sutton st james news - lincolnshire county...
TRANSCRIPT
Cover pictures Courtesy of Ian Durrant
Serial - The Cat That Came Back : Puzzle Page
World War 1 Memories - England Goes to War
Parish Council Contacts and Meetings : Local Businesses
Church and Village Hall Events : ‘Orrie - The Smallest Evacuee
Sutton St James News
Vice Chairman - Cllr P Hinks
Tel. (01945) 440 677
Cllr J E Garner
Tel. (01945) 440 226
Cllr V G Campling
Tel. 07850 920 484
Chairman - Cllr W A Harrison
Tel. (01945) 440 332
New Clerk to the Parish Council A warm welcome our new Clerk to the Parish Council Mrs Lin Pilcher of Five Acres, Baulkins Drove and a huge thank you to
outgoing Clerk Jennifer Cockerton who was asked to join the parish council meeting of April 17th to be presented with a
painting commissioned from Geoff de Roux in appreciation of the 16+ years that she has worked for the Parish Council.
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Firstly, a big thank you to Ian Durrant from the Gunners Store for all the information, photographs and
articles he has supplied for this commemorative issue to mark 100 years of the start of the first world war.
His knowledge and input has been invaluable for this issue. On our cover page is a photo of the village
dating roughly 1900 so what must have been the idyllic scene that stayed in the memories of the young
boys who were enlisted to go to war. How they must have longed for the peace that they left behind.
Pictured from the left by what is now the village green is Mrs Godfrey the Church Caretaker : Carlo the
dog : An unknown cyclist : Connie Symonds and Hannah Johnson : Mrs Phyllis Burton : Behind is the
fenced off pit where steam engines drew water and cattle were watered. Behind that you can see the building that is the
Gunners Store and to the left is what is now Roffes Butchers shop. How things have changed today.
PLEASE NOTE:- The price for adverts in this magazine is £10 per single and £25 per set of four Issues.
Cheques made out to SSJ Parish Council and sent to :- Wendy Priestley - Editor : Sutton St James News - Tel:- 01945 440 726 email :- [email protected] : Post to Rosanda: Broadgate : Sutton St James : PE12 0EL
Deadline for articles and adverts for inclusion in the Summer Edition is July 30th 2014
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Sutton St James Parish Council
Parish Council Meetings - 7.30 Sutton St James Village Hall June 19th - July 17th - August 21st
Details of changes to the scheduled dates of any meeting will be given at least three working days beforehand.
Details of the agenda at any meeting may be obtained by applying to the Clerk to the Parish Council.
Members of the public are invited to attend any of the above meetings
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First Responder for Sutton St James
My name is Shirley Barrett and I moved into the Red House Jarvis Gate last September and noted that a First Responder vacancy
existed for the Sutton St James area, so I applied and completed the required courses. There is now a full kit present at my
house including defibrillator and I intend to cover this area as much as time will allow. Some of you may have noticed some
collection tins around the village with some leaflets/poster, these leaflets currently say Holbeach St Johns and although I will be
covering as large an area as I can, the group is now recognised as Sutton St James. All emergency calls are processed through
ambulance control. I would welcome more help if anyone is interested in becoming a First Responder but if you are happy to
just help out with fundraising/treasurer or you just fancy a chat and a cuppa, please call in or look for me on the yard I will always
pop kettle on if time allows. We will be going into the School to give a CPR demonstration to the children before they leave
Primary School venturing up to Senior school in September taking these important life experiences with them into adulthood.
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Lost men of the Village - Casualties of War Sutton St James certainly lost its share of young men during the 1st World War. 17 men connected with the village died, others were
seriously wounded. 12 of the dead are recorded on the village memorials in both churches and on a memorial board held by the school.
Some of these men are buried or commemorated in the Village churchyard:
Pte Francis Cracknell (on his father & mothers stone) No known grave, commemorated Menin Gate, Belgium
Pte Percival Hutchinson Samuels (buried next to his father and Mother). Percival was unknown to the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission, until Ian Durrant was able to prove to them, and the Ministry of Defence in turn, that there was sufficient evidence that he
had been in the Army and he was added to the CWGC's register. His grave will now be cared for in perpetuity. 2nd Ltn Wilfred Templeton Samuels (commemorated on his father's/mother's/brother's stone) but buried at Abbeville, France.
William F Samuels (the village schoolmaster) the Father of Percival and Wilfred, who seemingly lost the will to live after the death of
two of his sons so it must been the surviving son, Arthur, who took over the school, who had his fathers name put on the school
memorial as a casualty.
