2. Partners
Worcestershire Archives and Archaeology Service
Museums Worcestershire
Mayor and Worcester City Council
Worcester City Archaeology Service
Worcester Cathedral
Worcestershire Regimental Museum
Worcestershire Yeomanry Cavalry Museum Trust
George Marshall Medical Museum (NHS)
The Infirmary (University of Worcester)
Avoncroft Museum
18. Contact me!
Gillian Roberts
Project Officer, Worcestershire World War One Hundred
groberts@worcestershire.gov.uk
http://www.ww1worcestershire.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/#!/ww1worcestershire
https://twitter.com/ww1worcs/
Worcestershire Archives
The Hive
Sawmill Walk
The Butts
Worcester
WR1 3PB
Tel: 01905 766350
Editor's Notes
In 2013, the Worcestershire World War 100 project received £350,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to commemorate the First World War. Through bringing together partners from across the cultural sector, the project aims to discover new stories from across the county on the impact and legacy of the war on local people.
The project is led by Worcestershire Archives and Archaeology Service from The Hive in Worcester and our partners include the county museum and library service. Military history is represented by the regimental and yeomanry museums; and the medical profession by The Infirmary and the George Marshall Medical Museum. We have been exploring social history with Avoncroft Museum and will be working with the Tudor House Museum and the Elgar Birthplace Trust in partnership with Worcester Cathedral we will explore the role of religion in the time of conflict.
From stories of soldiers and their families, the impact of the conflict on healthcare in the county, to the role of local women on the home front, the project will give the people of present day Worcestershire the chance to learn about the technological, social, economic, political and medical developments in a time of trauma and crisis that still have influence on our lives today.
On the 27th June, Project Manager, Dr Adrian Gregson launched the project at The Commandery and BBC Hereford and Worcester interviewed Mr Hugh Neems. He played a bugle that belonged to his uncle David 'Dai' Lloyd from Alfrick. Dai Lloyd was a pupil of Kings School Worcester and was wounded at Vimy Ridge in March 1916, still carrying this bugle: he has written a book about his uncles and their role in the war: xxxxxx
Through our partnership with The George Marshall Medical Museum, we also met with Richard Goddard. He is shown here speaking to Adrian Gregson Project Manager, about the service medals for his father Lt. Col. Henry Goddard: a Medical Officer in the RAMC and who fought in both Boer and FWWs. Lt Col. Goddard's records are at the George Marshall Medical Museum.
Since the launch in June, the project has curated a number of exhibitions across the county. At Avoncroft, the Back to Blighty exhibition was researched by some volunteers with editorial guidance from Professor Maggie Andrews at the University of Worcester.
At Worcester Museum and Art Gallery, a team of volunteers used Worcestershire Archives collections to develop an exhibition World War One In the Words of Worcestershire People. Looking at diaries, letters and poetry the exhibition presents first-hand accounts from the front line from soldiers telling of a soldier’s bravery and bringing comfort to the families of the deceased who remained at home waiting for news. The museum has also loaned some unusual object, in particular the silver mounted hooves of Jerry, German horse rescued at the Western Front by the Worcester Regiment, who lived out his life giving rides to local children off Pitchcroft.
The exhibition will run into the new year and there is a special activity day on the 8 November, where artist Kate Brookes will make love tokens and Worcestershire Poet Laureate, Fergus will lead a poetry reading.
On the 9th August, Worcester Cathedral held a service of commemoration of First World War and Dr Victoria Henshaw addressed the congregation on the local and national reaction to war. The congregation filed through the cloisters and placed poppies in the windows commemorating those who had fallen in the war. In the north aisle, the project sponsored an exhibition on the life of Rev Geoffery Studdert Kennedy, the vicar at St Paul’s in the city centre when war broke out in 1914.
He volunteered to become an Army chaplain, and served on the Western Front. The troops in the trenches called him Woodbine Willie because he used to hand out cigarettes to the soldiers. He was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery during the Battle of Messines Ridge. He wrote poems about his experiences on the Western Front, reflecting on the horrors of war in the light of his Christian beliefs.
