Charles Causley
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Charles Stanley Causley
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
FRSL The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, th ...
(24 August 1917 – 4 November 2003) was a British poet, school teacher and writer. His work is often noted for its simplicity and directness as well as its associations with folklore, legends and magic, especially when linked to his native Cornwall.


Early years

Causley was born at
Launceston, Cornwall Launceston ( or , locally or , kw, Lannstevan; rarely spelled Lanson as a local abbreviation) is a town, ancient borough, and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is west of the middle stage of the River Tamar, which c ...
, to Charles Samuel Causley, who worked as a groom and gardener, and his wife Laura Jane Bartlett, who was in domestic service. He was educated at the local primary school and Launceston College. When he was seven, in 1924, his father died from long-standing injuries incurred in
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Causley left school at 16, working as a clerk in a builder's office. He played in a semi-professional dance band, and wrote plays—one of which was broadcast on the BBC West Country service before World War II.


Career and achievements

He enlisted in the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
in 1940 and served as an ordinary seaman during the Second World War, firstly aboard the destroyer HMS ''Eclipse'' in the Atlantic, at shore bases in Gibraltar and northwest England. Later he served in the Pacific on the aircraft carrier HMS ''Glory'', after promotion to petty officer. Causley later wrote about his wartime experiences (and their longer-term impact on him) in his poetry, and also in a book of short stories, ''Hands to Dance and Skylark''. His first collection of poems, ''Farewell, Aggie Weston'' (1951) contained the 'Song of the Dying Gunner A.A.1': ''Farewell, Aggie Weston, the Barracks at
Guz A guz or the Mughal yard is a unit of length used in parts of Asia. Historically, it was a regionally variable measurement similar to the English yard both in size and in that it was often used for measuring textiles. Values of the guz ranged from ...
,'' ''Hang my tiddley suit on the door'' ''I'm sewn up neat in a canvas sheet'' ''And I shan't be home no more.''
The collection ''Survivor's Leave'' followed in 1953, and from then until his death Causley published frequently, in magazines, in his own volumes and shared ones, in anthologies and then in several editions of his ''Collected Poems''. After demobilisation in 1946, he took advantage of a government scheme to train as a teacher at Peterborough. He then worked full-time as a teacher at his old school for over 35 years, teaching for his very final year at St. Catherine's CofE Primary elsewhere in the town, where the National School had been relocated. He twice spent time in
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
as a visiting Fellow at the
University of Western Australia The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany, Western Australia, Albany an ...
, and also worked at the Banff School of Fine Arts in Canada. Causley travelled still more widely and frequently, however, after taking early retirement in 1976 to pursue a full-time career in writing. He was much in demand at poetry readings in the United Kingdom and worldwide—the latter travels were sometimes as part of Arts Council and
British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...
initiatives. He also made many television and radio appearances over the post-war period, particularly for the BBC in the West Country, and as the presenter for many years of the BBC Radio 4 series ''
Poetry Please ''Poetry Please'' is a weekly radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in which listeners request poems, which are then read by a cast of actors. It is broadcast on Sunday afternoons and repeated the following Saturday night. The current presenter ...
''. An intensely private person, he was nevertheless approachable and friendly. He corresponded with and was well-acquainted with such writers as
Siegfried Sassoon Siegfried Loraine Sassoon (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English war poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both describ ...
, A. L. Rowse,
Susan Hill Dame Susan Hill, Lady Wells, (born 5 February 1942) is an English author of fiction and non-fiction works. Her novels include ''The Woman in Black'', '' The Mist in the Mirror'', and '' I'm the King of the Castle'', for which she received t ...
,
Jack Clemo Reginald John Clemo (11 March 1916 – 25 July 1994) was a British poet and writer who was strongly associated both with his native Cornwall and his strong Christian belief. His work was considered to be visionary and inspired by the rugged Cor ...
and
Ted Hughes Edward James "Ted" Hughes (17 August 1930 – 28 October 1998) was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest wri ...
