THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Royal College of Music
Prince Consort Road,
South Kensington,
London, S.W.

Jany 19. 1915

My dear old V.W.

I am not altogether surprised, but I am thoroughly bothered.  It’s a most awkward situation!  I have written to Major Darwin and hope to see him tomorrow & discuss the matter further.¹
As to your enlisting, I can’t express myself in any way that is likely to be serviceable.
There are certain individuals who are capable of serving their country in certain exceptional and very valuable ways, and they are not on the same footing as ordinary folks who if they are exterminated are just one individual gone and no more.  You have already served your country in very notable and exceptional ways and are likely to do so again; and such folks should be shielded from risk rather than exposed to it.
We may admit the generosity of the impulse, and feel – I will not say what.
Yours affectionately

C. Hubert H. Parry

1. The nature of the matter to which Parry refers is uncertain. Major Darwin is referred to again by Parry in VWL428.  where he calls him ‘your dear old Uncle’. Parry is almost certainly referring to Leonard Darwin, who had been a Major in the Royal Engineers and was a first cousin of VW’s mother. On Leonard Darwin see Gwen Raverat, Period Piece, pp.195-203. It appears that VW was proposing to enlist.