Typed copy of 1920 letter by Lieut Trevor Orchard Chichele Plowden, describing the Bolshevik massacre at Odessa of 'Denikens Volunteer Army', with Autograph Letter Signed by him while on HMS Firedrake in 1916, and three related items.

For biographical information about Commander Plowden, see the Times obituary quoted at the end of this description. All five items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Item One: Typed copy of letter from 'Trevor' to 'Mother and Pater'. 2pp., 4to. Headed 'Copy'. With envelope addressed to Miss Martin Wood, c/o Lt. Gen Phelps, Woodbourne Grange, Edgbaston. (As Item Three shows, this copy was made by Plowden's mother for his aunt.) 'I told you we expected to go to the Black Sea from here and we did very shortly afterwards, to Odessa. | The whole place was frozen in solid ice and we crashed through it and anchored close in about 1/2 mile off. | Everything was more or less quiet the first day but in an awful muddle. | Dennikens Volunteer Army had been defeated and were retreating on the town. | At first only refugees were arriving in in vast quantities all expecting to be taken off in ships. This of course was impossible so we only had ourselves, and in the harbour were about a dozen Merchant Ships all with no coal, water, or provisions. | Their total carrying capacity was about 3,000 and there were 500,000 people to be taken off. All were starving and the place chronic with Typhus. A terrible show. | Next day the defeated army appeared at least all the men had joined the Bolsheviks, but 27,000 officers arrived. They were the most useless ullages [amended in manuscript from 'villagers'] imaginable, and only hadn't joined the Bolshies because they weren't wanted by them, and were always shot on sight or tortured. | Then the Bolshis [sic] started coming. We bombarded them lavishly but this had the effect of creating a frantic panic in the City so we desisted firing and landed all available men and band and did a march through the City to try and restore order. | It had a certain amount of effect but the refugees started rushing the ships trying to get off. We then had a harrowing two days getting the ships full and towing them out into the bay. By this time the Bolshies were in the town and the place was full of machine gun fire and field guns. | We had to leave hundreds of thousands behind and it was rather dreadful as they were all old men, young women and children and thousands of officers and they all knew their fate. | I believe they slaughtered all the officers they could find some thousands but we were out of from the town and couldn't be certain of anything. Anyhow machine guns and rifles and field guns were popping off continuously for three days. We let them know we were still there by firing shrapnel over the town at intervals. Then we had to coal, provision and water all the Merchant ships. The first to be done got off for various destinations all right but the others all broke out with typhus and such like diseases. We got them all off after working day and night for a week and then came here, where we hoisted the C. in C.'s flags for three months. I hate a flagship and will be very glad when he goes back to the Iron Duke again.' The letter continues with a discussion of the 'wonderful bargains' he has acquired in Odessa. Item Two: Autograph Letter Signed ('Trevor') to (his aunt) 'My dear Lillie'. On letterhead of HMS Firedrake; 18 November 1916. 2pp., 4to. With envelope bearing censor's stamp. The letter consists of personal and family news, including thanks for her letter and 'the socks', which he wore 'last trip the whole time. Three days & nights without once coming off. They are now at the wash!' He has been in Glasgow where he 'tried to see Sir Alfred Booth paters friend but he is too busy a man to be caught only a few hours ahead'. The other three items are letters from Trevor Plowden's mother Agnes to her sister Lillie. Item Three. 2pp., 16mo. Accompanying Item One. 'Dearest Lillie you remember reading about T[revor's]. ship - well here is a letter, a copy of his which I feel surer you will like to keep. If you write to him don't say I have had it copied - for he is so dreadfully modest he would hate it, & never forgive me'. Item Four: 8pp., 16mo. In envelope docketed: 'about Trevor & "his" Submarine'. 'Trevor came up last week on 10 hours leave - and yesterday I was phoned up, and to my utter surprise it was Trevor. He was at Liverpool St. on his way to Sheerness [...] He had been sent up there about the German Sub Marine he had captured - He says they are making a great ado about it'. Item Five: 2pp., 16mo. In envelope docketed 'The Admiralty's opinion of Trevor the "Findrake" sorry to lose him'. 'The Findrake were fearfully sorry to see him go and did their very best to keep him, but men are wanted for war ships and the Admiralty told Trevor he is so well spoken & thought of he could ask for what he liked & he wd get it'. The Times of 15 April 1942 carries the following obituary: 'Commander Trevor Orchard Chichele Plowden, R.N., who died in London on April 11, had retired at his own request in May, 1933, but rejoined for active service in the war. He was 46 years of age. Entering Osborne as a naval cadet in January, 1909, he as rated midshipman from January, 1914, and appointed to the Superb, in which he served in the Grand Fleet during the early part of the last war. From 1916, the year he became a sub-lieutenant, he was in the destroyers Firedrake, Nessus, and Sepoy, and was promoted to lieutenant in March, 1918. During 1919-20 he served in the battleships Centurion and Ajax, returning to destroyers as executive officer of the Torch and Walpole. From 1923 to 1925 he was executive officer of the sloop Cyclamen in the Persian Gulf. He was afterwards in destroyers in reserve, and from 1926 to 1928 in the Iron Duke, flagship of the 3rd Battle Squadron, after which he went to China to command the river gunboat Ladybird. From 1930 to 1932 he was on the staff at the R.N. Barracks, Portsmouth. After his retirement he was on the staff at the B.B.C. He leaves a widow.'