This year saw Hethersett people take to their gardens and street to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
Back in 1945 Hethersett was preparing to welcome home its sons from the war. The village set up a Welcome Home Committee.
It raised money through public subscription for those returning from the war. Gifts of £10 (the equivalent of over £400 today) were distributed.
One of the leading lights in the Welcome Home Committee was Mr P. J. Hagg. He was Duncan Pigg's mother's partner. Duncan still lives in Hethersett. In April, 1946, the committee sent Mr Hagg a letter of thanks which was signed by chairman S. J. Titterton, vice-chairman T. E. Hall, secretary S. M. Alborough and treasurer V. H. Alborough.
The letter (printed above) read:
"The members of the Welcome Home Committee desire to express their great appreciation of the energy and enthusiasm and ability which you gave as the Chief Organiser of the Welcome Home Fund at Hethersett in 1945 and 1946. We feel that the amount of £2,270 which was raised for the purpose of making a gift of ten pounds to each of those returning from their service in His Majesty's Forces or to the nearest relatives of those who died in active service would not have been reached without your inspiring leadership.
"We thought of organising a presentation of some kind to show our appreciation, but understand that this is contrary to your wishes so have to content ourselves with this short letter of recognition of the leadership which you gave us. We feel that we are speaking in the name of the 227 recipients of the ten pound gift paid into the Savings Bank on their behalf as well as for ourselves and others who co-operated with us."
It was signed: Your Fellow Workers in the Welcome Home Committee.
The message sent with the £10 read:
Your Hethersett Friends wish you to accept this small token of appreciation for all the sacrifices you have made on their behalf and in welcoming you home, offer their best wishes for the future.
Sadly there was a second message sent to those who had been bereaved and this read:
In Grateful Remembrance of the sacrifice made by your _______________________. Your friends in Hethersett offer their sincere sympathy with you in your great loss.
The committee went on to contact all those who had fought asking for their views on providing something tangible to act as a permanent memorial to "commemorate the service and sacrifice made between 1939 and 1945."
Suggestions put forward by the committee were:
The committee also asked some of those servicemen who had been demobilised to serve on the committee.
"Our aim is to do something towards establishing a community in which every man shall have a chance to live as God intended him to live. Now that the victory for freedom has been won we want that freedom to be used rightly. Mr H. Back at the Hall has offered to see that the names of those who made the supreme sacrifice are inscribed on the vacant panels of the war memorial outside the church, and to pay for the doing of this," the committee stated.
And so the names of the fallen from the war, including that of Raymond Coller, who is buried in St Remigius Churchyard, were added to the village war memorial. A public subscription was set up after the war and raised over £2,000. There were also fundraising events such as jumble sales, darts tournaments, whist drives, fetes, flower and vegetable shows and concerts.
The committee received many letters of thanks from those receiving the gift. Copies of these can be found on the Hethersett A Village at War website at www.hethersettatwar.weebly.com. The letters are from the private collection of Duncan Pigg and have been donated to the official village archive.
Below is a list of some of the men from the village who served in the Second World War. This is only a partial list at the present time:
Gunner L. A. Bishop, Royal Artillery
Lt N. Beaumont-Thomas, King George V Own Bengal Sappers and Miners
2nd Lt P Beaumont-Thomas, 10th Hussars
Rev R. R. H Back , YMCA
Pte W. E. Charlish, Royal Norfolk Regiment
Ord Sig R. Clutterham, HMS Woolwich
C. W. Craske, RAF
O. Craske, RAF
L-Bombr R. Clarke, OCTU
Major Alan Colman, Norfolk Yeomanry
Pte E. Duffield, RAMC
Pte F. Foster, 7th Batt Royal Norfolk Regiment
Gunner E. G. Frosdick, 51st Heavy Lowland Regiment
Gunner D. Gould, Royal Artillery
Pilot Officer John Gates RAF
Trooper P. Goodswen, Warwickshire Yeomanry
Trooper F. Goodswen, 7th Hussars
Pte J. Goodswen, RAMC
Pte R. J. Huggins, 1st Batt, Royal Norfolk Regiment
Pte E. Kerrison , Royal Norfolk Regiment
Pte F. Kerrison, Royal Norfolk Regiment.
Cadet P. P Andrews OCTU
Volunteer R. Andrews ATS
Senior Leader E. G. Back ATS
Miss E. V. Back - Civil Nursing Reserve
Private R. Buttolph, Royal Norfolk Regiment
H. Chamberlain Royal Marines
Gunner A. C. Perkins, RA
L/Br W. G. Spurgeon, RA
L/Corporal P. Folkard, RASC
Private J. Ward, RASC
Private C. R. Parfitt, Royal Army Pay Corps
Gunner A. Utting, 36th Signal Training Regiment
ATS J. M Harrison
Driver Jack Hodges, RASC
C. Brighton RAF
Gunner G. E. Dunton RA
J. Minter RASC
J. Noad RAF
J. McAnally RAF
Rachel McAnally, WAAF
S. Huggins, RFA
J. Walpole Norfolk Regiment
A. W. Chapman RASC
W. Collins Essex Regiment
J. Marshall RAF
R. C. Alborough, Searchlight Detachment
H. M. Moore, Civil Nursing Reserve
R. Ireland Royal Norfolk Regiment
Back in 1945 Hethersett was preparing to welcome home its sons from the war. The village set up a Welcome Home Committee.
