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Commemorating the Outbreak of WWI

Given below is an interview with Private Sidney Webb from the Royston Crow November 6th 1914 . We know, from the names on our War Memorial, who was killed in ‘the War to end all Wars’ and Sidney Webb’s name is not among them, so we assume that he survived and returned home. Does anyone have any photographs or information about the Webb family?

We also have a photograph of Private Charles Dodkin, who was killed at the age of 21.

There is an account of the 1914-18 War in the village history ‘’A Glimpse into Melbourn’s Past’, with a few photographs, and a complete list of the fallen, namely:

Edgar R Abrey, Edgar E Brown, John Burton, Arthur H Carter, William G Catley, Henty B Day, Frank W Day, Charles Dodkin,Charles Fordham,Lionel B Frost, Ernest J Green, Jesse Guiver, Thomas Guiver, William C Harper, Albert Holland, William C Howes, Charles H Huggins, William T Jacklin, Arthur King, Frederick J King, Walter Lee, Walter A Littlechild, Alfred Negus, Samuel Northrop, George Pateman, Frederick C Pepper, William H Pullen, John W Reed, Robert H Reed, Louis Robinson, Harold E Rumbold, Frederick Saunderson, James Saunderson, Alfred H Smith, Joseph Smith, Harry Squires, Job Stanford, Frederick Throssell, Stanley J Waldock, Percy Wedd, William Willings, Rydal SL Wing, Alfred J Winter, Fred Winter. One name was missing from the Memorial, that of Edward L Hall

Royston Crow November 6th 1914 Melbourn Man Escapes from the Germans

Private Sidney Webb, of the Grenadier Guards, in an interview with a representative of this Paper, gives an interesting account of his fight in the sharp action on Sep 1st in the neighbourhood of Compiegne, an action that was entirely satisfactory to the British, and in which the Guards Brigade, and a British Cavalry brigade took part. Private Webb was wounded and taken prisoner by the Germans. He tells how he hid under a bed and was overlooked by the Germans when they took away their prisoners.

“On September 1st my Company”, said Private Webb, “were at a place called Villers Cotterets, a few miles southeast of Compiegne, acting as rear guard to our regiment, when we heard there were some German scouts in a wood, and we got ready to turn them out, but we found there were about 6,000 of them. We were ordered to retire, and some of our fellows were left in the wood to cover our retreat. About twenty minutes afterwards we saw the Germans about 120 yards away on our left flank. We were not sure at first whether they were our own men or not. They Ran like Rabbits

Our officer gave the order to retire in formation, but about 20 yards further on we saw a body of Germans, and we charged them with fixed bayonets. When they saw us they turned and ran like rabbits. We then lined a ridge and commenced firing. We made another rush but could not get near them. Shots were flying all around us, and I was struck in the left arm, and at the same time something struck my tongue and my mouth was full of blood, but I kept on and presently came to some more of my mates who had taken cover along some ridges. His Mates on his Right and his Left were killed.

I laid down and commenced shooting as fast as I could, although my arm was very painful and bleeding. I had to keep spitting the blood out of my mouth as well. I spoke to my mate ‘Ginger’ he was called. I said Ginger, I’ve tasted a German bullet.” He said “Stick it mate, we’ll soon pop some of them over.” He spoke no more for a bullet had crashed through his head. I then called to another pal and told him to keep his head down. He replied, “No fear, I’m going to have a go at ‘em.” He soon afterwards fell back dead with another bullet through his head. I kept on firing until I could hardly hold my rifle, the barrel had got nearly red hot. Taken Prisoner by the Germans

I was still firing away when I happened to look round and saw a German about to stick his bayonet into me. There were suddenly Germans in front of me, behind me, and all around me. I was too completely done and exhausted to show fight. He took my rifle away and told me to get up. A lot more Germans came up, and I had no chance to do anything. One bandaged my arm, a Red Cross man, who could speak English quite well. He said it had been a hot fight, and it was bad for both sides. He told me he had lived in England for fifteen years, and used to work in Camden Town before the war. About 120 of our fellows were missing, and 70 or more, lay dead. The Coldstreams and the Irish Guards were in it as well.

