BERWICK ADVERTISER, 23 MAY 1919

30/05/2019 by Northumberland Archives

INTERESTING SPITTAL WEDDING

COL., SERGT. TAIT AND MISS L. E. PEARCE

The wedding took place at Spittal Parish Church on Wednesday, May 14th, of Col. Sergt. T. J. B. Tait, Lancashire Fusiliers, third son of ex. Col-Sgt. Robt. Tait, Lancashire Fus., of the Blenheim Hotel, Spittal, and Miss L.E. Pearce, late Q.M.A.A.C., only daughter of Mrs House, Pontypridd, South wales, and the late Mr Edward Pearce, Bagshot, Surrey. The Rev. J. H. Cuthbertson, Vicar of Spittal, and late Chaplain to the Forces, officiated. The bride, who was given away by her mother, was dressed in ivory crepe-de-chene, trimmed with real lace, which was brought from Valenciennes by the bridegroom while on service there. She wore a wreath and veil, and carried a sheaf of lilies tied Lancashire Fusilier’s colours.

Spittal Parish Church on the right handside of image BRO 1887-8-2.

The bridegroom’s brother, Mr R. St. G. Tait, acted as best man, and Miss Tait, Commercial Inn, Spittal, a cousin, was bridesmaid. An interesting feature of the ceremony was the fact that the bride, bridegroom and the officiating minister had all served in His Majesty’s Forces on active service.
The Vicar, in the course of a short address to the bride and bridegroom, said: “Both of you have served your King and country overseas and, there, both of you in your own sphere must have learnt something of that comradeship which, perhaps only those of us who have served with the Forces abroad can thoroughly understand and appreciate. Loyalty to King and country, courage and self-sacrifice were notable features of that life. Never forget that there is another King to whom you owe loyalty, even the King of Kings. You are now going out from this church to start a new life together; you will have your difficulties and your trials, but loyalty to God will help you to overcome them, and will be to you the surest source of happiness.”

After the ceremony the guests sat down to the wedding feast at the Blenheim Hotel, and in the evening the happy pair departed for the North on their honeymoon. Chalked on the back of the car were the words “Two little turtle doves,” whilst below was suspended the usual lucky shoe, draped with pale blue ribbon.

LOCAL NEWS

Gardeners will rejoice to learn that the import restrictions on bulbs have now been withdrawn. We can therefore look forward next spring to having our gardens brightened by renewed stocks of crocus, dainty glory of the snow, and the beautiful blue scilla. Later on hyacinths for indoor and outdoor cultivation will be once more procurable. Bedding out with gay tulips will be possible. Lovers of Spanish iris will be able to buy to their heart’s content, and the stately spikes of gladioli will again add to the rich colouring of the autumn beds.

Major Rowland Routledge Gibson, son of Mr. Geo. Matthew Gibson, formerly of Berwick, has been promoted temporary lieutenant-colonel in the Labour Corps. He was admitted to the Freedom of the Borough in March, 1912, when serving at Aldershot with the Royal Fusiliers. Lieut Col. Gibson was first commissioned to the Dorsetshire Regiment 22 years ago, and afterwards served in the Royal Fusiliers and the West African Regiment. He took part in the Tirah expedition and the Ashanti campaign, in which he was wounded, and at the beginning of the war in 1914, was appointed adjutant in Kitchener’s Army. He is a qualified interpreter in the Russian and Chinese languages.

CRICKET

Like all other sports clubs in the town, the Berwick Cricket Club is resuming its pre-war activities. The cricket field is being put in order and will under careful treatment soon be in first class condition. An endeavour is being made to increase the membership. The Rev. J. H. Cuthbertson, vicar of Spittal, who has played for the Gentlemen of Yorkshire ought to prove a valuable addition to cricketing circles in Berwick. We hear also of the advent of an Eton player to the neighbourhood.

No club matches have been played during the past few years, but arrangements have now been made for matches both at home and away. The following fixtures have already been settled: – Widdrington at Berwick, June 9th. Manderston at Berwick, June 25th. Manderston at Manderston, July 10th. It is also hoped to be able to arrange matches with Berwickshire, Coldstream and Galashiels.

