"Enthusiastic scenes marked the departure on Wednesday morning of the Godalming and district detachment of
the Territorials[1]."
Although this postcard, taken from the first floor window of the Pepperpot, is undated it is believed
that it records this event. The background to the story is as follows:
The men, "looking remarkably fit and tanned",
had hurriedly returned to Godalming
the previous evening, entering the town between 9 and
10p.m.. They had been attending a camp on
Salisbury Plain, arriving at the camp there after
a four-day march from Bordon; the men had covered around
95 miles to get there[1].
They were under the command of Captain F. E. Bray[2].
Bray had sent a telegram to Godalming's Mayor, Mr. H. Colpus,
earlier in the day of the 4th asking him to find accommodation
for the detachment. A special Town Council meeting was hurriedly
convened to discuss food and coal supplies and the Police
Superintendent was asked to make arrangements for the men
to be billeted at the borough's licensed premises[1].
The men were to go to Guildford the following morning but
it was not known where they would be sent after that. Chatham
was a possibility.
The news of their impending departure spread quickly. The
men had previously been ordered to parade at the Bridge
Street Armoury. "Despite the heavy downpours of rain,
a large crowd assembled in Bridge Street to witness the men's
departure. ... Headed by a Union Jack and the Godalming Town
Band, the Territorials marched from the Arrmoury to the Godalming
Railway Station, where they entrained, the band meanwhile
playing popular airs as marches".
"As the men proceeded through the town they were enthusiastically
cheered by the large crowd". They then had to wait for
half an hour before a train arrived so the band continued
to play and the men and women who were seeing them off joined
in. There were ringing cheers as the train steamed out.
Around a dozen had enlisted on Tuesday evening and Wednesday
morning. Between the soldiers' departure and the newspaper's
publication, others had enlisted and a notice was posted
at the Armoury stating that anyone else wishing to join
up could do so at the company's Guildford headquarters.
Godalming's Post Office staff lost six men as they had
either been called up as Reservists or Territorials. A
further seven from the district's sub-Post Offices followed
suit[1].
There are plenty of tanned faces
amongst the departing soldiers and many of them were smiling
and waving, whilst the watching crowds were both enthusiastic
and curious despite the weather. Beside and behind the soldiers
are well wishers, umbrellas aloft, accompanying them to the
station. An enlargement of the picture also reveals the word "Queen" stencilled
on one or two of the kitbags.
Annie Jury, partly obscured by someone's umbrella, is standing
in the doorway of her tobacconists. William Frederick Paine
tailor and hosier is sheltering in his doorway a little further
along (next to the bus/car) and it is quite possible that
the milliners Adeline and Estelle are peering out from underneath
the canopy of their shop.
One rather amusing result of so
many volunteering for military service at this time was that
on 10 August summonses against 83 motorists were withdrawn
at Godalming, allegedly for offences committed during Goodwood
week. Most of the defendants had joined up or been called
on active service[3].
There was a message on the card - "Do you recognise anyone on the other side. My Brother - is
in the first car as you see." If you know whose brother this was please contact the web mistress.
|
