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WWII in Melbourn

This year we celebrate 70years since the ending of WWII In this issue we have an article about Florrie Widger who joined the NAAFI at the age of 17. We are interested in the experiences of Melbournians during the war years, so do please contact a member of the team and share your memories with us.

From the Village School In July 1939, from 10th to 14th plans were made for the dispersal of children in case of an air raid. All children have had their respirators filled and tested in school. On September 15th 32 children were evacuated to Melbourn from the Oratory School in London. girls, boys and infants. On October 3rd the Inspector of Schools, Mr H. Morris MA visited to discuss the rental of buildings in the village for the accommodation of the evacuated school. By Oct 11th, the following arrangements had been made: Class1 was in the Church Room, Class 2 in Baptist Church Sunday School. Infants and Classes 3 and 4 were in the Congregational Church Sunday School By November 17th the majority of the evacuated schools had moved to Clactonon-Sea. On October 9th in 1940 there was an air raid warning at 2.50pm and the children were sent home. On October 11th up to 39 children had been taken as Private Evacuees, and a party of 21 children arrived from London. On Oct 22nd the school was visited with reference to providing accommodation for 70 evacuees, and a day later Mr Wingate, the County Architect visited to discuss provision of Air Raid shelters. On October 25th there was an air raid alert at 2.15 pm, and the children were dispersed. On December 20th Trigg’s Prizes were presented by Lady Blenkinsop. Mr A. R. Fordham and Mr P. E. Elbourn were also present. In addition every child received an apple and a Christmas present. On January 21st 1941 there were 4 alerts, all of short duration, and each time a number of children went home.

A policeman makes sure some young evacuees are on the correct train out of London School children with their gas masks

The War Savings Campaign in May resulted in £266 collected in the school. There were no cookery lessons in July due to a shortage of paraffin in the village. In October the children went hip picking, and gathered over ¼ ton of hips. (these were used to make rose hip syrup). On November the Head teacher was told that no permit had been received from the Board of Trade for a new furnace. To avoid closure the Head borrowed oil heaters and was given permission to purchase paraffin. There were open fires in Infants’ and 1 Classroom and oil heaters in the remaining three. In March 1942, during Warship Week the school raised £300. A joint exhibition of model aeroplanes, ships, lorries and soft toys by the School and the Youth Centre raised £36 which is being sent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer as a war gift.

Evacuees helping to work the land.

We very much look forward to hearing from you. The names of the Magazine Committee and contact numbers can be found on the centre pages. EAD

of the year which is HomeStart Royston and South Cambridgeshire. We usually have a guest speaker or some in house entertainment followed by a chance to have a chat over tea/coffee and biscuits. We are a friendly group so if you would like to come along for an evening please feel free to join us.

Our September meeting is on the 22nd at Holy Trinity Church Meeting Room in Meldreth and we look forward to hearing Julie Draper who will be speaking to us about “How to get the best out of your G.P.”

We will be helping with the organising of The Harvest Supper which is held at Meldreth Village Hall on 2nd October and will meet on 27th October in All Saints Church Community Hall when we will be making decorations for our tree at the Meldreth Christmas Tree Festival.

There is a change to our published agenda for 24 November as we now have Mark Osborne coming to speak to us about a Christian charity called Kairos that goes into prisons over a period of a week. If you would like to know more feel free to join us in Holy Trinity Church Meeting Room at our usual time of 7.45p.m.

If you would like to know anything more about the group please contact one of the committee members: Pat Smith (262575) Anne Harrison (261775) Sue Toule (260955)

Royal British Legion Women’s Section

Melbourn and Meldreth Branch Cambridgeshire County The Tea Dance to celebrate VE Day was well attended and enjoyed by all, as was the Group Meeting of other local Branches, held at Barrington. Group meetings are to enable members to exchange information, receive reports of other Branch initiatives and cement comradeship, which is such an important part of the principle of fellowship of the Women`s Section.

Two members of Jimmies Night Shelter in Cambridge gave a talk on their activities. It gave us much thought on those of us that are homeless, sometimes through no fault of their own. This is a particular problem with some ex-service boys and girls, who find it very hard to acclimatise to civilian life. The Legion`s charitable principles enable help to be given in this area, including assistance with job finding.

Future events include a lunch at a garden centre.

Una Cleminson, our Vice Chairman, was awarded the Legion’s highest honour for her work over many years for the Service and Ex-service community, the National Certificate of Appreciation and Red Badge. This was presented by the National President, Vice Admiral Peter Wilkinson, at the Annual Conference at Southport and as the picture shows, Una was standing in front of The Legion’s 2015 slogan, “Live On” the message to all our beneficiaries to enjoy life after service to Her Majesty. It may be helpful to mention that the Women`s Section National President is The Princess Royal.