RETURN OF THE COLOURS

CIVIC WELCOME EXTENDED AT BERWICK

TO 2ND BATT., K.O.S.B. COLOUR PARTY

Word was received at Berwick Barracks on Tuesday morning that the Colour Party of the 2nd Batt., Kings Own Scottish Borderers Cadre, the majority of whom were demobilised some days ago at Barrow in Furness, where they arrived from Antwerp, would come by the fast train from the south at 5.33 in the evening. The civil authorities being made acquainted of the fact, immediately made the news known in the town, and the Mayor (Ald. J. W. Plenderleith) arranged to give the party a civic welcome.

The town was soon gaily decorated with bunting, and from the Town Hall the Borough flags were flown. Large crowds from the town and surrounding district were seen about, and the road to the station was lined by a gathering of interested spectators as the hour of arrival drew near.

The Colour Party were met at Berwick Station by the Brass Band and Pipers of the 2nd Batt., and there was also present a detachment from the Depot and several members of the original 2nd who are now stationed there. Officers in charge were Captain Vickers Dickson and Captain Machin, M.C., while the party was made up by Corpls. Develin and Dixon and two men.

This Week in World War One, 27 December 1918

02/01/201928/12/2018 by Northumberland Archives

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 27 DECEMBER 1918

CHRISTMAS

One feature of the Christmas season in Berwick was the extraordinary number of service men on leave, several not having spent Christmas at home for the past few years. The shops on Christmas Eve were very busy, and the great shortage of fruit, especially apples, as well as the exorbitant prices asked were the subject of much comment. Children lamented the scarcity of sweets, as “two ounces” only was the general rule in most shops.

The weather on Christmas Day was stormy and disagreeable during the forenoon, but cleared away fine later in the day. Things were very quiet on the whole in the town. At night some children dressed up as “Mummers” went from house to house singing. This is a custom that is not often observed in Berwick. Services were held in some of the churches.

THE WORKHOUSE

The inmates of the Workhouse were treated to a good dinner of roast beef and plum-pudding on Christmas Day. As is customary tobacco was given to the smokers and sweets to the non-smokers. Mr Stirling, Tweedmouth, kindly supplied beer, and aerated waters were also sent in.

There are only 33 inmates at present a marked contrast to the years before the war when there were generally well over one hundred.

THE INFIRMARY

The patients at the Infirmary were entertained to dinner and tea on Christmas Day by Dr. C. G. Maclagan, chairman of the House Committee. During the afternoon gifts were distributed from a prettily decorated Christmas tree in one of the wards. Some members of Committee and a few friends’ including the Mayor and Mayoress, Lady Wilkie-Dalyell, Miss Wilkie-Dalyell, and Miss Maclagan, were present. The tree and evergreens which added so greatly to the festive appearance of the wards were kindly given by Lady Wilkie-Dalyell. There were not quite so many children amongst the patients as on former occasions.

AT THE BARRACKS

A splendid dinner of the usual Christmas fare was served at mid-day to the men at the Barracks on Christmas Day. A great many men are off home on their twelve days leave. During the course of the dinner Major McAlester, the Officer Commanding, visited the Dining Hall, which was most tastefully decorated, and wishing them all the compliments of the season gave the men some words of good advice.

MALARIA CAMP

The majority of the officers, non-commissioned officers and men are away on Christmas leave, large batches leaving daily. A most excellent dinner was served on Christmas Day, with the usual fare, and greatly enjoyed by all present.

POST OFFICE

The work at the Berwick Post Office this year has been greatly in excess of last year, but not up to the standard of the pre-war period. Saturday was a busy day, but the posting on Monday were very heavy. The 24th and 25th Dec. were as usual very busy days. A special feature was the heavy postings of letter packets due no doubt to the increased parcel rates which make it cheaper to send a smaller parcel at letter rates. The Christmas Cards also came more into favour this year. The temporary assistants employed this year were women and they did their work well; as did the whole of the regular staff.

BERWICK’S FIRST V.C.

On Monday morning Mr and Mrs Huffam, of 119 High Street, received word that their youngest son, Second Lieut. James Palmer Huffam, 5th Duke of Wellington’s, attached 2nd battalion had been awarded the Victoria Cross. The news was received in a wire from their son’s Commanding Officer congratulating them upon the award, and Mr Huffam has since received the following letter from Lieut. Col. Pawlett.