(his closest friend)—and a host of other figures from the literary, publishing and wider cultural spheres around the world, as well the southwest region. In addition to Causley's poetry dealing with issues of faith, folklore, memory, his wartime experience and its later impact, landscape, travel, friends and family, his poems for children were and remain very popular. He used to say that he could have lived comfortably on the fees paid for the reproduction of 'Timothy Winters': ''Timothy Winters comes to school'' ''With eyes as wide as a football pool,'' ''Ears like bombs and teeth like splinters:'' ''A blitz of a boy is Timothy Winters.'' —first verse ''So come one angel, come on ten:'' ''Timothy Winters says "Amen'' ''Amen amen amen amen."'' ''Timothy Winters, Lord.'' ''Amen.'' —last verse In 1958 Causley was made a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Literature The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, th ...
, and he was made a
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
in 1986. When he was 83 years old he was made a Companion of Literature by the
Royal Society of Literature The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, th ...
: he greeted this award with the words, "My goodness, what an encouragement!" Other awards include the
Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry The Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry is awarded for a book of verse published by someone in any of the Commonwealth realms. Originally the award was open only to British subjects living in the United Kingdom, but in 1985 the scope was extended to in ...
in 1967 and a
Cholmondeley Award The Cholmondeley Awards () are annual awards for poetry given by the Society of Authors in the United Kingdom. Awards honour distinguished poets, from a fund endowed by the Dowager Marchioness of Cholmondeley in 1966. Since 1991 the award has be ...
in 1971. In 1973/74 he was visiting fellow in poetry at the
University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a public university , public research university in Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of Min ...
, from which institution he received an honorary doctorate on 7 July 1977. He was presented with the
Heywood Hill Literary Prize The Heywood Hill Literary Prize was awarded yearly to a writer, editor, reviewer, collector or publisher for a lifelong contribution to the enjoyment of books. Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire Andrew Robert Buxton Cavendish, 11th Duke ...
in 2000. Between 1962 and 1966 he was a member of the Poetry Panel of the Arts Council of Great Britain. He was twice awarded a travelling scholarship by the
Society of Authors The Society of Authors (SoA) is a United Kingdom trade union for professional writers, illustrators and literary translators, founded in 1884 to protect the rights and further the interests of authors. , it represents over 12,000 members and as ...
. There was a campaign to have him appointed
Poet Laureate A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ...
on the death of Sir
John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture, ...
, but in the end that role was given to Ted Hughes. Causley himself was not very keen on the idea. However, to the people of his home town, he became "the greatest poet laureate we never had". He was interviewed by
Roy Plomley Francis Roy Plomley, ( ; 20 January 1914 – 28 May 1985) was an English radio broadcaster, producer, playwright and novelist. He is best remembered for devising the BBC Radio series ''Desert Island Discs'', which he hosted from its inception i ...
on ''
Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings (usu ...
'' on 1 December 1979: his music choices included five classical selections and three others, while his chosen book was '' Boswell's Life of Johnson''. In 1982, on his 65th birthday, a book of poems was published in his honour that included contributions from
Ted Hughes Edward James "Ted" Hughes (17 August 1930 – 28 October 1998) was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest wri ...
,
Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (; 13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.
,
Philip Larkin Philip Arthur Larkin (9 August 1922 – 2 December 1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian. His first book of poetry, ''The North Ship'', was published in 1945, followed by two novels, ''Jill'' (1946) and ''A Girl in Winter'' (1947 ...
and twenty-three other poets, testifying to the respect and indeed love that the British poetry community had for him. This was followed by a fuller and more wide-ranging tribute (including some unpublished reflective essays, and reproductions of several drafts of his poem 'Immunity' from his archive at Exeter University), published in 1987 and entitled ''Causley at 70''. Causley's popularity amongst general readers and listeners, particularly among the Cornish, remains high, and also appears to be expanding. A Causley piece that has gained attention is "Eden Rock", a reflection on childhood, memory, family and mortality. Its opening lines are: ''They are waiting for me somewhere beyond Eden Rock:'' ''My father, twenty-five, in the same suit'' ''Of Genuine Irish Tweed, his terrier Jack'' ''Still two years old and trembling at his feet.'' Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion has said that if he could write a line as perfect as the one which closes this poem, he would go to his grave a happy man. The full text of "Eden Rock" accompanies
recording on the Poetry Archive website
of Causley himself reading it (amongst several other poems) aloud, shortly before his death in 2003.


