Cherry Willingham Community School
Cherry Willingham Community School
History Club in partnership with
Cherry Willingham Heritage Society
Willow Court - Flame of Forgiveness Project 2014
The School and the Society were approached by staff at Willow Court, a care home on Croft Lane in Cherry Willingham, about possible engagement in their Flame of Forgiveness Project (see note at the end). They were planning a special fortnight to encourage residents to share their memories of World War 2 and to remember the 100th anniversary of the start of World War 1. We agreed to take part.
1. On Tuesday 21 October Club members Tommy, Jack, Sam, Josh, Ethan & Charlie - along with Mrs Elaine Stiles (School Head) and Mrs Anne Welburn & Revd Mike Mason from the Society - visited Willow Court and met with some 15/20 staff and residents. Residents were encouraged to share their personal memories of World War 2, while the Club members asked them questions they had prepared in advance. We recorded electronically the memories of residents and this recording will be added to the Society’s oral archives project.
2. Following this visit some of the Club members wrote poems etc in response to what they had heard from residents - see following pages. These, along with information about the Society and the Club, were placed in a time capsule by Mrs Sue Lemmon, who had coordinated the project. Other items included in the capsule included a daily paper, some older and some newer coins and items written by residents.
3. On Friday 7 November five of the Club members and Mike returned to Willow Court (Mrs Stiles, Mrs Welburn and Ethan were not able to be there) to share in the burial of the time capsule. Two of the members lowered the capsule into a hole already prepared in the rear garden of the home and then partially filled in the hole. The boys read their poems and residents and visitors shared a few thoughts before Sue & Mike planted a Remembrance rose. A plaque will be erected to mark this spot. Who knows how many years will pass before someone digs it up!!
The members of the Club very much enjoyed being part of the project and so we thank Sue and the residents and staff of Willow Court for inviting us to be part of this project. One of the residents, 94 year-old Harold, who had served through WW2 stressed to us all - especially the young people - the importance of remembering the sad events of the past so that we build a better world for the future!
Gunfire by Joshua
Gun fire round my head like a swarm of bees
Uranium and plutonium creating mass destruction in Fukishima & Hiroshima
Nothing but destruction everywhere you look
Fear that you could be next, next to leave life
Iron tanks, artillery, trucks and weapons constantly on the move
Rusty ships converted into state of the art killing machines
Emotion, emotion from soldiers, their families, leaders and enemies.
Cherry Willingham Community School History Club
November 2014
Battlefield by Ethan
Brave men who fought in the war
Alive trying to stay alive
Tanks made of iron
Tremendous loss of lives
Living - what wives and children tried to do
Everywhere - it feels like war is everywhere
Friends - the men you fight alongside
It’s not stopping
Extremely scared of losing your life
Loss of loved ones from the war
Days upon days of war.
Cherry Willingham Community School History Club
November 2014
Soldiers by Jack
The soldiers risked their lives for us.
The soldiers risked their lives for the friends they love.
The soldiers risked their lives for the country they love.
The soldiers risked their lives so that we would have a future.
Cherry Willingham Community School History Club
November 2014
Medicine in World War 2 by Tommy Carr
Ø 
During the period of World War 2 medicine was not as well-known as it is today. Mainly women did the medical practice due to most of the men being at war. Not all men could be saved, not because of their general health but because of their mental state. They came home traumatised unable to salvage their old selves.
Ø World War Two was a time when huge advances were made in medicine and these medical advances were a direct response to new weaponry that had been developed between 1939 and 1945 and a natural advance in knowledge that would be expected as time progressed.
Ø 
The very nature of warfare between 1939 and 1945 forced the medical world to rush forward the pace of advance in medicine. Advances in the treatment of infection had occurred pre-war but with the turmoil of war, research pioneers pushed forward to find solutions to very pressing problems. In 1936, 'M+B' was produced by the firm May and Baker - the first effective sulphonamides that could be used for a variety of infections. Called 'M+B 693' it was used as a treatment for sore throats, pneumonia and gonorrhoea.
Ø A development of 'M+B 693' was 'M+B 760'. Both proved very effective as treatments against infections. However, the very nature of war meant that both treatments were needed in far greater quantities than during peace time.
Cherry Willingham Community School History Club
November 2014
Cherry Willingham Community School History Club
with CHerry Willingham Heritage Society
The Club was set up in January 2014 jointly between the School and the Society to build on earlier projects. The aim is to stimulate students’ interest in history, engage them in the work of the Society as it seeks to research and record the history of Cherry Willingham in the context of the surrounding area and to reinforce links between the School and the local community.
