Introduction of New Rector
The Rev Frederic Jarvis left Hethersett in January 1932. His successor The Rev James Mortimer La Fontaine McAnally introduced himself in the parish magazine and was to spend over seven years serving the village before the outbreak of the Second World War. Like his predecessor he was to write extensively about war and the part it played in Hethersett. The Rev McAnally was married with a daughter Rachel Mary. Rachel married Donald Dashwood on 21st December 1940 and died on 8th May, 2001. Rev McAnally had a very varied career. He was born in 1888 which made him 44 when he moved to Hethersett and 51 at the outbreak of the second world war. He was educated at Keeble College, Oxford, gaining a BA degree in 1909 and a Masters Degree in 1913. He was made a deacon in 1911 and a priest in1912 and was curate at Wymondham from 1911 to 1913 before working at Edgbaston in Birmingham from 1913 to 1916 and Eton College from 1917 until 1921. He was Rector of Newdigate in Surrey from 1921 until 1927 and Rector of Haslemere in Surrey from 1927 until 1932 when he moved to Hethersett where he stayed until 1942. He was also vicar of nearby Ketteringham from 1939 until 1942. He moved to Alton Barnes in Wiltshire where he stayed until 1945 when he became vicar of Netherbury with Solway Ash in Dorset. He served there until 1953 and was curate in charge of nearby Stoke Abbott from 1949 to 1951 and Rector from 1951 to 1953. He was Rural Dean of Beaminster in Dorset from 1948 to 1953 before moving to St Edmundsbury and Ipswich from 1953 to 1956 and that saw him living in Southwold. He was Rector of Spexhall with Wissett in Suffolk from 1956 to 1958 before being awarded the living of Shotesham in 1959. He was curate in charge at Worstead and at Westwick with Sloley from 1962 to 1964. It is likely that he died in either 1976 or 1977.
We pick up the story in January 1938 with the Rector talking about unemployment, poverty and hardship before talking about the need to ensure that peace continued:
All our hopes and plans for 1938 however, are subject to the one over-riding condition, that there must be Peace in the world. Peace is still the supremely important question and I believe that the desire for peace is universal in this country and certainly wide-spread in all other countries.. But here we are not agreed as to the means by which it can be achieved; whilst in at least three countries the issue of peace and war does not rest with the people but will be decided by dictators who act in arbitrary fashion and with more regard for their own position than for the welfare of humanity. They really seem to delight in keeping the world on tenterhooks. But there is no need for pessimism. The very magnitude of the difficulties of achieving world peace must make us feel how worth while it is to strive to attain it. "seek peace and ensue it." Talk peace, pray for peace, work for peace. I repeat that it is the supreme question before us today.
In May 1938 the entry included the following:
As I anticipated in my letter last month, a comprehensive agreement with Italy has been signed, which materially lessens the feeling of tension. And now that France has decided to follow suit and to settle the outstanding Franco-Italian points of disagreement, a real beginning has been made with what has been described as general appeasement in Europe. It remains to be seen whether a similar agreement can be reached with Germany and perhaps in particular between Germany and Russia. If that were possible, a great load of anxiety would be lifted from the minds of the peoples of the world. But at present Germany, through her leader, has preferred to keep us guessing what she will do next and to strike suddenly at her prey rather than to formulate precise demands which might be discussed calmly and deliberately round a conference table. Until she is willing to do this, we cannot but remain profoundly anxious and we must continue to pile up armaments costing millions of money which could so much better be spent on all matter of social improvements. A considerable reduction in taxation could raise the whole standard of living and at the same time provide a large surplus for much needed reforms. To take one or two instances at random, just think what it would mean to have a proper water and drainage system in every village, a bath and electric light in every home and more adequate pensions for old people. All these things and much else could be provided, if we were not compelled to spend about 350 millions a year on armaments. The recognition of Abyssinia is inevitable, but raises serious moral questions. For both Italy and Abyssinia were members of the League and as such were pledged to settle their differences without resort to arms. Yet in defiance of this pledge and of other treaties, Italy invaded Abyssinia and has annexed her territory. The very distinguished historian and friend of Italy, Professor G.M. Trevelyan, in giving a warm welcome to Great Britain's tardy recognition thought fit to remind us that in the past we have annexed territory in the same way. But even if this is true, it does not excuse Italy's action. We must take it that the recognition of the fact of Italy's conquest does not mean condonation of her action.
He returns to the question of peace in his letter written in October 1938
Before my letter reaches you, we shall know whether there is to be a peaceful solution of the present crisis or whether we are to have another world war.. For it seems unlikely that the conflict can be localised. Public opinion is now reconciled to the idea that parts of Czechoslovakia, where the population is mainly German, should be handed over to Germany and in fact the Czech Government has already agreed to this. The issue is narrowed down to the question of how much territory must be conceded and on what terms. The detailed Anglo French proposals have been rejected and Germany has made counter proposals which are more drastic but are, at this moment, being considered. So far as I can see the fundamental question is as to the bona fides of Hitler. Can we trust him to respect the new frontiers agreed upon, or having got his foot in, will he steadily encroach on what remains of the Czechoslovak state? The German press is controlled by the Government and it is therefore ominous that certain German newspapers have not hesitated to demand the total destruction of the Czech State. Moreover, it is generally believed to be the policy of Hitler to drive a wedge between France and Russia and so to make the Franco- Russian Alliance practically ineffective.. After which France can be more easily attacked and destroyed. The prospect is grim enough and we don't envy the British Cabinet in the fateful decision it has to take. But it is good to know that that decision rests with such level headed men as Mr Neville Chamberlain, Lord Halifax, Sir Samuel Hoare and Sir John Simon. Here are men of unimpeachable honesty of purpose, entirely devoid of warmongering or jingoism, genuinely attached to peace. We feel that we can accept whatever decisions they reach after a patient examination of all the facts. And we are confident that the whole Empire will follow them.
The Rector's letters are by now full of politics and in November 1938 there is a suggestion that war has been averted.
