Page 13 - Phonebox Magazine December 2014

A huge contribution
by Steve Clark
Great War Remembrance
Royal British Legion
The First World War brought immeasurable tragedy to families across the UK, who lost their sons, husbands and fathers to the
trenches.
Here, we continue to publish the names of the fallen, from our local war memorials, exactly 100 years ago to the month. In December 1914 there is only one name. Edward John Edmunds who died at The Battle of Givenchy on 22nd December 1914. From Olney, he was a Private in the Coldstream Guards and was born on 19th June 1897. This made him just 17 when he died.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age Shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them.
The Newspaper
It was getting on for midnight on Christmas Eve and I was sat on a bench at the railway station waiting for a train to take me to see my family. I
intended to stay with them until after the New Year as I had time off work. I could hear the chimes of the church clock as they sounded midnight and then I could hear people singing Christmas carols and all of a sudden it started snowing. This was to be a white Christmas after all. I began to think of my family as I sat there waiting. A man and a woman walked onto the platform and sat on another bench. They were talking in low whispers and it looked as if the woman had been crying. The man I noticed was dressed in the uniform of a World War 1 soldier and the lady wore a dress of the same period. The man walked up to me and asked if I had a Lucifer. This was the old name for a match. He was certainly playing the part I thought. I found my matches and lit one towards his cigarette. I noticed that the uniform looked very convincing with its medal ribbons. They must have been to a fancy dress party. He
thanked me and went back to the lady on the bench. The station was suddenly alive with people. Men, women and children all wearing costumes of the period 1914 – 1918. This was more apparent because all of the men wore soldier’s uniforms, some even carried rifles. It was very noisy now. Everybody was talking.
A train whistle sounded in the distance and a little while after a steam train pulled up at the platform. The sight I saw transfixed me. Every window opened and soldiers stuck their heads out of each one calling to the soldiers on the platform. Men, women and children were now crying and it all seemed too sad an occasion. The train whistle blew and the men boarded the train. As the train pulled away everybody was waving, they carried on waving until the train was well out of sight. The people on the platform slowly left the station while I remained sat on the bench amazed at what I had just witnessed. A newspaper blew down by my feet and I picked it up and noticed the date. It was 24th December 1914. The newspaper then
A short story by Ken Brown
disappeared as if it had not been there. My train arrived at that moment. There were no red signals to show that the last train was still on the track, even though it should have been and as I boarded the train I thought to myself: How many of those soldiers did not come back home?
In memory of my Grandfathers:
Acting Sergeant George John Brown 21327, 8th Battalion Border Regiment, Killed in action 7th July 1916.
Private Walter Henry Lygoe 19615, 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Killed in action 19th October 1916
The Somme, France
Also to the many thousands of others who never made it home
Phonebox Magazine 13