Pte Harold Taylor, The son of William Henry Taylor who was probably the village Policeman, and his wife Mary Ann, commemorated
at his family's burial plot. No known Grave, listed on the Thiepval memorial, Somme, France
Pte Fred Heanes, buried in the churchyard, died of his wounds 8/5/19. Buried next to him is his nephew, 21 month old Albert, who had died on the 9th. (Oddly Fred's cross leans toward the little lad.) Information from Ian Durrant – The Gunners Store
Cllr A Barton
Tel. (01945) 440 028
Cllr C M Griggs Tel. (01945) 440 599
Cllr D J Brown
Tel. (01945) 440 691
Secretary - Mrs Lin Pilcher
Tel (01945) 440 762
2 ‘Orrie - A Brave Wartime Survivor - Story by Eric Gordon We moved to this lovely village in November 2010 and really love it here and only wish we had come here sooner and joined our daughter who has been here for several years now. Your recent edition that contained the cat story brought back bygone memories of my childhood. I was born in East Ham in the East-end of London and my Dad, who received a small legacy from his father that enabled him to put down a deposit on a terraced house in 1932 and find the mortgage payments out of the £2 a week wage he received as a canteen employee at Beckton Gas Works. He also received tips from the users of the work's canteen of about the same sum for doing things other than he was paid to do by the men such as brewing tea and hotting up soup, frying the odd egg or two etc. which they brought with them. One day Dad brought a feral cat home from the Gas Works which my two sisters made a fuss of and soon tamed him and he was named "Horatio" which was shortened to "Orrie". I was 9 years old at the outbreak of war and was evacuated with my older sister Mary and my younger sister Jean to Warminster in Wiltshire where I got my love of the countryside from. We were split up and I was lucky and was taken in by a childless couple George and Violet Prince, George being a WW1 survivor where he lost a leg but had a shed and animal building yard which he had to shut-down during the war as he was unable get sufficient materials so he took a job with the RAOC military camp. The Prince's were really good to me and as the bombing got so bad, one Saturday my older sister Julie turned up without any warning as no one had telephone in those days and the Prince's took her in without any hesitation. My Dad had sent her away from London for her own safety. A few weeks later my Dad got killed at Beckton Gas Works during an Air Raid and after his funeral, my mother came down to Warminster and, once again, the Prince's did not hesitate to give her shelter. Mum went to the council and they rented her a reconditioned and derelict cottage that had previously been condemned and she moved home from East Ham to Warminster together with "Orrie" who had been looked after by my brother Jim who worked at the Woolwich Arsenal. He was later called up and served in the Royal Navy where he served in the DEMS (Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships) which was him and one other sailor on a merchant ship with one Orlicken machine gun which was a token force that wouldn't have been of any use whatsoever against U-Boats nor Aircraft attack. Now the bit that I was reminded of by your cat story ...... When the furniture van arrived at the cottage in Warminster, Orrie scarpered out into the garden for obvious reasons but we could not find him. It was not until the next day that our "townie" tabby cat was found in the hedge row unable to find his way out as he was well and truly stuck and it took a lot of hacking to free him. He quickly learned to become a yokel and fed himself throughout the war with his catching of birds, mice, etc. After the war we all returned to East Ham except my brother Joe who was killed in Anzio. Orrie lived to a good old age of 14 years. Thank you to Eric Gordon of Sutton St James for sending in this lovely story.
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Anne and Frances N. W. Roffe & Daughter - Family Butchers
Chapelgate Sutton St James Open Tuesday to Saturday for
Top Quality Meats and Freshly Baked Bread. Fresh Vegetables : Sandwiches : Cakes : Grocery
Telephone:- 01945 440 343
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PRIESTLEY LGV : Professional Driver Training
Rigid & Artic : One to One Training : COURSES FROM £880
Sutton St James : Spalding : Lincs
Contact:- 01945 440 726 - [email protected]
www.priestleylgv.co.uk ‘We Care About Our Customers’
Matt Harrison Electrical Industrial, Commercial and Domestic work undertaken.
For all your electrical needs : An honest reliable service from a locally based new small business. : 14 years of experience of all types of work.
Telephone:- 01945 420 925 : Mobile :- 07713 250 516
Email :- [email protected]
35-37 Chapelgate : Sutton St James : Lincolnshire : PE12 0EF
Tel:- 01945 440 289 : web site: www.thegunner.net
email [email protected]
Suppliers of Air Rifles, ‘scopes, mounts, pellets, shooting luggage
& accessories, cleaning and maintenance products.
Please telephone before travelling check we are open.
Usual hours Monday to Friday 11.30am to 6.30pm.
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The Gunners Store
T.U.B - GARDEN MAINTENANCE GRASS CUTTING : Any Size Lawn, Cut & Edged. Paddocks & Orchards : DRIVEWAYS & PATHS : Weeded & Sprayed
FLOWER BEDS & BORDERS : Weeded Cut : TREES & HEDGES : Trimmed, Cut Back, Height Reduction, Shaped, Removed.
