WORLD WAR 1 Below: Theo Veale


The war did not leave the town unscathed – in fact, the war’s impact was often felt pretty close to home. The channel was a hotbed of conflict and danger – Mayor Wilton, who was a partner in shipping firm Renwick-Wilton, saw two of his coaling boats, the ss Torquay and the ss Churston, strike mines whilst transporting coal from Blythe to the Dart, with the loss of five men. on one occasion four u-Boats were spotted just outside the harbour, the


news of which must have sent a chill down the spines off all those who made their living on the water. The war saw massive reductions in visiting ships to the river, reducing the income for the Dart Harbour Commission but perhaps more importantly for the men who earned their living coaling the ships – the coal lumpers. The lumpers and dockworkers were only paid for the work they did and as work dried up fierce competition resulted in their wages, not high in the first place, to being reduced. It was perhaps no coincidence that a large contingent signed up to the Devonshire Regiment in 1916. The remaining men began to realise their power in the diminished times of the war and joined the Dock, Wharf, Riverside and general Worker’s union, and forced pay rises from the remaining employers –a sign of the tumultuous times.


Despite the bogging down of the war and the growing unease at the high casualties, the support for the men fighting it was unwavering. In 1915 Mrs Fitzherbert, who


lived at glendene, Kingswear, received a letter of thanks from Buckingham Palace for organising local people to knit long socks for sailors in the fleet. 2,296 pairs were knitted by needy trawler women whose men had lost their lives at sea. The war ended in November 1918


to much rejoicing, but the town, with the rest of Britain, felt the cost of war in its loss of men and the economic downturn the conflict had caused. Mayor Wilton recognised this and


offered four buildings he owned in the town to be used for ex servicemen – two as houses and two for a ‘Comrades of the great War’ club in Fairfax Place, Dartmouth. The town would never forget the sacrifice its brave servicemen had given.•


Michael John


Hair Design Professional Mobile Hairdresser for


Ladies & Gentlemen Call for appointments


01803 770895 07548 076486


Member of Former member of London Artistic Group 73


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132