2nd Batt, Duke of Wellington’s Regt.

19 December, 1918

Dear Mr Huffam, – I hardly know whether to congratulate you or thank you on the occasion of the honour bestowed on your son – congratulations are on the occasion of the honour- to you as the father of such a boy, and thanks for the award coming to the Regiment. We have been anxious for some time whether this well merited reward was coming through for one who so richly and deservedly earned it, but now we are happy to think it has and your boy is alive and well at the last of the fighting. I cannot express a small part of the pride we all feel in having so noble a hero as your son as a member of our Battalion which bears such a noble name and record. May you and your gallant son live long to enjoy the fame which he has earned so nobly. This is the brightest Christmas greeting I can send from my Battalion and may you enjoy many more. Yours sincerely J. PAWLETT, Lt,. Col., Commanding 2nd, The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment.

The non-commissioned officers and men of “C” Coy., have also telegraphed to Mr Huffam, their congratulations on the Second Lieut’s winning the V.C.

NORHAM

ANOTHER NORHAM LAD’S RETURN FROM GERMANY

Private Murray Gregor, N.F., returned to his home on Saturday night from Germany. He was taken prisoner when the Huns began their great offensive on March 21st last, and was sent into Eastern Prussia, where he worked at first down a mine, but was afterwards put to do farm work, for which he received a mark a day. The Huns, he says, were cruel taskmasters, and especially did he find them so while working down the mine. He speaks very highly of the parcels sent out by the Northumberland Prisoners’ of War Fund Committee, which he declares kept, him alive for he could get very little to eat otherwise. Private Murray Gregor previous to being taken prisoner had seen much fighting, often being employed in the dangerous work of sniping. His two months’ leave will, we trust, bring about a great improvement in his state of health. Before joining up he was a forester on the Ladykirk estate. There are now four lads in our village who have been prisoners of war in Germany, viz., Sergt. Marshall, Corpl. H. Moody, Private T. Tait and Private Murray Gregor.

There are many young lads going about our village in khaki or blue, home for their twelve days leave. The boys in blue are Petty Officer J. White, Stoker J. Cowe, Seaman J. Bell, and Seaman Jas. Wilkinson; whilst in khaki we notice Private G. Strother, N.F.; Private R. Swan, N.F.; Private Drummond, R.G.A., and the returned prisoners of war. A dance has been arranged by some of the young ladies of the village for New Year’s Eve, at which is expected a fair gathering of the boys. The proceeds of this dance are to go towards the Welcome Home Fund

RATIONS TO CONTINUE

ANOTHER BOOK LIKELY TO FOLLOW THE CURRENT, ISSUE

The coupons book will continue in use for some months, and a fresh edition will probably follow the current issue after March.

The forecast for rations may be assumed up as follows:-

MEAT – Home produce short until the spring, in view of which imports are economised so as to build up reserves.

BUTTER – Increase not likely until cattle are put to grass, when more milk, now very short, will admit of increased dairy output.

MARGARINE – An ounce may be added to the weekly ration early in the New Year.

SUGAR – Ration to be increased to 3/4lb weekly from the end of January.

JAM – Revision expected second week in January; may lead to coupons being dispensed with.

Generally, if jam is the first article to go off the ration list, margarine will be the second, and sugar and butter will follow as conditions improve.

This Week in World War One, 13 December 1918

14/12/2018 by Northumberland Archives

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 13 DECEMBER 1918

PROPOSED WAR MEMORIAL

A well-attended meeting was held in the Archbold Hall on Thursday evening last, at which the question of establishing some permanent memorial in memory of the Wooler men who have fallen in the war, was considered. Mr F. R. Padley was in the chair, and he thought all would be of one opinion that there should be some memorial to commemorate the fallen. They had nothing cut and dried to lay before the meeting, and thought they should first of all decide whether it was desired to have a memorial. Mr G. Gallon moved that a memorial be taken in hand. This was seconded by Mr J. Rule, and carried unanimously. The next thing considered was whether it should only be for Wooler parish or to include all places within a radius of four miles, similar to the S. and S. Fund, when the latter plan was decided upon. The committee was next discussed, when it was decided to elect a new committee independent to the Sailors and Soldiers Fund Committee, with a separate fund.