In an Article that appeared in the Eastern Daily Press shortly after the crisis, Dr Inge stated that we escaped by the skin of our teeth from a disaster that might have wrecked European civilisation for 100 years and which would probably have ended finally the position of this country as one of the great Powers. For although, as he said, France recovered from her defeat in 1870 in five years and Germany was as powerful as ever fifteen years after 1919. our position is much more precarious and we should not recover easily from a crushing defeat. I do not agree with Dr Inge's rather gloomy anticipations which are based upon the unwarranted assumption that we should have been defeated. But even if, as I believe, we should have been ultimately victorious. there is no doubt that the loss of life and property, especially in the first stages of the war, would have been stupendous and our standard of life lowered for many years to come. A contingency that none could contemplate lightly and which was fraught with the danger of a subsequent relapse into Bolshevism and revolution. There is another point to be borne in mind in considering recent events. If we are called upon to make enormous sacrifices we must be convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that our cause is just. This conviction did not exist in the case of Czechoslovakia. On the contrary there was a widespread agreement that the German part of Bohemia ought not to have been incorporated in a Slav republic, for the Germans regard the Slavs as an inferior race and Inge says that to put Germans under Czech Government was as great an insult as it would be to annex Belfast in De Valera's Eire. For these reasons it was impossible to contemplate with enthusiasm a war over Czechoslovakia and indeed Britain would only have fought to defend her ally France, who was pledged to defend the Czechs. The conclusion that we reach is that we must be profoundly thankful that war was averted and grateful to Mr Chamberlain for his efforts on behalf of peace. Yet there is no cause for jubilation and our sense of thankfulness and relief is tinged with a sense of shame and humiliation over the truculent manner in which agreement was forced upon us and over the immense sacrifices demanded of the Czechs. We have agreed to dismember a state which we had helped to set up less than twenty years ago, and that, in order to save the peace and our own skins. Moreover unless a much more solid agreement can be built upon the rather slender foundation of Munich and Hitler gives tangible proof of a change of heart, the relief we have gained may prove to be only temporary and Armageddon merely postponed....... The British people are not easily roused, but there are unmistakable signs of an awakening to the serious danger of the present position and a readiness to fall in with any measures that may be considered necessary for the defence of our liberties. I am convinced that we should respond to bold and wise leadership, and I think we need some younger men to inspire the youth of our country.
By January 1939 there was just a hint that the Rector may have been losing heart.
So serious are the times in which we live and so uncertain the future that our New Year wishes for 1939 acquire a new importance. The are no longer conventional; they assume rather the nature of a prayer. We pray for righteousness and peace..... And if in recent months many have listened eagerly and excitedly on the wireless to Hitler and Mussolini and have felt encouraged or depressed according to the messages they have given, now they might resolve to echo the psalmist's words. "I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people, even to his Saints."
The remainder of that letter sermonises on putting faith in God through prayer. Two months later, the Rector was perhaps at his naive best, talking about peace.
The international situation is more hopeful, peace in Spain seems imminent and if the German and Italian troops are withdrawn one possible source of war will be removed. The main problem as I see it, is to assist Germany back to normal conditions. At present the whole country is organised on a war basis, primarily we suppose in order to back her demands by show of force. Can we satisfy her legitimate demands without her feeling compelled to use the great military machine she has fashioned? The trade negotiations just beginning are no doubt intended to assist in this direction and great importance is attached to them. The question of colonies presents a problem but if it were only a question of ceding land, it could be solved. Two considerations however have to be taken into account, the welfare of the native populations and the danger of Germany establishing military bases which might prove a menace to British territory.
In April he referred to a sense of foreboding that seemed to be taking over.
We may get tired of calculating the chances of war, or the prospects of victory, or the rights and wrongs of this country or that country, Everywhere there is uncertainty, a sense of foreboding, a shadow of the dark cloud. Can we be sure of anything? ....... I believe that Commander King-Hall is right when he says "There can be no compromise between the totalitarian way of life and the democratic way of life. Let us hope that we have heard the last of the nonsensical view often heard from the lips of ministers that it doesn't matter to us what sort of government exists in other countries.... Or take Mussolini's recent statement: "We consider perpetual peace a catastrophe for human civilisation. Here surely the Duce is speaking in an idiom that is entirely foreign to the Christian outlook on life and we wait for someone at the top to say so as plainly as possible.
This from May 1939
The international atmosphere is still strained and we wait from day to day for news of some fresh diplomatic or military move that may affect the destinies of mankind..... It is clearly not enough to pray for peace, for although peace without justice can be had for the asking, that is not a peace that we should desire. And somehow we hesitate publicly to pray for the conversion of Hitler and Mussolini, for that may seem to savour of a self righteousness from which every Englishman instinctively shrinks.
And this from June
I continue to be entirely optimistic about the world situation, especially now that the prospect of an alliance with Russia is much brighter. Great Britain, France, Russia, Poland, Rumania, Turkey and Greece present a truly formidable military combination, and if the USA, also gave active assistance it would seem there is an overwhelming balance of power on the side of democracy and peace. Incidentally we might add there is the nucleus of a great new League of Nations into which Germany and Italy would be welcome just as soon as they gave any positive proofs of a change of outlook. But we must not relax our our efforts towards rearmament, for at present it is only too clear that the two dictators understand nothing except superior force. And any weakening would encourage them to make further raids on other people's possessions. The introduction of conscription in peace time is a revolution in British policy, but it is necessitated by the gravity of the world situation. We don't know how many young men from Hethersett will be called up but we hope they will realise that there is a dignity and honour in service. And British people as a whole need to be reminded that a period of military service is compulsory in all other democratic countries.
The following month the Rector moans about people's inability to make holiday plans because of the worsening international situation.
How long are we to continue in this state of crisis and tension? That is a secret known only to Hitler. Or it may be he does not know himself. The Fuhrer is an incalculable figure. He cannot be judged by ordinary standards; he is a creature of moods and is probably swayed more by passion than by reason. An idea enters his mind, he dreams a dream of Germany dominating the world, he is obsessed by this vision, and from that moment he works day and night, (for he is reported to suffer from insomnia) to accomplish his purpose. There is no instrument he will not use if it will serve his end. Lying is definite part of policy. Anti British propaganda fills the German press and is broadcast to every part of the world. Discontent and revolution are fermented in those cities or countries which are to be seized and are then made the excuse for seizing them. Frantic efforts are made to increase the German population, foreign labourers are imported into Germany and then follow frantic cries for more living space. All the German resources are used up in building gigantic armaments and then, faced with bankruptcy, the Jews have to be robbed or the Czechs invaded and their gold stolen. The stolen gold lasts for a while and then fresh henroosts are sought out to plunder. Whose turn will come next? What is to be the end of it all? What is the way out? These tremendous questions are exercising the minds of the thinking people.. I confess I am less sanguine than I was, just because I believe Germany's situation to be more desperate and because her leaders show no sign of facing up to the realities of the situation. Yet if the sky is darker , this may be the prelude to the dawn of wisdom and of better things. We must not despair. There are many thousands of Germans who view the present position with disgust and are horrified at the prospect of war. If only they could become articulate, the situation might be saved. Meanwhile we must not abate for one second our plans for rearmament and our efforts to build up a powerful peace front. But at the same time we must not cease to declare our readiness to discuss all legitimate grievances and further it might be wise to issue a statement of foreign policy to the world on the lines of President Wilson's celebrated fourteen points. Reason and conscience are still alive in the world and will yet triumph over the forces of the devil...... I am trying to arrange for a holiday during the first fortnight in August provided the international situation allows it.
