Chapter 3
1916
‘More Men Wanted’
‘The New Year holidays were marked by very severe weather conditions. In
the evenings especially the gale was violent, and was accompanied by heavy
showers of rain. People returning from the city at night had to face a blizzard
of wind and rain, and where they had some distance to go before reaching
home they had a most trying experience. The unsettled weather continued
throughout the holidays.’
The weather readily reflected the atmosphere in the village and in the country
at large at the start of 1916.
From the pulpit of the parish church the Rev Anderson felt the need to remind
villagers why the war was being fought.
“The German wolf has been trying to fix the blame of this war on Great Britain,
France, Russia or anyone else who may serve her purpose ... Belgium was
neutral, but what is neutrality to the German warlords?”
The funeral of a local soldier who died in a London hospital, Robert Boyd of
Mossend, took place in the village in late January and the Rev Anderson
again used the opportunity to remind local people about their duty.
Corporal Boyd had been home on furlough from France during the Christmas
that had just gone. On returning to London he took ill and died in hospital from
pneumonia.
Much organisation went into his funeral on Tuesday, January the 18th. It was
an impressive affair, as much for the benefit of villagers as for his relatives.
Members of the ‘Hope of West Calder’ Tent of Rechabites, of which Corporal
Boyd was a member, walked in front of the hearse. Following the hearse
came a party of soldiers from the Highland Light Infantry, his relatives and
‘members of all classes in the community’. Large crowds gathered at the side
of the road to watch the funeral procession pass. At the cemetery soldiers
carried the coffin shoulder high to the grave. There followed a very moving
ceremony, conducted by the Rev Anderson at the graveside.
The following Sunday, referring to the sacrifice made by Corporal Boyd, the
Rev Anderson said that “One of the most remarkable things about the present
war, one of the glories that swim up through all its horrors and atrocities, and
for the moment submerges them, is the courage which is manifested not
merely by the saint or hero, but by just the average ordinary man.”
Corporal Boyd was just such a man.
“They have gone out from our shops and offices, from our factories and farms,
and mines and they are just the kind of men you and I are accustomed to
meet from day to day in our common life and all for the cause of King and
Country.”
The message was quite clear. It was the duty of all - man, woman and child to work towards the war effort and the defeat of Germany.
After the failures of 1915, a great many in the country at large were
dissatisfied with the conduct of the war and the editor of the Advertiser was
amongst those calling for calm.
“Those who have the welfare of their country at heart ought to strive to steady
public opinion at this time. We are face to face with a crisis within our own
borders which calls for delicate handling. The London Press must not be
mistaken for the voice of the nation. This section of the press has been
proved to be wrong again and again, but it is constantly embarrassing those
who have the responsible task of conducting the war. We want to replace their
sensationalism by a calm and sober attitude towards the great questions that
are evolving.”
“France - usually an emotional nation - is giving us a worthy lead in the
manner in which she is sinking all lesser differences and bending all her
energies to win the war. If our politicians could only be given a six months
holiday, and a firm grip be placed on the London journals, Lord Kitchener and
General Joffre would be in a much stronger position to secure a speedy
peace. The mixing of politics and war is the surest way to lose. Our men in
Flanders and in other fields will read of our squabbling with heavy hearts, and
they may well be forgiven if the thought gets uppermost that we are unworthy
of the terrible sacrifices they are making”
Even as the editor penned this message, the influence of Kitchener was on
the wane. Had he not been held up in the press as a national hero and the
saviour of the country, it is doubtful that he would have remained in post much
longer.
The Gallipoli Campaign had been recognised as a costly failure and by
January 6th all Empire troops had been removed from that theatre of war in
an expertly executed withdrawal.
It was March before villagers could read about the evacuation in a detailed
letter from Corporal Robert Pratt from the village, which summed up the
success and failure of the expedition. “I had lost everything I possessed
except what was on my back, but that was a matter of little moment. We had
made a wonderful evacuation - the possibility of which at one time we had
doubted - and I was alive to tell the tale.”
As it was, Douglas Haig was now Commander-in-Chief on the Western Front
and it was his decisions that were to lead to a campaign that is still debated
amongst historians and one which had a devastating impact on the village
and district.
Throughout 1916 there was a continual demand for more men for the army. In
certain quarters in the village there was an almost pathological concern about
the young men who had not yet signed up.
Lord Derby’s Scheme was deemed to have been unsuccessful.