Reception

According to the ''Norton Anthology of Children's Literature'',Zipes, J., et al., eds (2005), ''The Norton Anthology of Children's Literature'', New York & London: Norton ; pg. 1253. "because his characteristic themes, preoccupations, and freshness of language vary little, it is often difficult to distinguish between his writings for children and those for adults. He himself declared that he did know whether a given poem was for children or adults as he was writing it, and he included his children's poetry without comment in his collected works." Causley stayed true to what he called his 'guiding principle', adopted from Auden and others, that: "while there are some good poems which are only for adults, because they pre-suppose adult experience in their readers, there are no good poems which are only for children." His close friend
Ted Hughes Edward James "Ted" Hughes (17 August 1930 – 28 October 1998) was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest wri ...
said of Causley:
"Among the English poetry of the last half century, Charles Causley's could well turn out to be the best loved and most needed.... Before I was made Poet Laureate, I was asked to name my choice of the best poet for the job. Without hesitation, I named Charles Causley -- this marvellously resourceful, original poet, yet among all known poets the only one who could be called a man of the people, in the old, best sense. A poet for whom the title might have been invented afresh. I was pleased to hear that in an unpublished letter, Philip Larkin thought the same and chose him too."
Perhaps because of that widespread perception of Causley as a poetic 'outsider', academia has so far paid less attention to his work than it might have done. However, the publication over recent years of a book of critical essays edited by Michael Hanke
''Through the Granite Kingdom''
as well as a number of dissertations about Causley's work (alone, or alongside poets such as Larkin and
R. S. Thomas Ronald Stuart Thomas (29 March 1913 – 25 September 2000), published as R. S. Thomas, was a Welsh poet and Anglican priest ( Church of Wales) noted for nationalism, spirituality and dislike of the anglicisation of Wales. John Betjeman, introduc ...
) suggest that this situation is changing.


Legacy

The Charles Causley Trust, a registered charity, exists to celebrate his life and work and promote new literature activity in the community and region in which he lived. In 2006, the trust secured Cyprus Well, the poet's small house in Launceston, for the nation. After considerable repairs, refurbishment and upgrading, that has been opened on a limited basis to the public, and to provide a facility for a varied programme of activities. Most particularly, there has been a series of residencies for writers of all kinds, artists and musicians, as well as other heritage events. These promote both Causley's life and work, and the arts in general—especially across the South West region of Cornwall and Devon. In June 2010, the first of a continuing series of annual Charles Causley Festivals took place in Launceston, held over a long weekend. Festival programmes encompass literature, music, art and a variety of other fields for adults, families and children, featuring performers and other contributors from the local area, the region, the whole of the UK, and even world-wide. Subsequently, festivals have taken place in and around the town for varying periods of up to a full week or more. Over the years, poets such as Sir Andrew Motion (former Poet Laureate, and patron of the Causley Trust), Dame
Carol Ann Duffy Dame Carol Ann Duffy (born 23 December 1955) is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is a professor of contemporary poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Poet Laureate in May 2009, resigning in 2019. She was the first ...
,
Brian Patten Brian Patten (born 7 February 1946) is an English poet and author. He came to prominence in the 1960s as one of the Liverpool poets, and writes primarily lyrical poetry about human relationships. His famous works include "Little Johnny's Confessi ...
and
Lemn Sissay Lemn Sissay FRSL (born 21 May 1967) is a British author and broadcaster. Sissay was the official poet of the 2012 London Olympics, has been chancellor of the University of Manchester since 2015, and joined the Foundling Museum's board of trus ...
, novelists like Patrick Gale, journalists such as George Alagiah, and illustrators like John Lawrence have been headliners. Music at the festival has included regular appearances from Causley's distant relative, folk singer
Jim Causley Jim Causley is an English folk singer, songwriter, and musician from Devon who specializes in the traditional songs and music of the West Country. Journalist Colin Irwin has called him "the finest singer of his generation". Biography Causley ...
. featuring his settings of Causley poems, some of which have been recorded for commercial CDs. The fifth festival in June 2014 was prefaced by the unveiling of a memorial plaque at Cyprus Well (another one later marked his nearby birthplace near St Thomas Church and the River Kensey). That festival also marked the centenary of the start of the First World War with a series of talks on war poetry. A documentary film about Causley's life and work, made by Jane Darke and Andrew Tebbs of Boatshed Films, featured in several versions across the 6th and 7th festivals (2015 and 2016). A shortened version of the full 1990 film, ''The Poet: Charles Causley'', was broadcast on BBC4 as ''Charles Causley: Cornwall's Native Poet'' on 1 October 2017. The June 2017 festival (the 8th) marked the centenary of Causley's birth in August 1917. There were rare performances of several of Causley's one-act plays from the 1930s, and a session from the illustrator John Lawrence and Gaby Morgan marking the reissue of ''Causley's Collected Poems for Children''. The 2018 festival (the 9th) was headlined by poet and broadcaster
Roger McGough Roger Joseph McGough (; born 9 November 1937) is an English poet, performance poet, broadcaster, children's author and playwright. He presents the BBC Radio 4 programme '' Poetry Please'', as well as performing his own poetry. McGough was one ...
, while the 10th festival was in June 2019. In terms of Causley's musical legacy, an original opera by Steven McNeff based on Causley's libretto 'The Burning Boy', was premiered by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra's Kokoro Ensemble in Launceston and St. Ives in November 2017. The majority of the songs of Alex Atterson (1931–1996) are settings of Causley poems. An art exhibition entitled 'Charles Causley: A Tribute from the Artists' was organised to coincide with Causley's 70th birthday in 1987 by Ron Tamplin of Exeter University, and featured a wide range of paintings, drawings, photographs and sculptures. It later transferred from the University to the Institute of Education in Russell Square, London, for a period; an illustrated catalogue was published.