In September the Rector describes his holiday in North Wales at great length before moving onto the international situation
Though one still meets people who pretend to be too busy or even deliberately refuse to be concerned by the international situation, no thinking man or woman can seriously take up such an attitude. We must face up to a crisis which may decide the fate of ourselves and our children and all that we mean by civilisation for generations to come. For my part and until war comes I remain hopeful, though I cannot pretend to see the way out for the moment. I am unable to believe that Hitler will plunge the world into a war which must ultimately break him and Germany, and which it is common knowledge that Italy is anxious to avoid. The facts are now familiar enough. Until spring there was no hint of danger. the relations between Poland and Germany were friendly until Germany offered Poland a non aggression pact for twenty five years on terms that Poland felt bound to reject. By way of reprisal, Hitler denounced the existing peace treaty with Poland and began a raging tearing campaign in the German press and among the Nazis in Danzig threatening Poland and demanding the union of Danzig with the Reich. This campaign has been exactly similar to that carried on before Czechoslavakia was annexed. No wonder the Poles are nervous of sharing the fate of that wretched country. Their refusal to accept the pact offered by Germany is entirely spontaneous and was not encouraged by Great Britain as the Germans have suggested. Indeed Gt Britain and France offered their guarantees to Poland after and not before Poland had refused Germany's advances. Poland's acceptance of these guarantees is not surprising, for the Poles cannot forget that three times in history their country has been divided up.
And so the war begins and the Rector now has to discuss a future of turmoil.
Many of us hoped up to the last moment that war would be averted, and indeed it might have been if there had been the will to peace on the part of responsible men in Germany. But the despatches received from Sir Neville Henderson and now published in the form of a Blue Book give a detailed account of negotiations with the German Government during the days immediately preceeding the outbreak of war and make it abundantly clear that Hitler and his associates were determined to get their way in Poland, and, if necessary, to fight for it. And as the Poles were equally determined not to yield to force, the clash had to come. In three weeks Poland has disappeared as a separate entity and Russia and Germany are sharing the spoils. Critics at home are saying that we gave a guarantee to Poland which we did not and could not fulfill, and that the Poles may reproach us for letting them down. I do not take this view. I believe that the Poles, with the full knowledge of the risk they ran, were determined to fight even without our assistance. Rather than surrender their liberty to the Nazis they preferred to go down fighting, and of course the entry of Russia finally sealed their fate. It is important to take long views of the situation. Poland is destroyed for the moment but she may rise Phoenix-like from the ashes, and if it is possible to see how this can be without war against Russia, I would say again that we must suspend judgement until the peace conference which must be held after the war is over. There is no finality about anything in Europe just now; certainly not in anything that relates to Russia or Germany. Meanwhile the war must be prosecuted with vigour and energy, and every man, woman and child must make a contribution of some kind towards the common cause. Since the men in the fighting services may have to give their lives, it ill becomes any of us to complain of any single hardship we may have to endure. Greatly increased taxation, rationed food and petrol, severe lighting restrictions, fewer buses, possibly no motors, censorship in the press and of our tongues. All these things are completely trivial beside the supreme sacrifice that will be demanded of many. In fact I don't hesitate to say that many of these restrictions will afford a wholesome discipline. I like the darkness and I greatly appreciate the reduction of cars especially at night and the disappearance of aeroplanes in the sky. People must now leran to entertain themselves at home on winter evenings and to be less dependent on outside amusements.....
As billeting officers I wish to thank all who have helped me in dealing with evacuees in the parish and I do not hesitate to pay a special tribute to my wife for the invaluable assistance she gave and is still giving me. With one or two rare exceptions everyone was most anxious to help. I shall never forget the six hours we waited at the School on the Saturday before war broke out, only to be told at the end that no one was coming. Then another wait of four hours on Sunday before the bsuses arrived. And what a moving spectacle it was! Women and children trooping in with just what they could carry in their hands or on their backs; strangers coming into a strange land: people fleeing from the bombs of the enemy. Many, of course, have already returned to London, emboldened by the absence of the air raids that had been so freely predicted. They could not accustom themselves to a country life and their husbands soon got tired of a bachelor existence. Whether they were wise or not, only time will show. In fact the final verdict on the whole evacuation scheme has not yet been passed.
The following month the Rector seems frustrated by a lack of action.
Though it is nearly two months since we declared war on Germany, there have been no major engagements on land or sea, or in the air. We have to deplore the loss of a battleship and an aircraft carrier with some hundreds of skilled and brave officers and men also a number of casualties in the RAF, but no British soldiers have yet been in action. The RAF continues its mysterious reconnaissance flights over Germany almost unmolested and German submarines are hunted relentlessly day and night. But the expected German offensive on the west and the mass air attacks on Britain have not so far materialised. Doubtless there are reasons for these apparent hesitations; our own reluctance to bomb military objectives and German reluctance to attack seriously on land or in the air. But the difficulty of understanding this has resulted in much undeserved armchair criticism and also the circulation of many rumours. We should beware fo joining in such criticism or of crediting these rumours. At all times we have to defer to authority and in time of war authority resides in the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs. We must trust their intelligence. There has been much correspondence in The Times and elsewhere about the necessity of stating our war aims more precisely and the ingenious Mr H. G. Wells has produced such a statement in the form of a declaration of the rights of man. He prefaces his declaration by the following characteristic statement: "Since a man comes into this world through no fault of his own, since he is a joint inheritor of the accumulations of the past and since those accumulations are more than sufficient to satisfy the claims that are here made on his behalf, it follows:" Mr Wells then proceeds to enumerate ten claims that he would make on behalf of every man. These are interesting from a spiritual and philosophical point of view, but I doubt whether it is practicable to go beyond the general statements made by leading statesman in Great Britain and France. Let me quote two made by Mr Chamberlain: "I trust I may live to see the day when Hitlerism has been destroyed and a liberated Europe has been established." "To redeem Europe from the perpetual and recurring fear of German aggression and enable peoples of Europe to preserve their independence and their liberties." The destruction of Hitlerism, the restoration of the rule of law in International Affairs, the reconstitution of and independent Poland and Czechoslavakia, such are the main causes for which we fight...... While speaking of War I would add one word to those who seek peace. It is possible to have peace even in the midst of war: the peace of a quiet conscience.
Last month I said we must supsend judgement on the evacuation scheme. But if our experience in Hethersett is in any way typical of what has happened elsewhere, it is difficult to resist the conclusion that the scheme has been in many ways a failure. For nearly all the women and children who have been transported here at considerable cost and have been kept free of expense to themselves, have now returned home. When the time comes to review the whole scheme it may be found to have been rather hurridly conceived and without proper consideration of the effect of breaking up homes, of separating wives from husbands and children from parents and transporting people accustomed to town life to rural conditions. And was it wise first of all to give the impression to these people that they would have no expense to bear and then later on to demand payment? However. the Government may be partly excused on the ground that it expected immediate large scale air raids and felt bound to take immediate action.