On the 25 October, Searchlight Theatre Company performed “Woodbine Willie – Poet and Padre” at St Paul’s Church, which is the start of a national tour. The play had its premiere at this year’s Edinburgh Festival with one critic praising the “overwhelming sincerity and honesty” of this tale of a man who shared his faith with the men who fought in the frontline.
The Outbreak of War exhibition at The Hive in Worcester has run throughout the summer and into the New Year. In collaboration with the regional First World War hub, Voices of War and Peace, the exhibition explores three of the hub's themes, in particular; Gender and the Home Front, Children and Cities at War. With assistance from Prof Maggie Andrews, the exhibition has enabled us to look at our collections in a different way.
The lives of children have not been fully explored and this has given me an opportunity to look at what we do know and looking to future research.
Berrow's Pictorial Supplement to the Worcester Journal has proved an invaluable resource. From these photographs, we see children playing a significant role in the production of food. These are images of boys and girls gardening in their school grounds. An account form Mr Hall of Clifton on Teme recounts that a group of a dozen children ranging in age from 4 – 13 planting potatoes after school and then harvesting 39 tonnes on their own.
Against the backdrop of this industry, the government drive to improve nutrition in the population following the poor health of Boer War recruits, continued in the baby shows and pram races and seen in these images. Women were given instructions in newpapers on how often to bathe their children – once a fortnight was deemed sufficient and how to wash and dry their hair. In spite of this, families of children were still being turned away from school for being unclean and unsuitably dressed. The school log books, some of which that have been opened include details of schools repeatedly being closed by the school health inspector for outbreaks of tuberculosis influenza. And the photographs seem to indicate that they weren't off school with ill health or harvesting potatoes, they were being recruited to stand in ration queues for the family food.
One woman who came to prominence during the First World War, was Vesta Tilley. Born in Worcester as Matilda Alice [xxxx] she came from an impoverished family on [xxxxxx] and it is notable that throughout her life many towns and cities claimed her as their own, she never admitted to her roots.
Vesta Tilley was an internationally known music hall star who played a major role in the recruitment of soldiers during World War One.
Dressed as characters such as 'Tommy in the Trench’, Vesta performed songs such as "The Army of Today's All Right" and 'Jolly Good Luck to the Girl who Loves a Soldier'. Together with her husband, Walter de Frece Vesta helped to recruit thousands of men through her patriotic performances and she was given the nickname of 'Britain's best recruiting sergeant'.
Vesta also spent a lot of time raising money for the troops, writing to the men in the trenches and helping to boost morale by sending gifts such as a gramophone to the men fighting on the Western Front.
Women played a major role in agriculture and industry in the county. As a largely rural country, food production was a major occupation as this photograph of Land Army women demonstrates. Another large employer in Worcestershire was the Blackpole Munitions Factory. Although the work was meant to be secret, the local newspapers often carried photographs of the munition workers and its interesting to see how the poses became more stylised and classical as the war pressed on: perhaps ion recognition of their crucial work. This is an area for further research, as we have no accounts from women about the Land Army or Munitions work and we can use the project of encouraging people to come forward.
With over 30 public buildings and country houses being used as Voluntary Aid Detachment hospitals, medical care and the convalescence of wounded soldiers was a large occupation drawing in a mixture of trained nurses and volunteers. There is more work to be done here to explore the role of young girls undertaking laundry and cleaning roles. One of the favourite items is the Battenhall autograph book which soldiers have signed and contributed poems.
The letters of the Honourable Rachel Lyttelton of Hagley Hall, who worked as VAD volunteer casts a unique insight into life at that time, including how difficult it was to get servants as many of them are working in the trams, munitions and agriculture.
Early this year, Mrs Pam Horsfield lent a diary, some photographs and some letters that belonged to her mother.
The papers belonged to her grandfather, Walter Heywood.
Walter Henry Heywood, born 11 May 1890 and worked at Fowndes Gloving factory.
He married Gertrude Hodgetts on 27th September 1913 and they lived at 183 Wylds Lane. On 25th August 1915, their twins George and Gwen were born.
He enlisted into the Royal Engineers in 1917 and left Worcester on 25th July 1917 from Shrub Hill Station Worcester as Sapper W H Heywood no 165221 RE Wireless Section.
