WW1 - A View from Home

Mr WT Shepherdson, Head Master of Older's School, has had a letter lately from Sergeant A Cox, a native of Angmering, now serving with the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry .... We have just come out of the trenches for a few days rest, which is very well earned.  I hope this awful War will come to an end before the winter sets in; if it doesn't we look like having a rough time of it.  It is a shame to hear about the strikers in England.  Just as we are getting the upper hand of the Germans this trouble starts, but they will have to alter if we are to win the War.  Oh! if they could only see what we are going through every day, they would let all this trouble drop till after the War, as we must win at all costs.  Even when we are in the trenches we get fired at by snipers if we go to fetch a drop of water.  Then again there are thousands of young people in England who are doing absolutely nothing.  I can tell them if they don’t come soon and do their little bit, they will be left out in the cold after it is all over.  It seems to me they do not realise there is a War on.

Angmering has in contemplation the establishment of a Depot at the Railway station for the collection and packing of vegetables and fruit intended for the men of the Fleet.  There is to be a weekly despatch of the gifts thus distributed.

Framed lists of the Angmering men who are now serving with the Colours have been placed in the Parish Church.  The record is highly creditable to the Village for it comprises no fewer than a hundred and twenty names.

The Christmas dinner table collection at Angmering in aid of the starving Belgian children amounted to £4 9s 3d.

Angmering Patriotic Youth. 
We are gratified to learn that the Schoolboys of Angmering have voluntarily offered to help in cultivating the gardens and allotments of those men from the village who are serving in the Forces.

Tribunal
Two more Angmering men have been given exemption from military service, namely, Mr. George Peskett and Mr. Cobby, his plumber, the other three Angmering men who have been granted this privilege being Mr. Chalk, Mr. Meech, and Mr. Peskett’s blacksmith.

Tribunal
Another Angmering resident of Military age has been fortunate enough to obtain exemption from military service.  This is Mr. Leney, the District Road Surveyor.  He was granted this at the recent East Preston Tribunal..

St. Wilfrid’s Club, Angmering.
The members of the Village Social Club foregathered on Wednesday evening, October 10th, for their annual meeting, and right pleased were they with what they heard.  All our local village clubs except this have had to close down for the period of the war, so it is quite refreshing to find one still keeping its flag flying ready for the good time when the boys come home from their present patriotic expedition.

Angmering Fair.          
On Wednesday afternoon, September 12th, a successful event took place at Angmering on behalf of the local branch of Queen Mary’s Needlework Guild.  It took the shape of an Old Village Fair, in the school meadow adjoining the Church.  The chief attraction in the afternoon was the dancing by the children from Angmering and East Preston Schools, and these included patriotic and other items, under the guidance of Miss. Crump, in addition to the dancing of the Maypole and Crowning of the Village Queen.  The children, it will be remembered, had on two occasions previously attempted to give their exhibition at Angmering-on-Sea at the recent Carnival, but on both occasions the inclement weather  interfered with the arrangements.  Luckily, September 12th was more favourable.  

The fancy dresses of the children were much admired by the numerous visitors who had congregated to witness the performance.  Miss Hilda Butcher was Queen at the Festival, and the crowning ceremony presented a remarkably pretty spectacle.  Special mention should be made of Mr. and  Mrs. Clarke, who had both worked very hard to make this occasion a success.  The refreshment tent provided great attraction, and there was also another tent where exhibitions of conjuring were given which was well attended, and all helped to swell the days takings. 

Other side attractions included fruit and vegetable and sweet stalls, Aunt Sally, bran-tub, presided over by Mrs. Paterson, who took great interest in the Fair, and also gave various prizes, which were competed for after the exhibition was over.   Quite unique and novel were the competitions in connection with this village fair.  One of the prizes offered was for the oldest lady resident in the district, which went to Mrs. Grant, whose age is 94.  The incident received the distinction of publicity in the daily press, the Daily Sketch and Daily Mirror both producing photographs of this worthy old dame.

