Etaples* mutinied. They pitched battles police, shot officers and policemen known for their brutality, and took over the town of Etaples.
The leader of the revolt was the incredible Percy Toplis, at that time only 19 years old. When the revolt was over, the revenge of the authorities was savage. Dozens of men were shot out of hand.
The story of the mutiny at Etaples has been one of the army's best kept secrets. It was not until 1978; after questions asked in the Commons by. Labour Moonman, that the government even admitted that the revolt had taken plale, The Monocled reveals the whole story, together with the amazing tale of Toplis himself.
fought mibtary military House of MP Eric Mutineer unorganised. It was given organisation and its demands were formulated Private Percy Toplis. At first, time wearing the uniform and gaining the privileges of an officer, hence his penchant for wearing a monocle. He organised himself leave, returned to England, impersonated a war hero (on the strength of general which he financial advantages) before getting ted up and going back to France. On the second day of the revolt at Etaples Brigadier-General Thompson decided to tour the camp in a staff car. and He soon came upon the talking crowd Thompson attempted to address the troops, but they and shouted him down.
Toplis jumped onto the car and dictated the soldiers' demands, the opening of the town of Etaples, an Toplis, Britain in Special beginning.
police rejoined the depot Here affluent RAF:
the police. releasing be raised.
swindle unofficial judges, HEHICTOIS Percy Toplis of soldiers.
surrounded his car promptly disguise, hunted by the Branch and military intelligence: But the most extraordinary part of Toplis exploits was just Within a few weeks of returning to his home he was arrested for passing dud cheques to a jeweller. Totally unabashed, he gave a false name to were unable establish his real identity.
When he came out of jail in 1919 being short of money he unbelievably army own name, being sent to a Service Corps near Bristol. This depot controlled large stocks of petrol, short supply to civilians at that time Toplis participated in the organisa. tion of a massive black market racket to transport owners in Bristol, untilhe was transferred to the army's main supply depot in Salisbury Plain.
The lived an even . more extraordinary life Organising mon rackets, he paid other soldiers to do menial chores, openly masqueraded as a variety of senior ranks, and spent most of the week in London, living an "society' and But eventually he was intercepted train military police imprisoned, he escaped and joined the months. Discovered again, and on the run, he was framed for a murder he did not commit, and eventually caught and shot dead by His fatal mistake was policeman WRO recognised him, enabling the alarm to He was buried in an unmarked grave in Penrith, where he was cornered and killed.
So what are we to make of Percy Toplis? From his eleventh birthday, when he was birched for trying to tailor, he loathed and despised authority. Police officers, generals rercy naica inc whole damn lot of them. He took them on in the only way he knew, using his own talents and wits.
As someone who knew him at the time remarks in the book. today he would be regarded as one of those walking personification of Robert Frost's maxim that 'freedom is the willingness to be bold'. In 1980 a group of ex-servicemen are planning to place a memorial stone at loDis unmarked grave with the inscription: *In Grateful Memory of Percy Toplis: The Monocled Mutineer".
----- pull-quotes -----
returning for Thursday parades. Shot Dead