Blackmore: Remembering ... Herbert Larke

Herbert Larke (son of Mr W G & Mrs E F Larke of Copyhold Cottage Blackmore) served in the Lancashire Fusiliers. He died on 21st March 1918, aged 23 and is remembered on Pozieres Memorial.

His name is not commemorated at Blackmore

The ‘Commonwealth War Graves Commission’ includes the following citation:
http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=1584114

Blackmore: Remembering ... George Wright

Private George William Wright, who was born at High Ongar and said to have lived at Blackmore, served in the 10th Battalion of the Essex Regiment. He died on 31st July 1917. He was the son of Mr & Mrs Bramston Wright, of Blackmore, Ingatestone Essex.

His name is not commemorated at Blackmore.

The ‘Commonwealth War Graves Commission’ includes the following citation:
http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=912142

Ninety Years On. Remembering the First World War (15)

Extract from ‘Notes For A Parish History’ (ERO T/P 188/3) written by Revd. E. H. L Reeve of Stondon Massey (Essex).

27th October 1918

A Mr Briscoe with his wife and child has come to the farm-house at Little Myles. He was some time ago badly injured in the spine and head by the explosion of a mine in France which has rendered him unfit for travelling to London as he did before the War, and for brain-work in the City. He is to do light work, but at times is prostrate through effects of the shock. It seems doubtful if he will ever entirely recover strength and has lost weight.

General Allenby has taken Aleppo, the great junction of the Baghdad railway, and has thus cut off the communication of the Turkish armies with Constantinople through Asia Minor.

Next entry: 1st November 1918

Stondon Massey: Remembering ... Herbert Hasler

Herbert Hasler survived being “torpedoed twice on the same day by two vessels (31st December 1917) en route from Marseilles to Alexandria” and marched on to Palestine where he was ‘gassed’. (An account of his experience was recorded by Revd. Reeve on 12th October 1918). Although he returned home, “he never fully recovered” and died on 21st June 1920, aged 32. “He was accorded a full military funeral” and was buried in Stondon churchyard three days later. “One grieves to think how many a man up and down the country must have succumbed to this sad complaint. A company of 21 Soldiers with sergeant and bugler from the Middlesex Regt. kindly attending from Hendon: Hasler having served in the 3/10 Bn. of this Regiment. They brought a Union Jack wherewith to drape the “coffin”, and a party of six acted as bearers. The firing party fired three volley over the grave at the conclusion of the service, and the bugler sounded the ‘Last Post’”.

The ‘Commonwealth War Graves Commission’ includes the following citation:
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2757731

North Weald: War Memorial

Names commemorated:

Leonard Bard
William J Burling
Robert Broad
George L Bridges
John P Chambers
John Crow
George E Day
William J Dawes
John R Eymon
Jacob J Foster
Thomas J Freshwater
William A Fry
Walter J Glasscock
Christopher King
Leonard L King
Charles H McLaren
Albert W Lowen
George Maynard
James Nash
Arthur Newman
Cecil A Oakley
William C Pomfrett
Eric L Powell
John Smith
A Stannard
William Stevens
Charles Thake
Charles Thompson
Peter Turner
Edmund C Turner
Montague Winch

Blackmore: Remembering ... Charles Wash

Driver, Charles Wash (the son of Robert and Minnie Wash of Spriggs Farm, and brother of Walter) served in the Royal Engineers. He died on 25th October 1918, aged 39 and is buried at Plovdiv Central Cemetery.

Although Walter is commemorated on the church window, Charles is not. Both brothers are remembered on the War Memorial.

The ‘Commonwealth War Graves Commission’ includes the following citation:
http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=472854

Events Following The Armistice

During the winter of 1918/19, 150,000 people died in Britain as a result of the virulent Spanish Influenza Pandemic. Worldwide it killed more people than had perished during the whole of the War and had swept the Western Front towards the close of war. Many veterans speak of its affect in the book ‘Last Post’. The illness reached Blackmore and Stondon Massey in November 1918.

Revd Reeve wrote: “Stondon is passing through a Visitation of the prevailing ‘Influenza’ epidemic. In England Schools have been closed in many districts, and mortality has been very serious.

“Our neighbours at Blackmore and Kelvedon Common were attacked before us, but we were to be no exception. The School has been closed as from the 15th November and the sickness has found victims in almost every house. When the fever is followed by pneumonia and complications it becomes of course a dangerous visitor. The doctors are barely able to attend their numerous patients, and are at a loss to account for the origin of the scourge. It suffices to keep in check the superabundant rejoicings of Peace” [ERO T/P 188/3 f780-784].