REMOVAL OF : Old Sheds, Fencing, Decking, Garden Waste, Etc : SHRUBS : Trimmed, Cutback, Shaped
END OF TENANCY : Clean & Tidy Up of Gardens, Odd Jobs Etc
FREE WRITTEN QUOTATION GIVEN : Website : www.tubmaintenance.co.uk Email [email protected]
PHONE : ADAM GROOM 0777 076 3787 Our Address : 69 Jarvis Gate : Sutton St James : Spalding : Lincs PE12 0EP
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The Outbreak of The Great War - The ‘War to End All Wars’ On June 28
th 1914 at Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina , Gavril Princip, a Bosnian-Serb, a
member of the 'Young Bosnians' and probably linked to the Serbian 'Black Hand', fired two
shots that were -for Europe- probably the unluckiest ever fired in its history. Arch-Duke Franz
Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary, and his wife Sophie
were killed. After sending an ultimatum to Serbia, who was believed to have some major part in the
assassination, and feeling their demands had not been met, Austria-Hungary declared war on
Serbia on the 28th July and began shelling her military positions. This period from 28
th June
became known as the July Crises. The issue of treaties now came into play, Russia was bound to support Serbia, Germany was
allied with Austria-Hungary, and if she attacked Russia then France's alliance with Russia
would cause her to attack Germany. Britain was the unknown quantity, although having only a small standing army, she could call on the resources of the vast
Empire. However, Britain herself felt that a war in Europe was not her concern and it would only be public opinion that would
force her to get involved. Russia had already partially mobilised when Germany declared war on the 1st August and on France on
the 3rd
. These actions have ever since condemned Germany as the main instigator of the war and as German units crossed the
border into Belgium they broke the 1839 treaty of neutrality to which Britain was one of the signatories. An ultimatum was issued to the German government which expired at 11pm on the 4th August. Watching lamp lighters in the
street Sir Edward Grey, the Foreign Secretary, said "The lamps are going out all over England, we shall not see them lit again in
our lifetime". At 11.01pm, with no response received, the Admiralty telegraphed all ships and stations the message "Commence
Hostilities against Germany". Britain was at war. The Navy was already at its war stations and the Navy and Army reserves and the Territorial’s had been called up on the 3rd. A force of 80,000 men making up the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) under the command of Sir John French was sent to
France and on the 22nd
August they arrived at Mons where men began digging in along the south bank of the Conde canal through
the night. On the morning of the 23
rd the first British casualty of the war was incurred when Private John Parr while reconnoitring with a
party of army cyclists was ambushed and killed. ........And so the carnage began - and continued with wholesale slaughter in the
trenches at Ypres where the line was held by ‘Britain’s Contemptible Little Army’ as it was christened by the Kaiser, and those
who were there would forever proudly call themselves ‘Old Contemptibles’. The only respite to the fighting coming on 25th
December 1914 when the two opposing sides famously met in No Mans Land in a mutual unofficial truce to celebrate Christmas
day, this was enjoyed with an exchange of photos, drink, cigarettes and cigars and a game of football which is remembered to this
day as an illustration of the futility of war. Article and Photo Ian Durrant
Jinty Private Hire - “You Drink : We Drive”
Airports : Nighclubs : Theatres : Weddings : Stag & Hen Nights : Day Trips : Nights Out
Any Destination. : Contract Work Available
14 Seaters : Advance Bookings Taken : 24 Hours - Tel:- 01945 440 412 Mobile 07736 015 175
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Sutton St James Parish Church Information Saturday 14th June - Car Boot Village Hall Car Park 10.00am to 2.00pm
Saturday 5th July - Summer Fayre BBQ & Raffle Church Hall Paddock From 5.00pm Onwards
Services take place as per times on the notice-board outside the church. *****
If you are a Flower Arranger and would like to join us, please telephone Pauline on 01945 440 285.
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Coffee Mornings - Our popular coffee mornings are held on the second Saturday in the month. In the parish church between 10.00am AND 12.00. Raffle and small stall.
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CHURCH HALL, BELLS DROVE, SUTTON ST. JAMES.
This hall is available for hire to all. The kitchen and toilet have recently been refurbished. It is best suited for small family gatherings, meetings, exercise classes and children's parties. Charge is £7.50 per hour.
Contact Jenny Rose on 01945 440 685. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUTTON ST JAMES WOMENS GROUP The group meets at 7.30 in the Church Hall, Bells Drove on the last Wednesday in each month.
(The exception is when we have a daytime or evening outing) Subscriptions for the year is £10 with a possible extra charge for outings.
For further information contact. Cherril Collins on 01945 440 319 Or Ann Milchard on 01945 440 391
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Sutton St James Preschool Playgroup
We are open Monday and Friday 9 - 12 and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9 - 3 For further details contact :- Caron Bishop 01945 440 000
Garners Garage
71 Chapelgate - Sutton St James
Fuel : Repairs : MOT’s
Open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday
8am to 12 noon Saturdays
Tel:- 01945 440 226
Garners Garage
71 Chapelgate - Sutton St James
Fuel : Repairs : MOT’s
Open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday
8am to 12 noon Saturdays
Tel:- 01945 440 226
SUTTON ST JAMES TODDLERS GROUP AT CHURCH HALL - BELLS DROVE
Mondays from 10.30 am to 11.45 - Thursdays from 1. 45 to 3 pm
Children from babies to school age welcome. Contact Jenny Rose on 01945 440 685
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Sutton St James Baptist Church
Sunday Service every week at 10.45 Coffee Morning each Thursdays 10 am to 12 noon - all Welcome
Fellowship Lunch - Last Thursday in the month 12 noon for 12.30 Meal (Pre booking required for this event.)
Open Doors Second Tuesday of the Month 2pm to 4pm for Talk, Tea and Cake.
