During the War


Almost immediately on the outbreak of the war, Clouds House became a Miltary Headquarters, sentries were on guard in the lanes and areoplanes flew overhead. The Headmaster of the school, Mr Barnes, wrote in his note book, “Battery of artillery passed this afternoon in front of the school. The Children were allowed in the playground to see this as well as two areoplanes which hovered overhead”. Mr Barnes read to the children each day from the newspaper of the events of the Great European War in progress. Often large scale miltary manoeuvres took place in the village and children were given the day off (see supplement cover). Sometimes members of the forces billeted in the village came to the school to talk to the children about their experiences.


As the war carried on, life in East Knoyle had to adapt to the void left behind by the men folk. Women began to work the fields in place of the men and sometimes the children would not turn up for school, the headmaster noting the poor attendance due to children used as labour in the fields. Growing food to supply the forces became a priority and the children helped the effort by foraging for blackberries and fruit in the fields to be sent to a Jam factory in Hampshire to be made into conserves and sent to the front.


Nurse Wells of Mere paid an offical visit to the school to examine various children in the village hall. The nurse had overtaken the work normally done by the Doctors as they were, having joined the army, not available.


Ladies, children and older men had to work the land and to provide food for the troops. Hills and slopes not usually used for farming were ploughed up to grow the extra food needed. Below: Miltary Manoeuvres outside Knoyle House


Below - Children outside the school and village hall in 1917.


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