YMCA Unofficial Papers: Memoir of William George Cadenhead

This material is held atUniversity of Birmingham, Cadbury Research Library, Special Collections

Scope and Content

Photocopied memoir titled 'The Memoirs of an Ordinary Man', typescript autobiography by William George Cadenhead, YMCA Secretary at Ripon, Barnsley, Swansea and Birmingham.

The volume discusses Cadenhead's early life in Aberdeen before describing his First World War service as a machine gunner in the Scottish Horse Yeomanry. There is a detailed account of his being called up in August 1914 and being stationed in Doncaster and Morpeth before being sent to Gallipoli in July 1915 where he saw action in Suvla Bay. He was evacuated in December 1915 and then describes the transfer of his unit to Egypt to form part of the Imperial Camel Corps. He took part in the advance on Gaza in March 1917 where he was badly wounded and evacuated to Cairo. Following his recovery he assisted at the YMCA forces' centre near Cairo.

The remainder of the volume describes Cadenhead's experiences working as a secretary for the YMCA in Ripon, Barnsley, Swansea and Birmingham. He describes the work of the Birmingham YMCA during the Second World War providing mobile and static canteens and a Forces Centre.

The memoir includes copies of photographs and illustrations and also provides detailed information about Cadenhead's personal life and career.

Administrative / Biographical History

William George Cadenhead was born in Aberdeen on 20 April 1896, one of four brothers. He secured a bursary to Gordon's College. During the First World War he served as a territorial with the Scottish Horse Yeomanry, firstly in Gallipoli for five months, and later with the Imperial Camel Corps in Egypt and Palestine. He was shot while at Beersheba; a bullet entered his lung and he was in hospital for nine months. He recovered and in 1917 began working in the YMCA forces' centre near Cairo.

His brother Anthony, 'Tony', served in the First World War as a radio officer in the Mercantile Marines; another brother, John, entered the Royal Flying Corps and later joined the Royal Air Force (RAF); and a third brother, Alec, became an engineer.

After the First World War, William Cadenhead served as secretary of the YMCA in Ripon, Barnsley, Swansea and Birmingham. He retired after 34 years' service in 1951 and then became Public Relations Officer with the Birmingham Council of Social Service. Upon retirement he moved to Fareham, Hampshire.

Whilst working at Ripon YMCA, he met Grace Littlewood. The couple married and had two children: Mary, born 3 June 1924; and Peter, born 9 June 1926.

William Cadenhead died in 1970, his death registered in the Portsmouth district.

Sources: memoir of William George Cadenhead; Free Births, Marriages and Deaths website accessed 25 September 2018 via www.freebmd.org.uk

Access Information

Open, access to all registered researchers.

Acquisition Information

Volume received from the George Williams College Library during 2002.

Other Finding Aids

Please see full catalogue for more information.

Archivist's Note

Papers arranged and described by Mark Eccleston, September 2018, in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description (ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; and in-house cataloguing guidelines.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material

Related Material

The official archive of YMCA England and Wales was deposited in 1998.

The records of Central (London) YMCA were deposited in 2006 (GB 0150 CYMCA)

Special Collections is receiving a growing number of collections from private sources relating to the YMCA. These collections, which may include diaries, family letters and photographs, complement the official archive and have been organised into a sequence of YMCA Unofficial Papers. Collection descriptions of many of these are available on our online archive catalogue and many are fully catalogued.

The following collections are currently uncatalogued:
YMCA/ACC20: Papers of Geoffrey Palmer
YMCA/ACC59: Records of Pinder House YMCA

Brief collections descriptions (which will be enhanced at a later date) are available for:
YMCA/ACC53: Photographs of First World War Graves
YMCA/ACC56: Crucifix made of bullet casings
YMCA/ACC58: Family papers relating to Sir Arthur Keysall Yapp and the YMCA
YMCA/ACC64: Knox family papers
YMCA/ACC66: Springfield College