I wish to strongly commend Mrs Pordage's appeal for woollyy comforts for the men on minesweepers. I do this not only because I have had personally a life long attraction for the navy and the sea, but because these men, who are doing the most perilous work of all, often under conditions of extreme cold and hardship, are apt to be forgotten. Yet the Navy remains the one essential Service and it is still true that if we retain command of the sea, we cannot be beaten in war.
Christmas 1939 sees him in pessimistic mood before going on to sermonise wbout the meaning of Christmas in a passage that has little relevance today and so has been ommitted from these pages..
Even the most incorrigible optimist like myslef does not believ that the war will be over by the end of the year.
We do congratulate Mrs Pordage and her helpers on the magnificent results of their efforts. It is most encouraging. But the effort must not be relaxed. With the growth of mine warfare, more and more minesweepers are being brought into operation and so more comforts are needed. If the rush to do this dangerous work is typical of the spirit of our people, we may indeed take heart. And how it rebukes some timorous and faint-hearted persons at home.
NOTE - The magazine later acknowledges that 146 garments have been sent to trawlers and 35 more to s specific vessel. These included pullovers, socks, mittens and gloves.
The Rector opens 1940 by discussing the contradiction of the existence of a state of war and the possibility of happiness.
Christian people have always known that happiness depends much more on ourselves than on our circumstances....... We are likely to be sorely tested. The spring may bring great military offensives on the Western front, large scale aerial attacks and intensifications of war at sea. There must inevitably be heavy losses in life and material and the civil population will not wholly escape. Stricter rationing, heavy taxation and a lower standard of living all round, except for a small minority whose incomes are increased by the war, will be the order of the day. But all this will be cheerfully borne for the sake of a good cause. I believe that the more we can simplify life the happier we may be. Many things considered luxuries by our fathers are now regarded as necessities, but it may be as well for us to prove that we can do without them. Motor cars and bicycles, bringing with them increasing mobility have made big inroads into home life and hobbies and resulted in men and women becoming more and more dependent on outside entertainments. Now they must stay at home and entertain themselves. All unnecessary expenditure must be given up and self denial practised in many directions. I have heard already of people halving their subscriptions to Church work and charities but I trust we shall deny ourselves first and other people last.
March 1940
The last two months have in some ways been the most trying in living memory. The strain of the war with its losses and uncertainties and restrictions was already sufficient to try the strongest nerves. And then the long period of intense cold supervened, bringing in its train the usual legacy of influenze and illness and increasing the tendency to anxiety and depresssion that is the inevitable accompaniment of war.
In April the Rector was discussing aggression in Scandinavia
The defeat of Finland is another triumph for barefaced aggression and a profound disappointment to those of us who had hoped that with the assistance of friends all over the world she would be able to hold out until more substantial aid could reach her. But Norway and Sweden's dread of invasion and perhaps a certain hesitancy on the part of the Allies made it clear to the Finnish Commander-in-Chief that he could not count on receiving re-inforcements in time. And he decided to accept Russia's harsh terms while his army was still unbroken. It is a sad business, but I cannot see why it should have produced a wave of pessimism all over the country. In fact I see no possible cause for pessimism. Our Navy and Air Force have shown themselves to be instruments of extraordinary power and skill. And if the war on land has not developed, we must be patient and indeed thankful that the first seven months have not produced the long casualty lists of the last war. We and our great Allies have a just cause, almost unlimited resources and very able leaders. When the opportunity arises, we shall use our strength. There are far too many amateur strategists about who are all too anxious to air their opinions and who would certainly lead us to disaster, if we followed them.
We have been warned by the government that we may have to receive a further batch of evacuees in the event of enemy air raids and Hethersett must be prepared to take about 200 school children. As billeting officer I have had to make a second survey of the parish and I want everyone to realise that unless sufficient accommodation is forthcoming voluntarily, the government will use compulsory powers.
May 1940
There is still need of calm resolution in regard to the war situation. Much in Norway is obscure; the difficulties confronting us are very great and there have been reverses necessitating a change of plans. But in our view Hitler has had a tremendous shock and disappointment aprt from the immense material losses he has suffered in ships and supplies. He hoped that Norway would collapse in the same way as Denmark and there were traitors who paved the way for the easy capture of key ports and positions. But fortunately the main body of the Norwegians rallied under their king and offered rsistance and this has given the Allies most invaluable time to assemble and dispatch expeditionary force. We may be confident that in due course this force fighting side by side with the Norwegians and with the powerful aid of the Navy and Air Force will expel the Germans from Norway.
The Budget has been opened, to use the official expression and the Chancellor's secrets are revealed. The main features are probably the so-called sales tax on transactions between the wholesaler and the retailer, and the compulsory limitation of dividends paid by public companies. But the rank and file of the country are called upon to assist by paying increased taxes on whisky, beer, tobacco, stamps and telephone calls. All these charges will be readily paid if they are the price of victory. Our only fear is that if the war is prolonged beyond Christmas, another budget will have to be introduced.
For a few months the Rector seems to steer clear of worldly matters and talks at a more parochial level before returning to the War in October 1940
As I sit in the garden writing, I can hear an Air Raid alarm, which may add point to what I am about to say. Although it requires considerable effort to take one's mind off the immediate events of the war and to look forward, I am sure that the effort is worth making. In fact it is one of the best ways by which to preserve ones' mental balance. All who are not actually engaged in the war should bring their minds to bear upon the problems that will arise after the cessation of hostilities and try to get clear the ideals for which we strive and explore the means by which they can be achieved. The international problems are plain enough: the policy to be adopted towards Germany: the restoration of the invaded countries: fixing of new frontiers: the limitation of armaments: the disposition of the colonial empires and mandated territories: the question of security. Many of our own social problems are also clear: the return of soldiers to civil life: housing and standards of wages: the precarious position of the middle classes under increased taxation: the reform of the civil service: state of voluntary hospitals: agriculture, self supporting or state aided. All of us should be concerned with these questions.
At this point the Rector goes on to discuss the future of the clergy and the organisation of the Church moving forward but in November 1940 he returns to the subject of evacuees:
Since last month more have arrived and now a further batch is expected. With many soldiers billeted in the Parish, the task of finding accommodation for these poor hom,eless people is more difficult than ever, but thanks to the kindly co-operation of may sympathetic people we have succeeded so far. If, however, the task is hard, it is light in comparison with the hardships which many of these women have to endure. In many cases their homes have been destroyed by bombs and anything that remained has been looted, while their husbands have to slepp in the tubes and get meals at Communal Centres. Their spirit in the face of their trials is a tribute to our race and gives confidence for the future.
The Rector rounds off the year by wishing everyone Happy Christmas despite the problems that exist.
I hope you will all have a happy Christmas. In the atmosphere of war and strife that exists today, it is difficult to believe that the festival is so near and I fear the absence of relatives and friends on service and the difficulties of travel, will make impossible this year those family gatherings which form such a delightful part of the Christmas festivities. The presents, too, must be fewer, for the State demands our money in the form of taxes and loans and in any case many goods will not be available in shops.
