1914 and All That

1914 and All That

(Written in 2014)

Ian Hook, the Keeper of the Essex Regiment Museum gave the 35th annual Chelmsford Museum Lecture to a packed audience at the Civic Theatre in Chelmsford in February. His theme, reflecting the centenary of the beginning of the Great War was ‘1914 and All That’.

Mr Hook has worked at the Museum since 1988 so was able to draw on a wide range of resources and knowledge to present a stimulating lecture which charted the events locally and nationally leading up to and during the First World War.

Preparing for War

In the early twentieth century Germany was rearming itself and Britain’s supremacy as an Imperial Power was being threatened.

Reflecting this Chelmsford opened a Drill Hall in 1903 and the Army held manoeuvres at Clacton the following year, amid concerns that a possible enemy invasion could occur along the flat Essex coastline.

An Essex (Fortress) Royal Engineers company was formed from the technicians who worked for the electronic firms in Chelmsford.

Nationally the Boy Scouts, Church Lads Brigade and Boys’ Brigade grew to develop men capable of defending our island.

The Outbreak of War

It is small wonder then that the 37 days between events at Sarajevo led to the declaration of War on 4 August 1914.

The Essex Regiment was quickly called up. The 5th Battalion was sent to the Harwich Redoubt to relieve the naval patrol.

It is said that the first shots on the War were fired off of the Essex coast on the day after declaration.

The 8th Battalion was deployed to the Napoleonic Martello Tower at Jaywick.

Chelmsford became a major centre for billeting soldiers from elsewhere in the country, mainly from Berkshire and Oxfordshire. In 1914 there was one soldier for every one inhabitant.

Around the district soldiers dug trenches across Essex in preparation for enemy invasion and were trained for their eventual service on the Western Front and elsewhere. They left Essex in March 1915.

Sophisticated plans were put in place to evacuate civilians from Essex in the event of invasion.

The Essex Regiment at War

The call to serve led to many civilians enlisting. A 10th Essex Battalion was created in 1914, being one of three new Battalions raised.

In 1915 the soldiers left Essex. The 1st Battalion went to Gallipoli. Other Battalions went to the Western Front where the stalemate of war held soldiers in trenches – mercifully for short periods of time before they were relieved by their comrades.

Perhaps up to waist deep in mud, their diet was bully beef, biscuit and water drank out of a petrol can.

The infamous first day of the Somme on 1st July 1916, in which the heavy bombardment could be heard at Stondon Massey rectory and elsewhere in Essex, produced a heavy toll of casualties.

Contemporary Sources

There are many contemporary sources both at home and abroad, one of the most notable being the diary of Revd Andrew Clark of Great Leighs.

But there are no photographs of Essex Battalions on the Western Front – Ian Hook would gladly receive an album if one existed.

The War at Home

In Chelmsford during the war civilians had to contend with the enemy Zeppelin, one of which dropped a bomb just off of Broomfield Road.

There was great rejoicing when these were brought down by British aeroplanes.

There were many sightseers at Great Wigborough in September 1916 when one came down, the L32, across fields. Many obtained portions of the aluminium frame as souvenirs or to sell on.

Industry and the Home Front

With the need to arm Britain, many women worked in munitions factories while men were conscripted to serve.

Ironically, it was a time of full employment and increasing incomes.

People were encouraged to invest in War Bonds and support specific campaigns: Chelmsford held an Aeroplane Week in 1917.

It was the eventual air supremacy which led to the armistice the following year.