Full catalogues of the following collections of unofficial YMCA papers are available for:
YMCA/ACC1: Papers of William Edwyn Shipton
YMCA/ACC2: Papers of Gipsy Smith
YMCA/ACC3: Papers of Eckard Geisler Collection
YMCA/ACC4: Papers relating to the history of YMCA
YMCA/ACC5: Papers of W. J. Lambert
YMCA/ACC6: Freedom of the City of London granted to Sir George Williams
YMCA/ACC7: Papers of Marion Huggan
YMCA/ACC8: Papers of Frederick Powell
YMCA/ACC9: Personal papers and collection of Mrs Joan Marsham
YMCA/ACC10: Papers of Edward Bursill
YMCA/ACC11: Papers of Thomas Winter
YMCA/ACC12: Records of the YMCA
YMCA/ACC13: Papers of Barbara Vessey
YMCA/ACC14: Papers of George Turner
YMCA/ACC15: Papers of A. P. Braddock
YMCA/ACC16: Tranter Collection
YMCA/ACC17: Papers of Sam Johnston
YMCA/ACC18: Papers of Miss Kate Macpherson
YMCA/ACC19: Papers of James C. B. Thomson
YMCA/ACC21: Records of Newcastle-on-Tyne YMCA
YMCA/ACC22: Album of First World War photographs
YMCA/ACC23: Papers of Gilbert Gilkes
YMCA/ACC24: Papers of J. W. Talby
YMCA/ACC25: Papers of Mr and Mrs H. E. Thomas
YMCA/ACC26: First World War letter
YMCA/ACC27: Papers of George Durrans
YMCA/ACC28: Records of Fulham YMCA
YMCA/ACC29: Photographs of Birmingham YMCA
YMCA/ACC30: Photograph of Jessie Strathearn
YMCA/ACC31: Records of Derry Young Men's Christian Literary Association
YMCA/ACC32: Records of Leamington YMCA
YMCA/ACC33: Records of the Fellowship of YMCA International Campers
YMCA/ACC34: Papers of R. Davison White
YMCA/ACC35: YMCA Fovant Camp programmes
YMCA/ACC36: Papers of Jean Cook
YMCA/ACC37: Papers of Malcolm Tremlett
YMCA/ACC38: First World War YMCA Christmas card
YMCA/ACC39: Album presented to Eric Bidlake
YMCA/ACC40: Publications of the German YMCA in London
YMCA/ACC41: Papers of David Myles
YMCA/ACC42: Leaflets of St Albans YMCA and YWCA
YMCA/ACC43: Papers of James Greenwood
YMCA/ACC44: YMCA medal awarded to Arthur Moulson
YMCA/ACC45: Papers of Reverend Graham Clarke
YMCA/ACC46: Records of Halifax YMCA Amateur Operatic and Pantomime Society
YMCA/ACC47: Diaries and notebooks of Rev R. N. Lyons
YMCA/ACC48: Records of Northampton YMCA Rambling and Cycling Clubs
YMCA/ACC49: Records of Halifax YMCA Amateur Operatic and Pantomime Society
YMCA/ACC50: Photograph of YMCA Voluntary Workers 1914-1919
YMCA/ACC51: Papers of (Benjamin) Gordon Williams
YMCA/ACC52: Exeter Hall
YMCA/ACC54: Records of Liverpool YMCA
YMCA/ACC55: Papers of Ivo Humphries Godfrey
YMCA/ACC57: Croydon YMCA Trust Deed
YMCA/ACC60: YMCA Ninth International Conference
YMCA/ACC61: Papers of the YMCA Women's Auxiliary
YMCA/ACC62: Lecture in aid of the YMCA by Rev John Oates
YMCA/ACC63: Papers of Mary Kathleen ('Molly') Jones
YMCA/ACC65: Papers of Harold Stapleton
YMCA/ACC67: Papers relating to Glasgow YMCA
YMCA/ACC68: Papers relating to Central YMCA Cricket Club
YMCA/ACC69: Papers of J. Hastings Eastwood
YMCA/ACC70: Papers of the Swansea YMCA Players
YMCA/ACC71: Papers of J. Clark Ready relating to the Nigerian YMCA
YMCA/ACC72: Scrapbooks and photographs relating to YMCA activities during the 20th century
YMCA/ACC73: Dissertation on the development of the YMCA in England by R. S. Boyce
YMCA/ACC74: Memoir of William George Cadenhead
YMCA/ACC75: First World War correspondence of J. E. Richards
YMCA/ACC76: Memoir of Grace Torrington
YMCA/ACC77: First World War postcards collected by John Pritchard Brewer
YMCA/ACC78: Papers of Sydney L. Vinson relating to the First and Second World Wars
YMCA/ACC79: Papers of Minnie H. Evelyn-Smith
YMCA/ACC80: Papers relating to Abel Simner and Winifred Ava-Simner
YMCA/ACC81: First World War correspondence of Albert Entwistle
YMCA/ACC82: Papers of Jack Houghton
YMCA/ACC83: Photographs of European Voluntary Workers based at the YMCA Hostel in Moota, Cumberland
YMCA/ACC84: Dissertation on the contribution of the YMCA in the development of basketball
YMCA/ACC85: Memoir of Harold M. Gould, YMCA Secretary
YMCA/ACC86: Papers of Miss Tuckwell of Croydon
YMCA/ACC87: Visitors book for 'Soundeville' rest camp in Equihen, France
YMCA/ACC88: Papers relating to the Centennial Conference of the YMCA
YMCA/ACC89: First World War correspondence sent to Reverend and Mrs Proctor of Salisbury
YMCA/ACC90: 'The History of the YMCA, 1844-1983'
YMCA/ACC91: Papers of Mrs M. L. Coles of the YMCA National Women's Auxiliary
YMCA/ACC92: 'History of Mildmay: the National YMCA training headquarters' by Rowland Lyne
YMCA/ACC93: YMCA car badge belonging to Major Richard J. P. Lane
YMCA/ACC94: YMCA 'Order of the Red Triangle' badge
YMCA/ACC95: Miscellaneous YMCA sports medals
YMCA/ACC96: YMCA materials relating to The Order of The Red Triangle
YMCA/ACC97: Photographs relating to the European Voluntary Workers scheme
YMCA/ACC98: Notes relating to William Hind Smith
YMCA/ACC99: New Testament titled 'Active Service Testament'
YMCA/ACC100: YMCA medals awarded to Lilian West Maidment
YMCA/ACC101: Papers relating to Bernard Wheelwright
YMCA/ACC102: Sketches relating to the YMCA during the First World War
YMCA/ACC103: Material relating to YMCA's 175th anniversary
YMCA/ACC104: Papers of Reverend Arnold Dauncey
YMCA/ACC105: Papers of A. G. Maundrell
YMCA/ACC106: Papers relating to Anglo-German YMCA Youth Camp at Burford
YMCA/ACC107: Papers of John Bainbridge