The Sawbridgeworth
The Flyer
Flyer
Sawbridgeworth Air Cadets help mark Centenary
This year, to mark the centenary
of the end of the First World War,
the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission has been arranging for
signs to be placed at the entrances of
all churchyards and cemeteries which
contain war graves.
Great St Mary’s in Sawbridgeworth,
has eight such graves and
welcomed the idea. It asked 309
(Sawbridgeworth Squadron) Air
Training Corps to install the sign.
Squadron members were already used
to helping in the regular Churchyard
Working Party which cares for the
churchyard, so were a natural choice
for this important task. The sign is
close to the Town’s War Memorial.
Hertfordshire
Regiment Kneeler
On 31st July 1917 at precisely
03.50am in St.Julien, Belgium a simple
blow of a whistle signalled the launch
of the Third Battle of Ypres (otherwise
known as Passchendaele).
The battle was fought over one of the
most bitterly contested are as on the
Western Front with the Hertfordshire
Regiment forming part of the 118th
Brigade, which included men from
the Black Watch and the regiments of
Cheshire and Cambridgeshire. It was a
grey morning north of Ypres.
The initial attacks reached their
fi rst and second objectives before
coming to a halt on the banks of
the river Steenbeek. Following a
short pause, they began the fi nal
phase of the attack at 10.10am with
the Hertfordshire Regiment taking
their turn to lead the assault on the
formidable German Langemarck Line.
Their objective was the German line
north of the small Belguim village of
St.Julien some 600 yards to the east.
They advanced into a hail of machine
gun and artillery fi re with devastating
consequences. In the following two
hours approximately seventy-fi ve
percent of the Battalion’s initial
strength was either killed, wounded or
missing, including all the offi cers.
Quite simply, the 31st July 1917
was the worst day in Hertfordshire’s
military history. When rations were
brought up to the line that evening
and the question was asked “where
are the Hertfordshires?” the reply was:
“there are no Hertfordshires”.
Please spare a thought for the
enormous sacrifi ce made by these
men, some of whom were from
Sawbridgeworth and this kneeler is
dedicated to them from the town’s
World War One Group.
Nostalgia Day
and Centenary
Remembrance
The town’s day of nostalgia is being
held on Saturday 10th November
at Sawbridgeworth Memorial Hall,
Hertfordshire CM21 9AX. As you
arrive you will have the opportunity
to place a poppy at the front of
the Hall to depict 1918 – 2018 and
this will remain in place during the
Remembrance period.
There will be a performance by
young people from the local theatre
group Diverse Performing Arts, plus
professional singer Aimi Percival
who will lead us in rousing patriotic
songs. This year’s themes will be the
Centenary of the end of World War
One, formation of the Royal Air Force
and Women’s Suffragette Movement.
Children can also take part in activities
related to remembrance.
Vintage military vehicles will be on
display at the Hall. If you wish to go to
the Airfi eld Memorial fi rst in a vintage
military vehicle to pay your respects to
those who were based there, be at the
Memorial Hall by 10.30am to return
there by 11.30am. A minibus, courtesy
of Sawbridgeworth Town Council, will
also be available for those wishing to
travel to the Memorial.
Everyone is welcome to come in dress
to refl ect the era, or military uniform.
There will also be displays by the
Local History Society, plus photos of
the unveiling of a Memorial to the
Hertfordshire Regiment who lost their
lives in World War One at St.Julien,
Belgium, as before no memorial
existed.
Letters to the Editor
Send your letters to News desk, The
Sawbridgeworth Flyer, Thremhall Park, Start
Hill, Bishop’s Stortford, CM22 7WE or email
nesksdesk@fl yeronline.co.uk
P le a s e m e n t i o n ‘ T h e F l yer ’ wh en r esp o n d in g t o ad ver t isements
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