The role of women changed significantly during the War. Reeve looked on with some bemusement during the war years as women took jobs in munitions factories and increasingly took charge in the gathering of the harvest. The call for ‘Votes For Women’ prior to the War was now unquestionable and a free vote given to Members of Parliament met with little opposition becoming law in June 1918. The ‘Representation of the People Act’ created almost universal suffrage for males over 21 years old (previously only three-fifths of the population could vote) and women over 30. Harry Patch, the last surviving veteran who served in the trenches, wrote in his autobiography in 2007, “in part because they could hardly withhold the right to vote from soldiers who had fought for their country” [Patch, p146]. It increased the franchise from 7 million to 20 million. Until then, only those who owned property could vote. A J P Taylor wrote, “War smoothed the way to democracy – one of the few things to be said in its favour” [Taylor, p94].

Reeve wrote on 14th December 1918: “The General Election of Members of Parliament is taking place today. Stondon people go to Blackmore to vote. This is the first occasion of the admission of women to the franchise, and the first occasion when women Candidates for Parliament have been admissible. Motor-cars and carriages are being utilized where possible for the conveyance of electors, and I have seen several amused and smiling faces of village women being taken to the poll, pleased alike with their unwonted excitement of their importance. The Poll will be declared on the 28th, the delay being caused by the inclusion of soldiers’ proxies who are permitted to vote by post”.

Bibliography

Arthur, Max. Last Post. The Final Word from our First World War Soldiers (Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 2005)
Patch, Harry, with Emden, Richard. The Last Fighting Tommy (Bloombury, 2008)
Taylor A.J.P. English History 1914-1945 (Oxford, 1965)

Blackmore: Remembering ... David Sutton

Private David Sutton served in the 11th Battalion Royal Fusiliers. No. 87384. He was killed in action in France on 24th October 1918, aged 24 and was buried at Cross Roads Cemetery, Fontaine-Au-Bois.

His name is commemorated on the War Memorial but not the church window.

The ‘Commonwealth War Graves Commission’ includes the following citation:
http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=296544

Ninety Years On. Remembering the First World War (14)

Extract from ‘Notes For A Parish History’ written by Revd. E. H. L Reeve of Stondon Massey (Essex).

23rd October 1918

Mrs Conn has returned. Her son [Leonard Hasler] died in one of the hospitals at Boulogne. He was badly wounded by a jagged piece of shrapnel in the upper part of the temple, and had he lived he must probably have been mentally affected. Mrs Conn found him scarcely conscious, but he recovered sufficiently to tell her that a shell burst close to where he was on Oct 6th and that he had some distance to be carried to a dressing station. All treated her with the greatest consideration. She was of course astonished at the vast scale on which everything was ordered.

The whole town seemed crowded with soldiers. “One could scarcely move for them”. There was marching everywhere, and by day and night there seemed to be ships and trains arriving and departing.

The “Hospitals” were principally temporary huts and tents, and that in which Leonard was staffed with Canadian nurses. There were, of course, many affecting scenes, some poor mothers and relatives arriving at the end of their journey only to find that they were too late. Many of the soldiers greeted Mrs Conn cheerily as “Mother”, and seemed pleased to see a countrywoman again, and to have tidings first-hand of “Blighty”, which is their familiar name for the old country. Everything was high-priced in the market-place, and she paid 1/8 for a single pear for her sick lad, and sevenpence for a banana!

He was not, however, to live long, and died within a week of her arrival. It went to her heart to see the hundreds of sad cases, nearly all young lads of 19 or 20: cases of amputated arms and legs, bad head wounds etc etc. Leonard was buried with five other soldiers, with military honours. Mrs Conn herself and one other English woman being the only near relatives present. The day previously the funeral service had been read over 60 poor fellows at one time. These are the harrowing accompaniments of the war. Up and down the neighbourhood we are constantly hearing of sad losses.

Next entry: 27th October 1918

Blackmore: Remembering ... Arthur Nash

Private Arthur John Nash (born High Ongar) of the 2nd Essex. No. 27552 was killed in action at the Battle of the Somme, France on 23rd October 1916, aged 34.

The ‘Commonwealth War Graves Commission’ includes the following citation:
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1546989

Blackmore: Remembering ... Jacob Wiltshire

All we know about Jacob Wiltshire is the epitaph on his gravestone. He was buried in Blackmore Churchyard.

“In fond memory of Jacob Wiltshire, Late 10th Essex. Died March 5 1923 from a wound received in France Feb 1917. Aged 34. ‘Severed only till He come’”. On the same stone below are the words, “Also at the right rests his brother Fred who died Dec 25 1902 Aged 16”.

Blackmore: Remembering ... Herbert Miller

Private Herbert Miller of the 7th Battalion East Surrey Regiment died of fever in Germany, aged 29 on 21st October 1918. He was buried at Cologne Southern Cemetery.

His name can be found on the War Memorials at both Blackmore and Doddinghurst, and also on the commemorative window inside Blackmore Church.

