Life in Thursley during World War Two

This article by Sally Scheffers was written for the 'Victory Euphoria' exhibition which was staged by the Thursley History Society to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE and VJ Days.

“Peace”

Before the war Thursley was a quiet rural village. By 1940 the war brought many changes with locals going away to fight and an influx of troops in the camps all around.

There were three pubs: The Half Moon where Warren Park is now ; The Red Lion, now “Lionacre” on the north slip road from the A3, then run by Frank Millard; and The Three Horse Shoes, where villagers got their beer at the back door from Mr. Fosberry by taking their own jugs as the Canadian soldiers drank the pub dry.

There were three shops and most people went to Bernie Karn's grocery shop where Mr. Christmas was the baker and until 1939 he had used a wood-fired oven. Bread was baked six days a week but not on Sundays. On Sundays anyone could have a joint of meat cooked in the bakehouse at the cost of 1d. - an old-fashioned penny! In 1939 a steam oven was installed and then there were two bakers and two roundsmen as well.

The Post Office also sold a limited amount of groceries and commodities such as stationery, mending wools and thread. It was at the Post Ofiice that the mothers of local soldiers would pick up their wages and pay ten shillings insurance should their sons be killed in action.

Mr. and Mrs. Tozer at The Clump had a more “Dickensian” establishment selling allsorts: paraffin, buckets, long leather boots and sweets. During the war the shop closed when the Tozers retired.

The Church was well-attended with Rev, H. Gordon French, the vicar of one parish as opposed to Reverend Hannah Moore's four today. 

The village school was in the building now used as the Village Hall. There were two teachers who taught the children from the age of five to until their schooling ended once they were fourteen. The children all went to school with their gas masks in a cardboard box.

The Village Hall was a large wooden army hut from the First World War located next door to The Three Horse Shoes pub. It was taken over by the Y.M.C.A. and used as a canteen for the troops. It was later run by the Canadian Salvation Army and a manager lived on the premises, assisted by local ladies who volunteered to do regular shifts to serve tea and coke, cut peanut butter sandwiches and do the washing up. There was also entertainment with dances and Miss Day's School of Dancing putting on skits.

Hambledon Rural District Council was the local council. The Parish Council was headed by William Featherby, nicknamed “Mr. Thursley”, who became one of the Air Raid Precaution Wardens.

The Honorary Secretary of the Horticultural Society was Sid Hall who farmed Mill Farm with his brother Azor. In 1944 the Flower Show was one of the most successful ever held. The shows had always been a day out for the village. There were all the usual classes but also a class for “the largest collection of butterflies”.  There were sideshows after the judging and a military band played during the afternoon in the field at the back of the [old] Village Hall. After the produce had been removed from the Village Hall French Chalk was sprinkled over the floor for the dance. In 1944 there were nine members of the same band playing, “The Lifeguards”, and the pianist was the well-known Harry Parr Davies. For the next two months the band did a regular Thursday night for the weekly village dance with tickets at 1/6d.

There was a very active Women's Institute chaired by Mrs Bertha Pecskai at the start of the war. The W.I. sold meat pies once a week in the Village Hall which were very popular and considered “quite a luxury” though there wasn't much meat in them. The W.I. also issued a limited number of invitations to the soldiers to attend its Annual W.I. (alcohol free) Christmas Party

The minutes of the Committee Meetings of the W.I. give a picture of life during the war:

13^th September, 1939:

 “As the Hall has been commandeered for military purposes, Miss Hughes kindly offered the use of two rooms at Dye Cottage for the monthly meeting, but owing to lack of space, it was agreed to cancel the demonstration on chair seating.

 It was unanimously agreed that a sale of some kind be held in December, profits to be given to Red Cross work.”

11^th June, 1940: 

 “That the National Federation has arranged to help W.I.members, by enabling them to buy seeds co-operatively, at the cost of 1/- [a shilling] each collection. A proposal that two more conferences on War time food, be held in the Autumn.

 It was agreed thar the profit on the Produce Stall be given to the War Comfort Fund.”

