Benefice-Priest in Charge
Katrina Dykes
Address given by Rev’d Katrina Dykes for the service at St Peter’s to commemorate 75 years since the V-1 bombing of Goodworth Clatford.
Florence Ellen Ruth (Rose) Whatton; Ellen Tatford; William George Jones; Cecily Edith Jones (nee Taylor); Derek George Jones; Sylvia Patricia Church (nee Free); Gilbert Canning Smyth, lost their lives that fateful night 15thJuly 1944.
Muriel and Stan Whatton and Christopher Ernest Church, lost their mothers that fateful night 15th July 1944.
Effie Blake, her son Charlie and her mother Mrs Cook lived at Yew Tree Farm Cottages (where Pegasus and Burdock Cottage are now);
Next door were the Mays. Mr May was the Carter on Yew Tree Farm;
The Pains at The Forge;
Fred and Lil Welham at The Royal Oak;
The two Miss Bates at Little Thatch;
Mrs Fanner and Fred lived next door to The Thatch;
Jessie Carter at the shop;
Ernest Norman, Amos, Fanny and Terry Shawyer at The Stores;
The Blake family, Mr & Mrs Moore and John and Mary Dunford who lived in cottages at the bottom of Barrow Hill.
All these lost homes and livelihoods at least temporarily that fateful night 15th July 1944.
There were 83 homes in the village upon which the bomb left its mark that fateful night 15th July 1944.
The children of the village and staff Mrs Johnstone and Miss Irving lost their school building that fateful night 15th July 1944.
Not many of us here can put a faces to these names, though some here can. We consider it a privilege to have relatives of those whose lives were so deeply affected, come and be with us this day, to remember who and what was lost.
HenryGeorgeJames Dowling,
RosemaryJoan(Claridge) Dowling
Jean Knight (now Jean Bray) who was 9 when the blast from the explosion entered Yew Tree Farm
House through her bedroom window
These ae of course beloved members of our village community, on whose memories the events of that night and the following days are marked forever.
We come here today to remember with you the terrible losses of that night – residents, recent arrivals, those here almost by accident.
We come also to remember and celebrate the courage, compassion, determination and good humour, with which the people of this village rescued the injured, looked after the homeless, rebuilt shattered homes and lives, and came through this disaster. Those of us who have moved into this village in more recent times, are proud of the community we have joined.
May we continue to live the example you have set for us that this village will be a place celebrated for its welcome of outsiders and care for each other.
The local newspaper of the time reported ‘one gleam of sunshine… the grand work done by the Civil Defence services, the Police, The Army, Homeguard and U.S. soldiers, and they in turn have nothing but the greatest praise for the behaviour of the parishioners…. Those villagers who houses were only slightly damaged hurried outside to see if they could help and kindly neighbours sheltered some whose homes had been destroyed.’
The story of that night and the response has been meticulously harvested, documented and told by Wendy Terry – Thank you Wendy, we owe you a debt of gratitude.
I want to play a little of a recording which I think encompasses the events of that night (Laurie Hillier recording).
The doodlebug has been described as a ‘devilish weapon’. And it certainly unleashed devastation not only here but in numerous communities in the south and east of England. Laurie Hillier reflecting on the events of that night says that as a result of the damage, some properties in the village in which people were living in poor conditions were rebuilt to a better standard, and asks, why is it that too often we wait for such horrors before we change things and put them right.
I wonder whether there are other evils around us today, which have the fingerprints of the devil on them:
We might consider the disaster of Grenfell Tower clad in materials that created a death trap. There are buildings still waiting to be re-clad. We may consider social contexts which are a breeding ground for violence and knife crime. What about the mental health crisis among the young men of our country. Some of these we may be tempted to say are issues too complicated or painful for us to contemplate or engage with.
The two Bible readings we have had read to us today, point us towards a vision of peace between heaven and earth, between God and humanity, that in turn creates a world of goodness and abundance. Those of us who call ourselves Christian, are called to hold this vision before ourselves and live it out for others to see. To be messengers and ambassadors for God’s Kingdom in the world.
Friends and neighbours, visitors and those here today by accident, let us commit ourselves to living courageously, compassionately, with determination and good humour, not only for the benefit of our neighbourhood but wherever and whenever we encounter someone who needs our help.
beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.’
