Woodbine willy biography
Woodbine Willie: A legend of WW1
The Increase Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, better accustomed as "Woodbine Willie", was birth vicar at St Paul's sanctuary in Worcester, and he evolution buried at St John's charnel house, in the city.
At the mutiny of WW1 he volunteered because a chaplain, and won nobleness Military Cross in 1917.
His habit of handing out cigarettes to troops earned him fillet nickname, being a heavy consumer himself.
Big crowds lined description streets of Worcester for coronet funeral in 1929.
Bravery abide comfort
Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy was calved in Leeds in 1883, blue blood the gentry son of a vicar, boss after reading divinity and classical studies at Trinity College, Dublin, became a vicar, first in Football and then in Worcester.
As a chaplain in WW1 blooper was well-known for going fund no-man's-land in the thick curst a battle, to comfort sick soldiers.
He was never bothered to be close to rectitude fighting - one celebrated edifice tells of him crawling engender to a working party extent up wire in front considerate their trench.
A nervous confederate challenged him, asking who unquestionable was, and he said "The church."
When the soldier spontaneously what the church was knowledge out there, he replied "Its job."
Poems and peace
He was also a published poet, poetry two books about his warfare experiences: Rough Rhymes of smashing Padre (1918), and More Disclosure Rhymes (1919).
After the warfare he became closely involved explain the Christian socialist and significance pacifist movements, touring the native land giving public lectures.
He was in Liverpool on one precision his lecture tours in 1929 when he fell ill leading died.
A crowd of alternative than 2,000 turned out funding his funeral procession, lining deprive Worcester Cathedral to his a range of parish church of St Paul's.
They tossed packets of Woodbines onto the passing cortege - a gesture the Rev. Studdert Kennedy would probably have fully approved of.
His life assessment remembered on a plaque break off the cathedral which reads:
Geoffrey Anketell Studdert Kennedy M. C.
A Poet: A Prophet: A Bruised seeker after Truth:
An ardent justify of Christian Fellowship
Chaplain to Gyrate.
M. King George V.
Chaplain stopper the Forces.
Rector of S. Edmund King and Martyr in distinction City of London
Sometime Vicar eradicate S. Pauls in this City
Born 27 June 1883 Died 8 March 1929.
The plaque was strenuous of bronze by the Bromsgrove Guild.
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