Hethersett Welcome Home Committee
Towards the end of the Second World War, Hethersett had its own Welcome Home Committee. It raised money through public subscription for those returning from the Second World War. Gifts of £10 (the equivalent of over £400 today) were distributed. Village stalwart Duncan Pigg B.E.M has spent a lifetime collecting information about the village and allowed us to copy a number of letters from his collection from recipients of the generous gift. Many of these are are reproduced below.
One of the leading lights in the Welcome Home Committee was Mr P. J. Hagg who was Duncan Pigg's mother's partner. In April, 1946, the committee sent him a letter of thanks which was signed by chairman S. J. Titterton, vice-chairman T. E. Hall, secretary S. M. Alborough and treasurer V. H. Alborough.
The letter (printed opposite) reads:
"The members of the Welcome Home Committee desire to express their great appreciation of the energy and enthusiasm and ability which you gave as the Chief Organiser of the Welcome Home Fund at Hethersett in 1945 and 1946. We feel that the amount of £2,270 which was raised for the purpose of making a gift of ten pounds to each of those returning from their service in His Majesty's Forces or to the nearest relatives of those who died in active service would not have been reached without your inspiring leadership.
We thought of organising a presentation of some kind to show our appreciation, but understand that this is contrary to your wishes so have to content ourselves with this short letter of recognition of the leadership which you gave us. We feel that we are speaking in the name of the 227 recipients of the ten pound gift paid into the Savings Bank on their behalf as well as for ourselves and others who co-operated with us."
It was signed: Your Fellow Workers in the Welcome Home Committee.
Towards the end of the Second World War, Hethersett had its own Welcome Home Committee. It raised money through public subscription for those returning from the Second World War. Gifts of £10 (the equivalent of over £400 today) were distributed. Village stalwart Duncan Pigg B.E.M has spent a lifetime collecting information about the village and allowed us to copy a number of letters from his collection from recipients of the generous gift. Many of these are are reproduced below.
One of the leading lights in the Welcome Home Committee was Mr P. J. Hagg who was Duncan Pigg's mother's partner. In April, 1946, the committee sent him a letter of thanks which was signed by chairman S. J. Titterton, vice-chairman T. E. Hall, secretary S. M. Alborough and treasurer V. H. Alborough.
The letter (printed opposite) reads:
"The members of the Welcome Home Committee desire to express their great appreciation of the energy and enthusiasm and ability which you gave as the Chief Organiser of the Welcome Home Fund at Hethersett in 1945 and 1946. We feel that the amount of £2,270 which was raised for the purpose of making a gift of ten pounds to each of those returning from their service in His Majesty's Forces or to the nearest relatives of those who died in active service would not have been reached without your inspiring leadership.
We thought of organising a presentation of some kind to show our appreciation, but understand that this is contrary to your wishes so have to content ourselves with this short letter of recognition of the leadership which you gave us. We feel that we are speaking in the name of the 227 recipients of the ten pound gift paid into the Savings Bank on their behalf as well as for ourselves and others who co-operated with us."
It was signed: Your Fellow Workers in the Welcome Home Committee.
Messages Sent with the £10 Gift
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The message sent with the ten pounds read:
Your Hethersett Friends wish you to accept this small token of appreciation for all the sacrifices you have made on their behalf and in welcoming you home, offer their best wishes for the future.
Sadly there was a second message sent to those who had been bereaved and this read:
In Grateful Remembrance of the sacrifice made by your _______________________. Your friends in Hethersett offer their sincere sympathy with you in your great loss.
Before the war ended the committee sent messages to those serving abroad and these included the following:
November 1944
It is with great pleasure that the people of Hethersett send you their greetings for Xmas and the new year. If you receive this after Xmas the good wishes are not any less sincere. A parcel is being sent to as many as possible of those from Hethersett who have left these shores. We hope that yours will reach you in due course. This letter goes with best wishes for your health and happiness and the hope of a speedy return with "something attempted; something done" - as an old song says. All are looking forward to that day.
There are over 90 village boys overseas, and we hope that you may be one of the lucky ones who have met a pal from home. So far we have heard of Mrs Minter's Peter and Jack meeting in Italy. Also Jimmy Goodswen and Paddy Pixton. Mary Orr's husband (better known to many as Mary Curson) came across Dick Blake in the same part of the world and Jimmy Dewing met Tommy Wiles there. Quite a list isn't it? Probably there have been more that we have not heard about.