“From the Police Office, armlets have been issued to the local men who have
attested under Lord Derby’s Scheme. The men seem shy to wear them
however, as very few have so far been seen.”
The answer to this was the Military Service Bill, which would bring in
conscription.
As the bill made its way through parliament, there was opposition to it in the
village.
On January 15th, a lecture on ‘Militarism’ had been delivered at the Masonic
Hall, the result of which it was reported that those present had taken a vote
and agreed to do all in their power to oppose the Bill. They were against
‘compulsion’ of any kind.
There was an immediate outcry, with letters to the press accusing the
Independent Labour Party, Socialists and members of the trade union
movement of being unpatriotic and leading a conspiracy against the good of
the country.
‘Sir, In last weeks paper I saw a letter which stated that the working men of
West Calder had met in the Masonic Hall and passed a resolution protesting
against and resolving to oppose the Military Service Bill. This really is
throwing a slur on the workingmen of West Calder. It was only a mere handful
of members of the ILP who did so. The bulk of the young workingmen of West
Calder are in the trenches or preparing themselves for the fight of liberty. The
young men who are not away would be better occupied getting into uniform
than passing such resolutions. In any case they have good reason to keep
quiet and keep out of sight just now. It is only indispensable men we need at
home right now. Patriot.”
“Sir. If I take it that this meeting considers itself representative of the working
men of West Calder, then it means that West Calder has made its mind up,
that come what may in this war, victory or defeat it is determined to oppose
the sending or calling up of any further supply of eligible men to the army. It is
going to put a premium on the man who refuses what he, being a citizen of
Empire, ought to be proud to do, that is to take his share in his country’s
battles. It is going to leave undone the work commenced by the village lads
who have fallen (and they are not a few).”
The writer goes on to accuse the workingmen of West Calder of being
crushed by trade unionism, ‘They object not to being forced to join a Union,
but refuse to fight for their country.’
The debate raged on with little effect. The Military Service Bill became law on
February 10th.
The Act stated that all males, aged 18 to 41, who were unmarried or a
widower without any dependant children, were deemed to have enlisted for
the period of the war and would be transferred to the reserve. ‘If a man
considers he should be exempt, he can apply for an exemption certificate.’
Exemption could be granted if his work at home was in the national interest;
or he suffered from ill health; his business would suffer through his absence or
he was a conscientious objector. Local tribunals were to be set up to hear
appeals.
“At the Bathgate tribunal, Hugh Currie, City Farm, was granted conditional
exemption for his ploughman, but the appeal on behalf of his byreman, John
Smith, was refused. Mr Currie stated that he farmed 216 acres and the two
men were his only male helpers.”
“David Millar, Auchinhard Farm, West Calder, appealed for his son David,
who owing to the appellants ill health, was the manager of the farm. A doctor’s
certificate was produced, certifying the correctness of the statement regarding
illness. The farm extended to 60 acres, and the son was the only one
employed on the farm. Appellant had a son serving in the army. Conditional
exemption was granted.”
“James Philip, photographer, West Calder, appealed on business grounds
against the decision of the tribunal, but the appeal was dismissed.
The passing of the Military Service Act did not see an end to concerns over
young men who were avoiding their duty.
In May the Advertiser was of the opinion that “Hundreds of young men are
skulking down our pits in order to escape the operations of the Military Service
Act, whose previous experience of coal getting was an occasional trip to the
domestic cellar to replenish the household fires.”
In June two arrests were made in village of young men who had contravened
the Military Service Act and not reported for enlistment.
In August, Andrew Dowie, of Main St, a conscientious objector, appeared at
Edinburgh Sheriff Court. He was charged with having failed to report when
called. He was fined 40 shillings or 7 days imprisonment and handed over to
the military authorities.
By mid August, all young men of 18 and above were being called up, with the
pledge that they would not serve abroad until the age of 19, a promise that
was later broken.
In early September “a circular letter issued by the Local Government board to
local and appeal tribunals states that the Army Council are anxious that all
outstanding applications or appeals for exemption should be dealt with in the
next few weeks. Tribunals are reminded that ‘the immediate need of the army
is very great’ and that ‘exemption should not be granted in any case unless it
is quite clearly justified.’
Why this constant need for men?
There is no doubt that up until July of 1916, despite its losses, the parish had
‘got of’ relatively lightly in terms of dead, missing or wounded.
