Remembering the effects of Conflict

Local People who died fighting in WW1 and WW2 are remembered on our War memorials in the cemetery and in Holy Trinity Church. In 2018 a beacon was erected near the Retreat as a reminder of the sacrifices of our forbears.

In the 1930’s a local doctor, Dr Hugh Gaskell, penned The five sisters to honour the Royal Flying Corp. Dr Gaskell had spent time in the Boer War.

In 1939 the newly ordained minister Rev Leslie Brame left Stowupland to commence his missionary career in China. He wrote in his manuscript ‘As I Remember It’ that he ‘was very glad to be home for Christmas, to be able to spend that time with my family…although I did not know it at the time, I was not to see Mum again‘ She died in 1941 whilst he was in China and unable to return for her funeral.

Leslie ‘had a call from L.M.S to be at the London Docks by midnight on December 31st…our farwell prayers filled us so full of emotion that I could hardly speak’. The Stowmarket minister  Mr Weir drove Leslie and his father to Stowmarket station but his mother waved goodbye from their garden gate ‘but we could not see her for very long, as the blackout was on and there was no moon to light our departture’.

At the station Leslie’s father broke the blackout by shining a torch onto his face, ‘so he could just see the last of me’.

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Mary Bloom shared her memories of her husband in Telstar -‘My Late husband, Cyril (Duke) Bloom was called up on 23rd February 1943. He was despatched to Royal Marine Command Depot at Lympstone in Devon. He trained at Achnacarry in Scotland, not far from Spean Bridge, where there is a wonderful memorial to the Commandos overlooking the valley of the Rover Spean.

Cyril want to France on D-Day plus one, landing on Sword Beach. On 29th June 1944 he was wounded in his arm and was sent home to recuperate. He was wounded again on 21st January 1945, but remained with his troop until he was de-mobbed May 1946.

We went to the 50th Anniversary in Normandy and we were able to visit many of the places seen on television recently, such as Caen, Pegasus Bridge and Arromanches. We also went to Ranville Cemetery where many of Cyril’s comrades are buried – 2100 graves. Sadly Cyril died ten years ago, but I have fond memories of him and our trip to France.