By Richard Bryant and Janet Bishop, Lindfield History Project Group
Unfortunately, local and national events planned to mark VE Day 75 on the May bank holiday had to be cancelled due to the Coronavirus. Currently any events in August remembering the final ending of the war are looking doubtful, but what was happening in Lindfield and Scaynes Hill at this time in 1945?
In the first days of May 1945 there was great expectation that the war would soon be over. One sign of the impending Allied victory was the gradual return to this country of British prisoners of war captured by the Germans. The 5th May 1945 entry in Helena Hall’s war diary recorded that ‘Yesterday evening 340 of our POWs arrived at Paxhill Camp, one of the reception areas. In the afternoon today, I, with many others, went there to help sew on the men’s badges’. She noted: ‘The men all looked well and had happy faces after being prisoners for so long’. A mood of relief and happiness was spreading throughout the land.
On Monday 7th May 1945, the Government announcement of Victory in Europe Day was keenly awaited, and this was declared as 8th May 1945. Helena Hall recorded that she was busy making a Victory flag; a red V on white to hang outside her house. Shops were being decorated with red, white and blue and village children were happily building a large bonfire on the Common with material collected from around the village. Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th May were designated as Victory Holiday.
Newspapers carried a Ministry of Food announcement requiring shops ‘to provide a service during the V Holiday that will enable the public to obtain their essential minimum food supplies’, by opening for at least one hour.
In contrast to the jubilant crowds wildly celebrating in London, the VE-Day events in Lindfield were more sedate but the mood was none the less joyous. Helena Hall provides a lovely description of events in Lindfield writing: ‘In the evening at 7.30 we had a Thanksgiving Service in the church, a special service, details printed on a red leaflet given to all who came. The church was full’. This was followed by a grand procession of flaming torches that ‘came along from Pondcroft, and the Common to the bonfire, which was lighted about 9.30’, when the torches were thrown on the fire. When alight ‘a very large swastika and an effigy of Hitler in an old armchair were thrown on to the blaze. It was a perfect night for a bonfire and fireworks, fine and no wind. All the village was about, and singing around it went on till midnight’. A collection of £7 was made for the prizes for children’s sports to be held the following day. The Mid Sussex Times reported the sports proved most successful, with Messrs C Anscombe, E Dawes and F Howell acting as stewards.
At Scaynes Hill, their VE-Day event started with the Vicar conducting an open air service outside the Anchor Inn attended by about 200 people. This was followed by a well-attended social and dance in the Women’s Institute Hall. The evening culminated with a bonfire and firework display on Scaynes Hill Common.
Helena Hall, when writing the closing entry to her diary, no doubt reflected everyone’s thoughts: ‘It is impossible to give enough thanks to God for our great deliverance. Not until the war of Japan is over shall we have all our men home again. I pray that will not be a long war’. For, despite Germany having surrendered, the war was not over as fighting against the Japanese continued in the Far East, perhaps accounting for the rather measured local celebrations. When the war finally ended on 15th August 1945, VJ-Day, Lindfield and Scaynes Hill held larger celebratory events.
The Lindfield Peace Celebration Committee brought together clubs and organisations to provide a full programme of events for the two day VJ holiday. On Wednesday morning, following the Town Crier awakening the village, a service was held at All Saints and in the afternoon a cricket match against Ardingly was played on the Common; the home team winning 131 to 47. In the evening the village churches came together for an open air service. Afterwards a whist drive together with a social and dance was held in King Edward Hall, organised by the British Legion Women’s Section.
The next day’s programme started with sports on the Common. Events for children included three legged, skipping, blindfolded and potato races. Men and women were equally well catered for with events such as men’s boot race, women’s shoe race, a mixed cigarette race and a slow bicycle race in addition to running races. The afternoon’s fun also included a baby show and a tea catering for 400 children and 200 adults, with over 1,200 sandwiches, masses of bread rolls and cakes being devoured. In the evening there was a fancy dress competition for children and adults. While the entrants paraded, ‘Mrs Lampson perched high on a farm cart at a piano’ provided the music.
As dusk gathered, 100 flaming torches, made by the bonfire boys, were paraded to the church and back to the Common for the lighting of the massive bonfire. The crowd sang and danced around the fire, ‘whilst Mrs Lampson, still perched on the farm cart, accompanied them on the piano’. As the bonfire died down, many moved on to the pond to view the island illuminated with fairy lights and the firing of rockets, before entering King Edward Hall for a whist drive and dance to conclude the celebrations.
A not dissimilar programme of events was organised at Scaynes Hill with, on the first day, an open air service in front of the Anchor Inn, and a social and dance in the gaily decorated Women’s Institute Hall. Dancing to the Belgrave Dance Band continued until 2.15am! During the evening, a large bonfire built by the children was lit and a firework display much enjoyed. The second day was devoted to children, with races on Scaynes Hill Common and tea in the Women’s Institute Hall.
VJ-Day brought peace and the end to almost six years of fighting, during which time over 400 men and women from Lindfield and Scaynes Hill served in the military. Sadly 41 Lindfield men and seven Scaynes Hill men gave their lives in the conflict.
Contact Lindfield History Project Group on 01444 482136 or visit https://lindfieldhistoryproject.group/