 and Robert Bigg had survived only to die in Southampton General Hospital. Born Christchurch 1884. Buried at Hollybrook Cemetery Southampton grave K9 162 (photo)

Grave shared by O’Donoghue family.

Grave of Robert Bigg, Hollybrook Cemetery

St Boniface Parish Memoirs

Orders can be placed through the parish office, or available to take away through the parish repository.

Canon Robert Scantlebury

Canon Robert Scantlebury was the most prolific historian to work on the records of Portsmouth Diocese and his last work, ‘Introduction to Catholic Southampton’, is a record of his extensive research into the history of Catholicism in the city since the Reformation. He also transcribed the original Latin registers of 1805 – 1837 but he died before he could complete his task.

The Diocesan Archivist asked Carole Olding, parishioner of St Boniface’s church in Shirley and the Diocesan Archives Assistant for Southampton West, to edit the Canon’s work for publication.

In the 1700s and early 1800s Southampton and Winchester provided a safe-haven for hundreds of French émigré priests who ministered to the Catholics of both places. Their records, the ‘French Registers’ of 1792 – 1805, were recently uncovered and translated by Carole. She has also translated the Latin Marriage Registers of 1837 – 1849.

Carole conducted extensive original research into the precursors of the St Joseph’s site, the purchase of the present site and the violent anti-Catholic feelings in the town when the church was opened.

Belgian Priest-poet Rev Hendrick C.E. Van Doorne recorded eyewitness accounts of the origins of the St Joseph’s mission on which later historians relied. A biography of his fascinating life and work is included in the publication.

Other records of St. Joseph’s and documents relating to the Schools are included, as are the mid 19^th century records of the small Catholic centre of Pylewell House/ Elm cottage in Lymington.

The CD costs £7.50 +p&p and is available from The Catholic Family History Society: www.catholic-history.org.uk/cfhs

Fr Thomas Byrne

Father Thomas Byrne

Father Thomas Byrne, priest at St Boniface, wrote in the Catholic Magazine several pieces for the Catholic community at St Boniface, Foundry Lane, Southampton for Advent.

“Christ came unto his own and His own received him not. People now don’t want Him. He is not wanted in Parliament; in society there is no room for him, for Society has discovered it can get on better without Him and His religion which is out of date and dull. The four friends who are intimately associated with Jesus are Humility, Poverty, Purity and Chastity”

“During Advent we prepare for Christmas. The Church’s Advent message to us is the message preached to the Jews by our Lord’s predecessor: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his path; do penance. Penance is the necessary preparation for his coming at Christmas. The Catholic who consciously remains during Christmas tide in a state of mortal sin cannot possibly have a happy Christmas.”

“Advent was formerly observed like a second Lent and there are still a few fasting days left during Advent. Pope St Gregory the Great appears to have made this observance a universal law for the whole church at the end of the 6th century although Advent was already at the time kept in various places”

“ALONG THE WAY” by J Buckham

There are so many helpful things to do along life’s way
(Helps to the Helper, if we but knew) from day to day!

So many troubled hearts to soothe,
So many pathways rough to smooth,
So many comforting words to say
To hearts that falter along the way.

Here is a lamp of hope gone out along the way.
Someone stumbled and fell, no doubt- But brother, stay!
Out of thy store of oil refill;
Kindle the courage that smoulders still;

Think what Jesus would do, today,
For one who had fallen beside the way.

How many lifted hands still plead, along life’s way!
The old sad story of human need reads on for aye.
But let us follow the Saviour’s plan-
Love unstinted to every man!

Content if, at most, the world should say:
“He helped his brother along the way”.

The new hymnbook

On September 1st 1910 the Bishops of England and Wales decreed that the only hymns to be sung in Catholic Churches were to be from the agreed list. This was followed soon by the version complete with the melody (tune) parts and was called “The Westminster Hymnal”

Copies were only given to the choir; the congregation could buy their own but at 6d not many people could afford one.

Christmas 1910 was the test of this new hymn book. Christmas carols were known by heart by the people so when the hymn “Angels we have heard on high” was announced, the words had been changed in several places in the new hymnbook. The result was that the choir sang the new version while the people sang the words of their old favourite!

Thanks to the helpers

Interior of Shirley tin church from May 1911's edition of 'Southampton & Woolston Catholic Magazine and Sacred Heart Messenger'

Mrs Sarah Wosikowski (the church caretaker) made new vestments and renewed the felt covering of the sanctuary.

Many parishioners were thanked for providing the evergreens and plants and palm trees used to decorate the church!