Our Family History
The Genealogy of the Story Family
Lt. Col. Henry Herbert Douglas-Withers, MC
1885 - 1948 (63 years)
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About Bunny (letter to Nancy D-W from Sylvia D-W)
Lt. Colonel Henry Herbert Douglas-Withers.
He was known as Bunny by his friends. It was a character he portrayed in a play performed by amateur dramatics somewhere.
Bunny was orphaned at the age of 2, I think his mother died in childbirth. His father died in a fishing accident and the Ingold family became his guardians. They were two spinster sisters and a batchelor brother. They lived near Boston in Lincs but I don't know the exact whereabouts. After school (I don't know where) he went into the army.
He and Vera married in 1914 and soon after he went to fight in France, followed by transfer to Galipoli. This is where he met Clement Attlee and they became great friends.
Some time in 1917/18 Britain sent a small force to Russia during the revolution to help support the White Russians and he ended up in Tiblisi. While he was there he came into contact with the painter Zhammer who was trying to get out of Russia.He was a White Russian officer and keen to sell his paintings in order to get to Paris. There are still one or two of his works in Tiblisi museum.
In 1918 Bunny was back in England with his regiment - The South Lancs Regt - where the depot was in Warrington but he also served in many other places - Ireland, Plymouth, Catterick to mention a few. During this time he was well known for taking part in various military shows and in 1936/7 he retired in order to devote full time to producing the famous Aldershot Military Tattoo and he and his family lived in Farnborough. The 1939/45 was put a stop to this and Bunny found himself back in the army. This only lasted a couple of years and they finally ended up in Manobier to be near Granny (Vera's mother). During this time and until his death as a retired officer he spent a lot of time doing various welfare jobs for his regiment in Warrington.
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