A Meal of Billposter’s Paste

A German officer came along and looked at us. He said “You are not gentlemen. Hands up or we fire!” I thought we were going to be shot then. The Germans were having a meal then, but all we got was the ‘smell’. We had heard they were starving, but this lot were doing it all right. They had with them cart loads of fowls and sheep, and they were driving lots of bullocks along. Even with all this they took away my tin of bully. When they had finished their meal they marched us to a village and put us in a Church,

and after about an hour they sent in a bucket of what looked like billposter’s paste. I don’t know what it was and it hadn’t much of a taste either. We were, however, hungry, and glad to get anything. They didn’t bring us any spoons, and we grabbed what we could with our hands. There were about 50 of us, so we didn’t get much. We got nothing else but water that night. There were shocks of corn about the Church for us to lay on, and we rubbed the grain out and ate that. Next day the wounded, I amongst them, were removed to a big house, but we were given no more food. There was a big garden at the back in which were plenty of apples, and we existed on them for five or six days. Then the Germans sent us some bread and half-a-sheep. We dug up some ‘spuds’ in the garden and made a fine stew. We were there for about a week and then we heard the French were coming, and that the Germans were going to take all of us chaps who could walk away with them.

Hid Under the Bed

I heard them coming for us and ran into the house and slipped upstairs into a top room, and hid under a bed. I was up there for about an hour when I heard someone coming up the stairs. They came into the room, and I saw they were Germans by their boots. I thought it was all up when they came into the room, but they never looked under the bed. I lay there for about an hour-and-and-a-half.

Not in There – Sir

I crawled out and took a look out of the window, and saw the Germans and our chaps disappearing out of sight. I then went downstairs and found they had left a lot of our chaps behind who were unable to walk. There was an English doctor in the room. He looked surprised when he saw me and said “What are you doing here? You ought to have gone with the other prisoners.” I said “Not in these – sir.” He laughed, and asked me where I had been. I told him “Under the bed.” He walked away laughing. About three hours afterwards the French came into the town. They told us we were the first English thay had seen since the war began. The French Artillery were busy all that night. We were later sent down to an English Hospital. On the way the people gave us anything we wanted. I was afterwards sent to England and taken to the Military Hospital in Vauxhall Bridge Road. I was there a fortnight and came home on Tuesday, October 27th.” lifecycle and in fact, the flowers we see emerging this month had their genesis last summer, when flower meristem tissue began to differentiate in response to the higher temperatures. The bulbs then lose all above ground photosynthesising parts, then cease root growth to go into a dormant state for late summer, just right for retailing at the garden centres! Breaking dormancy in spring-flowering bulbs is influenced by, among other factors, the drop in temperature over the winter which induces the underground shoot and flower stems to grow and elongate through the soil, powered by the starchy reserves in the bulb. This is why when you find a net bag of forgotten fritillary or iris bulbs in the shed in January, you will find they have nevertheless produced green shoots in response to the cold, despite being out of the ground. This does make late planting a ginger salvage operation - damaged young bulb shoots will be a great deal more vulnerable to disease and damaged flowers.

As the shoot emerges from the dark soil into the spring light, the plant is able to detect the increased light levels and corresponding changes in growth and metabolism occur. (We also can respond to light without using our eyes: think of how we tan in the summer sun – the result of skin cells producing more melanin in response to increased ultraviolet light intensity.) The leaves unfurl, position themselves for maximum light capture and begin to photosynthesise. As overhead, the trees begin to leaf up and the colour and density of light changes on the woodland floor, spring bulbs respond with rapid growth and the spectacular floral displays of spring, which really are the plant equivalent of the 100m sprint, as they compete for available sunshine and resources before the canopy knits over for a summer time out. Flowering and seed set is the equivalent of crossing the finishing line!

The Botanic Garden is open 10am-5pm through February and March and 10am – 6pm April – September. Admission is £4.50, Giftaid admission £4.95 or join the Friends, get free admission and help the Garden grow! For news and events, detailed information about the Garden or to discover this week’s Plant Picks, please visit the website at www.botanic.cam.ac.uk.

Melbourn

Amateur Dramatics

Invite to you their next comedy production

“NEVER TOO LATE”

A group of fading showbiz personalities, who share the same celebrity boarding house, draw on their talents to save their home.

Spectacle and hilarity ensue! a great night of escapism and fun in MADS unique style that will send you home smiling! Meldreth Village Hall Friday 2nd May & Saturday 3rd May 7.30pm For more information and to book tickets, go to our website at www.melbourn.org.uk/amateur-dramatics/tickets/ or call our box office on 07513 457845