International poetry competitions

The Charles Causley International Poetry Prize is administered by the Causley Trust and is open to anyone over the age of 18. It began in 2013 and has continued in most years since, with a steadily-increasing number of entries. There are a number of monetary prizes and a good deal of publicity for the prize-winning poets and those achieving honourable mentions. After its early years, it developed into an international competition. In 2018, the announcements and presentations were hosted by Paul Tyler, Lord Linkinhorne (a pPatron of the Causley Trust), at the House of Lords. The following is a list of the competition winners and judges to date:


2013

1st prize – Jo Bell, 'The Icicle Garden'. Judge:
Sir Andrew Motion Sir Andrew Motion (born 26 October 1952) is an English poet, novelist, and biographer, who was Poet Laureate from 1999 to 2009. During the period of his laureateship, Motion founded the Poetry Archive, an online resource of poems and audio reco ...


2014

1st prize – Angela Readman, 'The Museum of Water'. Judge: Kathryn Simmonds


2015

1st prize – Claire Dyer, 'Trust and the Horse'. Judges: Antony Caleshu, Miriam Darlington, Kim Martindale and Ronald Tamplin.


2016

1st prize - Jack Thacker, 'The Load'. Judge: Sir Andrew Motion


2017

(The competition was suspended for this year.)


2018

1st prize – Judy O'Kane, 'Tasting Notes'. Judge: Sir Andrew Motion


2019

1st prize – Luke Allen, 'First Winter in Iceland'. Judge:
Michael Rosen Michael Wayne Rosen (born 7 May 1946) is a British children's author, poet, presenter, political columnist, broadcaster and activist who has written 140 books. He served as Children's Laureate from 2007 to 2009. Early life Michael Wayne Ro ...


2020

1st prize – Elena Croitoru, 'Tower Block Twelve'. Judge:
Lemn Sissay Lemn Sissay FRSL (born 21 May 1967) is a British author and broadcaster. Sissay was the official poet of the 2012 London Olympics, has been chancellor of the University of Manchester since 2015, and joined the Foundling Museum's board of trus ...
In recent years, the Causley Trust has also administered a children's (now young person's) poetry competition. The judges for that have included Jackie Kay, David Devanny,
Patrick Gale Patrick Evelyn Hugh Sadler Gale (born 31 January 1962) is a British novelist. Early life Gale was born in 1962 on the Isle of Wight, the youngest of four children. His father was the prison governor of HM Prison Camp Hill on the Isle of Wight ...
and
Penelope Shuttle Penelope Shuttle (born 12 May 1947) is a British poet. Life Born in Staines, Middlesex, Shuttle left school at 17. She wrote her first novel at the age of 20. She has lived in Falmouth, Cornwall since 1970. She married the poet Peter Redgrove (1 ...
(who are all either patrons or trustees of the Causley Trust).


