Exhibition of WW1 artefacts – Brightling, East Sussex – village website

After the performance of the film shown on 15th September 2018 to commemorate the men of Brightling, who died  in WW1,  we held an exhibition of WW1 artefacts lent by the people of Brightling.  We were asked if we could provide a record of the evening.  Here it is:-

Photo of film screen showing the Poppy trough in front, contributed to by everyone who attended that evening

This is a sample of what we saw at the Exhibition in St. Nicholas’s Chapel

Original letter from Leonard CarleyOld sheet music for Roses of Picardy
(the theme in the WW1 film)
Medals: Leonard’s Dead Man’s Penny
British Memorial Plaque
Star Medal and British War Medal
Bob – Victory Medal
Sweetheart cushion embroidered
Newspaper cutting showing a later reunion of Bob’sPhoto of Leonard’s parents
Leonard’s Dead Man’s Penny
embroidered and beaded by injured soldiers during their recovery
copy of pages 2-3 of Leonard’s original letter (see translation on War Memorial page)

Top left is cartoon of a Zeppelin being shot down on 4th May 1916 by Mary Cox’s father Robert Tatton Bower from HMS Inconstant.

Bottom left a collection of Robert’s medals.

Top right – letter from Robert describing the Battle of Jutland when he was on HMS Inconstant with an extract from the Daily Telegraph reporting the battle dated 3rd June 1916

Bottom right – copy of the Military record for (now) Commander Robert Bower M.P.     ………….

Cartoon showing L to R in each line Approaching. Under Fire Turning Dropping ballast tail down Standing on tail. Falling. Falling Fast Down. Blew up (below horizon)
Military Record of Commander Bower M.P., artist of the Zeppelin cartoon

Photographs lent by the French family at Glebe Farm:  all photos relate to the Sussex Yeomanry

Sussex Yeomanry Lewes Camp 1914 – 1st prize best tents and 1st prize best kept saddlery
Chester French – the man with the axe
Chester French in uniform, 4th from the right back row
not a clear photo, but it does show the Sussex Yeomanry at war.

clockwise from top centre:

Shell Jug (Trench art) from Messine

embroidered postcard

Engraved Brass Shell Trench Art

framed letter (see below for full transcription)

paper poppy as were made for decoration on 15/9 (see first and last photos) representing a ceramic one in memory of Charles Frederick William Booth

framed photo showing Mary Cox’s father in uniform

Transcription of framed letter:

part of a letter written from a young soldier on 18th March 1917.  The heading is YMCA  H.M. Forces on Active Service, stationed at Swanage.

Dear Mother and all, just a few lines to say I received the parcel alright with currant cakes and tases in.  They are a lot better than the cake we got here and go a lot further.  We have had a nice warm summers day to day Sunday and it looks its going to be nice for a week or two.  We went to the picture on Sat they were groppod (sic) and they shortly afterwards announced the fall of Bapaum and there was a lot of cheering.  There is a fellow sleeping in our room that come from the front  last week, he said there are thousands of Cavalry waiting just behind the firing line ready to break through anytime so there seams to be good prospects ahead.  I have a knife here that a fellow gave me he picked it up when they first landed at mons it has France written on the blades so I will bring it over sometime.  I was not surprised when I herd……


This beautiful collection of  embroidered postcards was lent by Peter Miles in Mountfield.  They were popular souvenirs to send home at the time.


Close-up of items lent by Mark Bridge belonging to Bernard Prentice Starnes Turner, his Grandfather

photo on left – from the postcards showing at the top:

Ammunition pouch

holster

left of holster are  mounted Insignia cap badge, shoulder mark of Army Service Corps and a Sweetheart’s brooch

left front Princess Mary Christmas 1914 Gift Tin usually holding smoking requisites or writing paper and envelopes

centre front swagger stick and then to the right (enlarged below)  is a photograph of Bernard with the swagger stick.  Bernard was of the South Nottinghamshire Hussars, originally a cavalry regiment but by the middle of the war his unit was dismounted and issued with bicycles.

Bernard taken towards end of the war.

Also on display that evening (but not photographed)

Flying Jacket and photo of Tom wearing the Jacket.

Old Contemptibles Badge and other items

Various letters and photographs from the war


photo taken by Jane Oxenford of Poppies taken from film display and kept in church for the whole year.
Battle Observer 28/9/2018 Photo taken by Louise Dando