Everyone Welcome - For Further information call Pastor Ross Dean on 01406 424 556
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Painting and Decorating Gary J Nye - 16 Fishergate Sutton St James
Contact 01945 440 279 - Mobile 07951 127 717
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For all your wiring needs. Agricultural - Commercial - Domestic All electrical wiring systems installed,
Periodic inspection reports, Fault finding, Extra sockets, Full rewires, 3 phase wiring. Part P Registered. Access Platform available for hire (12 meter cherry picker)
Free quotations - please contact us using the details below John Heanes, 147 Chapelgate, Sutton St James, PE12 0EF
07990 847 677 www.jheaneselectrical.co.uk [email protected] -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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The Cracknell Family of Sutton St James - Philip Cracknell
The Reverend Thomas Spicer Cracknell was the Vicar of Sutton St James at the outbreak of WW1. He was married to Mary Pleasance and had a daughter Mary and then two sons; Thomas Parkinson who was born on the 24/8/1888 and Philip Gordon born a year later on the 23rd November. Both boys would have attended the village school, but in January 1899 they were sent to Christ’s Hospital School at Newgate Street London which was established by Edward VI in 1552 for the education of poor children, the boys being presented by Sir Edward Antrobus and the Revd Fernie - as to gain entrance to the school it was necessary to be ‘presented’ by a person known to the school. The school had very strong links to the Royal Navy, and this probably explains Philips actions in 1914.
In 1904 Thomas left Christ’s, his report showing that he was not a particularly gifted scholar, his conduct
described as ‘satisfactory apart from one incident’ what that was we shall never know. Philip meanwhile had left Christ’s in 1905, his
academic placing was similar to Thomas’ but his conduct was rated ‘good’ the highest achievable. During his time at Christ’s he had
studied Latin. This obviously suited his chosen career as he became apprenticed to Messrs. Donington and Co, a Chemists’ in Spalding.
When war broke out Philip joined the Royal Navy at Crystal Palace RN Depot and on 25/04/15 Philip, now promoted to Able Seaman,
landed with D Company at Helles, Gallipoli and on the 8th July after several battles Philip was promoted to Leading Seaman. In
December Philip was damaged by blast from a nearby shell exploding and evacuated to hospital in Alexandria and then shipped back
to the UK to recover from his injuries. Around July 1916 Philip applied for a commission in the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division and was sent
for training in Newmarket in January 1917, receiving his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Marines four months later.
At this point we must leave Philip as his officer record no longer appears to exist at the National Archive, although it does seem
certain that he survived the war and probably fought with the 63rd Division on the Western Front. Article and Photo Ian Durrant
Sutton St James Village Drive Sale - Saturday 12th July - 10am to 4pm Community Spirit came to the fore last year and made the Annual Drive Sale a huge success once again so
Tina McNeil is organising a repeat performance for this year. Everyone can take part, have fun and make friends. Sell your own items on your own drive. Maps will be available opposite the church for all visitors.
All Proceeds to Lincolnshire Air Ambulance Contact Tina on 01945 440 442 for more details and to book your place on a map for only £8
Rose Tree Farm Shop
132 Chapelgate - Tel:- 01945 440 228
Fresh home grown and locally produced Fruit and Veg
Open 9am – 5.30pm Monday, Thursday & Friday
Saturday 8.30am – 5pm Sunday 9am – 12pm
Don't forget we also sell Bird Seed, Petfood & BBQ Charcoal
Open Seven Days a week for STRAWBERRIES
and NEW POTATOES throughout June!
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New to Sutton St James
****
Over 30 years Experience : References Available
City & Guilds : No Job Too Small
5 Chapel Gate : Sutton St James.
Decorated in the Field
To be decorated for bravery during the first World War was something to be proud of in general but to be
decorated on the field was an even greater honour and this happened to my grandmothers brother
Nicolas. He was put in charge of the gun carriage horses in France and one night a rocket hit the barn
where the horses were resting, setting it alight. Despite being ordered back, Nicolas ran through the
flames into the barn to save the horses, returning to the blazing building three times and bringing all the
horses out safely. One horse was too frightened to move but Nicolas took the time to throw his jacket
over its head as a blindfold and brought it out safely with the others. For this action Nicolas was
decorated in the field for his bravery. Article by Wendy Priestley
Park House Physiotherapy Clinic
Provides physiotherapy in the comfortable surroundings of an old farmhouse in Tydd St Giles. The clinic was established in 1996
and is run by Deborah Cheetham who qualified as a Chartered Physiotherapist from Sheffield Hallam University in 1981.