The Rev Frederic Jarvis left Hethersett in January 1932. His successor The Rev James Mortimer La Fontaine McAnally introduced himself in the parish magazine and was to spend over seven years serving the village before the outbreak of the Second World War. Like his predecessor he was to write extensively about war and the part it played in Hethersett. The Rev McAnally was married with a daughter Rachel Mary. Rachel married Donald Dashwood on 21st December 1940 and died on 8th May, 2001. Rev McAnally had a very varied career. He was born in 1888 which made him 44 when he moved to Hethersett and 51 at the outbreak of the second world war. He was educated at Keeble College, Oxford, gaining a BA degree in 1909 and a Masters Degree in 1913. He was made a deacon in 1911 and a priest in1912 and was curate at Wymondham from 1911 to 1913 before working at Edgbaston in Birmingham from 1913 to 1916 and Eton College from 1917 until 1921. He was Rector of Newdigate in Surrey from 1921 until 1927 and Rector of Haslemere in Surrey from 1927 until 1932 when he moved to Hethersett where he stayed until 1942. He was also vicar of nearby Ketteringham from 1939 until 1942. He moved to Alton Barnes in Wiltshire where he stayed until 1945 when he became vicar of Netherbury with Solway Ash in Dorset. He served there until 1953 and was curate in charge of nearby Stoke Abbott from 1949 to 1951 and Rector from 1951 to 1953. He was Rural Dean of Beaminster in Dorset from 1948 to 1953 before moving to St Edmundsbury and Ipswich from 1953 to 1956 and that saw him living in Southwold. He was Rector of Spexhall with Wissett in Suffolk from 1956 to 1958 before being awarded the living of Shotesham in 1959. He was curate in charge at Worstead and at Westwick with Sloley from 1962 to 1964. It is likely that he died in either 1976 or 1977.
We pick up the story in January 1938 with the Rector talking about unemployment, poverty and hardship before talking about the need to ensure that peace continued:
All our hopes and plans for 1938 however, are subject to the one over-riding condition, that there must be Peace in the world. Peace is still the supremely important question and I believe that the desire for peace is universal in this country and certainly wide-spread in all other countries.. But here we are not agreed as to the means by which it can be achieved; whilst in at least three countries the issue of peace and war does not rest with the people but will be decided by dictators who act in arbitrary fashion and with more regard for their own position than for the welfare of humanity. They really seem to delight in keeping the world on tenterhooks. But there is no need for pessimism. The very magnitude of the difficulties of achieving world peace must make us feel how worth while it is to strive to attain it. "seek peace and ensue it." Talk peace, pray for peace, work for peace. I repeat that it is the supreme question before us today.
In May 1938 the entry included the following:
As I anticipated in my letter last month, a comprehensive agreement with Italy has been signed, which materially lessens the feeling of tension. And now that France has decided to follow suit and to settle the outstanding Franco-Italian points of disagreement, a real beginning has been made with what has been described as general appeasement in Europe. It remains to be seen whether a similar agreement can be reached with Germany and perhaps in particular between Germany and Russia. If that were possible, a great load of anxiety would be lifted from the minds of the peoples of the world. But at present Germany, through her leader, has preferred to keep us guessing what she will do next and to strike suddenly at her prey rather than to formulate precise demands which might be discussed calmly and deliberately round a conference table. Until she is willing to do this, we cannot but remain profoundly anxious and we must continue to pile up armaments costing millions of money which could so much better be spent on all matter of social improvements. A considerable reduction in taxation could raise the whole standard of living and at the same time provide a large surplus for much needed reforms. To take one or two instances at random, just think what it would mean to have a proper water and drainage system in every village, a bath and electric light in every home and more adequate pensions for old people. All these things and much else could be provided, if we were not compelled to spend about 350 millions a year on armaments. The recognition of Abyssinia is inevitable, but raises serious moral questions. For both Italy and Abyssinia were members of the League and as such were pledged to settle their differences without resort to arms. Yet in defiance of this pledge and of other treaties, Italy invaded Abyssinia and has annexed her territory. The very distinguished historian and friend of Italy, Professor G.M. Trevelyan, in giving a warm welcome to Great Britain's tardy recognition thought fit to remind us that in the past we have annexed territory in the same way. But even if this is true, it does not excuse Italy's action. We must take it that the recognition of the fact of Italy's conquest does not mean condonation of her action.
He returns to the question of peace in his letter written in October 1938
Before my letter reaches you, we shall know whether there is to be a peaceful solution of the present crisis or whether we are to have another world war.. For it seems unlikely that the conflict can be localised. Public opinion is now reconciled to the idea that parts of Czechoslovakia, where the population is mainly German, should be handed over to Germany and in fact the Czech Government has already agreed to this. The issue is narrowed down to the question of how much territory must be conceded and on what terms. The detailed Anglo French proposals have been rejected and Germany has made counter proposals which are more drastic but are, at this moment, being considered. So far as I can see the fundamental question is as to the bona fides of Hitler. Can we trust him to respect the new frontiers agreed upon, or having got his foot in, will he steadily encroach on what remains of the Czechoslovak state? The German press is controlled by the Government and it is therefore ominous that certain German newspapers have not hesitated to demand the total destruction of the Czech State. Moreover, it is generally believed to be the policy of Hitler to drive a wedge between France and Russia and so to make the Franco- Russian Alliance practically ineffective.. After which France can be more easily attacked and destroyed. The prospect is grim enough and we don't envy the British Cabinet in the fateful decision it has to take. But it is good to know that that decision rests with such level headed men as Mr Neville Chamberlain, Lord Halifax, Sir Samuel Hoare and Sir John Simon. Here are men of unimpeachable honesty of purpose, entirely devoid of warmongering or jingoism, genuinely attached to peace. We feel that we can accept whatever decisions they reach after a patient examination of all the facts. And we are confident that the whole Empire will follow them.
The Rector's letters are by now full of politics and in November 1938 there is a suggestion that war has been averted.