Main publications


Books primarily intended for adult readers

*''Hands to Dance'' (short stories, later re-published as ''Hands to Dance and Skylark'') (1951) *''Farewell, Aggie Weston'' (1951) *''Survivor's Leave'' (1953) *''Union Street'' (1957) *''Johnny Alleluia'' (1961) *''Underneath the Water'' (1968) *''Secret Destinations'' (1984) *''Twenty-One Poems'' (1986) *''A Field of Vision'' (1988) *''Collected Poems:'' several editions, starting in 1975 and culminating with ''Collected Poems 1951-2000'' (2000)


Books and longer poems primarily intended for young readers

*''Figure of 8'' (narrative poems, 1969) *'' Figgie Hobbin: Poems for Children'' (1970) *Quack!' Said the Billy-Goat'' (c.1970) *''The Tail of the Trinosaur'' (1972) *''As I Went Down Zig Zag'' (1974) *''When Dad Felt Bad'' (1975). In the ''
Little Nippers ''Nippers'' was a children's book series for early readers established by Leila Berg and published by Macmillan Educational in the United Kingdom from 1968 to 1983. The series deliberately featured working-class characters and settings. History Be ...
'' series. *''The Hill of the Fairy Calf'' (1976) *''Dick Whittington'' (1976) *''The Song of the Shapes'' (1977) *''Twenty-Four Hours'' (1977) *''The Animals' Carol'' (1978) *''The Gift of a Lamb'' (1985) *''Early in the Morning: A Collection of New Poems'' (1986), with music by Anthony Castro and illustrations by Michael Foreman * ''Jack the Treacle Eater'' (Macmillan, 1987), illustrated by
Charles Keeping Charles William James Keeping (22 September 1924 – 16 May 1988) was an English people, English illustrator, children's book author and lithographer. He made the illustrations for Rosemary Sutcliff's historical novels for children, and he creat ...
— winner of the
Kurt Maschler Award The Kurt Maschler Award (1982 to 1999) was a British literary award that annually recognised one "work of imagination for children, in which text and illustration are integrated so that each enhances and balances the other." Winning authors and ill ...
, or the Emil, for integrated writing and illustration"Kurt Maschler Awards"
Book Awards. ''bizland.com''. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
*''The Young Man of Cury and Other Poems'' (1991) *''All Day Saturday, and Other Poems'' (1994) *''Collected Poems for Children'' (1996, reprinted 2017), illustrated by John Lawrence *''The Merrymaid of Zennor'' (1999) *''I Had a Little Cat'' (2009) -- an intervening version between those of the ''Collected Poems for Children'', above


Plays and libretti

*''Runaway'' (1936) *''The Conquering Hero'' (1937) *''Benedict'' (1938) *''How Pleasant to Know Mrs. Lear: A Victorian Comedy in One Act'' (1948) *''The Ballad of Aucassin and Nicolette'' (libretto, 1981) *''The Burning Boy'' (exact date of composition unknown, but probably in the mid-1980s)


As editor

*''Peninsula'' (1957) *''Dawn and Dusk'' (1964) *''Modern Folk Ballads'' (1966) *''Rising Early'' (1972) *''The Puffin Book of Magic Verse'' (1974) *''The Puffin Book of Salt-Sea Verse'' (1978) *''The Batsford Book of Stories in Verse'' (1979) * ''The Sun, Dancing: An Anthology of Christian Verse'' (1984)


As translator (some in limited editions)

*''Twenty-Five Poems by Hamdija Demirovic'' (1980), translated with the author from the original Yugoslavian *''Schondilie'' (1982), from the original German by an anonymous author *Kings' Children (1986), taken from German folk ballads


See also


References


Further reading

*


External links


The Charles Causley TrustThe Charles Causley Festival

Charles Causley archive
at University of Exeter Special Collections
Causley at The Poetry Archive
profile and poems written and audio.

''The Most Unfashionable Poet Alive'' * Wendy Trewin

from ''The Guardian'', 6 November 2003 * Susan Hill
"Joking apart"
''The Guardian'', 15 November 2003 ("Susan Hill celebrates the poetry of Charles Causley - Cornishman and friend")
A painting of Causley from Launceston Town Hall on the Artworks website

"Charles Causley"
Fellows Remembered.
The Royal Society of Literature The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the RSL has about 600 Fellows, elec ...

Page entry for Charles Causley on the War Poets Association website

'On the Border: Charles Causley in Twentieth Century British Poetics' (M.Res. dissertation By R.A. Walters, University of Kent)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Causley, Charles 1917 births 2003 deaths Children's poets English children's writers Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature Royal Navy personnel of World War II Place of death missing Burials in Cornwall 20th-century English poets 20th-century English male writers People from Launceston, Cornwall Poets from Cornwall World War II poets Royal Navy sailors