TV documentaries and newspapers featuring interviews from a rapidly diminishing pool of veterans will proliferate to mark the historical watershed.
Commissioning editors will be anxious to ward against D-Day-fatigue and demand revisionist spins on familiar archive material.
But perhaps the most modern and pertinent tale from the British home front in the summer of 1944 has been hiding in plain sight all along — and is rooted in Combe Down’s own history.
The extraordinary case of Leroy Henry will be familiar to those following Prior to Now Trust. The African American G I, whose unit was based at Brantwood House in Southstoke.
Yesterday, Margaret told me that Andy Russell had been trying to reach me but couldn’t. We did, happily, make contact shortly after and Andy, on behalf Gérard, on behalf of Rob, made an awesome local gift – a small shedload of photos of the Combe Down area.
The message said:
“Hi Margaret, sorry to contact you like this but I am unable to send a message to Richard. Gérard Coles, son of the late Robert Coles has given me about 30 pictures of Combe Down and some of its characters. We both agreed that it would be good to get these to someone who can document them and possibly store them in the archive. They are mostly identified on the back. I would like to copy a few and then pass them on to you if that’s ok. Any thoughts?”
Response to the awesome welcome gift:
All I can say is that Andy well underestimated the number of photos (there are actually 83) and, in my opinion, the importance of some of the images. However I’m really glad he persevered, it was worth it.
I’m not going to try describing all, or indeed any, of them – they need to be catalogued, described and listed by someone much more expert than me.
Having said that I shall show a few and look to finding out more about them and all the others.
I’d love to know what you think – even from the few examples.
John Daniels never knew his grandfather, Frank Pine, during his lifetime. He was a man who harnessed the life changing power of a movement – the Bath Hospital Box Scheme to help change people’s lives for the better.
Through his research into Frank’s life, John discovered that Frank’s accomplishments were overshadowed by his death just before the Bath Blitz and its publicity ensuring Frank Pine remained relatively unknown.
He has a fascinating tale to tell though, a tale of social security in two ways: establishing a role in society from humble beginnings and promoting the welfare of a community before the introduction of the Welfare State through friendly societies and local government.
Frank Pine played a significant role in the Bath Hospital Box Scheme, which saved the Bath Royal United Hospital from financial ruin.
Frank Pine relied on his connections to the Beckingsale family and had a close relationship with the Daniels family of Combe Down as he played a crucial role in these endeavours.
Alongside many other local residents, Frank and his family, as well as the Daniels family, actively participated in the political and social scenes of Bath, particularly Combe Down, during the 1920s and 1930s.
We’re so used to the Welfare State, including the NHS that we forget that before the second world war life was distinctly different especially when it came to health care.
This was a compulsory insurance scheme for workers in certain industries, though it generally did not cover family members.
The insurance granted access to a doctor from the local panel when needed, but usually didn’t stretch as far as hospital treatment.
TUCGC HSA
The other scheme was membership of one of the various community-owned mutual aid funds and medical clubs, into which working people could pay while times were good.
They would receive access to a doctor, medicines and sometimes hospital treatment without having to see the almoner, by means of paying in advance.
Organisations followed a similar ‘hospital Saturday’ approach in fundraising for their local hospital.
These were named Saturday funds, as this was traditionally payday for workers, when they could make their contributions to the hospital.
The Hospital Saving Association (HSA) was founded in London on 11 July 1922, focused on providing cover for working people, with both member and their employer contributing.
The association was formed as limited liability, but non-profit.
Those taking part in the scheme were exempted from charges at the London Hospital (now the Royal London Hospital) and other voluntary hospitals taking part in the scheme.
In Bath and the surrounding areas there was the Bath Hospital Box Scheme that was vital to the survival of the Royal United and other hospitals – Frank Pine played an important role in its success.
Hubert Beckingsale – Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette – Saturday 13 April 1940
Death of Mr Beckingsale
Late Mrs Beckingsale
He and his family lived at The Firs and, as well as his role in the Bath Hospital Box Scheme he found time to serve non Combe Down Council.
Combe Down Council – Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette – Saturday 22 March 1930
Margaret and I have been married for over 40 years and it was a ‘no brainer’ to ask her to be a Trustee.
She has many years of detailed administration experience and as chair of the Parents and Friends for Prior Park raised c. £75, 000. Her fetes and Xmas market were always over subscribed.
All these good folk have committed to progressing the development of the Prior to Now Trust towards the vision of “a virtual village”.
What this means is shown in the diagram and, in creating it we want to make sure that the software is freely available to other groups like ours.
Imagine being able to enter the name of an ancestor and being able immediately to find out where and when he lived, what family he had, what he did, how he was related to others in the village, where he’s buried etc. etc
That’s the ‘virtual village’.
All of this, of course, supplemented by a growing body of family history, photos, documents, anecdotes and other historical information.
It’s clear to me that this is a substantial undertaking and, whilst there is some money in the kitty, it will need funding.
We’re looking at a number of options for that.
It’s also clear that having some volunteers will be helpful.
There are 3 main areas where you can help.
People
Places
Production
The first two are about researching and writing about the people or places. Production is about crucial support to publish research results, man the social media etc.
We all have loved ones and want to remember them with wonderful but genuine tributes.
The passing of Frank Sumsion, whose Memories of Combe Down are a well-loved and well-read part of the site made me think.
Frank and Jane Sumsion
What might Prior to Now offer the Combe Down area to not only honour their memory but also “cement” them into our history? An obituary page seemed the obvious solution and would also allow us to search out historical obituaries of people who came before and provide another small insight.
I approached the Sumsion family who, very kindly, gave their permission and provided the material.
I also wanted to remember Glenys Green (née Wynne) who we met very soon after we came to Combe Down in 1984. She became a Godmother to our daughter Victoria and she was just the nicest, most genuine person you could meet. She also did a great deal of voluntary charity work.
SoI asked Etta, Glenys’ grand-daughter, whether she would provide an obituary for Glenys. She said yes.
So came about the obituaries page.
We’d love to learn about your suggestions as to whom we might seek out historically, and it’s not easy, obituaries were quite unusual. Brief announcements of death were published in America as early as the 16th century. But not until the 19th century, and following a lead from us British, did obituaries become more detailed accounts, appearing with regularity in the press.
Richard and Glenys Green
The first obituaries were published in ancient Rome around 59 B.C.E. on papyrus newspapers called Acta Diurna.
Ancestry, has enhanced its online obituary archives by using AI algorithms to extract biographical information from over 262 million obituaries dating back to the 1750s – which sounds like a lot of obituaries until you calculate it as a percentage of people who have lived.
As newspapers began automating typesetting in the 20th century, more space became available for death notices and obituaries.
Newspapers realized the financial potential in publishing obituaries, leading to the modern obituary template taking shape in the 1930s and 1940s. This template typically consists of a death announcement, a short biography, a “survived by” section, and funeral details.
Naturally, we would be happy to receive requests to add an obituary for genuine Combe Down area people – but you have to provide it, and allow us to edit it. There are some suggestions about how to write a tremendous obituary here.
I’ll let you know more details about the Trustees etc. in due course. Most will be known to some of you.
All have an abiding interest in Combe Down, its heritage, history and people.
No one wants Prior to Now’s values to change, but some change is inevitable as I won’t be around.
I’ve run it as a hobby (it’s less expensive than golf, football, tennis, shooting etc!) and that, obviously, will change. There are items that Prior to Now can’t run without. Examples are website hosting, subscriptions for research and genealogy etc.
I have promised an endowment – once the wonderful world of banking concede we’re not money launderers or some such.
More about that soon too as well as more about the volunteers we will need.
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