The Women’s Section of the Legion is open to all women over 18 who support the Legions objectives and we aim to make our meetings and activities entertaining, interesting, stimulating and most of all “Good Fun.” We meet at Vicarage Close Community Centre on the 4th Wednesday of the month, 7Ppm in the summer and in 2pm in the winter. Please come and join us, you will be assured of a good welcome.

President, Molly Chamberlain 0774623072; Chairman, Ann Neaves 260110; Secretary, Elizabeth Murphy 220841.

Went the Day well?

The Bloomsday celebration in Melbourn on June 16th, celebrating a day in the life of Leopold Bloom in 1904, as portrayed in the novel ‘Ulysses‘ by James Joyce, went very well indeed, and was enjoyed by everyone involved.

Thanks are due to those who participated so enthusiastically, including students from the Village College who did readings, and to members of the ‘audience’, some of whom came quite some distance to take part.

Many people wore 1904 clothing, including one gentlemen who came as a 1904 labourer, and quite stole the show!

One lady turned up from One lady turned up from Potton for the breakfast Potton for the breakfast event and attended every event and attended every event during the day and event during the day and evening. She had with evening. She had with her a hardback copy of her a hardback copy of Ulysses given to her as a Ulysses given to her as a wedding present! wedding present!

Tony Peretta of the Tony Peretta of the Barber Shop supported Barber Shop supported the venture by shaving the venture by shaving in public, at the top of a in public, at the top of a Martello Tower which Martello Tower which he erected himself!. he erected himself!.

Martin Reeve, Martin Reeve, a manager at the a manager at the GPO Royston GPO Royston Sorting Office, Sorting Office, with permission, with permission, arranged for 3 arranged for 3 pieces of mail pieces of mail to be delivered to be delivered

continued from page 10 … but were not exclusive to the front line as Aid centres in the rear came under heavy fire. “This has been a very bad day. Big shells began coming over about 10am - one burst between one of our wards and the Sisters’ Quarters, and killed a Night Sister asleep in bed in her tent and knocked three others out with concussion and shell shock … one just missed one of my Night Sisters getting into bed in our compound. I knew by the crash where it must have gone and found Sister E as white as a paper but smiling happily and comforting the terrified patients. Then I came on to the shellhole and the wrecked tents in the Sisters’ Quarters … in one tent the Sister was dying. The piece went through her from back to front near her heart. She was only conscious a few minutes and only lived 20 minutes.” Air raids were a daily worry for those behind the lines and accounted for the deaths of many nurses. “I shall never forget the awful climb on hands and feet out of that hole that was about five feet deep with greasy clay and blood - although I did not know then that it was blood. A bomb had fallen directly alongside the pneumonia ward … though I shouted, nobody answered me, or I could hear nothing for the roar of planes and artillery. I seemed to be the only living thing about.” In November 1916, an Ambulance Train used to transport the wounded away from the front was attacked during a long hostile bombing raid. “Another bomb fell. It seemed to fall right on the train itself … Crash went every window. Out went every handlamp. The train gave a heave that threw the patients out of their beds … and then a woman’s clear voice rang out in the coach. ‘Now do be quiet and good boys till I light a lamp.’ A hand struck a match and applied it to the wick of a handlamp. Sister Kate Mahony stood calm and undismayed in the entrance of the coach. ‘Now just wait till I get this wretched little lamp to burn and we’ll have you all in bed in no time … She got hold of orderlies by the arm. “Here, you come and help,” she said, and orderlies obeyed … In other coaches Sister Evans and Sister Thompson, like Sister Mahony, were models of womanly gentleness and courage … for a full hour the attack lasted - the sisters in white moved from coach to coach giving courage by example and practical help.” At home The flow of casualties of war began to overwhelm the existing military hospitals at home. To cope with the influx, many civilian hospitals were taken over. VADs also set up hospitals in cities and larger towns, together with numerous auxiliary hospitals throughout the country, equipped and staffed by VADs. The buildings used were varied: town halls, recreation halls, schools, private houses large and small, even cottages, garages and stables were used. In some cases land was acquired and large hutted hospitals established.

One such hospital was the 1st Eastern General Hospital in Cambridge, built on a former cricket field in West Road (now the site of the University Library). Two other hospitals were set up in Cherry Hinton and Barnwell. Many of these hospitals developed into specialist units dealing with shell shock and limbless victims, neurological, orthopaedic cardiac conditions, typhoid and venereal diseases. Cherry Hinton and Barnwell hospitals dealt mainly with venereal disease.

The Auxiliary hospitals were administered by VADs but remained under military control and were attached to a central military hospital. Medical care was provided voluntarily by the local doctors, whilst in many cases, local women volunteered to help on a part-time basis. In Cambridgeshire there were 14 Auxiliary hospitals: Balsham, Cottenham, Fordham, Fulbourn, Histon, Linton, Shepreth, Swavesey, Whittlesford, Willingham, and in Cambridge City at Grange Road, Wordsworth Grove, Newnham and Herschel Road. Other local hospitals included Saffron Walden and The School’s Auxiliary Hospital in Royston.