Physiotherapy can treat a wide variety of musculoskeletal conditions that cause us pain such as:
Back and neck pain Sciatica and trapped
nerves Sports injuries Headaches and migraine Frozen shoulder Post fracture rehabilitation
Hip, knee and ankle pain Muscle and ligament injuries Arthritis and rheumatism Elbow and hand pain Pre and post operative care Whiplash
For further information or to book an appointment contact Deborah Cheetham on 01945 870 515
www.parkhouse-physiotherapy.co.uk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Simply Clean - Window Cleaning
Professional Window Cleaner - Quality & Reliable Service Competitive Prices
1 and 2 Bed Bungalow or Terrace from £6 : 3 Bed Semi from £8 : 4 bed Detached from £12 Contact Tel- 01775 888 466 - Mobile 07587 024 455Email : [email protected] - www.simplycleanuk.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Story of Harry Gragg - Fought and Died in Gallipoli
Harry Cragg was born and lived in Wisbech, although his name is on the War memorial in the Sutton
St James church, so he had a strong enough connection to the village to be named there, but we don’t
know what it was. He appears to have been from the Tydd area and at this time Sutton St James
seems to have come under Wisbech in some respect. He enlisted in March 1915 (according to the
obituary), signing on at Spalding and giving both his place of birth and current residence as Wisbech,
Cambs. Harry joined the 11th (Northern) Division, one of Lord Kitcheners New Army Divisions
composed of now trained recruits who had answered their countries call at the beginning of the war. Within it was the 33rd Brigade
which was home to the 6th (Service) Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment. The Division began to form around Grantham in late August
1914, only a few weeks after the declaration of war. Initially, as with virtually all the New Army units, clothing, equipment, weapons
and accommodation were in short supply due the rapid expansion of the Army. This led to some discomfort for the troops and delays in
training the raw recruits for war. They were however able to mount a parade on the 18th October when Field-Marshal Kitchener
inspected the Infantry in Belton Park. In April 1915 they moved to Frensham and from there they travelled to Liverpool destined for
combat operations in the Dardanelles. They sailed for Alexandria on the troopship Empress of Britain on 1st July 1915, arriving at
Alexandria on the 12th before continuing to the island of Lemnos, disembarking at Mudros Port on the 18th. The Port was being used as
a support base for the Gallipoli operation, it was not ideal and gave problems throughout the campaign. Harry Cragg entered the
fighting, according to his Medal Index Card when he entered the Balkans (as the battle area was classed) on the 9th September.
As the hot summer turned to autumn the Battalion found itself in the frontline trenches on the 7th October, but were relieved on the
20th when they went into Corps reserve at ‘A’ Beach.
It was the 11th October when Hamilton received a message from Kitchener with the first suggestion of an evacuation of Gallipoli,
Hamilton said “If they do this they make the Dardanelles into the bloodiest tragedy in the world.....I won’t touch it” The end result of
course was to be a successful and bloodless withdrawal in December, but that didnt prevent the entire enterprise being a tragedy.
In November the Lincolnshires relieved the 8th Northumberland Fusiliers in support and reserve lines in the Jephsons Post sector.
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Later in turn they replaced the 9th Sherwood Foresters in the firing line at Jephsons Post and it was at this time that weather conditions
changed which, it is fairly safe to presume, in the opinion of the author, led to the death of Pte Cragg.
The meteorologists had predicted that November would be reasonably fine but they were wrong. Beach piers were twice washed away
in gales and in November huge flocks of ducks and geese were seen migrating south from Russia. This exodus being indicative of poor
conditions to come. No one could have predicted the full horror of the weather that was building to fall on the Dardanelles and the
Gallipoli Peninsular in particular. Records tell of the storm breaking on November 26th. In the night water poured down in a storm of
great ferocity. It lasted between 12 and 24 hours and swept away earth works, filled trenches to three and four feet deep and turned
dugouts into drowning pits. Some men were forced to swim to survive. Turks on the higher ground faired worse and had to leave their
trenches for the ground on top where they were machine gunned by the British. The records of the 6th Lincolnshires state that a
number of men were washed into the sea from their dugouts on the cliffs. For twenty-four hours storms raged over the peninsular,
according to Moorehead the war was soon forgotten and Turks and British were on top of their trenches just trying to survive. Turkish
bodies were washed into the British trenches by the violence of the water. It was the worst conditions seen in that area for forty years.
The troops were soaked to the skin and the wind now veered around to the North, rising to hurricane strength and bringing arctic
conditions, two days of snow and sleet were followed by two days of frost. Men froze at their posts in the horrific conditions, the 6th
Lincolnshires recorded that some 100 men suffered from frostbite. During the coldest part of these terrible conditions Private Harry
Cragg died. It seems unlikely that he would have been killed by enemy action considering the shared sufferings of both sides and it
therefore seems safe to assume that he froze to death on that terrible 28th November.
News of casualties from such distant theatres often took a while to get home. According to the article in the Isle of Ely & Wisbech
Advertiser, it was Christmas Eve 1915 when Mr W.C. Cragg received the news that his son had died in action in the Dardanelles on
November 28th. The small article reports that the deceased was a lad of 22 years of age who joined the Lincs. Regiment last March, and
he had been at the seat of fighting since the latter part of July. He was very popular in the Tydd district and had many friends, whose
sympathy goes out to the bereaved family. ‘Harry’ as he was popularly known, was a general favourite. A good all-round athlete, he
excelled in the use of the cricket bat and the rifle, and it was probably the latter factor that led to his being sent abroad so quickly, as he
had no military training previous to enlisting. Only two days before the official notification came to hand his parents received a letter
from him saying how well he was, and this made the blow the more poignant.
