Broadland during the First World War

[AdnamsGirl]

We visited the Museum of the Broads at Stalham over the weekend as we hadn't been for a couple of years and I know they do change displays around and add new exhibits regularly. This year they have an exhibition about the Norfolk Broads in WW1 which is absolutely fascinating. They have gathered together some incredible artifacts, memorabilia, photos and information about the home front and local lads who were sent overseas. It's on until the end of the season and will apparently be repeated in 2018, but if you get the chance to visit this year then it's well worth a look ... as is the rest of the museum!

 

I have a few images relating to Broadland during the First World War, but not a lot. Here are a few:

 

I believe that a number of boatyards built craft for the Admiralty during the war. This postcard shows an armed launch built by Leo Robinson at Oulton Broad c1915. Built specifically for inland waterways, this launch is fitted with a Vickers machine gun

 

WW1 Armed Launch at Oulton Broad by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr

 

 

There were a number of military hospitals set up around Broadland during the war to look after injured and sick troops being sent back to the UK from the front line. Some were set up in large, private houses such as the Voluntary Aid Detachment Auxiliary Hospital at Brundall House. I've an interesting set of images from Brundall House during WW1 featuring nurses and patients. The patients were issued with blue flannel uniforms, supposedly to make them easily identifiable so they wouldn't be able to head off to the pub which was out of bounds! Various activities were organised to help the men recuperate and recover and the next three photos show day trips for the staff and patients on the River Yare at Brundall.

 

Brundall House WW1 Hospital rowing boats by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr

 

Brundall House VAD Hospital rowing on the River Yare WW1 by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr

 

Brundall House WW1 hospital boat trip by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr

 

 

You get some sense of the sheer numbers of men sent overseas to fight in this next postcard which shows men of the Essex Regiment on Norwich Market Place c1914. Statistically, one in ten of these men never made it home.

 

WW1 Soldiers, Norwich Market Place 1914 by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr

 

 

 

 

More later if anyone is interested.

 

 

 

Carol

[Hockham Admiral]

Yes please, Carol.   :clap

[BroadScot]

Superb research Carol      As John says, yes please.

 

Iain

[AdnamsGirl]

Another one from Norwich, this time relating to defending the home front. This is captioned as being the Norwich Civilians Emergency Corps Parade and would probably also be c1914. This was actually identified for me as having been taken on the Aylsham Road and there was certainly a good turn out. I guess this was the Dad's Army of the Great War, and was one of a number of groups set up to defend Britain in the event of invasion.

 

Norwich Civilian Emergency Corps Parade c1914 by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr

 

 

The threat of invasion meant that the Norfolk coast was considered a prime target due to it's close proximity to Europe. Some of the pillboxes erected during the great war can still be found on the coast and also inland - there's one at Wayford Bridge. The coast was also defended by the 6th Battalion Norfolk Cyclists

 

Norfolk Regiment Cyclists c1914 WW1 by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr

 

 

 

 

Early in 1915, a new threat to the home front came from the skies. The zeppelin. On the morning of the 18th January 1915 three zeppelins, the L-3, L-4 and L-6, were launched from their base in Germany and began the long flight to Britain, armed with explosive bombs and incendiary devices. The L-6 encountered problems soon into its flight and had to return to base, leaving the L-3 and the L-4 to continue their mission alone. Their initial target had apparently been the dockyards of the Humber Estuary, but a combination of bad weather and poor navigational aids saw the airships being blown off course and encountering the coastline of Norfolk instead. The L-3 had arrived at Great Yarmouth and, considering it to be a legitimate target, began dropping its payload over the town. It is reported that the first bomb was dropped over the marshes near Ormesby, but at 8.20pm the second bomb heralded the start of the raid on Great Yarmouth as the L-3 made a steady course across the town from north to south.

Eight bombs were dropped in total, three of which failed to detonate, one landed at the Fish Wharf, and another on St. Peter’s Plain where there was a scene of utter devastation. Many buildings were heavily damaged and two people lost their lives here – 72 year old spinster Martha Taylor and 53 year old shoemaker Sam Smith. This was the very first air raid on Britain and it heralded a new era of warfare.

 

It seems slightly macabre now, but in 1915 it was common to produce postcards showing disasters, death and destruction. I don't think newspapers tended to carry much in the way of images back then so it was a way for the public the see what had happened. We get 24 hour news channels now. These are a few of the postcards produced which showed the aftermath of the 1915 Zeppelin raid on Great Yarmouth.

 

Aftermath of the first Zeppelin air raid on Great Yarmouth 1915 by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr

 

Zeppelin bomb damage at Great Yarmouth 1915 by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr

 

 

The caption for the next image read "Mr Ellis wounded by a bomb and his ruined house at Lancaster Corner, St Peters Plain."

 

Zeppelin air raid damage at Great Yarmouth 1915 - 02 by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr

 

Zeppelin bomb dropped on Great Yarmouth 1915 by AdnamsGirl, on Flickr