Wooler War Memorial,Tower Hill, beside the remains of the fortified stone tower built in the 16th century. © wfmillar, Tower Hill, Wooler. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license.

The following committee of 17 was then appointed: – Messrs J. Beattie, R. Bell, J. Hogg, W. L. Leach, G. Strother, W. Bone, the Rev. Dr. Bowick, MrsLillico, G. Thompson, Planation House; W. Dixon, Mrs T. brown, Mr R. Hinson, jun., R. Jeffrey, Haugh Head, Mrs Hogg, Houston, Fenton; J. Nesbit, Doddington,and J. Knox with Mr J. Beattie as convener. The next thing was suggestions as to what form the memorial should take, when the following were mentioned :- a monument,a peel of bells, extension and improvement of the Mechanics’ Institute, chapel for the churchyard, home of rest for sailors and soldiers. Mr J. Scott moved that the settlement be deferred until the committee saw what financial support they were likely to receive, which was agreed to. The committee will then call another public meeting to decide on the form of the memorial. The chairman, who throughout handled the meeting with tact and ability, said they had had a most harmonious meeting, and trusted the committee would get to work, and that they would be successful in their efforts to obtain a fitting memorial to commemorate their brothers and sons, and hoped that the public would respond liberally. A vote of thanks to Mr Padley for his services in the chair brought the proceedings to a close.

LOCAL NEWS

In the days before the war salmon poaching on Tweedside was carried on stealthily, as bailiffs were sure to be on the look-out for offenders. During the past two or three years their watch has been less strict and it is now a common sight in towns up the River Tweed to see men and women aided by boys, helping themselves to salmon in broad daylight. Recently there has been a great run of salmon on the Tweed, and some exciting scenes have been witnessed, and numerous salmon extracted from the river in ways a true-born angler would not approve.

TWEEDMOUTH JOTTINGS

Private James Coulthard, son of Mr and Mrs Wm. Coulthard, Shore House, Tweedmouth, arrived home on Tuesday. James joined up very early in the war, while still considerably under military age, but he was determined to do something for his country. He soon found himself in France and has since taken his full share in many stiff engagements. He was taken prisoner during the great March offensive, while doing duty with the 21st M.G.C., 14th Division.

The Calais lighthouse is a landing light. It is a navigational aid for ships entering the port, and a landmark for those who cross in the Pas-de-Calais Strait, the busiest in the world. Private James Coulthard would have likely witnessed it on his return home to Tweedmouth in 1918. © Ottaviani Serge.

They were completely outnumbered and were compelled to give in. Then their troubles began as they were compelled to carry to safety their own and the German wounded. Next day they were sent off to the lines, very little food was given them and they were subjected to the most cruel treatment while at work, and had to march a distance of seven and a half miles twice a day. Their work was anything but pleasant, being chiefly that of burying the dead. They were then removed to Alsace and had the honour of being the first to arrive in that province, but the journey of 48 hours had been too much for many of them,nearly 70 per cent dying on the journey. After the signing of the Armistice food became more plentiful. He came away from Metz, travelling through France to Calais, then across Channel to Dover, landing home on Tuesday morning. Tweedmouth should be proud of such lads as “Jimmy.”

SCREMERSTON

Sergt. Wm. Mowitt, Duke of Wellington Regt. is home on fourteen days’ leave from France. He joined up in 1915, and has been about three years in France, and has been wounded and gassed in that period in the fighting on the Western front. He was an employee of Scremerston Colliery before enlistment.

Home on fourteen days’ leave, Private Wm. Spence, A.S.C.He has been in the Army about two years, and has been close on one and a half years in France. We extend to both soldiers a hearty welcome and hope they may enjoy a well-earned rest.

LOWICK

We are pleased to report that news has come to hand of the return to England of Private Andrew Lyall, Lowick, who has been a prisoner of war in Germany. He is a son of Mr and Mrs A. Lyall, Farm Cottages. We hope we may soon see him in Lowick, and hear what he has to tell about his treatment in the hands of the Huns.

Another prisoner of war has arrived home at Bowsden, private Bryan Hills, who has been in the hands of the Huns for some time. We hope he will benefit from his two months’ leave in his native place.

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