In addition to the prize offered on the field the landlord of her property, where she has been resident for over 50 years, in recognition of the fact that on not one single occasion had she been in arrears in her payments, reduced the rent by half for the remainder of her life.  There was an extra prize for age which went to Mrs. MacDonald, of Rustington, mother of our respected postman, who is 84.  The prize for the largest family was won by Mrs. James Terry, who had had seventeen children.

War Savings
Angmering has now associated itself with the War savings movement after a visit from Mr EGP Wyatt of Rustington the Hon Secretary of the EPRDC.  Mr C Stuart Langdale is the Chairman and Hon Treasurer and Mr GV Linsteed the Hon Secretary.   The School children are to have a separate Association.

"I have only taken charge of this parish since its Rector went on military service, but I have lived here long enough to discover that the parish has given itself up, heart and soul, to the prosecution of the war, and from start to finish, and all along the road, has done its best and utmost to bring it to a successful end. For this end its life is lived.

Practically every man of military age who is fit has gone, and a blank in our village life is left behind. According to the last census, our population is 1,046. Out of this number over 200 have gone on active service, and 29 have made the supreme sacrifice. We are proud of what our ancient parish, with its historic name and traditions, has done. These Sussex lads are truly the sons of their forefathers - men of grit who fought for their country in the good old days of long ago, when England achieved her greatness and her Empire.

So we remember them, Sunday after Sunday, within the hallowed walls of the Church of their Baptism. A Roll of Honour, with the Laurel Wreath of Victory above it, inscribed with their names, is to be seen in the Church, and there is also a framed list of all those who have gone to participate in the great war.

Some of them we shall see no more, but they have given all they could, the best and highest, and some life itself. All are ready for any sacrifice that might be called for. And what shall I say of those they have left behind - wife, mother, little children? Each and all have done their duty and continued their life with unexampled bravery and cheerfulness. There has been no complaining of the hardness of the way. The patriotism of one and all has been a thing, not of words, but of deeds, and of noble deeds which make no noise and are forgotten.

The photographs of our men are in the schools, and their deeds are chronicled and their names mentioned. I felt, as Iooked at the photographs of our soldiers and sailors of which we are so proud, that the children of the present generation, when they are grown up, will not be less patriotic, and will do their duty in the same self-sacrificing spirit that their fathers have done. I feel, when I think of the wives and mothers, that we do not realise as we ought their difficulties and troubles.

It is not the glory of self-sacrifice, its honours and rewards that is theirs, but the silent endurance, in the patience of an uncomplaining spirit, of a burden which is heavy and which is ever with them, and which is theirs alone to bear."

We hear           
That Angmering’s first intimation as to who represented them on the Food Control Committee came from the columns of “Scribble” and that some people were surprised to find that they were to be represented by a food-producer.
That Mr. John Tompkins knows how to get good prices for articles when he sells them by Dutch auction.
That there is some very slow scoring on  St. Wilfrid’s Club billiards table, but that the games are thoroughly enjoyed.
That the same Club could be made a very fine social centre.
That some of the wives and sweethearts want to know when they will be admitted to the joys of the Club.
That some of them are going to tackle the hon. secretary, when he isn’t quite so busy.
That the War Savings Association at Angmering has made a good start, considerably over a hundred complete certificates being taken out on the first night of meeting, and many more commenced.  That’s the kind of worry for Fritz.
That the collection of photographs of old boys of Olders’ Schools who are serving with the colours is well worth seeing, but we haven’t been asked to see it, though we should like to.
That Angmering  is not going to the “demnation bow-wows” if the rest of the country is.  Something like £180 has been raised there for war charities in the space of six weeks.