The Gallipoli Peninsular was ultimately evacuated. In an ironically superbly managed operation, begun in late December 1915, all
formations withdrew without loss. The 11th Division embarked safely (the 6th Lincolns on the 20th) with every remaining man, horse,
wagon and gun. The last units departed in January 1916. Article by Ian Durrant - The Gunners Store
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Hall hire subject to availability
Enquiries for the hiring of the Village Hall to the Booking Secretary - Elaine Harrison on (01945) 440 332
Money Raised for Air Ambulance
A big thank you to Michelle and Annette White who run the Friday auction in the village hall. Each week a raffle is held with proceeds
going to the Air Ambulance raising over £200 for this worthy cause. At the Easter Friday sale Jennifer Garbutt sponsored an Easter
cake for ‘Guess the Weight’ and this in itself raised £86 with Michelle and Annette rounding the figure up to £100 to present to Tina
McNeil for the Air Ambulance. (Further donations have been added to make the final total for Good Friday £112.
The cake was won by Denise Haselgrove from Tydd St Mary who guessed the exact weight of 11lbs 2oz. The auction has fast turned
into a popular village event with many people making it a weekly outing with the words “See you at the Auction” often heard, so making
it an evening of real community spirit for everyone who attends.
Fund Raising Success for LIVES
An equestrian and general yard sale at Red House on 19th April in aid of LIVES was well supported by stall holders and bargain hunters alike. The intention of the sale was to raise awareness for The Sutton St James Group and get people talking about Lives. This was with the hope of signing up some more First Responders. The money raised from the Raffle was £40.00 with some items donated for sale to go into another sale at a later date. We would like to thank all those that donated prizes from around the village, without you we couldn't have raised the amount we did. A big thank you to the two Pats who worked behind the scenes providing refreshments. The next fund raiser was at the Sutton St James School on the 9th May where the Children held a fancy dress day, and were given a talk and demonstration on CPR, and also a talk given to parents on first aid in the home. (Proceeds from the School fundraiser not available at time of gong to press.) If anyone is interested in becoming a First Responder please get in touch with Shirley Barrett on 07974 875 954
Good Companions
Meet every Wednesday in the Village Hall at 1.30 for 2 pm Start :
Whist - Bingo - Outings
All welcome - For enquiries call Jean Leggett on 01945 440 535
Bingo at the Village Hall Every other Monday
June 9th : June 23rd July 7th : July 21st August 4th ; August 18th : Eyes down 7.30pm
The Cracknell Family of Sutton St James - Thomas Cracknell
Upon coming of age at 21 Thomas sailed from Liverpool on the 30th April 1910 aboard the SS Laurentic
bound for Montreal, Canada, listing himself as single and a carpenter by trade. Sometime after his arrival
in Canada he married Maude Mabel and by 1915 was working as a drover, driving a wagon in the great
wagon trains that wound their way across Canada carrying the goods and supplies vital to the nation’s
citizens. On 14/06/16 he enlisted at Calgary in the 191st Battalion and after completing training in
February 1917 he made out his will, leaving everything to his wife and in March his battalion embarked
on the troopship SS Saxonia to sail to the UK, arriving at Liverpool in April.
Over the next few days Thomas’ unit travelled from Liverpool to Bramshott in Hampshire where many
Canadian units had gone prior to embarking for France. Thomas was taken on to strength of the 21st
Reserve Battalion which trained troops that would be sent to France as casualty replacements.
The Rev. Cracknell died aged 65 on the 7th August 1917. He was buried in the parish churchyard. It appears that Thomas may have
gone home at this time as he was charged with being back late from leave and received an admonishment and loss of a days pay. His
record in all other respects shows him to be a ‘good’ soldier who had never been drunk.
On the 24th August Thomas celebrated his 30th Birthday and on the 15th September he was transferred from the 21st Battalion and
sent to the 50th Battalion in France with a reinforcement draft. He is next found at No 4 Canadian Base Depot where on the 16th
September he was ‘struck of strength’ and on the 17thy left for the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp for 23 days training in trench
warfare. By this time what became known as the Battle of Passchendaele which had started on the 31st July was in its second month.
Much hard fighting in appalling conditions brought the British slowly but surely towards the Passchendaele Ridge, the casualties ever
mounting in vast numbers, approximately 10 men for every yard of ground gained. The 10th October saw Thomas leave CCRC for his
unit, the 50th Battalion, they were out of the line at rest not far from Bethune in France when he arrived with them on the same day.
Over the ensuing days the 50th carried out various activities ranging from route marches, to field training and lectures plus sport and
concerts by military bands. At 6.30am on the 21st October in fine weather the battalion boarded the trains that would take it to
Ypres to take part in the 2nd Battle of Passchendaele which began on the 26th October, it’s objective being the capture of the village of
Passchendaele. So far it had withstood all attacks but the Canadians were considered to be the best assault troops the British had.
The ground by now was little more than mud slush filled shell holes, in the worst areas thick cloying mud sucked down anything and
everything from men to horses, if anyone slipped and fell into it their chances of survival were slim.
Two companies (C and D ) of the 50th had been ordered to support the 46th Battalion, most of the men of A & B Companies moved
back to the support line. In the morning mist at 05.40am on Friday the 26th October the 46th and the two companies of the 50th
Battalion went over the top, part of an attacking force of 20,000 men of the Canadian Divisions. To their right were the Australians
and the British. What does seem certain is that Thomas advanced and took part in the fighting. As is often the case this became
chaotic once contact with the enemy was made.
