Westmorland Horace Lt. Col.

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Biografie:
Lt. Col. Horace Westmorland, a.B.E. 1886-1984
Rusty Westmorland, who died on 24 November 1984 at the age of 98 years, was a member of the Alpine Club for 62 years. He was born in Penrith in 1886, his father and forbears hailing from the village of Milburn at the foot of Crossfell. Rusty's father and uncle were strong fell walkers, keen campers and scramblers and knew the Lake District thoroughly. They considered a particular view from Great Gable to be the finest in the District and marked the spot by building a cairn, subsequently known as the Westmorland Cairn. Rusty's aunt Mary (May) was the second lady to ascend Pillar (1873).
Together with his sister, Rusty (Horace as he then was) was early introduced to Ullswater and the surrounding fells by family expeditions - camping, rowing, sailing, fell walking and scrambling. Writing in the F & R Journal in 1945 Rusty pays tribute to the spiritual joy which his parents found in the hills. In these experiences we see the foundations of a long, active and colourful life. When Rusty was eight years old the Westmorland family expeditions included Crossfell and Helvellyn. It was on Striding Edge of Helvellyn that, said Rusty, his love for climbing was born. One of his recollections is a family picnic, in 1897, at Grisedale Tarn. Here they met four climbers 'with ropes' -]. W. Robinson, Ellis Carr, Geoffrey Hastings and Haskett Smith. These four had been to look at a gully on Tarn Crag (Dollywaggon) but had decided that the rock was not sound enough. At the age of 15 Rusty paid his first visit to Pillar when he and his sister were taken, unroped, by their father up the Slab and round the Notch. Rusty's father, although a keen and competent scrambler, never adopted the use of a rope. Pillar continued to have a particular fascination for Rusty throughout his life.
In his later teens Rusty began to climb with two cousins (John Mounsey and Arthur North) and they acquired a rope. They returned to Grisedale Tarn and Tarn Crag and Rusty led the first ascent of Chock Gully. A few days later he led the first ascent of Westmorland's Route on Dove Crag: both climbs are still rated very difficult. The three climbed extensively together - the Needle, Napes Ridges, Moss Ghyll, Slingsby's Chimney etc.
Soon after this Rusty was invited to climb with George and Ashley Abraham. He mentions the great pleasure that this gave him and the benefit which he derived from their experience and it was through them that he became a member of the F&RCC. In 1910 Rusty paid his first visit to the Alps under their guidance. First they went to the Engadine but, after a week of stormy weather, retreated to the Dolomites and found better climbing conditions. There was little information on Dolomite routes in those days, few climbers were about and routes were
practically unmarked as scarpetti were used. They therefore engaged a local guide, S. Menardi, to save time over route finding as the Abraham brothers were anxious to get as many photographs as possible. The guide led Rusty while the two brothers and their ponderous photographic equipment (full plate camera, glass plates, tripod etc.) followed as a second rope. They climbed on the Cinque Torri, Croda da Lago, Kleine Zinne etc. and their adventures are amusingly recorded in G. Abraham's DnAlpine Heights and British Crags.
Rusty was never keen on the family business of tanning so, after his father's death in 1909, he decided on a more adventurous career. In 1911, armed with a letter of introduction from G. A. Solly to A. O. Wheeler he went to Canada. A. O. Wheeler was the Government Surveyor in charge of surveying the Alberta-British Columbia boundary. Rusty was offered a job on a mountain survey party, with the words, 'If you are willing to go out of circulation for seven or eight months, and do what you are told to do for two dollars a day and your keep you can have the job'. Rusty was thus engaged as a chainman which he described as the 'lowest form of life in the party'. The life was much to Rusty's liking as it involved mountaineering, canoeing, exploration and the handling of horses. While engaged on this work Rusty joined the Territorial Army and received a commission. In 1914, at the outbreak of war, he transferred to the Canadian Regular Army so that he could go to Europe and was commissioned in the Canadian Royal Transport Company. He served in Belgium and France from 1915 to 1919, his pack-horse experience being of great value. It was during this period that, so the story goes, Horace became Rusty. A visiting high-ranking officer spotted a trace of rust on the equipment ofone of the horses under Rusty's care and made suitable military comments. That evening, in the Officers' Mess, the CO ordered drinks for the twenty-eight officers present, adding 'Rusty will pay'. Rusty was always delighted to tell this story or, indeed, to tell any story against himself.