Tribunal
Through a misunderstanding Angmering and district nearly lost the services of their remaining plumber, Mr Cobby.  He was waited on by P.C. Scutt, recently, who had a warrant for his arrest on account of his having failed to join the colours on the 20th September.  It would appear that Mr Peskett, his employer, misread the exemption paper, and failed to put in another claim on that date.  The paper stated that the exemption was up to the 20th September, conditional upon his carrying on the same occupation.  Mr Peskett took it to mean that he was granted conditional exemption with no date limit.  However, all’s well that end well, and we are please to state that the Military Authorities did not take a mean advantage of the accident, but have allowed the appeal to be heard again the  next meeting

During Angmering Bond week Rustington just managed to beat East Preston in the amount taken.  Rustington ‘s total was £62 and East Preston £59.  Angmering was not so successful, and Patching only scored £5.

Ham Manor has been disposed of to a New Zealand gentleman.  It is not expected  however, that he will go into residence until after the war.  In the meantime it may be used for another purpose. (A hint of prisoners of war ... Ed)

Angmering has had 200 tons of granite delivered out of 250 tons on order, and this has been rolled in.

Major S. Fleming has been transferred from Headquarters  Staff at Aldershot to the War Office.

Most of our boys have drifted home again, bless ‘em, and their familiar faces are to be seen in the old haunts.  How soon shall we be able to give them the rousing “welcome home” that they deserve?
Some of them have been to the other ends of the world; some have had experiences of which the memory will never be effaced, but one cannot get them to talk of their adventures.  We wish some of them could conquer their innate modesty.

The members of Angmering Parish Council, in solemn conclave, have expressed the opinion that at least 20 new houses will be required in the parish after the war.  We agree, but are more than surprised at the modesty of the estimate. If those 20 houses should ever materialise it is to be hoped that, in selecting tenants for them, preference will be given to applications from those who are living in places which have been, or ought to be, condemned.

Memorial of the War 
A representative Committee has been formed to consider the form which the proposed local War memorial shall take. Opinions seem to be largely in favour of a cross of Sussex stone carved by Sussex masons and erected in a prominent place in the village as a tribute to the 34 [sic] Angmering men who have surrendered their lives in the country's cause.

A Memorial Tablet  
A list of the names of all the Angmering men who served in the War has been prepared and enclosed in an oak frame which has been hung in the Parish Hall [today the Vestry Hall] immediately beneath the portrait of Sir Henry Aubrey Fletcher.

Adolescent Angmering appears to have some little difficulty in disporting itself peacefully during its leisure hours.  There is some good material going to waste for want of a leader and proper organisation.

Have the Angmering War Memorial Committee adopted “Festina lente” as their motto?  We don’t seem to hear of any pushful activity on their part, and we manage to keep our eyes and ears fairly well open.  Perhaps the absence of the Chairman makes a difference, or peradventure the weather is too hot for weighty deliberations.  Whatever  the cause, we hope the accelerator pedal will be pressed down now.

The Choral Society has been resuscitated, and despite the warm weather and the attractive evenings, has resumed its weekly practices.

Another old Angmering institution has popped up again, smiling, after its war hibernation.  We refer to the Angmering Silver Band.

Wasn’t it nice to hear the full peal of bells again?  Angmering would like to hear them more often.  At one time Angmering’s band of ringers had more than a local reputation, as witness the collection of certificates of merit on the wall of their ringing chamber.

A list of the names of all the Angmering men who served in the war has been prepared and enclosed in an oak frame which has been hung in the Parish Hall, immediately beneath the portrait of the late Sir Henry Aubrey Fletcher.

The “Great Silence” was impressively kept in Angmering. The school children especially entered into the scheme. Through the kindness of Mr. and Mrs. Butcher, each scholar in both schools, received a bright sixpence as a memento.

East Preston & District War Savings Committee
The amount collected by the Associations in the above district from October 1st 1918 to September 30th 1919 is as follows:-
Angmering         £2,801 8s 8d                
Rustington        £1,364 13s 6d
Lyminster & Warningcamp         £157 15s 0d                 
East Preston     £99 18s 6d
Clapham & Patching      £90 19s 0d                   
Ferring  £81 5s 0d
Goring by Sea       £24 11s 0d
[total]    £4,620 10s 8d