Heroism at the Hall

When the Luftwaffe Dropped In…

Village halls can have their darker side. A train crash in Devon turned one hall into a temporary mortuary. An inquest into a potential murder case was once held at a village hall in Northumberland. In the 1940s, deaths were liable to occur within the halls themselves…

In September 1940, Dorothy May White was working as a V.A.D. (Voluntary Aid Detachment) Nurse in Colgate, Sussex. Her actions during an air raid earned her the George Medal – this extract from The Times explains what happened:

V.A.D. White, with two other V.A.D.s, was on duty at the village hall when a high explosive bomb was dropped on the cottage next door, demolishing it. The three V.A.D.s found the nurse in the crater badly injured and with great difficulty they lifted her onto a stretcher and carried her to the village hall.

A bomb then fell directly onto the village hall, demolishing the end where the injured nurse lay, killing her, fatally injuring one of the V.A.D.s and severely injuring the other. With no thought for herself, V.A.D. White scrambled over the debris and found the two injured members partially covered by fallen rubble. She gave first aid with the help of a tourniquet made from her belt…”

Apparently, after helping the ambulance crew to remove her colleagues to hospital, she then dodged further bombs while making her way through the village to offer first aid help where it was needed. Her own home suffered damage but she continued to help other villagers over the days following the raid.

A deserving recipient of the George Medal indeed.

The is the Google Maps view of the current Colgate Village Hall - looks like a prefab replacement for the bombed out original

Instagram: @Woodswarechinaservinghatch

Read 'Roads to Corryvrekan' here - a collection of 1945 stories

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The Curious Case of the Whitminster Village Hall Thief

This article is copied from The Illustrated Police News, 14 February 1935: Judge Thanked "Thank you very much, sir, I've got off very light." Remarked John Moore, 76, when sentenced by Mr Justice Hawke at Gloucester Assizes to six months imprisonment on charges of breaking into Whitminster Village Hall and stealing articles valued at 4 shillings and 6 pence. There was a term of 344 days remaining of a previous sentence, and Moore was told that he would have to serve that time. P.S. (Police Sergeant) Howkins revealed that since 1904 Moore had been continually in and out of prison. Since that time he had been sentenced seven times to penal servitude, involving in all 23 years. In addition, he was in 1927 sentenced to four years imprisonment and had served further sentences most of them in respect of house breaking. Moore's last sentence was three year's penal servitude. Moore handed in a statement to the judge, beginning "I most respectfully wish t...

Woods Ware China at the Serving Hatch - The Book!

I have now put together a book to accompany this blog, featuring all the best bits and much more besides, about the development and use of village halls over the past century. It costs £1.29 for a Kindle download and £3.99 for a printed version. Here's the blurb: "Enter any village hall and look at the noticeboard. The range of activities taking place these days is enough to keep anyone entertained. Cinema evenings, keep fit classes, scouts, Women’s Institute, St John’s Ambulance, lunch clubs, support groups - all keeping the physical and spiritual on the straight and narrow. Where would we be without the village hall? What a marvellous innovation, and one that seems to grow in importance as we realise that we have lost sight of community somewhat, and need to nurse it back to life. You might, if you were in a particularly philosophical mood while hanging around the vestibule, wonder where and how it all began." English village halls have been a fixture of our lands...

The Story of a Harvest Tea, 1945

Extract from “The Countryman” journal, Spring 1946 At the end of the casual workers’ season last year we had as usual our harvest tea. The “boughten” cakes must have been fairly good; and the bread and butter was helped down by some home-made preserves and potted meat. Although it was a poor spread, things being as they are in the food line, our guests seemed to understand and enjoyed it…for decorations there were flags, and the words on a rather faded portrait flag stood out, “God bless Queen Victoria.” After the tea Harriet recited “The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck” and “Dare to be a Daniel”, and sang “The Bells of Aberdovey” and “Don’t Hang My Harry; You’ll Break His Poor Mother’s Heart.” During the applause the board placed on apple boxes for a seat collapsed. There was a bit of a mix-up and it was agreed that Polly, who weighs 15 stone, should have a box to herself. Up to this time young Tommy had had 10 cups of tea and 15 cakes, and Jim had dropped...

Woods Ware China at the Serving Hatch

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