After 1919 Rusty continued to serve with the Canadian Army, naturally climbing and skiing when opportunity offered, or could be contrived. He leaves the rest of us filled with envy at the stories of these opportunities and especially of that wonderful institution - the annual camps of the Alpine Club of Canada, of which Club Rusty was a member. In 1938 Rusty, after attending a Senior Officers' School in England, took a fortnight's holiday at Zermatt with Alexander Graven but bad weather limited climbing to the Untergabelhorn, Riffelhorn, Rimpfischhorn and a snowy Matterhorn. Back in Canada, as the 1939 war approached, his duty involved the organization of the RCASC for an overseas Division. Having to cross the Rockies by train to Vancouver he took the precaution of travelling with boots and ice-axe and managed to break the journey to climb Mt. Victoria with Edward Feuz, a Swiss guide at Lake Louise. Just before the Division was due to sail Rusty was excluded from overseas service by changes in regulations concerning age. However, Rusty's next appointment took him to Jasper and, although it was September, he managed to lead parties up Mt. Pyramid, Old Man Mt. and Mt. Wilcox. It would appear that these ascents were outside the strict line of duty as Rusty recollects cutting steps, on one occasion, for a following of one capt., one lieut., one RSM, one corp., one pte. and his batman. During the winter there were opportunities for skiing in the Caribou Range and Watch Tower Valley.
His next move was to the Yoho Valley with the requirement that he should arrive with a pack troop of horses, trained and organized to assist in mountain warfare, starting from scratch. Rusty duly arrived in the Yoho Valley with 62 horses together with men and equipment and 'rejoiced, as a mountaineer, at being in the Rocky Mountains again with opportunities to climb and also to work with horses and horsemen'. From his camp Rusty climbed Mt. President, Mt. Marpole, Isolated Peak, Mt. Pinnacle and Mts. Whyte, Field and Keer. During this time he also climbed Mt. Balfour with Dr. I. A. & Mrs. Richards (Dorothy Pilley). On the return march from the Yoho Valley Rusty, together with his jeep driver and orderly corporal climbed Mt. Athabasca. This ability to snatch an opportunity to do a little climbing and to encourage others to do the same always seems to have been one of Rusty's amiable characteristics. In 1944 he was sent to open a Mountain Warfare School in the Coast Range but was taken ill on the train and had to undergo a serious operation, requiring his being placed on leave pending retirement from the service. During this period of leave he was invited to attend the annual camp of the ACC and led The Mitre and climbed Mt. Temple. Afterwards, from Lake Louise, he climbed Mt. Collier and Mt. Louis with Eric Brooks (President of the ACC and also AC member).
After being invalided out of the Canadian Army Rusty returned to the Lake District, but not to settle down. He began life anew at Keswick and filled the next period of over 30 years with fell walking, rock climbing, skiing, mountain rescue work and even found time to write Adventures in Climbing (rev. AJ 70 172). He was always ready to give his time to introduce novices to rock climbing, always a welcome member of climbing parties made up from his large, and ever increasing, number of friends. He was equally active and helpful when skiing conditions occurred. He always appeared neatly clad - not for him the ragged or dirty appearance of many climbers. His unhurried effortless movements, whether walking, climbing or skiing, always in balance, were characteristic. He never attempted to force a rock climb but got up by what might be called peaceful persuasion and herein is the explanation of his ability to climb with ease and enjoyment at an advanced age. A day out with Rusty was usually enlivened by his sense of humour, not infrequently involving 'digs' at his companions or himself, and by his unmalicious but apt comments on people or situations. On one occasion he was leading one of several ropes on Gillercombe Buttress when one of the climbers of a preceding rope found some difficulty on the severe pitch above the scratched arrow. She addressed the rock at some length, criticised the hand and foot holds, commented on climbing in general, and, finally, looking at the queue of waiting climbers said, 'I hope you don't mind my talking while climbing', to which Rusty in a flash replied, 'I wish you would climb while talking'.