Herbert Miller (according to Soldiers Died in the Great War – SDGW) was born in Blackmore but lived in Doddinghurst.

The ‘Commonwealth War Graves Commission’ includes the following citation:http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=330039

Stondon Massey: Remembering ... Leonard Hasler

Leonard Hasler “joined as a lad in September 1916” – he was called up at the age of 18 - and served in France but was fatally wounded and died on 20th October 1918. His mother made the journey from Stondon to visit him in hospital in Boulogne “and was just in time to be recognised by him. She was present at his funeral”. (The account of Mrs Conn’s visit to France and that of Leonard’s funeral, as recorded by Reeve on 23rd October 1918, is very poignant.)

The ‘Commonwealth War Graves Commission’ includes the following citation:
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=4025648

Sad Shires and Bugles (2)

Essex Record Office's one-day conference considering the First World War in Essex is on 1 November from 10.00am to 4.30pm. The cost for the day is £12.00 with concessions, £9.00. The programme, which contains contributions from four speakers has been published this week to delegates:

The Men of Colchester: An Essex response to the War. Dr Paul Rusiecki (author of the book, 'The Impact of Catastrophe: The People of Essex and the First World War')
Strong arms and stout hearts. Essex and the outbreak of the Great War. Stuart Hallifax (University of Oxford)
Internment of Enemy Aliens. Grahame Harris (Essex Record Office)
Zeppelins over Southend. Ken Crowe (Southend Museum and author of 'Zeppelins over Southend')

Ingatestone: Treble Bell

The Treble Bell inside the brick tower of St Mary and St Edmund Church Ingatestone was cast in 1923. It bears the inscription “In Memoriam 1914 – 1918”.

Rationing

Winston Churchill. Air raids. Blackouts. People taking refuge in London in ‘tube’ stations. Food shortages. Rationing. All these things we associate with the Second World War but, in fact, apply also to the Great War 1914-18.

As an island nation we are not able to feed ourselves and have always relied on food imports. So the first thing that an enemy will do is to halt our food supply by blockading the seas to create a ‘siege’ situation. The Government’s response is to increase productivity and ration the amount of goods people can obtain. In February 1917, a Food-Comptroller was appointed, Lord Davenport.

Land was surveyed and farmers ordered to grow more. In January 1917, Essex County Council organised the sale of seed-potatoes at wholesale price to small-holders. 250 tons of seed was to be distributed throughout about 500 parishes in Essex.

Wheat was important. The Government brought forward and enacted proposals to guarantee a minimum price to farmers for wheat and oats: wheat, 60 shillings (£3) per quarter and oats, 38/6 (£1.88).

A shortage of wheat and flour was predicted in April 1917 and police officers made house-to-house enquiries in Stondon Massey and the neighbourhood to ascertain the number of farm and domestic animals owned in order to ensure that there was no unnecessary consumption of food suitable for human beings. On 6th May 1917 a proclamation from the King was read in Church urging people to abstain from unavoidable consumption of flour.

On 9th May 1917, Revd. Reeve, Rector of Stondon Massey, wrote:

“It becomes increasingly difficult for the wayfarer to get served in pastry cooks’ and refreshment houses. At Ongar the confectioners refuse to supply the traveller with a “sit-down” meal: and at Brentwood recently I was told that only between three and six o’clock in the afternoon may a cup of tea and light refreshment be supplied. Similarly at Chelmsford two or three weeks ago I found I went to a Restaurant at a pasty-cook’s the proprietor was only allowed to serve an individual customer up to the limit of one shilling and threepence for eatables”.

The Corn Production Act 1917 set minimum wages for agricultural labourers. A Committee (the Essex District Wages Committee) represented by 9 employers, 9 workmen and 5 independent members met and agreed “by a substantial majority upon a minimum wage of 30s for Essex” [ERO T/P 181/18/1B (Essex Chronicle. 28 May 1918)]. The Central Board though rejected this and imposed a rate of 32s (£1.60) much to the disgust of farmers. On 24 March 1919, the wage rose to 36s (£1.80) then 46s.6d. (£2.33) from 23 August 1920. Market gardeners received a higher rate, 50s.6d. (£2.53).

George Everett (Boxford, Suffolk) recalled that the minimum wage was not paid on every farm and that men were not unhappy to take work at reduced wages. As before, when there was no work there was little or no pay. When the Corn Production Act was repealed in 1921 wages immediately fell.

Ashley Cooper concludes his book ‘Our Mother Earth’ (1998) by observing that only in times of national crisis is the necessity for domestic crops supported by Government.