It raised money through public subscription for those returning from the war. Gifts of £10 (the equivalent of over £400 today) were distributed.
One of the leading lights in the Welcome Home Committee was Mr P. J. Hagg. He was Duncan Pigg's mother's partner. Duncan still lives in Hethersett. In April, 1946, the committee sent Mr Hagg a letter of thanks which was signed by chairman S. J. Titterton, vice-chairman T. E. Hall, secretary S. M. Alborough and treasurer V. H. Alborough.
The letter (printed above) read:
"The members of the Welcome Home Committee desire to express their great appreciation of the energy and enthusiasm and ability which you gave as the Chief Organiser of the Welcome Home Fund at Hethersett in 1945 and 1946. We feel that the amount of £2,270 which was raised for the purpose of making a gift of ten pounds to each of those returning from their service in His Majesty's Forces or to the nearest relatives of those who died in active service would not have been reached without your inspiring leadership.
"We thought of organising a presentation of some kind to show our appreciation, but understand that this is contrary to your wishes so have to content ourselves with this short letter of recognition of the leadership which you gave us. We feel that we are speaking in the name of the 227 recipients of the ten pound gift paid into the Savings Bank on their behalf as well as for ourselves and others who co-operated with us."
It was signed: Your Fellow Workers in the Welcome Home Committee.
The message sent with the £10 read:
Your Hethersett Friends wish you to accept this small token of appreciation for all the sacrifices you have made on their behalf and in welcoming you home, offer their best wishes for the future.
Sadly there was a second message sent to those who had been bereaved and this read:
In Grateful Remembrance of the sacrifice made by your _______________________. Your friends in Hethersett offer their sincere sympathy with you in your great loss.
The committee went on to contact all those who had fought asking for their views on providing something tangible to act as a permanent memorial to "commemorate the service and sacrifice made between 1939 and 1945."
Suggestions put forward by the committee were:
- Street lighting
- Home for old folk
- Sports Field
- Centre for young people
- Maternity Home
The committee also asked some of those servicemen who had been demobilised to serve on the committee.
"Our aim is to do something towards establishing a community in which every man shall have a chance to live as God intended him to live. Now that the victory for freedom has been won we want that freedom to be used rightly. Mr H. Back at the Hall has offered to see that the names of those who made the supreme sacrifice are inscribed on the vacant panels of the war memorial outside the church, and to pay for the doing of this," the committee stated.
And so the names of the fallen from the war, including that of Raymond Coller, who is buried in St Remigius Churchyard, were added to the village war memorial. A public subscription was set up after the war and raised over £2,000. There were also fundraising events such as jumble sales, darts tournaments, whist drives, fetes, flower and vegetable shows and concerts.
The committee received many letters of thanks from those receiving the gift. Copies of these can be found on the Hethersett A Village at War website at www.hethersettatwar.weebly.com. The letters are from the private collection of Duncan Pigg and have been donated to the official village archive.
Below is a list of some of the men from the village who served in the Second World War. This is only a partial list at the present time:
Gunner L. A. Bishop, Royal Artillery
Lt N. Beaumont-Thomas, King George V Own Bengal Sappers and Miners
2nd Lt P Beaumont-Thomas, 10th Hussars
Rev R. R. H Back , YMCA
Pte W. E. Charlish, Royal Norfolk Regiment
Ord Sig R. Clutterham, HMS Woolwich
C. W. Craske, RAF
O. Craske, RAF
L-Bombr R. Clarke, OCTU
Major Alan Colman, Norfolk Yeomanry
Pte E. Duffield, RAMC
Pte F. Foster, 7th Batt Royal Norfolk Regiment
Gunner E. G. Frosdick, 51st Heavy Lowland Regiment
Gunner D. Gould, Royal Artillery
Pilot Officer John Gates RAF
Trooper P. Goodswen, Warwickshire Yeomanry
Trooper F. Goodswen, 7th Hussars
Pte J. Goodswen, RAMC
Pte R. J. Huggins, 1st Batt, Royal Norfolk Regiment
Pte E. Kerrison , Royal Norfolk Regiment
Pte F. Kerrison, Royal Norfolk Regiment.
Cadet P. P Andrews OCTU
Volunteer R. Andrews ATS
Senior Leader E. G. Back ATS
Miss E. V. Back - Civil Nursing Reserve
Private R. Buttolph, Royal Norfolk Regiment
H. Chamberlain Royal Marines
Gunner A. C. Perkins, RA
L/Br W. G. Spurgeon, RA
L/Corporal P. Folkard, RASC
Private J. Ward, RASC
Private C. R. Parfitt, Royal Army Pay Corps
Gunner A. Utting, 36th Signal Training Regiment
ATS J. M Harrison
Driver Jack Hodges, RASC
C. Brighton RAF
Gunner G. E. Dunton RA
J. Minter RASC
J. Noad RAF
J. McAnally RAF
Rachel McAnally, WAAF
S. Huggins, RFA
J. Walpole Norfolk Regiment
A. W. Chapman RASC
W. Collins Essex Regiment
J. Marshall RAF
R. C. Alborough, Searchlight Detachment
H. M. Moore, Civil Nursing Reserve
R. Ireland Royal Norfolk Regiment