In an Article that appeared in the Eastern Daily Press shortly after the crisis, Dr Inge stated that we escaped by the skin of our teeth from a disaster that might have wrecked European civilisation for 100 years and which would probably have ended finally the position of this country as one of the great Powers. For although, as he said, France recovered from her defeat in 1870 in five years and Germany was as powerful as ever fifteen years after 1919. our position is much more precarious and we should not recover easily from a crushing defeat. I do not agree with Dr Inge's rather gloomy anticipations which are based upon the unwarranted assumption that we should have been defeated. But even if, as I believe, we should have been ultimately victorious. there is no doubt that the loss of life and property, especially in the first stages of the war, would have been stupendous and our standard of life lowered for many years to come. A contingency that none could contemplate lightly and which was fraught with the danger of a subsequent relapse into Bolshevism and revolution. There is another point to be borne in mind in considering recent events. If we are called upon to make enormous sacrifices we must be convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that our cause is just. This conviction did not exist in the case of Czechoslovakia. On the contrary there was a widespread agreement that the German part of Bohemia ought not to have been incorporated in a Slav republic, for the Germans regard the Slavs as an inferior race and Inge says that to put Germans under Czech Government was as great an insult as it would be to annex Belfast in De Valera's Eire. For these reasons it was impossible to contemplate with enthusiasm a war over Czechoslovakia and indeed Britain would only have fought to defend her ally France, who was pledged to defend the Czechs. The conclusion that we reach is that we must be profoundly thankful that war was averted and grateful to Mr Chamberlain for his efforts on behalf of peace. Yet there is no cause for jubilation and our sense of thankfulness and relief is tinged with a sense of shame and humiliation over the truculent manner in which agreement was forced upon us and over the immense sacrifices demanded of the Czechs. We have agreed to dismember a state which we had helped to set up less than twenty years ago, and that, in order to save the peace and our own skins. Moreover unless a much more solid agreement can be built upon the rather slender foundation of Munich and Hitler gives tangible proof of a change of heart, the relief we have gained may prove to be only temporary and Armageddon merely postponed....... The British people are not easily roused, but there are unmistakable signs of an awakening to the serious danger of the present position and a readiness to fall in with any measures that may be considered necessary for the defence of our liberties. I am convinced that we should respond to bold and wise leadership, and I think we need some younger men to inspire the youth of our country.
By January 1939 there was just a hint that the Rector may have been losing heart.
So serious are the times in which we live and so uncertain the future that our New Year wishes for 1939 acquire a new importance. The are no longer conventional; they assume rather the nature of a prayer. We pray for righteousness and peace..... And if in recent months many have listened eagerly and excitedly on the wireless to Hitler and Mussolini and have felt encouraged or depressed according to the messages they have given, now they might resolve to echo the psalmist's words. "I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people, even to his Saints."
The remainder of that letter sermonises on putting faith in God through prayer. Two months later, the Rector was perhaps at his naive best, talking about peace.
The international situation is more hopeful, peace in Spain seems imminent and if the German and Italian troops are withdrawn one possible source of war will be removed. The main problem as I see it, is to assist Germany back to normal conditions. At present the whole country is organised on a war basis, primarily we suppose in order to back her demands by show of force. Can we satisfy her legitimate demands without her feeling compelled to use the great military machine she has fashioned? The trade negotiations just beginning are no doubt intended to assist in this direction and great importance is attached to them. The question of colonies presents a problem but if it were only a question of ceding land, it could be solved. Two considerations however have to be taken into account, the welfare of the native populations and the danger of Germany establishing military bases which might prove a menace to British territory.
In April he referred to a sense of foreboding that seemed to be taking over.
We may get tired of calculating the chances of war, or the prospects of victory, or the rights and wrongs of this country or that country, Everywhere there is uncertainty, a sense of foreboding, a shadow of the dark cloud. Can we be sure of anything? ....... I believe that Commander King-Hall is right when he says "There can be no compromise between the totalitarian way of life and the democratic way of life. Let us hope that we have heard the last of the nonsensical view often heard from the lips of ministers that it doesn't matter to us what sort of government exists in other countries.... Or take Mussolini's recent statement: "We consider perpetual peace a catastrophe for human civilisation. Here surely the Duce is speaking in an idiom that is entirely foreign to the Christian outlook on life and we wait for someone at the top to say so as plainly as possible.
This from May 1939
The international atmosphere is still strained and we wait from day to day for news of some fresh diplomatic or military move that may affect the destinies of mankind..... It is clearly not enough to pray for peace, for although peace without justice can be had for the asking, that is not a peace that we should desire. And somehow we hesitate publicly to pray for the conversion of Hitler and Mussolini, for that may seem to savour of a self righteousness from which every Englishman instinctively shrinks.
And this from June
I continue to be entirely optimistic about the world situation, especially now that the prospect of an alliance with Russia is much brighter. Great Britain, France, Russia, Poland, Rumania, Turkey and Greece present a truly formidable military combination, and if the USA, also gave active assistance it would seem there is an overwhelming balance of power on the side of democracy and peace. Incidentally we might add there is the nucleus of a great new League of Nations into which Germany and Italy would be welcome just as soon as they gave any positive proofs of a change of outlook. But we must not relax our our efforts towards rearmament, for at present it is only too clear that the two dictators understand nothing except superior force. And any weakening would encourage them to make further raids on other people's possessions. The introduction of conscription in peace time is a revolution in British policy, but it is necessitated by the gravity of the world situation. We don't know how many young men from Hethersett will be called up but we hope they will realise that there is a dignity and honour in service. And British people as a whole need to be reminded that a period of military service is compulsory in all other democratic countries.
The following month the Rector moans about people's inability to make holiday plans because of the worsening international situation.
How long are we to continue in this state of crisis and tension? That is a secret known only to Hitler. Or it may be he does not know himself. The Fuhrer is an incalculable figure. He cannot be judged by ordinary standards; he is a creature of moods and is probably swayed more by passion than by reason. An idea enters his mind, he dreams a dream of Germany dominating the world, he is obsessed by this vision, and from that moment he works day and night, (for he is reported to suffer from insomnia) to accomplish his purpose. There is no instrument he will not use if it will serve his end. Lying is definite part of policy. Anti British propaganda fills the German press and is broadcast to every part of the world. Discontent and revolution are fermented in those cities or countries which are to be seized and are then made the excuse for seizing them. Frantic efforts are made to increase the German population, foreign labourers are imported into Germany and then follow frantic cries for more living space. All the German resources are used up in building gigantic armaments and then, faced with bankruptcy, the Jews have to be robbed or the Czechs invaded and their gold stolen. The stolen gold lasts for a while and then fresh henroosts are sought out to plunder. Whose turn will come next? What is to be the end of it all? What is the way out? These tremendous questions are exercising the minds of the thinking people.. I confess I am less sanguine than I was, just because I believe Germany's situation to be more desperate and because her leaders show no sign of facing up to the realities of the situation. Yet if the sky is darker , this may be the prelude to the dawn of wisdom and of better things. We must not despair. There are many thousands of Germans who view the present position with disgust and are horrified at the prospect of war. If only they could become articulate, the situation might be saved. Meanwhile we must not abate for one second our plans for rearmament and our efforts to build up a powerful peace front. But at the same time we must not cease to declare our readiness to discuss all legitimate grievances and further it might be wise to issue a statement of foreign policy to the world on the lines of President Wilson's celebrated fourteen points. Reason and conscience are still alive in the world and will yet triumph over the forces of the devil...... I am trying to arrange for a holiday during the first fortnight in August provided the international situation allows it.