You are not forgotten, as every Tuesday evening there is a special service when a number of us meet together and pray for your safe keeping. Also relatives pass on news of the "boys" when we meet. The cheerful bits in your letters cheer us up more than the writers perhaps know. We appreciate the effort you make and know that you are trying to make the best of things wherever you are.
The village is full of activity these days, including a "Brains Trust" run by the Women's Institute. The Social Club Committee is very much alive. This Xmas letter and parcel to all those serving in HM Forces arose from their activity. Now all in the place are taking part.
With best wishes of all for Xmas and peace in the New Year.
Yours sincerely
H. Back (Chairman of Committee)
November 1945
Christmas greetings and best wishes for the New Year from Hethersett Welcome Home Committee. This committee consists of nineteen organisations, each sending one representative, and has been instrumental in raising just over £2,000 since it was appointed last summer. The "target" was to provide a gift of £10 to all who were serving in HM Forces when they returned home. We hope that it will not be long before we are able to welcome you back in our midst and present you with the Trustee Savings Bank book containing this amount. If you are already home when this letter reaches you, all the better! Over 200 had joined the armed Forces before VJ Day.
At a public meeting on 31st October the Committee was asked to send you this letter of greeting and good wishes and to let you know about the various suggestions which have been made for erecting a permanent memorial to commemorate the service and sacrifice made between 1939 and 1945. The meeting thought that those in the Forces should have the opportunity of helping to reach a decision on the form which this should take. Perhaps you will let me know if you approve of any of the following suggestions or if you have any others to put forward for a Public Meeting to consider at a later date. So far, the following have been proposed and seconded - 1 Street lighting; 2 Home for old folk; 3 Sports Field; 4 Centre for young people; 5 Maternity Home. It was also the wish of the meeting on 31st October that some of those who have been demobilised and who have returned home should serve on the committee. our aim, as a broadcast talk on the Wireless, put it earlier in the year, is to do something towards establishing a community in which "every man shall have a chance to live as God intended him to live." Now that the victory for freedom has been won we want that freedom to be used rightly. Mr H. Back at the Hall has offered to see that the names of those who made the supreme sacrifice are inscribed on the vacant panels of the war memorial outside the church, and to pay for the doing of this.
Again wishing you the compliments of the season of peace and goodwill, and looking forward to your return home and better days ahead.
The letter is signed by H. Back (President), L. Titterton (Chairman), P. J. Hagg (organiser) and F. Alborough (treasurer).
FOOTNOTE: A public subscription was set up after the war and the current Hethersett Memorial Playing Field was purchased for villagers to enjoy.
The accounts for the Welcome Home Committee fund published in the village Good News magazine details the total of over £2000 being raised by public subscription and fund-raising events such as jumble sales, darts events, whist drives and concerts.
An advert in the same publication for the Hethersett Welcome Home Fund lists coming events including a grand fete and gala , a great sports meeting, a grand concert, a flower and vegetable show, an auction, whist drives, dances and socials.
Below are copies of letters of appreciation received following the monetary gifts. Click on the letters to enlarge them so that they can be read.
Your Hethersett Friends wish you to accept this small token of appreciation for all the sacrifices you have made on their behalf and in welcoming you home, offer their best wishes for the future.
Sadly there was a second message sent to those who had been bereaved and this read:
In Grateful Remembrance of the sacrifice made by your _______________________. Your friends in Hethersett offer their sincere sympathy with you in your great loss.
Before the war ended the committee sent messages to those serving abroad and these included the following:
November 1944
It is with great pleasure that the people of Hethersett send you their greetings for Xmas and the new year. If you receive this after Xmas the good wishes are not any less sincere. A parcel is being sent to as many as possible of those from Hethersett who have left these shores. We hope that yours will reach you in due course. This letter goes with best wishes for your health and happiness and the hope of a speedy return with "something attempted; something done" - as an old song says. All are looking forward to that day.
There are over 90 village boys overseas, and we hope that you may be one of the lucky ones who have met a pal from home. So far we have heard of Mrs Minter's Peter and Jack meeting in Italy. Also Jimmy Goodswen and Paddy Pixton. Mary Orr's husband (better known to many as Mary Curson) came across Dick Blake in the same part of the world and Jimmy Dewing met Tommy Wiles there. Quite a list isn't it? Probably there have been more that we have not heard about.