In early February there were rousing scenes at Harwood Church when a
lecture was delivered describing ‘Three Months in France with the Boys in
Khaki.’
The Advertiser felt able to explain to the Germans why they had cause for
worry and also reassure the village that our lads at the front ‘had never had it
so good’.
“I wonder if the Germans really know how the people of this country are
getting themselves down to the war. They know what our soldiers are capable
of, they stand in mortal dread of our fleet, they realise we are piling up
munitions for ourselves and our allies; but I doubt if they realise the hold the
war spirit has on the people here at home from the highest to the lowest.”
‘Some of our boys have recently been home on leave. They tell us that there
has been a great improvement in our trenches and supplies reaching the
soldiers there. All are well fed and well clothed.’
The first blow to this confidence came with the death of Kitchener. He was
drowned on June 5th while on a mission to Russia, when the cruiser HMS
Hampshire struck a mine of Orkney.
Despite being unpopular amongst his colleagues, Kitchener was popular in
the country. His finger-pointing poster, declaring ‘Your country needs YOU’
could be found through out the village.
In August, villagers were given the opportunity to help the war effort and
obtain a memento of the great man.
‘Messrs Raphael, Tuck and Son are issuing a beautiful facsimile of Lord
Kitchener’s memorable letter in which the great soldier called for a further 300
000 men. It will be remembered that the original was sold for £6000. It was his
call which brought into being our great army.’
It was this ‘great army’ that was to be sent into battle by General Haig and
suffer the worst losses in the history of the British army.
Under Haig the full effort of the British Army was to be concentrated on
defeating the Germans on the Western Front.
In an attempt to break the stalemate of trench warfare, the Germans had
launched an attack against the French at Verdun. Verdun had no strategic
value, but its loss would have been catastrophic to morale in France. The
French knew that despite horrendous casualties they had to hold on to it at all
costs.
In order to relieve pressure on the French, Haig agreed to launch an attack
upon the Germans, on the 1st of July, on the Somme.
The Somme offensive or ‘Big Push’ saw the first major use of Kitchener’s
volunteer army. On July 1st it suffered over 57 000 casualties.
Historians still argue about the Somme and the events surrounding it.
Whatever the arguments, from late July onwards the pages of the Advertiser
carry long lists of casualties and the impact of the war was for the first time
brought home with a vengeance to the people of West Calder.
A typical example of losses can be found in the August 18th edition of the
Advertiser.
‘The following are the names of local and district soldiers appearing in the
official casualty lists this week:
Soldiers killed:
Segt.-Major
Pte
Pte
Pte
Cranston
Newton
Ross
Harkins
Bathgate
East Calder
Shotts
Uphall
Died of Wounds:
Pte
Campbell
Linlithgow
Tonner
Eadmonstone
Oates
McNair
Wright
Wynne
Flaherty
Tinley
Hall
Duffy
Pender
McCartney
Lee
Anderson
West Calder
Whitburn
Blackburn
Bathgate
Harwood
Balerno
West Calder
West Calder
Linlithgow
West Calder
Blackburn
Shotts
Addiewell
Blackburn
Wounded:
Pte
Pte
Pte
Pte
Pte
Pte
Pte
Pte
Driver
Pte
Pte
Pte
Crprl
Pte
Pte
Pte
Pte
Pte
Blaney
Crow
Montgomery
McFarlane
Broxburn
Mid Calder
Davidson’s Mains
Davdson’s Mains
There are 22 further names on the list and this one was by no means the
longest to appear in the newspaper.
Despite the losses, the message from the front and from the Advertiser
remained positive and enthusiastic. It is no wonder, that when the ‘truth’ finally
made its way into print in the 1920s, many ordinary people lost faith in ‘King
and Country’.
‘If ever the German High Command deluded themselves with the thought that
our citizen soldiers were unequal to the European armies, they must have had
a rude awakening since the offensive opened on July 1st. Our lads are simply
splendid. No army in the world could have shown greater dash, courage or
tenacity in holding on to the position after it was won. It is the British Empire
that is over the parapet, as one writer said last week. Our army is composed
of men from all ranks of life and from every country in the Empire.’
Writing home from the front on August 18th a local soldier says, ‘The spirit of
our lads is excellent. They are encouraged by the progress of the combined
British and French offensive. Though the advance does not look big on the
map it has given our men the opportunity that they have so long waited for of
showing that they are more than a match for the Hun’.