By 09.00am the situation appears to have become very confused with messages flying backwards and forward. Casualties were
mounting steadily, at 09.20am a report was submitted to Battalion headquarters stating that at that point 2 officers had been killed
and 8 wounded, 250 other ranks were either killed or wounded and that 4 Lewis machine guns had been urgently requested. By the
end of this day of the battle the Canadians had suffered 70% casualties. Of the 50th Battalion companies C had begun the day with 4
officers and 128 men, by the evening only 1 officer and 22 other ranks remained. D Company started with 4 officers and 127 Other
Ranks, only 1 Lance Corporal and 31 Other Ranks survived the day uninjured.
The 50th was pulled back that evening and sent out patrols to collect the dead and wounded. When the roll was called Thomas was
found not to be among them and he was initially listed as ‘missing’. It would seem safe to assume that Thomas was amongst those
lost from C or D companies. Although there is always the possibility that he was in the original front line when it had been shelled
earlier or in the forward posts or support trenches with the two companies which did not go forward with the 46th and that he was
hit by a shell or stray bullet. Thomas had been in the front line only 5 days when he was killed. On the 24th November 1917 Private
Cracknell was ‘Struck of Strength’ for the last time, a telegram would have already been sent advising Maude that he was missing, now
no doubt she would have received the letter confirming his death. She was granted a war gratuity for the loss of her husband of $180
Canadian dollars. She was paid $80 initially but did not receive the balance until 12th September 1920.
Thomas’s body was either never recovered, or if it was it could not be identified. Thomas
Parkinson Cracknell’s name is recorded on the Menin Gate Memorial to the missing.
This huge arch over the Menin Road lists nearly 55,000 names of the 90,000 men who died
within the area of the Ypres Salient and have no known grave, most of the remainder being
recorded at Tyne Cott Cemetery.
The last sad act was that of Thomas’ Mother who had an inscription placed on the rear of his
Fathers gravestone in the parish churchyard which reads ’also of his son, Thomas Parkinson
Cracknell, 50th Canadian Battalion, Killed at Passchendaele’. Unfortunately some years ago the stone was moved to a position against
the church wall and this memorial to a brave man, so important to the woman that had it inscribed, can no longer be seen.
Article and photo Ian Durrant
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The Cat That Came Back - Part 2
After making the difficult decision that due to the ongoing cat war Mr Tibbles could no
longer stay with us we unwillingly made the call to the Cat Rescue charity and soon the sad
day arrived. The Two ‘Very Nice Ladies’ turned up, complete with travelling box and
reassuring words of comfort as they admired Mr Tibbles and told us that they would have
him checked by the vet for all feline ills, micro-chipped and neutered and probably have no
trouble in re-homing so pretty a cat with such a nice gentle nature. Hubby and I were sad
and tearful as Mr T was boxed and lifted into the car, while Sasha watched with ill disguised glee through the living room
window. Gone at last!! You could almost hear what he was thinking as he happily bobbed down off the window ledge and
marched, purring, tail aloft to the kitchen demanding food with a look of complete satisfaction on his face. Hubby and I
comforted ourselves with tea and a slice of buttered fruit loaf and reminded each other that Mr
Tibbles would be far better off with nice people who would take him into their home and make sure
he was warm and comfortable in a nice basket by a cosy fire. Far better than staying with us,
sleeping in a draughty box in the garage and no lap to sit on.
We made ourselves busy that afternoon taking down all the wire mesh from around the patio, much
to Sasha’s delight as he was now to have the run of the whole garden. He had a wonderful time,
exploring behind the garden shed and garage and venturing down into the dyke at the far end. He scrutinised the shrubbery
and found his favourite ball for a game of super-bouncy football before bedtime, dropping off to sleep an extremely happy cat.
Peace reigned supreme in our household for the next few weeks as we went about our daily tasks in glorious tranquillity - well
sort of - then one morning the phone rang and I instantly recognised the voice of the ‘Very Nice Lady’ from Cats Rescue.
“Errr…… I am sorry to bother you, but have you seen anything of Mr Tibbles?” she asked rather tentatively. Oh! Oh! This did not
bode well! “Errr…. no, why do you ask?” I replied – also rather tentatively as I had an awful feeling that I knew exactly where
this was going.
“He has gone missing from his new home!” I was informed. “He had been snapped up right away by a nice family who thought
he was wonderful, but after only a few days he found an open window and has not been seen since, so please will you keep an
eye out for him in case he makes it back to you!”
“Where was he re-homed?” I asked, rather at a loss for anything else to say. The ‘Very Nice Lady’ told me he had gone to
Lutton, a very good stride away from Sutton St James with the very busy A17 standing between there and here. My heart
sank. Not a good scenario. The ‘Very Nice Lady’ also went on to tell me that ‘missing’ posters had been made up with Mr T’s
mug shot on them and posted in all suitable spots between our village and his new home. Well that sounded promising at least.