You are not forgotten, as every Tuesday evening there is a special service when a number of us meet together and pray for your safe keeping. Also relatives pass on news of the "boys" when we meet. The cheerful bits in your letters cheer us up more than the writers perhaps know. We appreciate the effort you make and know that you are trying to make the best of things wherever you are.
The village is full of activity these days, including a "Brains Trust" run by the Women's Institute. The Social Club Committee is very much alive. This Xmas letter and parcel to all those serving in HM Forces arose from their activity. Now all in the place are taking part.
With best wishes of all for Xmas and peace in the New Year.
Yours sincerely
H. Back (Chairman of Committee)
November 1945
Christmas greetings and best wishes for the New Year from Hethersett Welcome Home Committee. This committee consists of nineteen organisations, each sending one representative, and has been instrumental in raising just over £2,000 since it was appointed last summer. The "target" was to provide a gift of £10 to all who were serving in HM Forces when they returned home. We hope that it will not be long before we are able to welcome you back in our midst and present you with the Trustee Savings Bank book containing this amount. If you are already home when this letter reaches you, all the better! Over 200 had joined the armed Forces before VJ Day.
At a public meeting on 31st October the Committee was asked to send you this letter of greeting and good wishes and to let you know about the various suggestions which have been made for erecting a permanent memorial to commemorate the service and sacrifice made between 1939 and 1945. The meeting thought that those in the Forces should have the opportunity of helping to reach a decision on the form which this should take. Perhaps you will let me know if you approve of any of the following suggestions or if you have any others to put forward for a Public Meeting to consider at a later date. So far, the following have been proposed and seconded - 1 Street lighting; 2 Home for old folk; 3 Sports Field; 4 Centre for young people; 5 Maternity Home. It was also the wish of the meeting on 31st October that some of those who have been demobilised and who have returned home should serve on the committee. our aim, as a broadcast talk on the Wireless, put it earlier in the year, is to do something towards establishing a community in which "every man shall have a chance to live as God intended him to live." Now that the victory for freedom has been won we want that freedom to be used rightly. Mr H. Back at the Hall has offered to see that the names of those who made the supreme sacrifice are inscribed on the vacant panels of the war memorial outside the church, and to pay for the doing of this.
Again wishing you the compliments of the season of peace and goodwill, and looking forward to your return home and better days ahead.
The letter is signed by H. Back (President), L. Titterton (Chairman), P. J. Hagg (organiser) and F. Alborough (treasurer).
FOOTNOTE: A public subscription was set up after the war and the current Hethersett Memorial Playing Field was purchased for villagers to enjoy.
The accounts for the Welcome Home Committee fund published in the village Good News magazine details the total of over £2000 being raised by public subscription and fund-raising events such as jumble sales, darts events, whist drives and concerts.
An advert in the same publication for the Hethersett Welcome Home Fund lists coming events including a grand fete and gala , a great sports meeting, a grand concert, a flower and vegetable show, an auction, whist drives, dances and socials.
Below are copies of letters of appreciation received following the monetary gifts. Click on the letters to enlarge them so that they can be read.
The Welcome Home Committee was eventually disbanded but funds were transferred to a Hethersett Peace Memorial Fund. Those who had served were asked what form a lasting memorial should take. Suggestions included street lighting, a "home for old folk", a sports field, a centre for young people and a maternity home.
The most popular answer was for a sports field. Further fundraising events were held until there was enough money to buy land from local farmer Mr. P. H. Curson. In March, 1959, the purchase of the land was completed and the playing field was formally opened by the Managing Director of Mackintosh Chocolate and local resident Charles Wood, the Second Earl of Halifax. The plaque erected to mark the occasion gave the name of the playing field as Hethersett Memorial Field and Garden. It still exists, providing a home for many local sports clubs.
Below are images of minutes of the Hethersett Memorial Fund. Once again click on the individual images to enlarge them and make them readable.
The most popular answer was for a sports field. Further fundraising events were held until there was enough money to buy land from local farmer Mr. P. H. Curson. In March, 1959, the purchase of the land was completed and the playing field was formally opened by the Managing Director of Mackintosh Chocolate and local resident Charles Wood, the Second Earl of Halifax. The plaque erected to mark the occasion gave the name of the playing field as Hethersett Memorial Field and Garden. It still exists, providing a home for many local sports clubs.
Below are images of minutes of the Hethersett Memorial Fund. Once again click on the individual images to enlarge them and make them readable.