8^th October, 1940:

 “Following an appeal for camp beds for the local Home Guard, it was agreed to buy and lend two for the duration, money to be taken from the Comfort Fund.”

9^th December, 1943:

 “Miss Hughes on behalf of the War Comfort Sub Committee reported a suggestion that each woman from Thursley now serving in the forces should be sent a War Savings Certificate of 15% and cigarettes given to members of the Home Guard and A.R.P. This was unanimously agreed to.”

13^th January, 1944:

 “Mrs Robinson reported that disappointment had been caused by the Special Constables being omitted in the distribution of cigarettes to Defence members. It was agreed that the War Comforts Sub Committee be asked to put the matter right.”             

10^th May, 1945:

 “After discussion it was arranged to give members the option of buying the Home Guard beds, which are in perfect condition, at the price paid for them at the beginning of the war and that if more than two applications were made for them, the result should be decided by ballot.

 A suggestion by Miss Hughes for a Social to mark the end of the war in Europe was carried and will be brought up at the Monthly Meeting.”

14^th June, 1945:

 “It was decided that no charge should be made for the use of the urn at the childrens' Victory Party.”

12^th July, 1945:

 “Home Guard beds were not quite up to standard so it was decided to sell at the reduced price of 30/- each.”

9^th August, 1945:

 “Home Guard beds were sold for 30/- each, the buyers were Mrs. Pitts and Mrs. Gems.”

The Thursley Farmers Mutual Aid Group was formed. The village had many small farms and all were expected to grow the maximum amount of food for the war effort. The idea was to pool all available machinery and for the farmers to help one another as much as possible. This Aid Group later became the Thursley and District Farmers Association and was active until the mid 1980's.

The local farmers needed extra help as the men had gone to war. Mr. Gibbs who had a chicken farm at “Oakenhurst” had two Land Girls working for him and they lived at The Red Lion. Reg Cottle found Sid and Azor Hall their Land Girl, Muriel Panting, a former Lyons Corner House “Nippy”.

Thursley and District Domestic Rabbit Keepers Club was formed to produce rabbits for meat and pelts. Sir Bruce Thomas K.C. was the President and they met at The Institute (a working men's club), now named Prospect Cottage.

From the Surrey Advertiser January 1943

Evacuees came to Thursley mostly through connections in the village. The Dears lived in the tea rooms of the Three Horse Shoes and Sir Cyril Hurcomb, Permanent Under-Secretary of the Ministry of War Transport, lived with his family in Dye Cottage thanks to his friend Sir Bruce Thomas, President of the Transport Tribunal. Rock Cottage was let out in the early years and Elsie Cottle's sister Norah came to stay in Bowlhead Green with her two children. Eddie Morgan's (nee Hall) school friend, Doreen, arrived on the doorstep at Mill Farm at the beginning of the war announcing, “I've come home”!

Doreen got a job locally and cycled to work, With the blackout restrictions cycle lamps had to be half covered with black paint so the cyclist's vision at night was extremely limited. Due to petrol rationing there was very little traffic on the A3. However, on a dark night a tramp was walking in the road following the white lines in the centre when Doreen came along on her bicycle doing the same thing. She ran into him and crashed onto the road. Luckily, he was unhurt and carried Doreen to the Red Lion as she had managed to tell the tramp that the people there knew who she was. She was in hospital for many weeks having sustained a fractured skull.

Eddie Morgan (nee Hall) remembered seeing the waves of gliders on D-Day, 6^th June 1944 over the village. “That evening we witnessed one of the most spectacular sights I have ever seen. The clear blue sky that evening was simply covered with gliders going south - from east to west to the southern horizon – there must have been thousands of them glinting in the evening sunshine, laden with supplies for the Normandy beaches. A vision never to be forgotten.”

Victory in Europe was celebrated in Thursley by lighting a huge hastily built bonfire, a couple of Lorne Scots pipers arrived from Tweedsmuir to play and Mr. Featherby, Chairman of the Parish Council, produced an effigy of Adolf Hitler to consign to the flames while he read a suitable “citation” for the occasion. Afterwards everyone went to the Three Horse Shoes to continue the celebrations.