Rev'd Kent | Kent Grave | E Harrowing | Leo Crane | Baldwins | D.F.Cunningham-Reid |
At the beginning of 1914 the Rev'd Charles Kent
must have expected to spend his remaining active years quietly
serving his parishes of Merton, Thompson, Tottington and Sturston,
and enjoying his favourite pursuits, fly fishing, Photography and
local history. International events changed all this, and the war
years were to prove some of the busiest and most eventful of his
life. In January 1916 Rev'd Charles Kent devised a new way of
maintaining contact between the men at the front and there
relatives at home via the "Breckland Magazine" Men at
the front would write there letters to Rev'd Kent and then he
would publish this letters in the Magazine with other events of
the parish and local history, the magazine was sent out to the
troops with the next batch of parcels. Here a sample of the type
of letter from troops..
February 1916, Leo Crane,
Who from a sick bed became the hospital orderly,
is now enjoying a good time. He writes from Malta," such a
pretty place and warm climate. It was lovely here Christmas day,
with the sun shining beautifully. The nurse waited on us. After
the dinner we were given a churchwarden pipe, tobacco and
cigarettes, and then after the interval, a concert- the best I
have ever heard. I know which hospital Bertie Baldwin is in, the
other side of the grand harbour... when on day duty i shall go
and see him ".
March 1916 Capt. George de
Grey,
Writes from Bombay, " They (the Turks) got
me at the end of the first day at Ctesiphon. I think I was
peppered by a machine gun for two bullets hit me at identically
the same moment; one broke my left shin bone, but not badly. I
was sent back to India straight away... He also says, " That
there is nothing in the world to beat the Norfolk man, He is
worth four townsmen, the great thing about him is he never gets
rattled or fussed".
April 1916 Capt. George
de Grey, We are proud to
record that the heir to the Merton estate has been rewarded with
the Distinguished Service Order. For conspicuous gallantry in the
performance of his duties as adjutant : he repeatedly crossed
fire swept zones in order to take orders, send up ammunition, and
direct reinforcements, until he was severely
wounded.
April 1916, Lieut, R.E.Brassey, Writes a cheery
letter from a cosy camp on the frontier about Solonika, "We
have seen several German patrols, but not near enough to have a go
at them, we saw them being shelled by the French, and two French
planes chasing a Taube firing a maxim gun, they came right over
,it was most exciting. The new Breckland Magazine is most
interesting as it gives all the doings of the Merton boys at the
front".
April 1916, Leo Crane,
Writes from St Andrews hospital, Malta," All
the men that come here are well looked after, while those poor
fellows who die have a full military funeral and flowers always
on there graves. I think the new magazine is a great success,
much better than the old one.... I often think on a Sunday of the
Merton people walking peacefully to church, while the sick and
wounded are all around us with awful wounds...
June 1916 Pte. Percy
Baldwin, Writes after a
long silence, " Iam sorry not to have written before. We
have had a rough time of it latly. We only came out of the
trenches on the night of the 11th after a sojourn there of 21
days. The position we hold at the moment is very important one,
which has been the scene of many a hard fight by the French".
July 1916 Pte Leo Crane, Now in Egypt writes, " The
game of waiting day after day, and never seeing a Turk gets on
one's nerves, as we have to go through the same routine as if
they were facing us, I shall be glad when the old Turks come
along for a scrap".
September 1916 Pte. Percy
Dalton Writes " I was
very pleased to get the postal order, and pleased also to know the
people at home never forget us. I was wounded on July 7th,at
Ovilliers, making an attack on the German trenches. We went over
at 8.30 am, and started to walk to the enemy trenches 500 yds
away. We did not get 40yds before they opened fire on us in every
direction. Nearly all our officers were killed before 50yds were
gone. Our Colonel was killed, having 8 bullets through him. our
losses were very heavy only two left in my platoon, and only 9 of
the company of 250".
September 1916, Leo Crane,
Who has been down with dysentry, is about again.
He writes, " I lazed about the camp for some days, trying to
stick it and not report sick, but it got my master. When the doctor
came round, he sent me to Port Suez. i was so bad there, that the
doctor said i must go to Cairo. When we got to Ismailia, we were
changed into the main hospital train running from Port Suez to
Cairo, which is fitted up splendidly. the fast of Ramadan is on
now- the people fast till 7pm. When a gun fires, and then they
may eat. It is so nice to have a clean bed under one".
November 1916, Pte. Percy
Baldwin, Who was wounded
in August, writes, " I have to go before a medical board to
see if I shall be fit for active service, but i fear i
have a stiff leg for good. Thank you for sending the postal order..
I wonder why some people said we were better off than them, when
Mr Walter Nunn asked them to give a bob.. Our pay is about a
shilling a day, and for this we offer our lives, while up here
the men are earning in munitions works from £5 to £20 a week".
May 1917, Pte E
Harrowing, Writes" I am sorry not to have received the
new year's gift of the Merton people. Perhaps it is owing to me
moving about so much, I am now in a convalescent home at Cairo,
getting my weight back, I had a outing last Saturday to the
citadel and Ali Mosque Mohamed ".
May 1917, Pte V.Blanchflower, With the
Canadians, writes," A line to let you know I have come safely
through the big battle for the famous Vimy Ridge ".
July 1917 The Rector,
Off to the front! even the starting of the boat
train was kept a dead secret until 6pm, the night before, because
of German spies.. I reached the fast steamer and went on board at
6.30pm,on June 22nd, and crossing, iam to do censors work. These
are private and confidential letters of husbands to their wives,
the soldiers would rather an old man like myself read these.
September 1917 I have just opened
the Watton times to find that the wrangle about the right of way
through the locked gate. Fancy in war time all these precious
hours about a right of way, about which there never was ancient
way for vehicles, only for foot passengers.
December 1917 Pte Leo Crane,
Writes from the Holy Land,
" I saw Dick Harrowing a few weeks back at the station on my
return from leave. It is splendid here now, not to hot, and we
are getting a bit of a breeze, only it lifts the sand. Iam glad
" Breckland " continues, It is great help to us to know
how our pals are doing scattered about the world ".
November 1918 The Rector, (Rev'd Kent) At last iam settled
down to my work at the War office, searching records day after day
and writing to poor anxious and bereaved mothers, wives, and
sweethearts. My head often aches and throbs with the numberless
piteous letters beseeching for news...A young girl ' Ivy' writes
that her mother died two months ago and she is looking after six
little brothers and sisters...
Below two types of certificates that were awarded
to some children for there part in the war effort, such as
gathering and packing goodies to be sent to the Brave men who
fighting for freedom.
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