This is his description of boarding the train:
I hope I never go
through anything like that again I will
sooner face all the hardship they like to
give me than have to part from those you
love under such circumstances…."
His diary details his journey and the conditions as he travelled through German East Africa aboard RMs Corinthic and highlights the difference in the rationing between the ranks:
"It is a scandal to see the difference between the officers
& men the officers have fish, Ham, Bacon, Liver, Eggs &ct for breakfast
For dinner they have seven courses including stewed
Fruits & custards in fact they live like fighting cocks,
Where we for breakfast every morning get a little porridge
& a little bread (short rations) & butter enough for one piece
Dinner stew most days about one potato sometimes bad at
That & a few beans, puddings we get once a week on Sundays
About the size of a domino, for tea bread about the same
As breakfast also butter with half a spoonful of jam we
Get this at five & then we have to go until seven the
Next morning I tell you we are like a lot of wolves…"
Along with a very high percentage of servicemen who travelled to Africa, he was one of thousands who contracted dysentry.
He died at Dar-El-Salaam on 8 November 1917, never having seen active service. He left behind his wife, Gert and their twins; George and Gwen.
Mrs Horsfield is keen for us to use the collection as much as we can. She is a retired school teacher and she herself has used the collection to help explain the first wold war to children. Although she wanted to hold on to the collection, she has let us take high quality digital images of the material for us to retain.
In September, Mr and Mrs Roger Darke contacted me to ask if I would be interested in the letters that had belonged to his great aunt May.
May Darke coincidentally, lived on the same street as Walter Heywood, Wylds Lane in Worcester and through her letters we gain another insight into the life of a soldier.
May met a Canadian Highlander posted at Salisbury whilst he was on a night's leave in Worcester.
Cpl Fred Marriott of the 13th Canadian Battalion wrote many letters to May during their courtship. They are intimate letters, hinting at their sex life and tell of their hopes for a child.
"I hope that there will be better results the next time for I think we would be both happier if we had a little boy or girl don't you think so Dear….But I suppose that is to be will be won't it Dear.
I wish I was with you Darling and I hope it won't be long before we are to-gether for when we are we are for good I won't go out of the door without you for it is awful to be parted for so long..".
They were married 25th September 1915.
Cpl Marriott was killed in action 4 September 1916 at the Battle of the Somme.
May never remarried, she died in 1976 and kept these letters in her bedside cabinet all her life. There are no photographs of them together, not even on their wedding day.
Mr and Mrs Darke have deposited the letters in the archive and they are fully transcribed.
Across the county people were moved to raise funds for the war effort. We have explored the story of Sir Arthur Carlton, who lost his son Lawrence. Sir Arthur owned the Theatre Royal and Silver Cinema chains and was a wealthy and influential Worcester resident and was mayor for three years during WW1. When his son was killed whilst tending to a wounded soldier, he and his wife turned their energies to the war effort. He bought this tank to encourage the purchase of war bonds and named it Cynthia after his daughter. Lady Annie commandeered the Worcester Guildhall with ladies winding bandages.
The project has also enabled us to start looking at Belgian refugees in the county. There was a large influx of people arriving in Worcester, Droitwich, Pershore and Malvern, settling for a time and enrolling their children in the local schools. The Pershore Refugee Committee was set up to administer a fund for the support of the refugees. We have discovered a collection of letters in the Sladden papers and this is an area that will benefit from further research.
And we also have some happy stories of men who returned and resumed an ordinary life.
The letters of the Sladden and the Preece families, record domestic humdrum and record life at the front: Cyril Sladden tells his father that he has been injured and is receiving massage for his shoulder. We found in the military exemptions that providing massage to soldiers was a legitimate exemption.
And Jack Preece tells his sister Shirley that he has seen an aeroplane shot down and they don't get much music out there except for the crickets. The men thank their families for gifts of handkerchiefs and food and are grateful for news from home. Letter writing was considered to be part of the war effort and we have selected a variety for the exhibition.
We hope to tour elements of the entire exhibition produced by the project across the county, using the library network and community groups and we will start touring in the new year.
The culmination of the project will be the People’s Collection, which will be generated by private donations and loans alongside existing archives of letters, photographs and diaries.
The project will continue until 2019 to consider the legacy of war.