Florence Ellen Ruth (Rose) Whatton; Ellen Tatford; William George Jones; Cecily Edith Jones (nee Taylor); Derek George Jones; Sylvia Patricia Church (nee Free); Gilbert Canning Smyth, lost their lives that fateful night 15thJuly 1944.
Muriel and Stan Whatton and Christopher Ernest Church, lost their mothers that fateful night 15th July 1944.
Effie Blake, her son Charlie and her mother Mrs Cook lived at Yew Tree Farm Cottages (where Pegasus and Burdock Cottage are now);
Next door were the Mays. Mr May was the Carter on Yew Tree Farm;
The Pains at The Forge;
Fred and Lil Welham at The Royal Oak;
The two Miss Bates at Little Thatch;
Mrs Fanner and Fred lived next door to The Thatch;
Jessie Carter at the shop;
Ernest Norman, Amos, Fanny and Terry Shawyer at The Stores;
The Blake family, Mr & Mrs Moore and John and Mary Dunford who lived in cottages at the bottom of Barrow Hill.
All these lost homes and livelihoods at least temporarily that fateful night 15th July 1944.
There were 83 homes in the village upon which the bomb left its mark that fateful night 15th July 1944.
The children of the village and staff Mrs Johnstone and Miss Irving lost their school building that fateful night 15th July 1944.
Not many of us here can put a faces to these names, though some here can. We consider it a privilege to have relatives of those whose lives were so deeply affected, come and be with us this day, to remember who and what was lost.
HenryGeorgeJames Dowling,
RosemaryJoan(Claridge) Dowling
Jean Knight (now Jean Bray) who was 9 when the blast from the explosion entered Yew Tree Farm
House through her bedroom window
These ae of course beloved members of our village community, on whose memories the events of that night and the following days are marked forever.
We come here today to remember with you the terrible losses of that night – residents, recent arrivals, those here almost by accident.
We come also to remember and celebrate the courage, compassion, determination and good humour, with which the people of this village rescued the injured, looked after the homeless, rebuilt shattered homes and lives, and came through this disaster. Those of us who have moved into this village in more recent times, are proud of the community we have joined.
May we continue to live the example you have set for us that this village will be a place celebrated for its welcome of outsiders and care for each other.
The local newspaper of the time reported ‘one gleam of sunshine… the grand work done by the Civil Defence services, the Police, The Army, Homeguard and U.S. soldiers, and they in turn have nothing but the greatest praise for the behaviour of the parishioners…. Those villagers who houses were only slightly damaged hurried outside to see if they could help and kindly neighbours sheltered some whose homes had been destroyed.’
The story of that night and the response has been meticulously harvested, documented and told by Wendy Terry – Thank you Wendy, we owe you a debt of gratitude.
I want to play a little of a recording which I think encompasses the events of that night (Laurie Hillier recording).
The doodlebug has been described as a ‘devilish weapon’. And it certainly unleashed devastation not only here but in numerous communities in the south and east of England. Laurie Hillier reflecting on the events of that night says that as a result of the damage, some properties in the village in which people were living in poor conditions were rebuilt to a better standard, and asks, why is it that too often we wait for such horrors before we change things and put them right.
I wonder whether there are other evils around us today, which have the fingerprints of the devil on them:
We might consider the disaster of Grenfell Tower clad in materials that created a death trap. There are buildings still waiting to be re-clad. We may consider social contexts which are a breeding ground for violence and knife crime. What about the mental health crisis among the young men of our country. Some of these we may be tempted to say are issues too complicated or painful for us to contemplate or engage with.
The two Bible readings we have had read to us today, point us towards a vision of peace between heaven and earth, between God and humanity, that in turn creates a world of goodness and abundance. Those of us who call ourselves Christian, are called to hold this vision before ourselves and live it out for others to see. To be messengers and ambassadors for God’s Kingdom in the world.
Friends and neighbours, visitors and those here today by accident, let us commit ourselves to living courageously, compassionately, with determination and good humour, not only for the benefit of our neighbourhood but wherever and whenever we encounter someone who needs our help.
beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.’