‘General Haig, it will be noticed, makes the interesting statement that we have
since July 1st met and engaged on the Somme front 35 German divisions of
which 29 have been defeated and withdrawn for rest and repairs. ... We have
had at least 3 million men in front of us and of these at least three quarters
have been destructively subjected to the most terrible artillery fire and the
unceasing and successful attacks of our infantry. To suppose that Germany is
in as good a shape as ever to resist our further attacks is ridiculous.’
One of the ‘fallen’ was Pte Charles Graham of the Royal Scots. He was buried
where he was killed. The burial party mistakenly left his personal possessions
at the side of the grave and his home address, save for the fact that he was a
West Calder man, were lost. The possessions were sent to the Rev
Anderson, who displayed them in the parish church.
“When the photographs which had been found on the battlefield in France
were being shown in the vestibule of the Parish Church, Mr Robert Graham,
Front Street, Mossend, recognised one as the photograph of his son Pte
Charles Graham of the Royal Scots. Pte Graham was married and had signed
up straight away. He wrote home regularly. He had taken part on the big
attack on July 1st and no news had been had of him since then.”
The anxiety of the family was replaced by grief at the confirmation of their
son’s death.
The Rev Longden, the army chaplain who had sent the possessions and
photographs, later wrote to the Rev Anderson.
‘My Dear Sir, I am glad to hear from you that the belongings I sent home have
come into the hands of a relative of one of our brave lads, although I much
regret that they should of necessity carry the proof of his death.’ The Rev
Langden could offer no explanation to the disposal of the personal
possessions at the side of the grave, but gave the reassurance that Pte
Graham now rested with his friends and fellow soldiers nearby. “His people
would no doubt like to know that he had fallen in the great advance at a point
which is beyond the old German first line of trenches, so that before he fell he
had succeeded in breaking through the line with the other gallant fellows and
had his share in starting the route of our enemies, which will I trust before long
end this terrible war.”
As casualties mounted, a public meeting was held in the Polytechnic Hall to
establish a parish fund to make awards to local soldiers who had won
distinction on the battlefield and to discuss the setting up of a memorial for the
fallen. The shale miners union met and agreed to set up a fund to help the
relatives of those who had fallen and provide support for those who should
return wounded.
In August a letter was circulated to the local appeal tribunal by the
government, stating that ‘the immediate need of the army is great’ and that
exemption should not be granted unless it was quite clearly justified.
At the same time, there were those who seemed to be working against the
war effort! A great deal of distress was caused in the village by the theft of the
Roll of Honour from the golf club. The crime had been carefully planned and
the thief never apprehended.
In the midst of the carnage at the front, the Advertiser published a letter from
Sergeant Joseph Foster, of the 26th Brigade Machine Gun Company, whose
home was at Gavieside, West Calder.
“To the people of West Calder and District. This is an appeal from the
trenches to help to keep the boys happy and bright, and to take their thoughts
away from the scenes of the battlefield. While out for short rests, we have
formed up a choir, or glee party, with some splendid singers. We have 20 just
now on the roll, but the difficulty is that we need the music, sacred preferred.”
It would take more than sacred music to defeat the Germans and Haig
believed that he had a weapon that would make the turning point in the war.
‘September 22nd. Great British Advance. Splendid success against stubborn
enemy fighting. Over 2,300 prisoners taken. News of the great success
gained by the British on the Somme, in the greatest success since the
opening of the big offensive, is contained in the following despatches from Sir
Douglas Haig.’
‘Friday, 12.50pm. Last night, the enemy’s trenches south-east of Thiepval, on
a front of about 1000 yards, were captured by our troops.’
‘This morning we attacked the enemy on a front extending from Bouleaux
Wood to north of the Albert-Bapaume Road, a distance of about six miles. Our
troops have advanced some 2000 to 3000 yards in places ... large numbers of
prisoners taken ...In this attack we employed for the first time a new type of
heavy armoured car, which has proved of considerable utility.’
The dispatch described the new secret weapon, the mysterious ‘tanks’ or
‘willies’ as the soldiers called them, that were about to win the war for us. In
that first battle some were destroyed, many broke down and their value was
mainly psychological. They could not yet be deployed in sufficient numbers to
make any great difference.
Back in West Calder, villagers were to witness the ‘big advance’ at first hand.
