So if you walking around the shops in 1918, these would have been the fashion statements that were on offer to you from top retailers such as Sainsbury’s – so elegant! Taken from the Bromley & District Times, 22nd March 1918
Category: WW1
A little bit of butter; nice if you could get it
MARGARINE STOCKS REQUISITIONED DISTRIBUTION TO-MORROW MORNING The Bromley Food Control Committee have requisitioned a quantity of margarine in Bromley, which is being distributed among the retailers in various parts of the borough , and instructions have been given that the whole of it is to be placed on sale simultaneously at nine o’clock to-morrow (Saturday) morning. You can be sure that queues would have been forming from early morning by housewives and children in order to get their share of the margarine. Butter and margarine were in very short supply…
Military Ancestors website updated
It’s been a busy few weeks, but I’m happy to announce that I have added some more entries onto my Military Ancestors database. After a labour of love, I have just added entries featured in the St Mary & Orpington District Times newspaper from the first part of 1918. These are now searchable on www.militaryancestors.co.uk/search I have also added the following to the ‘help’ on the Military Ancestors: The website has two idiosyncracies: From time to time it likes to double or even treble the entries. I am told that…
Military Medal for Corp. C Brown
It will be learnt with much pleasure by residents of Farnborough that a gallant soldier, well known to many of them, has been awarded the Military Medal for devotion to duty during battle. Corporal C Brown, of the Middlesex Regiment, was employed in the nursery and market garden of Mr W Lawrence, at Crofton Road for nine years before being called up in March, 1916. He went out to the Front the following August, and has since seen a great deal of severe fighting. During a recent heavy enemy attack…
Military Cross for Lieut. H D Reynolds
It will be learnt with great pleasure that another son of Mr and Mrs Reynolds, of Morden Lodge, Shortlands, Lieutenant Herbert D Reynolds, East Lancs Regiment has been awarded the Military Cross for gallant conduct in recent operations. Lieutenant Reynolds was personally congratulated upon the field before his regiment by his Divisional General upon his fine example. It is officially stated that the award was made under the following circumstances: “When all his officers had become wounded, he took charge of the attacking companies, and led them on to the…
A Trench View of Air Raids & Reprisals
20th July 1917, page 5 A TRENCH VIEW OF AIR RAIDS AND REPRISALS Sergeant J Gutteridge, of Bromley, was never a pessimist, as our readers have had a number of occasions to know – the men give a lead in cheerfulness and solid confidence which could well be followed by a great many at home – and his view on the subject of air raids and reprisals which is occupying so much civilian attention is worth reading. We are sorry he is wounded, and glad it is only slightly. We…
I came to think of him as a ‘friend’ – Letters of Gutteridge
From the beginning of 1917, letters from John Gutteridge rarely appear in the paper. Whether this was because there were more pressing matters report such as problems on the Home Front, as food prices and availability became more difficult and there was a growing number of regulations regarding food production and distribution (although rationing was not introduced, though frequently threatened, until 1918) and there was a lack of space. Or whether John Gutteridge was just not having the time or inclination to write, we shall never know. In 1917, there was…
The boys did justice to the food provided by the Colonel
26th January 1918, page 2 STILL CHEERY AND BRIGHT Sergeant Gutteridge, of the West Kents, writes home another of his cheerful letters , in which he says they are all merry and bright. “Had a great time yesterday. The company had a dinner and concert. The boys did justice to the food provided by the Colonel of the regiment, and the concert was a great success, the chief item being an original chorus by the sergeants of ‘B’ Company, entitled, ‘ The Nine Point Two,’ which caused some fun. Today…
Another Christmas out here, but we live in hopes of Frits giving in before long
20th October 1916, page 3 SERGEANT GUTTERIDGE STILL GOING STRONG ON CHEERFULNESS Look like having another Christmas out here, but we live in hopes of Frits giving in before long. Dear Sir, _ Still we live, and no complaints. More work than worry at present. We have been having a fairly good time these last (few) weeks, football, boxing &c., being our chief items with the regiment. We have now turned our attention to the more serious part of the programme, and are now leaving Frits with a decent few…
Update from the Front Line
28th August 1916, page 6 Often the Bromley & District Times published short updates on the Gutteridge to inform readers of his current status on the Front. We are glad to receive a card from our cheerful friend, Sergeant J Gutteridge, advising us that he is well notwithstanding all the strenuous demands on time and energy there is at the Front