Recalling World War 1
Memories of the events on the near Continent of 28 July 1914 through to 11
November 1918, are fading. None who fought in World War 1 are still alive, and so
far as I am aware only one widow of a serving soldier remains alive, Dorothy Ellis,
aged 93. Thankfully however the memory of those who served and died continues to
be held by sons and daughters, and will live on as stories are told to children,
grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Thanks to Wikipedia, statistics are available, some actual, some approximate. In total
over 16 million died of which 10 million were in military service, and over 21 million
military were wounded. Out of a total of 995,939 UK deaths, nearly 900,000 were
from the military. There were over 1.5 million UK military wounded, 2,000 civilian
deaths due to military action, and a further 107,000 due to famine, disease and
accident. The number of horses lost is not recorded!
I am indebted to Richard Tulloch of Bath and Wells Diocese for drawing my attention
to ‘Thankful’ or ‘Blessed’ Villages. I asked a congregation on Remembrance Sunday
how many of them had heard of ‘Thankful Villages’. Only one member of a
congregation of 40 indicated in the affirmative. I have to acknowledge that until
Richard drew my attention to them I had never heard of them. According to
Wikipedia, “Thankful Villages’ are those from which all who went to serve in World
War 1 returned safely. Wikipedia lists Counties which include one or more villages
in this category. My own county of Essex has only 1 such village, the most are in
Somerset, with 9 villages, 2 of which are ‘Doubly Blessed’, the reference being to all
those who served in the World War 2 also returning safely. In Yorkshire there are 5
‘Thankful Villages’, one of which is ‘Doubly Blessed’, and in Lincolnshire there are
4, of which 2 are ‘Doubly Blessed’. Those Counties which are not mentioned in the
Wikipedia list have no ‘Thankful Villages’. The staggering information resulting
from research done in October of this year is that there are only 53 civil parishes in
the whole of England and Wales to which all soldiers returned safely.
It is difficult for those of us who were not alive during the First World War and lived
in villages, to appreciate the devastation wrought by this terrible conflict. It makes
me feel that the whole of our country should genuinely go into a period of mourning
for more than 2 minutes on 11 November. Statistics such as the 53 civil parishes to
some extent bring home the spread of the pain of the loss of loved ones felt by
parents, wives, girlfriends and offspring as a result of this monumental human
catastrophe.
Some records of the Fallen are inside churches rather than on external war memorials.
If this is the case with your church, if it is not OPEN regularly on a weekday as well
as on a Sunday, might it not be appropriate to indicate either when it will be open or
where contact can be made for it to be opened, in order that relatives might view the
record of the Fallen? And do you have a votive candle stand in your church? If not
why not consider purchasing one, perhaps seeking contributions through a fund
dedicated to the purpose of ‘remembering’. As an interim, a bed of sand can be
placed in an earthenware bowl and small candles made available to be lit and inserted
in the sand. An ‘In Memoriam’ book placed nearby can give people the opportunity
of recording the name and date of death of the loved one, plus an appropriate prayer
of thanksgiving and remembrance.
The thought crosses my mind as to whether one or more people from within the
congregation or parish could do some research into the story of any of the Fallen in
terms of their families, how old they were when they enlisted, their occupations prior
to going to the Front, and whether they have any relatives still living in the village or
its vicinity. It might also be possible through war records’ websites to learn about the
individuals, their regiments, where and when they served and where they are buried.
Such information could then be made available on request to any who came to visit
the church.
A further thought is for people to look at Census statistics which are available from
the beginning of the last century, i.e. 1901, up to 2011 with the exception of 1941. It
is quite salutary to compare parish statistics for 1911 with those for 1921, especially
regarding numbers of males.
Commemorations of the Fallen of World War 1 will run until the end of 2018. 4
years is a long time, but by living through it we shall be able to gain some sense of
what it was like to live with the on-going horror at the time. And there were no
mobile phones and no television in those days to provide almost immediate
information! Another way to appreciate the horror and the extent of the devastation is
to visit Belgium and northern France. To stay for example for 4 or 5 days in Bruges
not only gives one the opportunity of appreciating that beautiful city, but also of going
out on trips to see some of the many cemeteries, some very small, some like
Passchendaele, very large, with the names of thousands listed on the white walls of
commemoration; of visiting Ypres and the somewhat terrifying interactive WW1
exhibition, and the Menin Gate, where at 8.00pm every evening the ‘Last Post’ is still
sounded; of experiencing examples of the trenches, particularly when it is raining! If
you are unable to cross the Channel, then try to ensure that you see the astonishingly
brilliant and exceedingly moving drama ‘War Horse’, preferably ’in the flesh’, but
otherwise on a DVD.
It is not a case of glorifying War; it is a case of appreciating its horrors without
actually having been present, the depths to which some sunk in the desire to destroy,
and the heights to which others rose endeavouring to prevent and to rescue.
Hopefully the example of the latter will be an inspiration for us in situations of far
less trauma and devastation. One of my abiding memories of visiting some of the
First World War cemeteries will always be a War Graves Commission headstone
which bore the simple epitaph ‘A Chaplain.’ One of my own profession who went to
support, to comfort, to pray with, those who were fighting, wounded, dying, was not
immune to the ultimate horrors of War!
Canon John D Brown,
Chairman, Churches Visitor and Tourism Association.
November 2013
(Please feel free to use this article as a whole or in part, but either way please acknowledge its source
as the Churches Visitor and Tourism Association. Thank you.)