On his 60th birthday Rusty was one of a party of six climbers who, late one afternoon in April, went to the aid of Wilfrid Noyce who lay at the foot of the Shark's Fin on Tophet Bastion on Great Gable with a fractured femur. The six, with inadequate equipment although fortunately they had the Mountain Rescue stretcher and rucksacks, hauled and carried the injured man to the top of the Napes and down Great Hell Gate to Wasdale during a stormy, snowy night. At that time, 38 years ago, there was little in the way of organized mountain rescue. Casualties were usually recovered by ad hoc parties of any climbers who happened to be about or by stretcher parties of farmers, quarrymen or local St John Ambulance men who might not have mountaineering experience or equipment but who did magnificent work. The Noyce accident and the lack of organized, trained and suitably equipped rescuers caused Rusty much concern. Hearing that Jim Cameron had organized a Fell Rescue Team at Coniston Rusty decided to take action. He wrote to the Lake District Herald and, in reply, received the names of some three dozen volunteers, including a climbing doctor (Dr. Lythe of Keswick). This was the beginning of the Keswick Mountain Rescue Team of which Rusty became President. The team trained, practised regularly and raised funds to buy equipment. Other teams were formed on similar lines and a Panel formed (with Rusty as Chairman) to provide co-ordination, especially in searches which might involve several teams over a lengthy period. Everyone was delighted when Rusty was honoured with the award of the O.B.E. for services to mountain rescue.
It is not possible to give a comprehensive account of Rusty's climbing and skiing activities, after his return to England, within the limits of an in memoriam notice and therefore a few characteristic examples will have to suffice. He was President of the F&RCC in 1950 and also became President of the LD Ski Club. For a large part of this period, as Rusty would put it, much good climbing time was wasted by the need for a number ofserious surgical operations. In spite of this the years were profitably spent. In 1951 Rusty celebrated the Jubilee of his first ascent of Pillar by leading the classic North Climb, including the direct ascent of the Nose (which he had not led previously). In 1956, at the age of 70, he led Eagle's Nest Direct on Great Gable (a very severe climb). Five years later he led the New West Route on Pillar - a climb of special significance to Rusty as it had been pioneered by the Abraham Brothers and also because in 1938 Rusty, along with others, had accompanied Solly, then in his 80th year, on the 50th anniversary of his first ascent of Pillar. In 1966, aged 80, Rusty ascended Pillar again, this time choosing the easier original route but, nevertheless, walking from and to Ennerdale. After this he began to make some concession to his years, but was still to be seen on the fells or, in winter, skiing on the lower slopes of Saddleback above Threlkeld. After his 90th birthday he was still able to walk up Skiddaw without a single pause between Gale Road and the summit. On the way he passed a 4-year old, making his first ascent, at which Rusty remarked, 'It just shows, anyone can reasonably expect to be active in the hills for at least 86 years' .
Rusty will long be remembered with gratitude and affection by the many whom he introduced to climbing, and by the large number of climbers who had the pleasure of climbing with him, for his genial company and demonstration of easeful climbing (otium cum dignitate might well have been his climbing motto), and also by those, who, having suffered accidents or lost themselves, owe their present well-being or even life to the devoted work of Mountain Rescue Teams and to Rusty's inspiration and work in their origination.
It was most appropriate that representatives of the AC, F&RCC, Keswick and other Mountain Rescue Teams and the Cumbrian Police, together with other friends, were able to join Rusty's grandson, Dickon Westmorland, who flew from Singapore, to pay their respects at the funeral service; and finally it was singularly fitting that the Keswick Team should pay their own last tribute to Rusty by carrying his ashes to the Wesrmorland Cairn on Great Gable.
Bob Files
Noel Odell writes:
I first met 'Rusty' Westmorland in Ottawa in 1927. He had been sent out to Canada before the first Great War by his father and uncle (the well-known brothers responsible for the 'Westmorland Cairn' on Great Gable in Cumberland). He was sent to Arthur Wheeler, a Canadian Government Surveyor, who later became Director of the Alpine Club of Canada. Young Westmorland eventually joined the Canadian Army, where he acquired his nickname of 'Rusty', when he was reprimanded by a senior officer on parade for the condition of his horse's bit! His survey work in British Columbia took him into the mountains and he was soon climbing them. This led him into membership of the Alpine Club of Canada, and the ascent of many peaks.
Returning home to Cumber/and after the 2nd Great War he continued to climb and to ski, chiefly in Norway. But he was concerned by the frequency of accidents to rock-climbers and eventually decided to organize a rescue service, with the centre at Keswick. So successful did this become that he was later appointed O.B.E. His own ability to climb steep rocks never left him until he was well up in his 80's. In fact he led me up 'severes' on several occasions in Cumber/and, when he was 88 or 89! For one who had been so active to an advanced age, it was sad to see him subsequently incapacitated in a Cumbrian nursing home, where he died.
Quelle: Alpine Journal Volume 90, 1985, Seite 291-295


Geboren am:
1886
Gestorben am:
24.11.1984