“SANDBAG” WINCANTON AND DISTRICT ROYAL BRITISH LEGION NEWSLETTER

NEWS FROM THE BRANCH March Editor Tony Goddard 2021 01963-824193 Branch secretary Steve Lee 01963-34374

100th anniversary of the Royal British Legion

On 15th May 1921 the British Legion was formed, numbers swelled to massive amounts very quickly as there was a strong bond between those who served in the Great War 1914 - 1918. Rapidly branches were established and Wincanton was amongst towns to form a branch very early. In fact several hundred ex-servicemen from Wincanton survived and returned home, from these a branch was formed. Actual records are very hard to find but Steve did acquire the photograph of the 1926 Armistice parade shown below. Steve and I are attempting to compile a history of the branch and would appeal to anyone who has old photos or documents about Wincanton Royal British Legion to make contact with us. Over the coming months we will publish what information we receive and will include photos of the last 20 years which are available. When compiling the books which Ann in her QA’s uniform now forms the Wincanton Roll of Honour the old parish magazines of the period did list many of those who survived the war but these had to be Ann Deverill returned to the County Archive in Taunton it is hoped to use this as a basis for our research into potential founder members of our branch. I am very sorry to have to report that Ann Deverill passed away on 29th December. Many of us have fond memories on Ann especially for her kindness and compassion shown when she was at Rodber House. Both Andy and I had our mothers living there and Ann was always a source of great support . Ann was also a staunch member of the Royal British Legion after her service in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps in the 1950s. Ann’s family also have strong military connections and her daughter Loraine served over twenty years in the Army as did Lorain’s husband Ray, in the Royal Artillery. Ann will be greatly missed and our condolences go to Lorain Suddes and her family at this sad time. Tony

Safeguarding the welfare, interests and memory of those who have served in the Armed Forces. A Registered Charity. Charity No. 219279 www.britishlegion.org.uk Page 1

Dad’s Army Pte. Godfrey - “a real soldier” Inspired by Steve’s story of our local Victoria Cross clergyman ,when I stumbled across this story of one of our national treasures, Arnold Ridley ,I did not realise his local connections and that he was a soldier in the in the First World War. I thought you would be interested to read this as he was born and is buried not far from us. Unlike the character he played, the gentle medic Private Charles Godfrey, who was portrayed as a conscientious objector in World War One, Ridley experienced hand-to-hand fighting in the trenches and was seriously injured by a German wielding a bayonet. He also was awarded the Military Medal and wounds received at the Battle of the Somme rendered him unfit and was medically discharged after hand to hand fighting. Born in Bath in 1896 and educated at Bristol University, Ridley made his acting debut in a production of Prunella at Bristol's Theatre Royal in 1913. But his stage career was put on hold with the advent of the Great War. He had originally volunteered in 1914 at the age of 18, but was turned down as he had a broken toe sustained while playing rugby. But the following year he was accepted by the Somerset Light Infantry and was stationed in . Private Ridley arrived in Arras in March 1916. He had removed his marksman's badge because he did not want to be made a sniper. He later commented: "I didn't go to France to murder people." Within days of arriving he was hit in the back by shrapnel and shot through the thigh. He had recovered by July 1916, and returned to the Western Front to join with the 6th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry who were at Blagny east of Arras when the Battle of the Somme commenced on 1st July 1916. Arras was “quieter” than the Somme area and the regimental diary recorded that the German line was only fifteen yards from them. In a wry statement recording “when a bomb is thrown over the Germans get annoyed and reply with about 60 into our sap”. They moved to the Albert area of the Somme on 1st August and relieved the Lancashire Fusiliers at Delville Wood on 12th August. The 20-year-old Ridley went into action on 18th August and in no man's land with 6th Battalion SLI. Fifteen of the men in his group were killed “by fire from our own guns” many more were seriously wounded soon after leaving the trenches, when a preliminary barrage was dropped on them instead of the German machine-gun posts. During the attempt to reach Delville Wood, Ridley's battalion suffered nearly 50% casualties. He later pointed out: "It wasn't a question of 'if I get killed', it was merely a question of 'when I get killed'. "The trenches were full of water and I can remember getting out of the trench and lying on the parapet with the bullets flying around, because sleep was such a necessity and death only meant sleep. "Although a German bayonet was thrust into his left hand, cutting the tendons to his fingers, he survived. Ridley said "It's not altogether a right thought for a young man to hope he's been maimed for life - but I did. I thought 'well, if I've lost my hand I shall live. They can't send me out there again'."