But wheat was required not only for bread but for use in munitions!! Reeve wrote on 19th December 1917: “Supplies of Horse-Chestnuts have been collected this autumn and sent to London, it being discovered that certain chemicals may be extracted from them for the manufacture of munitions which have hitherto been obtained from flour. The food-supply may be saved. A ton of Chestnuts is found to equal half a ton of grain. We have lately sent some 5 bushels to the “Director of Propellant Supplies” at Westminster”.

During the War the Government expressed the need to be thrifty: to invest money in war loans and be sparing with the use of woollen goods and paper. In April 1917, “The Times” rose to twopence (1p) with others – presumably the Daily Mail and Daily Express - previously sold for ½d increased to 1d. and “’Mr Punch’ from his long familiar threepence per week, has been raised to sixpence” [ERO T/P 188/3 f239].

The sugar ration was reduced from ¾lb (about 300g) to ½lb (200g) in April 1917. By September this was causing concern that a large quantity of fruit might be lost if not preserved (eg into jam). “The Government has now taken control, and by appointing agents in each district offices the public who make application within a given time a limited supply up to 28lbs for preserving fruit guaranteed to have been grown on their own premises. Each application must be countersigned by a Minister of Religion, a Justice of Peace or a householder of standing”. Reeve wrote that the harvest of soft fruit that year had been particularly heavy because of the absence of late frost. Large quantities of pears and peaches were sent from the Rectory to the Budworth Hospital in Ongar for the convalescent troops. Apples were stored and as much jam as possible was made from currants. The sugar ration was compulsorily enforced on 1st January 1918 and meat was reported as being scarce.

On 25th February 1918: “Today ushers in the “Rationing” System for London and the Home Counties in respect of Meat and of Butter and a compound known as “Margarine” a substitute for butter. These articles are only to be obtained from today on production of a coupon. The total allowed per week is 1lb of meat for adults and half the amount for children under ten years. Four ounces of butter is the limited allowance for such. A little allowance of dilution of honey was served to me yesterday at Chelmsford in lieu of sugar with a cup of Coffee”. The system was accepted without much complaint. In June, Revd. Reeve noted that he could not get a pot of Orange Marmalade from any grocer in Chelmsford High Street.

One of the major social changes in terms of rationing was the availability of alcohol. Concerned about drunkenness and inadequate production of munitions, the Government passed a law in 1916 restricting the opening hours of public houses. The law stayed in place almost intact until about 1986 with the final remnants repealed following the Queen’s Speech in 2002. Pubs used to close at 11.00pm during the week and 10.30pm on Sunday evenings. The ringing of the bell for last orders is a thing of the past in many of our nation’s pubs.

Bibliography

Cooper, Ashley. Our Mother Earth (Bulmer Historical Society, 1998)
Reeve ed. Smith. Chronicler of the Great War (2008)
Scott, Hardiman. Many A Summer (Richard Castell Publishing, 1991)

A history of binge drinking taken from ‘The Publican’, 1 September 2008
http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?sectioncode=14&storycode=60958

Blackmore: Remembering ... Frank Monk

Corporal Frank James Monk served in the 3rd Battalion Essex Regiment. No. 19208. He died of his wounds and was buried at Blackmore on 9th March 1921. Aged 26. His grave is well tended to this day.

Blackmore: Remembering ... Walter Wash

Able Seaman Walter Herbert Wash served on the Royal Navy Ship Lucia. No. M.F. 12352. He lost his life on Submarine L55 in the Baltic on 9th June 1919, aged 24.

The ‘Commonwealth War Graves Commission’ includes the following citation:
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=3056211

Ninety Years On. Remembering the First World War (13)

Extract from 'ERO T/P 188/3' written by Revd. E. H. L Reeve of Stondon Massey (Essex).

15th October 1918

A message has been received that Mrs Conn arrived safely in Boulogne, and has found Leonard seriously wounded.

Next entry: 23rd October 1918

Blackmore: Remembering ... Henry Scudder

Henry William Scudder, Aircraftman 1st Class, served in the Royal Air Force. He lost in life in the Baltic, 2nd July 1919, trying, with one officer and three other men, to stop a mine which was drifting down on a hospital barge. His action saved the barge and is highly to be praised. He was loved by his fellow men and highly respected by his officers for his efficient and unfailing conscientious work on all occasions. He was 20 years old.

The ‘Commonwealth War Graves Commission’ includes the following citation:
http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=471998

His father, William James Scudder is buried at Blackmore. He was landlord of The Leather Bottle public house. His epitaph reads: “In Loving Memory. William James Scudder died 10th Dec 1920 aged 63 years. Also Henry William Scudder, son of the above. Killed while on active service in Russia, 1919. Aged 20 years. Also Lillian Mary Russell Simpson, daughter of the above. Died 18th Dec 1920 aged 19 years. Interred in Lodge Hill Cemetery. ‘In the midst of life we are in death’”.