WAR REMINISCENCES

 

1914-18 War

Mrs Albert Harding was 27 when the first World War broke out. Her husband was carpenter, coffin maker and undertaker for South Cerney. (Since he died in 1952 there has been no undertaker in the village.) She remembers that London evacuees came to the village, and she volunteered to take three of them. She was then living in part of Glebe Cottage, Church Lane. They were brought by Mrs Cantrell who lived in the house that is now known as Chapter Manor. They only stayed a fortnight, because their mother took them back to London. Many people who housed these evacuees found that they would not eat cooked food or vegetables. They went to the village school.

Volunteers were asked to help with the work in the temporary hospital organized in the Bingham Hall, Cirencester. Mrs Cantrell, Mrs Cripps, Mrs Fox, Mrs Pollard and Mrs Smyth volunteered.

Mrs Cripps and Mrs Cantrell hired a brake from Kennet in Lewis Lane and had the wounded soldiers brought out to Women's Institute shows and to their homes.

Mrs Harding kept her husband's carpentry business going during the war. South Cerney residents gave vegetables from their allotments and gardens to the hospitals, and Mr Carpenter carried them to Cirencester for no charge in his carrier's cart.

(Mrs Albert Harding)

Mr R. Stait's brother Jim came to live in South Cerney. He joined the Navy, H.M.S. Bulwark, which had wooden booms to sheer off mines. One day the crew were moving ammunition, when there was an explosion, and the ship was blown up. Ten men survived out of a crew of 104. Mr Ray Gough of South Cerney was in the boat put out by H.M S. London which picked Mr Jim Stait up.

(Mr D. Stait)

 

1939-45 War

Mrs Albert Harding then lived in Station Road. The first warning of an air raid was sounded on Messrs. Bradley's works siren, which was behind her house. She stood at the door and saw a German plane going over very high, and there was not a sound; everyone stood at their doors all down the street in silence.

(Mrs Albert Harding)