In May 1915, Dr Flora Murray and Dr Louisa Garrett Anderson, two militant suffragists set up the Endell Street Military Hospital in Covent Garden and was the first unit to be entirely run and staffed by women. They treated 24,000 patients and carried out more than 7,000 operations.

By 1916 the government began organising women’s auxiliary military services to replace men in non-combatant roles and so release more men for fighting. In all, 15 organisations were set up including the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, Women’s Hospital Corps, Territorial Force Nursing Service and the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps. There were also many heroic individuals such as previously mentioned Mairi Chisholm and Elsie Knocker keen to help, but restricted by bureaucracy. They all played their part.

Nearly 600 nurses died during the war, many from disease and illnesses which spread quickly in the confined spaces of the trenches and on to the medical centres. Dysentery which claimed the lives of many soldiers, was not exclusive and many of those who were caring for them also died. In 1918 the influenza epidemic (Spanish flu) that killed millions around the world, also took the lives of many nurses.

By the end of World War 1 over 10,000 QAIMNS and reserve QAs and 126,000 VADs had served in aid centres and hospitals at home and abroad. PS.

Further reading of ‘The Madonnas of Pervyse’ can be found at: www.archive.org/details/cellarhouseofper00mittuoft

Eminent Woman Surgeon, who is also an ardent Suffragist (to wounded Guardsman). “Do you know, your face is singularly familiar to me. I’ve been trying to remember where we’ve met before.” Guardsman. “Well, Mum, bygones be bygones. I was a police constable.”

Punch 4 August 1915

to ‘7 Eccles Street, Dublin’ at 8.30 and Jeremy Rule, the Undertaker, came with a coffin.

Many, many thanks to all those who contributed, and made the day such a great success.

The final Bloomsday event will be held in the community Hub on Saturday 5th September 2.00-3.00pm. This will include a cheque handover to the sum of around £900 to a WaterAid representative.

James Joyce would definitely have approved! Hugh Pollock Co-ordinator.

Library Autumn 2015

The librarians have been delighted at the number of children taking up the summer reading challenge this year. This scheme is run every summer to encourage youngsters to keep reading throughout the long summer holiday and it works.

For our older readers there are always new books as well as all the old favourites on the shelves. In fact there is a special New Books shelf on the right hand side of the library. Sometimes there are too many new books to fit in so they have to go straight onto the main shelves. There is also a separate shelf of Classic novels. It is surprising what you will find as you browse in the library. And if you cannot find what you want the librarians are happy to order books or you can do this yourself on line.

Finally, a correction to the time of opening on Saturday mornings – the library is open from 10 until 12 and not as published last quarter. Jane Stevens

Melbourn Village Fete and Music on the Moor 2015

This year’s fete was the 25th anniversary of the Melbourn Village Fete and this year we had as our theme ‘The Circus’. The weather was mainly dry with some showers during the day and by the evening we enjoyed sunny conditions.

Our team of volunteers all pulled together to prepare, run and clear up after the day. It is not just the volunteers who offer their time through our volunteer programme but also those community minded villagers who help us particularly with the tidy up. This help, we know, cannot be taken for granted and the organizing committee would like to pass on their thanks to all those who gave up some of their time to help. We would also like to thank the Parish Council for all of their help and support. What really made a difference this year is having a container on site where all of the kit we use is stored. This has saved many extra hours of labour for the set up and clear-up as previously the equipment has been stored in various locations around the village in barns and garages which made this process far more labour intensive and lengthy. The cost and the siting of the container was supported by a grant from the Parish Council.

The day started with a mixture of activities that have become popular at the fete. The competition tent saw an enthusiastic response with worthy winners. We would like to thank our judges who gave up part of the day.

Activities in the arena were well attended with lots of different clubs. The vintage and classic vehicles provided a stunning range of well-turned out cars. Stalls and activities around the field provided entertainment to our visitors.

Our bar and barbecue served many hundreds of customers with good value high quality drink and food and new this year was our traditional tea room with home made cakes and sandwiches.

The music started at 5pm and a variety of local bands entertained the crowd until late with a range of covers and original material.

Our motto is Fun and Fundraising and this year we have made a surplus and we are now looking for clubs and activities in the village who would like to apply for a grant. The process is very simple and we ask for an e-mail detailing how much money you would like and for what reason. A brief description of what you do and how many people you support would be helpful. In addition a contact name and details should be included. The Committee will hold a meeting in October to review the applications and apportion the funds. Over the last few years we have given over £13,000 to local clubs and activities so we look forward to hearing from anyone in need of a little financial support. Please e-mail chair@melbournfete.co.uk before 30th September 2015.

Finally, the date for next year will be Saturday 18 June 2016 so we hope to see you at next years fete. Trevor Purnell Deputy Chair Melbourn Village Fete Committee

The Music event about to start