By 11am on the 11 November 1918, when the armistice brought silence to the battlefields of France and Flanders, in excess of nine million souls lay dead, many never to be found and placed in a marked grave. Continue reading 100 Years have Passed Since The War To End All Wars Began
George Linney was one of the thousands of soldiers who were sent to France in ever increasing numbers during the Great War of 1914-18. Like many others he was billeted in a South East town while he awaited the dreaded orders to proceed to Folkestone or Dover on the way to the trenches. His story, unlike many others, did have a happy ending, he returned home with his life and had a long and eventful career on the Railways. Continue reading To The Trenches Via Rye and Folkeston
By Arthur Woodgate
On 16 October 1917, I was taken to the Lion Street School and settled in a class taught by a Miss Jordon. Miss Longley was the Headmistress and with a long wooden corridor she could be heard coming with loud creaks all over our infant school. Continue reading Between the Zeppelin and the Doodle Bug
It is difficult to recapture the atmosphere of the terrible 1914—18 war years. Ninety-Seven years is a long period in time, and memories fade and soften. Continue reading Rye and the Great War
Two aircraft stand motionless in the corner of a field near Brenzett round-a-bout. All who pass that way cannot have failed to have seen them. What message have these two relics of a past era got for the young people of today’s modern World? Continue reading Brenzett Aero Museum
A picture taken on Friday 9 May 2008 of the wartime propeller (possibly
from a Junkers 88 bomber) dredged up up a while ago by fisherman ‘Podgy’
Ball.
It was acquired by Old Towner “D-Day White” to be displayed in the open space at the end of Courthouse Street in the Old Town. From the left, ‘Tush’ Hamilton, assists Robert Morgan (who provided the transport)
and ‘D-Day’. A real combined effort from well known Old Town supporters. Continue reading D-Day White’s Tip and Run Propeller
Helen Davies looked out of her window at The Queens” on Hastings Seafront and saw a submarine washed up on the beach. It was the morning of 15 April 1919.
The Great War had been over for five months and the people of Hastings were beginning to come to terms with their losses and starting out on a new peacetime life. Helen looked down from her high vantage point at the terrible instument of war and her thoughts turned back over the two short years since her Tom had been lost at sea, his ship being a U-Boat victim. Was it possible that this same submarine being battered by the high tide, could have been the very one that killed her man? How had the U-118, for that was the number of the craft, arrived at Hastings?. Continue reading German U-Boat on Hastings Beach
As many of you know I have always had an interest in local and family history. I felt that the November magazine was the most appropriate time for me to produce this article.. Continue reading The Visit By Eric Streeton
Rye’s Own has always been keen to encourage local writers, artists and photographers. Last month we featured the remarkable story of Nick Turner. Less than a year ago his reading and writing abilities were those of a five year old, mainly due to the fact that he suffered from undiagnosed ‘word blindness’ (dyslexia). Continue reading Battle of the Somme
The war broke out as you know in August 1914 but I did not join up before February 1916, as I thought it was my duty to stop at home and help keep things going because my father was incapable of work. Moreover, my mind was quite made up when I heard that two of my brothers had joined the colours. Continue reading To The Trenches Via Rye