‘The official cinema picture of the Battle of the Somme, taken by permission of
the War Office, will be exhibited at the local picture house on Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. The film has occasioned much public
interest and the demand for booked seats is phenomenal.’
The film had actually been shown to troops behind the front lines on the
Somme and it was the first time that the British public had seen so much ‘live
action’ from the Front. In many cinemas people fainted.
‘Picture-goers have been made familiar with the many brilliant battle scenes
arranged for the camera for show purposes, and, as they watch the opening
scenes of the Somme picture, they may be disposed to think it is not so
spectacular as they had anticipated.’
‘Soon, however, this feeling passes away, and it is recognised that the
spectator is dealing with grim reality. It is one thing to read about the Somme
enterprise, or to study its features on a map, and quite another to realise the
stupendous nature of the undertaking by carefully watching this picture.
Seeing it, one understands the imperative cry for munitions, and marvels at
the efficiency and terrible destructiveness of modern engines of war.’
‘One sees the British soldier calm and undaunted in the face of death, and in
the brief respites of fighting, finding happiness in little things - cheerful in the
most trying circumstances. Again, when the picture shows the wounded being
brought in, the quick and considerate attention they receive, and mentally tries
to realise the amount of suffering borne with patient heroism, sympathy goes
out to those lads at the front in a way which creates the conviction that the
nation cannot err on the side of doing too much for them.’
Large crowds queued to see the film in West Calder, although it was noted by
those leaving the Picture House that ‘one specially noticeable feature was the
absence of Scottish and Irish regiments.’
Did villagers understand the true nature of modern warfare as it was being
fought on the Western Front?
Despite the fact that news from abroad was censored and the Advertiser was
positive even in the face of tremendous loss or defeat, there can be little
doubt that there was no hiding from the grim realities of warfare on the home
front.
Apart from the lists of casualties that appeared in the local newspaper, there
were also ‘realistic’ descriptions of fighting conditions. When local soldiers
received awards for bravery, it is easy to ‘read between the lines’ and
appreciate the nature of the work they were involved in.
Lieutenant Rawlinson, a local man, was injured in righting a machine-gun that
fouled. It took him a two-month stay in hospital to recover.
Captain McVicar helped rescue twelve men who had almost been buried alive
in a dugout when a shell exploded near them.
In February, Alexander Greenhorn, a transport driver, returned home to tell
the village about the destruction of the French countryside and its towns.
In May, Private Easton was awarded the DCM for service in the Dardanelles.
He was 19 years old and a former miner. His feats of courage included
repairing a fouled machine-gun whilst under enemy fire. At one point a
number of Turkish bodies lay decomposing close to the trench where he was
fighting. They were a health hazard and he volunteered to crawl to them,
douse them in petrol and set fire to them, thus eliminating the possibility of
disease to our men.
In June, Private William Marshall, who lost his right leg in the fighting,
returned home to the village for good. His fighting days were effectively over.
Wherever you look there are reminders of the war and none more so than in
the sense of loss felt by ordinary families. A Bathgate family inserted the
following tribute to their son in the ‘In Memoriam’ column of the Advertiser:
He little thought when he left home
That he would ne’er return
Sad was the eve that brought the news
Of his untimely fall
His well-known form no more we’ll see
Nor well-known voice we’ll hear;
In life we loved you very dear,
In death we do the same
If proof were needed that this was a new type of warfare, it could be seen in
the threat that was posed by Zeppelins. The perceived threat of such an
attack was far greater than the reality, yet a kind of Zeppelin fever gripped the
village and no doubt many believed that the local oil works would be high on
the Kaiser’s list of targets.
‘Local arrangements have now been made with reference to darkening the
village in the event of an air raid by Zeppelins. If the enemy aircraft should
visit, the east of Scotland information will be telephoned to the Police Office.
The electric lights on the streets will be at once switched off, and the gas
supply will be shut off at the gas works. In the event of the gas supply being
shut off, householders should at once see that their jets are turned off. The
measures which are being taken are purely of a precautionary nature, and
need not cause any alarm. At the same time it is important that the
instructions be carefully carried out, and all prominent lights should be shaded
at night.’
‘The new lighting regulations may do something to save the people from air
raids, but they will not improve the spirit of the people. The conditions in the
village at night are positively melancholy. The only consolation we have is that
the days are now lengthening and in a few weeks time we will not feel the
restrictions so much.’