In September the Rector describes his holiday in North Wales at great length before moving onto the international situation
Though one still meets people who pretend to be too busy or even deliberately refuse to be concerned by the international situation, no thinking man or woman can seriously take up such an attitude. We must face up to a crisis which may decide the fate of ourselves and our children and all that we mean by civilisation for generations to come. For my part and until war comes I remain hopeful, though I cannot pretend to see the way out for the moment. I am unable to believe that Hitler will plunge the world into a war which must ultimately break him and Germany, and which it is common knowledge that Italy is anxious to avoid. The facts are now familiar enough. Until spring there was no hint of danger. the relations between Poland and Germany were friendly until Germany offered Poland a non aggression pact for twenty five years on terms that Poland felt bound to reject. By way of reprisal, Hitler denounced the existing peace treaty with Poland and began a raging tearing campaign in the German press and among the Nazis in Danzig threatening Poland and demanding the union of Danzig with the Reich. This campaign has been exactly similar to that carried on before Czechoslavakia was annexed. No wonder the Poles are nervous of sharing the fate of that wretched country. Their refusal to accept the pact offered by Germany is entirely spontaneous and was not encouraged by Great Britain as the Germans have suggested. Indeed Gt Britain and France offered their guarantees to Poland after and not before Poland had refused Germany's advances. Poland's acceptance of these guarantees is not surprising, for the Poles cannot forget that three times in history their country has been divided up.
And so the war begins and the Rector now has to discuss a future of turmoil.
Many of us hoped up to the last moment that war would be averted, and indeed it might have been if there had been the will to peace on the part of responsible men in Germany. But the despatches received from Sir Neville Henderson and now published in the form of a Blue Book give a detailed account of negotiations with the German Government during the days immediately preceeding the outbreak of war and make it abundantly clear that Hitler and his associates were determined to get their way in Poland, and, if necessary, to fight for it. And as the Poles were equally determined not to yield to force, the clash had to come. In three weeks Poland has disappeared as a separate entity and Russia and Germany are sharing the spoils. Critics at home are saying that we gave a guarantee to Poland which we did not and could not fulfill, and that the Poles may reproach us for letting them down. I do not take this view. I believe that the Poles, with the full knowledge of the risk they ran, were determined to fight even without our assistance. Rather than surrender their liberty to the Nazis they preferred to go down fighting, and of course the entry of Russia finally sealed their fate. It is important to take long views of the situation. Poland is destroyed for the moment but she may rise Phoenix-like from the ashes, and if it is possible to see how this can be without war against Russia, I would say again that we must suspend judgement until the peace conference which must be held after the war is over. There is no finality about anything in Europe just now; certainly not in anything that relates to Russia or Germany. Meanwhile the war must be prosecuted with vigour and energy, and every man, woman and child must make a contribution of some kind towards the common cause. Since the men in the fighting services may have to give their lives, it ill becomes any of us to complain of any single hardship we may have to endure. Greatly increased taxation, rationed food and petrol, severe lighting restrictions, fewer buses, possibly no motors, censorship in the press and of our tongues. All these things are completely trivial beside the supreme sacrifice that will be demanded of many. In fact I don't hesitate to say that many of these restrictions will afford a wholesome discipline. I like the darkness and I greatly appreciate the reduction of cars especially at night and the disappearance of aeroplanes in the sky. People must now leran to entertain themselves at home on winter evenings and to be less dependent on outside amusements.....
As billeting officers I wish to thank all who have helped me in dealing with evacuees in the parish and I do not hesitate to pay a special tribute to my wife for the invaluable assistance she gave and is still giving me. With one or two rare exceptions everyone was most anxious to help. I shall never forget the six hours we waited at the School on the Saturday before war broke out, only to be told at the end that no one was coming. Then another wait of four hours on Sunday before the bsuses arrived. And what a moving spectacle it was! Women and children trooping in with just what they could carry in their hands or on their backs; strangers coming into a strange land: people fleeing from the bombs of the enemy. Many, of course, have already returned to London, emboldened by the absence of the air raids that had been so freely predicted. They could not accustom themselves to a country life and their husbands soon got tired of a bachelor existence. Whether they were wise or not, only time will show. In fact the final verdict on the whole evacuation scheme has not yet been passed.
The following month the Rector seems frustrated by a lack of action.
Though it is nearly two months since we declared war on Germany, there have been no major engagements on land or sea, or in the air. We have to deplore the loss of a battleship and an aircraft carrier with some hundreds of skilled and brave officers and men also a number of casualties in the RAF, but no British soldiers have yet been in action. The RAF continues its mysterious reconnaissance flights over Germany almost unmolested and German submarines are hunted relentlessly day and night. But the expected German offensive on the west and the mass air attacks on Britain have not so far materialised. Doubtless there are reasons for these apparent hesitations; our own reluctance to bomb military objectives and German reluctance to attack seriously on land or in the air. But the difficulty of understanding this has resulted in much undeserved armchair criticism and also the circulation of many rumours. We should beware fo joining in such criticism or of crediting these rumours. At all times we have to defer to authority and in time of war authority resides in the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs. We must trust their intelligence. There has been much correspondence in The Times and elsewhere about the necessity of stating our war aims more precisely and the ingenious Mr H. G. Wells has produced such a statement in the form of a declaration of the rights of man. He prefaces his declaration by the following characteristic statement: "Since a man comes into this world through no fault of his own, since he is a joint inheritor of the accumulations of the past and since those accumulations are more than sufficient to satisfy the claims that are here made on his behalf, it follows:" Mr Wells then proceeds to enumerate ten claims that he would make on behalf of every man. These are interesting from a spiritual and philosophical point of view, but I doubt whether it is practicable to go beyond the general statements made by leading statesman in Great Britain and France. Let me quote two made by Mr Chamberlain: "I trust I may live to see the day when Hitlerism has been destroyed and a liberated Europe has been established." "To redeem Europe from the perpetual and recurring fear of German aggression and enable peoples of Europe to preserve their independence and their liberties." The destruction of Hitlerism, the restoration of the rule of law in International Affairs, the reconstitution of and independent Poland and Czechoslavakia, such are the main causes for which we fight...... While speaking of War I would add one word to those who seek peace. It is possible to have peace even in the midst of war: the peace of a quiet conscience.
Last month I said we must supsend judgement on the evacuation scheme. But if our experience in Hethersett is in any way typical of what has happened elsewhere, it is difficult to resist the conclusion that the scheme has been in many ways a failure. For nearly all the women and children who have been transported here at considerable cost and have been kept free of expense to themselves, have now returned home. When the time comes to review the whole scheme it may be found to have been rather hurridly conceived and without proper consideration of the effect of breaking up homes, of separating wives from husbands and children from parents and transporting people accustomed to town life to rural conditions. And was it wise first of all to give the impression to these people that they would have no expense to bear and then later on to demand payment? However. the Government may be partly excused on the ground that it expected immediate large scale air raids and felt bound to take immediate action.