I must admit that, in the following weeks, I made myself rather unpopular with the motoring fraternity by driving the short piece
of A17 that I presumed he would try and cross, holding up traffic as I crept along, far below the speed limit, peering into the
roadside looking for signs of squashed cat on the way – but living further in hope and feeling my
spirits lift a little as no mangled fur came to my attention. A good sign I told myself, trying to hope
that Mr T had managed to worm his way into some nice persons affections and was ensconced in a
warm and comfortable home being spoiled rotten and loving every minute.
So life went on as what passes for normal in our household. Sasha basked in the sunshine and we
continued to batter our jungle into some semblance of a garden - but we always had Mr Tibbles at
the back of our minds. Was he hurt? Was he cold and hungry? Where was he? ..................... Part three next issue.
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Down 1. Festival (4) 2. Amazing (7) 3. Second sign of the zodiac (6) 4. Location (4) 5. Type of tree (3) 6. Subtract (6) 11. Security device (7) 12. Recluse (6) 13. Part of the eye (6) 16. Discover (4) 17. Not in action (4) 19. Short sleep (3)
10
General Trivia
1/ The continent of Africa is made up of how many countries?
2 /Which country is bordered on all sides by South Africa?
Malawi, Lesotho, Niger or Sudan?
3/ Which country is not on the equator?
Egypt, Columbia, Uganda or Somalia?
4/ How many countries are on the equator?
5/ How many countries are on the continent of South America?
6/ On what continent would you find the indigenous people the
Banawa?
7/ The 'Gold Coast' is now known as?
8/ On what continent would you speak Quechua?
9/ Santiago is the capital of what country?
10/ Where in the world would you find South Georgia?
11/ What was the first animal cloned?
12/ Who discovered penicillin?
13/ What river has an element named after it?
14/ Which of these is a unit of length? Gill, Cord, Stone or Rod?
15/ What is the softest mineral?
16/ Which state has an element named after it?
17/ What is the name of the scale that measures the hardness of minerals?
18/ Who developed the periodic table?
19/ How many furlongs are in a mile?
20/ What is a quire?
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Food Facts
The onion is named after a Latin word meaning large pearl. - Half of the world's population live on a staple diet of rice. Chocolate is the number one foodstuff flavour in the world, beating vanilla and banana by 3-to-1.
The first diet soft drink, called the "No-Cal Beverage" was launched in 1952. Americans eat twice as much meat as Europeans, gobbling up some 50kg (110 lb) per capita.
Ice tea was introduced in 1904 at the World's Fair in St. Louis. Approximately one billion snails are served in restaurants annually. Botanically speaking, the banana is a herb and the tomato is a fruit.
The world's oldest existing eatery opened in Kai-Feng, China in 1153. An ounce of chocolate contains about 20 mg of caffeine.
Across 1. Banquet (5) 4. Velocity (5) 7. Golfing accessory (3) 8. Wild (7) 9. Fake (5) 10. Long narrative poem (4) 14. Fencing sword (4) 15. Temperamental (5) 18. Large imposing house (7) 20. Peculiar (3) 21. Lukewarm (5) 22. Part of the leg (5) )
Do Hamburgers Contain Ham?
During a trip to Asia in the early 1800s, a
German merchant noticed that the nomadic
Tartars softened their meat by keeping it under their saddles. The motion of the horse pounded
the meat to bits. The Tartars would then scrape it
together and season it for eating. (Lovely!) He took the idea back to Hamburg where cooks
called it Hamburg meat.
German immigrants introduced the recipe to the
US. The term “hamburger” is believed to have appeared in 1834 on the menu from Delmonico’s
restaurant in New York but the first mention in
print of ‘Hamburg Steak’ was made in 1884 in the Boston Evening Journal.
The first account of serving ground meat patties
on buns as we know it today took place in 1904 at the St. Louis World Fair.
But in 1921, Walt Anderson, an enterprising
cook from Wichita, introduced the concept of a
hamburger restaurant. He convinced financier Billy Ingram to invest $700 to create The White
Castle hamburger chain. It was an instant
success. The rest of the history, we might say, belongs to
McDonald’s.
So no, a hamburger does not have ham in it .
Hamburger meat usually is made of 70/ 80%
beef and fat and spices. Though some would
disagree and say many commercial hamburgers
contained some very dubious ingredients!
General Knowledge Quiz - Answers on Back Cover
Sutton St James News Summer Issue 10 June 2014
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Puzzle Solution
Trivia Answers
1/ Fifty Three. 2/ Lesotho. 3/ Egypt. 4/ Fourteen (the earth bulges at the equator. ) 5/ Twelve.
6/ South America (Brazil). 7/ Ghana . 8/ South America. 9/ Chile. 10/ South America. 11/ A sheep named Dolly.
12/ Fleming. 13/The Rhine. 14/ Rod (16 and a half feet). 15/ Talc. 16/ California (It is Californium)
17/ Mohs in 1812. 18/ Mendelayam in 1869. 19/ Eight. 20/ Twenty Five sheets of paper (A ream is 500 sheets.)
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Copyright 2014 Wendy Priestley - : www.mothertrucker.co.uk
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval systems, or transmitted by any means
including photocopying without the prior written consent of the publisher.
Designed and produced by Wendy Priestley : www.mothertrucker.co.uk - For and on behalf of Sutton St James Parish Council
Email:- [email protected]
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