Talks we have heard since we started meeting
Ø Anne & Mike about the work already undertaken in Cherry Willingham including the restoration of the medieval fish pond in Lady Meers Road
Ø Mr Charles Parker about 2014 as centenary of start of WW1 linked to research related to war memorial names
Ø Mr Eric Brocklesby about Life in Cherry Willingham during WW2 with especial reference to Fiskerton airfield
Ø Looking at pottery finds from Cherry Willingham and how these are processed and used to date archaeological sites.
Ø Mrs Sally Scott from Fiskerton History Society about the significance of archaeological finds in Fiskerton e.g. canoes & ‘boardwalk’
Ø One of our teachers, Mr Charles Simpson, brought along his collection of artefacts from York and explained about practical archaeology.
Ø Dr Ian Lacy about the history of being a GP in Reepham where his Dad was GP for many years
Ø We had a look at a medieval artefacts box from the Collection and learned about their history
Ø Two gentlemen from Bardney spoke about their metal detecting activities, showed us some finds and let us have a go in the school grounds
Ø Mrs Annette Gregory talked about growing up in the 1940s and her Father’s work at the factory that produced the famous tanks
We have also spent time on the internet researching topics that interest us
We visited the Collection & Posterngate in Lincoln
Items from Residents included in the Time Capsule
The Second World War—Through the Eyes of a Child
By Eileen Hobson—born 1934 at East Barkworth
It takes time to forgive sometimes for some deeds done to ourselves and loved ones. Even those who weren’t physically hurt themselves.
I have memories of an uncle who was gassed during the war and it effected his breathing and skin as well as the psychological scars, which for some, never left them.
Some men were missing for years. My other uncle was and we knew nothing about him, whether or not he was alive for 5 years.
My uncle told me that the men he fought were the same as him, they were told to fight, so in generations to come we mustn’t hold it against the Germans.
My gran used to say that to hold a grudge was only hurting you.
It was a destructive force to the person who couldn’t forgive.
My memories of my childhood through the war years were mostly happy ones.
My brother used to count the planes taking off and count them all back,
getting upset if any were missing.
We lived in the countryside on a farm and had pigs and cows so had to give up our meat rations as we had our own meat. Sweets were rationed and we only got them if our aunt queued for ages in Lincoln as mum couldn’t go.
They didn’t come off rationing until the mid 50’s.
My mum had to cover all the windows so no light would show outside. She’d use washed sacks for lining even though the writing was still on them. She wouldn’t even put a small bicycle light on before the curtains were drawn and the Home Guard would come round occasionally to check!
I remember all the signposts coming down and not going back up until after the war had finished.
Now we’ve got to get on with life, but remember what has past.
Lest we forget.
Eileen Hobson - 4th November 2014
Harold Byrne - Born 14th February 1920
On chatting with Harold, he had these thoughts he wanted to share:
Be aware of the consequences of war.
Take notice of the world you’re living in and of other’s mistakes.
You have to fight for your rights against people you may not expect to be fighting against. You must speak up for yourself.
The one thing the whole world fights over is religion. Although you may not agree with another’s religion, you must respect their beliefs and laws—but also stand fast by your beliefs. Nobody has a given right to enforce their beliefs on others.
The world is progressing so fast, things we think are advanced today will be history in a few years.
The worst thing in life is avarice.
Dictated on 4th November 2014
We were not fighting the “Germans”
We were fighting the Nazis.
The German people were ordinary people
like us who were affected by the Nazis too.
With the centenary of the outbreak of World War One this year, what better time to encourage forgiveness and to enlighten and share thoughts and actions with young people from your local schools?
HC-One will embark on a nationwide campaign between 29th October and November 11th, to collectively reflect upon the values of forgiveness where homes will work hand-in-hand with schools and local community groups to organise and promote a series of events for all to celebrate and reflect upon issues in life that affect us all.
Piggy-backing on the National Campaign, which will commence on the 6th October and will see many entities contributing to the effort, HC-One will combine activities to help commemorate the events of conflict and change.
With Remembrance Day also falling within this period, HC-One homes have a superb opportunity to share with Residents, periods of thoughtfulness, help school children learn about their area’s history and the impact that large-scale conflict can have on local communities.
With the importance of forgiveness being the key objective, homes can embark on selected activities such as tree planting, Arts and crafts projects, Poppy seed laying, lighting a beacon or even creating a forgiveness tree or memory book, where both Residents and students can contribute in partnership to bridge the passage of time and appreciate the need for a representation of forgiveness in today’s world.
For those creatively-minded Residents and colleagues within the homes, this is a superb opportunity to express yourselves with feeling, while helping contribute to a genuine cause and individual efforts from homes will be considered for awards especially considering our third birthday is also at this time.
NB: Willow Court is part of HC One Ltd