ARMISTICE KETTLESTONE

Monday November 11^TH 1918. About 12 noon the good news reaches Kettlestone that the Armistice has been signed.!! Great rejoicing! Special service of thanksgiving called for 3.45 pm today in the church. Splendid attendance.

The Archbishop of Canterbury desired that a short service should be held as soon as possible after getting the news. We have done it and gladly. Flag on church at once and flags in other places soon after.

Sunday November 17th 1918 Special Service of Thanksgiving. Special forms of service issued by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. Special edition of the national anthem with 3 new verses.

1919 DEMOBILISATION

March 1919 Kettlestone soldiers returning home after demobilisation

WAR MEMORIAL MEETING

April 1919 Vestry meeting

The Rector introduced as a subject for discussion were the parish thinking of doing anything about a war memorial to our Kettlestone band of soldiers who had gone forth at the call of king and country to maintain our cause and especially to the memory of the eight young men who made the supreme sacrifice and laid down their lives for us. And if so what form of memorial? The meeting was at once unanimous that there must be a memorial of some sort and the general idea was that a tablet in the church would be the most suitable. The Rector then said that we had best set about getting the available funds and leave it to another meeting to settle the details.

PEACE CELEBRATION

July 19th 1919 Peace celebration. Tea with ham etc, including chocolate for all the parish young and old. Peace mugs to all children up to 14 years old. Sports for young and old over 20 items. With good prizes. Tea in Rectory barn, sports in Mr Case’s field, Presentation of prizes, Mrs Coleman of Pensthorpe, and mugs presented by Mrs Prentice of Alethorpe House. Dance after in Rectory barn till midnight.

NATIONAL aNTHEM

This is the special version of the National Anthem used at the service of Thanksgiving on November 18th 1918. This copy was found in the Reverend Share's notes.

WAR MEMORIAL UNVEILED

Jan 22nd 1920 Mr D J Coleman of Pensthorpe Hall, chief subscriber £25 to the Kettlestone war memorial came to meet the rector to consult on a suitable position in churchyard for the erection of the monument. The rector gave two positions, and the parents of the 8 men who fell in the war are to be asked to vote on them. No one put in an appearance though invited by the secretary Walter Case to meet the Rector and Mr Coleman. Mr Cooper turned up at the suggestion of the Rector and as churchwarden though not on the committee

Spoke morning and evening about having a board in church to record the Roll of Honour and invited consideration

29th Feb 1920 Unveiling of the war memorial Large congregation Church full

KETTLESTONE WAR MEMORIAL

UNVEILED BY MR D. J. COLEMAN

29th February 1920

On Sunday morning last, the Kettlestone War Memorial was formally unveiled by Mr D.J.Coleman after the morning service. The Parish Church was full when the morning service commenced, visitors from other parishes attending. The Rector, the Rev FAC Share gave a short sermon, laying stress on the fact that occasions like this drew people to church and made them think of things concerning their souls. They should not be ashamed of the things that concerned their souls. At the conclusion of the service the Rector followed by relatives of the fallen heroes and the congregation went outside into the churchyard, where the memorial cross stands on the left-hand side of the porch.

The Rev F.A.C. Share said that they all knew what brought them together that day. It was a sad but proud occasion. They were there to commemorate the heroic acts and bravery of those whom they knew and loved and who had laid down their lives for them on a foreign shore. They had set up a monument of love and affection out of admiration of the deeds they did; so that these men might be held in everlasting remembrance by all in the parish. The Rector the read the dedicatory prayer, which was followed by all present singing hymn number 225, ‘Brief life is here our portion’.

The Rector then read aloud the names of the men inscribed on the monument. Thomas Williamson, Sidney Green, Frank Moore, Fred Lacey, George Colman, Walter Blunkett, Arthur Harrison, Sidney Harrison.

Text from a local newspaper 1920