Safeguarding the welfare, interests and memory of those who have served in the Armed Forces. A Registered Charity. Charity No. 219279 www.britishlegion.org.uk Page 2

After recovering in England, he faced the Travelling Medical Board. A doctor suggested his hand injury was self-inflicted. Ridley said he replied: "Yes, sir. My battalion is famous for self-inflicted wounds and just to make sure I cracked my skull with a rifle butt as well and ran a bayonet into my groin." He was discharged from the British army on 27 August 1917 by that time being a Lance Corporal. Later that year he was given a white feather (a symbol of cowardice) by a woman in the street. He took it without comment. When he was asked why a returning soldier would be treated in such a way, he answered: "I wasn't wearing my soldier's discharge badge. I didn't want to advertise the fact that I was a wounded soldier and I used to carry it in my pocket." It can be seen as a foreshadow of the episode Dad's Army in which Godfrey is revealed to have been a conscientious objector in World War One. The gentle medic has to face the wrath of the blustering and unsympathetic Captain Mainwaring - who derided him as a "conchie" - but it is later revealed that Godfrey had been a stretcher-bearer in the trenches, saved lives in the Somme and been awarded the Military Medal for exceptional bravery. The time between the wars was an opportunity for Ridley to resume his career. In 1919 he joined the Repertory Theatre in Birmingham, appearing in more than 40 productions, and in 1923 he wrote the mystery thriller , the most successful of his plays. But they were not always good times - his wartime experiences led him to have nightmares. He said: "I would wake up drenched in sweat, sometimes I was afraid I would black out when I was on stage." The outbreak of World War Two saw him join the British Expeditionary Force as an intelligence officer. Ridley, now a major, was sent to France in 1939. He later admitted: "Within hours of setting foot on the quay at Cherbourg in September 1939, I was suffering from acute shell shock again. It is quite possible that outwardly I showed little, if any, of it. "It took the form of mental suffering that at best could be described as an inverted nightmare." Ridley was evacuated from Dunkirk in May 1940 and, aged 44, was demobilised from the Army. He joined the Local Defence Volunteers - the organisation that later became the Home Guard - before touring bases entertaining the troops. He appeared in numerous shows through the 1950s and 60s, including and Crossroads, until he was cast, aged 72, in Dad's Army in 1968. He played the role of Godfrey until the series finished in 1977. Ridley married three times and had one child, Nicolas. He is also the great-uncle of Star Wars actress , he died aged 88 in 1984 - eight years before she was born. He was awarded the OBE in 1982 - but for services to drama, not his heroic exploits in two world wars. His Military Medal was awarded for “extreme bravery in rescuing his comrades under fire” Arnold Ridley died on 12th March 1984 and is buried in Bath Abbey Cemetery, Widcombe near Bath.

Arnold Ridley (right) in the real Home Guard

Source of Story and Photos BBC News

Safeguarding the welfare, interests and memory of those who have served in the Armed Forces. A Registered Charity. Charity No. 219279 www.britishlegion.org.uk Page 3

Story of two bugles

When visiting the old “Green Dragon Antique Emporium” in Wincanton High Street around twenty years ago I saw something that literally jumped out at me. A bugle with a lanyard of rifle green and embossed “2 GR” 1937 with the WD arrow stamp along with the maker Bewsey & Hawkes the famed supplier of military instruments to the British Army. I just had to have it because I realised the significance and I bought it. 2GR was indeed the 2nd King Edward Seventh’s Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) and was serving in Malaya when the Japanese attacked towards Singapore in February 1942. The Gurkha soldiers fought heroically but the few survivors were captured by the Japanese. I have the greatest The duty bugle of 2nd Gurkha Rifles respect the Gurkha soldier and over the years have supported The Gurkha Welfare Trust. In March 2007 I arranged with the Gurkha Museum in Winchester for a Wincanton RBL branch visit and explained when booking that I had this bugle and because of its importance I felt obligated to donate it to the museum for safe keeping. The curator explained to me that because of the tragic circumstances of the Fall of Singapore none of the 2nd GR band instruments were known to have survived and this brass bugle was a duty bugle, so my imagination went wild as to what this bugle had seen ! He invited the branch to a traditional Gurkha lunch in the museum, which was an excellent curry finished off with Gurkha beer from Nepal. My second prized possession was another battered bugle which I purchased in the 1970s when I was in the TA I heard of an old gentleman who was wishing to sell two bugles, I visited with him and again I was aghast at what I was looking at and the story he told. His bugle was again embossed with the WD arrow and had a very dog eared lanyard. The arrow had “I” underneath indicating it had been issued in India and under that “RIF” - The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers were in India for a very long time. I was young and I did not take too much notice to what he was saying, but over the years believed he said “Royal Irish Fusiliers” and his father was an officer in the Regiment at the Battle of the Somme, his father was given the bugle when it was decommissioned - the issue markings were partially obscured. I really now wished I asked more questions because, on 1st July 1916, Drummer Jack Downs of the 10th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, sounded the ‘Advance’ of the 36th (Ulster) Division at the Battle of the Somme. Over the first two days of the battle, the Division took 5,000 casualties and, of these, more than 2,000 had been killed. I really wished I asked the old gentleman more about the bugle !! On a visit to the Ulster Tower, Somme, I mentioned it to

Teddy the custodian and he begged me to give him the bugle for Ulster as the lanyard was indeed the

colours of Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers - which I did. My “RIF” bugle played The bugle was not Drummer Down’s bugle because at the Ulster Tower that is in Belfast but I believe the truth of the gentle- at the Somme man’s information that it sounded at the Somme and before returning to Belfast by the famed Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers - “The Skins”. It has returned home to Belfast. Tony

Safeguarding the welfare, interests and memory of those who have served in the Armed Forces. A Registered Charity. Charity No. 219279 www.britishlegion.org.uk Page 4