I wish to strongly commend Mrs Pordage's appeal for woollyy comforts for the men on minesweepers. I do this not only because I have had personally a life long attraction for the navy and the sea, but because these men, who are doing the most perilous work of all, often under conditions of extreme cold and hardship, are apt to be forgotten. Yet the Navy remains the one essential Service and it is still true that if we retain command of the sea, we cannot be beaten in war.
Christmas 1939 sees him in pessimistic mood before going on to sermonise wbout the meaning of Christmas in a passage that has little relevance today and so has been ommitted from these pages..
Even the most incorrigible optimist like myslef does not believ that the war will be over by the end of the year.
We do congratulate Mrs Pordage and her helpers on the magnificent results of their efforts. It is most encouraging. But the effort must not be relaxed. With the growth of mine warfare, more and more minesweepers are being brought into operation and so more comforts are needed. If the rush to do this dangerous work is typical of the spirit of our people, we may indeed take heart. And how it rebukes some timorous and faint-hearted persons at home.
NOTE - The magazine later acknowledges that 146 garments have been sent to trawlers and 35 more to s specific vessel. These included pullovers, socks, mittens and gloves.
The Rector opens 1940 by discussing the contradiction of the existence of a state of war and the possibility of happiness.
Christian people have always known that happiness depends much more on ourselves than on our circumstances....... We are likely to be sorely tested. The spring may bring great military offensives on the Western front, large scale aerial attacks and intensifications of war at sea. There must inevitably be heavy losses in life and material and the civil population will not wholly escape. Stricter rationing, heavy taxation and a lower standard of living all round, except for a small minority whose incomes are increased by the war, will be the order of the day. But all this will be cheerfully borne for the sake of a good cause. I believe that the more we can simplify life the happier we may be. Many things considered luxuries by our fathers are now regarded as necessities, but it may be as well for us to prove that we can do without them. Motor cars and bicycles, bringing with them increasing mobility have made big inroads into home life and hobbies and resulted in men and women becoming more and more dependent on outside entertainments. Now they must stay at home and entertain themselves. All unnecessary expenditure must be given up and self denial practised in many directions. I have heard already of people halving their subscriptions to Church work and charities but I trust we shall deny ourselves first and other people last.
March 1940
The last two months have in some ways been the most trying in living memory. The strain of the war with its losses and uncertainties and restrictions was already sufficient to try the strongest nerves. And then the long period of intense cold supervened, bringing in its train the usual legacy of influenze and illness and increasing the tendency to anxiety and depresssion that is the inevitable accompaniment of war.
In April the Rector was discussing aggression in Scandinavia
The defeat of Finland is another triumph for barefaced aggression and a profound disappointment to those of us who had hoped that with the assistance of friends all over the world she would be able to hold out until more substantial aid could reach her. But Norway and Sweden's dread of invasion and perhaps a certain hesitancy on the part of the Allies made it clear to the Finnish Commander-in-Chief that he could not count on receiving re-inforcements in time. And he decided to accept Russia's harsh terms while his army was still unbroken. It is a sad business, but I cannot see why it should have produced a wave of pessimism all over the country. In fact I see no possible cause for pessimism. Our Navy and Air Force have shown themselves to be instruments of extraordinary power and skill. And if the war on land has not developed, we must be patient and indeed thankful that the first seven months have not produced the long casualty lists of the last war. We and our great Allies have a just cause, almost unlimited resources and very able leaders. When the opportunity arises, we shall use our strength. There are far too many amateur strategists about who are all too anxious to air their opinions and who would certainly lead us to disaster, if we followed them.
We have been warned by the government that we may have to receive a further batch of evacuees in the event of enemy air raids and Hethersett must be prepared to take about 200 school children. As billeting officer I have had to make a second survey of the parish and I want everyone to realise that unless sufficient accommodation is forthcoming voluntarily, the government will use compulsory powers.
May 1940
There is still need of calm resolution in regard to the war situation. Much in Norway is obscure; the difficulties confronting us are very great and there have been reverses necessitating a change of plans. But in our view Hitler has had a tremendous shock and disappointment aprt from the immense material losses he has suffered in ships and supplies. He hoped that Norway would collapse in the same way as Denmark and there were traitors who paved the way for the easy capture of key ports and positions. But fortunately the main body of the Norwegians rallied under their king and offered rsistance and this has given the Allies most invaluable time to assemble and dispatch expeditionary force. We may be confident that in due course this force fighting side by side with the Norwegians and with the powerful aid of the Navy and Air Force will expel the Germans from Norway.
The Budget has been opened, to use the official expression and the Chancellor's secrets are revealed. The main features are probably the so-called sales tax on transactions between the wholesaler and the retailer, and the compulsory limitation of dividends paid by public companies. But the rank and file of the country are called upon to assist by paying increased taxes on whisky, beer, tobacco, stamps and telephone calls. All these charges will be readily paid if they are the price of victory. Our only fear is that if the war is prolonged beyond Christmas, another budget will have to be introduced.
For a few months the Rector seems to steer clear of worldly matters and talks at a more parochial level before returning to the War in October 1940
As I sit in the garden writing, I can hear an Air Raid alarm, which may add point to what I am about to say. Although it requires considerable effort to take one's mind off the immediate events of the war and to look forward, I am sure that the effort is worth making. In fact it is one of the best ways by which to preserve ones' mental balance. All who are not actually engaged in the war should bring their minds to bear upon the problems that will arise after the cessation of hostilities and try to get clear the ideals for which we strive and explore the means by which they can be achieved. The international problems are plain enough: the policy to be adopted towards Germany: the restoration of the invaded countries: fixing of new frontiers: the limitation of armaments: the disposition of the colonial empires and mandated territories: the question of security. Many of our own social problems are also clear: the return of soldiers to civil life: housing and standards of wages: the precarious position of the middle classes under increased taxation: the reform of the civil service: state of voluntary hospitals: agriculture, self supporting or state aided. All of us should be concerned with these questions.
At this point the Rector goes on to discuss the future of the clergy and the organisation of the Church moving forward but in November 1940 he returns to the subject of evacuees:
Since last month more have arrived and now a further batch is expected. With many soldiers billeted in the Parish, the task of finding accommodation for these poor hom,eless people is more difficult than ever, but thanks to the kindly co-operation of may sympathetic people we have succeeded so far. If, however, the task is hard, it is light in comparison with the hardships which many of these women have to endure. In many cases their homes have been destroyed by bombs and anything that remained has been looted, while their husbands have to slepp in the tubes and get meals at Communal Centres. Their spirit in the face of their trials is a tribute to our race and gives confidence for the future.
The Rector rounds off the year by wishing everyone Happy Christmas despite the problems that exist.
I hope you will all have a happy Christmas. In the atmosphere of war and strife that exists today, it is difficult to believe that the festival is so near and I fear the absence of relatives and friends on service and the difficulties of travel, will make impossible this year those family gatherings which form such a delightful part of the Christmas festivities. The presents, too, must be fewer, for the State demands our money in the form of taxes and loans and in any case many goods will not be available in shops.