‘If anything is calculated to bring the war home to us it is the state of the
streets at night. Gross darkness now reigns everywhere. The villagers, in the
full glare of the electric light and the well-lit shop windows, used to smile at a
description of the darkened towns in England. It is our own turn now, and,
needless to say, the experience is not a pleasant one at night. It takes a bit of
‘steering’ to negotiate a crossing when you have only sound to guide you.
Matters are made worse if you are half-way across when the ‘toot’ of an
approaching car comes out of the darkness, and you are at a loss to know
which way it is going. The old German Count who invented ‘Zepps’ has much
to answer for. But there is a compensating side to almost everything. The
children have now to stop their games when darkness falls, and the streets
are quiet an hour early.’
An air attack never happened, although ........
‘On Tuesday evening several precautionary measures were taken against
raids by aircraft. The gas pressure was reduced at the works as an indication
to householders that Zeppelins were again visiting the Scottish coast. The
special constables were assembled and ready for duty, but fortunately their
services were not required, as the Zeppelins were never near the district. A
large number of people were in the streets, evidently keen to get a sight of the
raiders had they come this way. A passenger train was stopped at the station,
and the passengers did not reach their destination until early next morning.’
Along with the lighting restrictions, by early April the ringing of church bells
and the chiming of the village clock had fallen under a national ban as well.
It is doubtful if anyone at the start of the war could have predicted the impact it
would have on civilian life. By the end of 1916, there were very few areas of
village life that had not been affected by some restriction or ban.
Local farmers were under pressure to maximise the yields from their fields.
‘It said that in Germany last year every available piece of land went under the
plough. We must do the same. The shortage of manpower is a problem.
Some farmers are taking the plough themselves. All honour to them, they are
‘doing their bit’.’
The public were asked to restrict their use of sugar. By August the military
were helping to collect the harvest and in November the government fixed the
price of milk and warned that flour should not be hoarded.
In May, the Daylight Saving Bill was introduced to increase farm production
and villagers were reminded to put their clocks forward by an hour. A week
later, on May 25th, the Advertiser was able to report that the daylight savings
were more than popular amongst local workers.
In October, shop-opening hours were restricted to a 7pm close on weekdays,
8pm on Fridays and 9pm on Saturday.
There was an outcry when the local miners threatened strike action unless
their wages rose. Some accused them of acting in an unpatriotic manner, but
considering inflation their demands seem modest.
In March the local collieries and mines passed into government control for the
duration of the war.
In July in the House of Commons it was reported that the estimated rise in
food, clothing and rent over the period of the war was 16%. ‘In other words it
would require today a sovereign to purchase what cost 17s 3d in March 1915
or 15s on March 1914.’
Even the Advertiser could not escape the effects of the war. As raw materials
became scare it was forced to cut the size of the newspaper and raise its
price. It was almost with a sense of shock that the editor advised readers that
a charge would have to be made for the delivery of the newspaper and that it
could only be supplied if ordered beforehand.
Those choosing to escape the gloom of the village to Edinburgh or Glasgow
for the day had to endure a restricted train service, partly due to the lack of
manpower, and a rise in ticket prices.
Some turned to other means of pleasure.
‘Last Saturday night when people were saddened by the news from the front,
it was most unseemly to see so many drunk men on the village streets. We
made some enquiry and found that a considerable number of those who were
in this state come in every Saturday from outlying parts and get drunk. This is
not a credit to the district or to the trade at a time such as this.’
It was in June however that it must really have occurred to those in the village
that even if the war were to end soon, life would never be quite the same
again!
‘A staff of young women were employed this week in West Calder as road
makers. The streets were being given a fresh coat of tarmacadam, and the
women did good work. In their overalls and dust caps they looked quite smart
and business-like. Men could not be got for the work, and the road surveyor
invited the services of women, and they responded pluckily. This is the first
time we have had women as workers on the streets of the village.’
There was little to celebrate at the end of the year, apart from the fact that a
new government was in place, led by Lloyd George.
‘Despite all that has happened during the past fortnight, the new government
starts business with the good wishes of the country as a whole. Mr Lloyd
George has the courage, energy and imagination to secure better results ...
The year is closing with the European war still raging as fiercely as ever.
Peace kites are being sent up from Germany.’
If Germany were asking for peace, then surely we must be winning and 1917
would be the last year of war!
On reading this many in the village may have hoped that it would be a reality,
but it is doubtful if many believed it would actually happen.