Notes from the Past

14 Apr

Resident historian Robert Piper delves into the archives to explore the village throughout the decades.

During this time of uncertainty, we must remember that some 100 years ago the world had just beginning to get over the Great War, when the Spanish flu came. This pandemic to date has killed more people worldwide, than any other like it, it’s estimated that between 17m and 50 m people died of it and some experts believe it could be as many as 100m. In the UK some 250,000 people died of it. The pandemic lasted three years and in Southwater over the three years from 1918 to 1920, 34 people were buried at Southwater church. This worked out to be 1.5 % of the population or in today’s team’s that would be over 170 burials a year, even the Rt Hon David Lloyd Gorge PM got it at the age of 55, the same age as Rt Hon Boris Johnston PM.

Some 25 years later in a field in Luneburg Heath just south of Hamburg on the 4th of May 1945 four German generals enter a tent to sign the act of surrender. The following morning at 8am on the 5th May there was peace on the British and Canada front, two days later on the 7th May the same general’s went to General Eisenhower headquarters and sighed the surrender on all fronts in Europe and the Middle East. On the 8th May 1945 at 2.55pm the Rt Hon Winston Churchill declared that the war was over in Europe and the 8th of May would be VE day. The war was to continue on until 15th August in the Far East, and VJ day was declared. In Horsham over 1000 people attended a church service in Horsham park as well as in St Mary’s Church to mark VE day, the children were given 1s (5p or £21,74 RPI). Additionally, Knepp castle had a bonfire party.

The village hall became the administration centre under the war charity act 1940. During May 1945, to show appreciation for the returning members of H.M. Forces, the Merchant Navy, and the Bevin Boys, were given a thank you certificate and £5 (£217.42) each. Miss Elizabeth Brodi of Staker’s Farm married Lt J.R. Douglas of the Royal Marines, she was given away by Major Van den Vliet of the Canada Scottish regiment, at Southwater Church. Mrs Wykes and her baby son of Andrews Farm thanked everyone for their support and help owning to the loss of her husband who was killed on the 19th April in action in Holland.

In 2005 Southwater Amateur Dramatic Society put on a show called “Wish me Luck” to mark the 60th anniversary of VE/ VJ day. Debbie Priebe said it’s not easy for the childen of today to make sense of these events, the 60th anniversary celebration of “Their past, your Future”, as Debbie said in doing the show it caused her to weep unashamedly. This year, the country would have marked the 75th annivery of the end of the war in Europe but with the current pandemic this is on hold, but both the Government and The Royal British Legion hope to put something on later in the year, as for VJ day events this is still going to go ahead at this current time.

“H M Queen said we will meet again and get through this pandemic”