JANUARY
- A group of soldiers from the East Anglian Royal Engineers attend the Marlow Cemetery to give full service honours to Third class Officers Steward W.H Beaver of H M.S Sentinel who has died of TB aged 21. He lived at 4 Trinity Rd. His grave can be seen here
- Marlow's first boy scout troop is formed.
FEBRUARY
- The Thames is frozen near both Marlow and Temple Locks and hundreds gather on flooded meadows at Cockmarsh to enjoy skating there. The price of gas is reduced to pre war levels by the Marlow Gas Company, to the relief of many. By the winter, it has inevitably risen again.
- The Marlow tribunal suspends their work after its allegations by the military authorities that the recruitment figures from the district are less than satisfactory. They are furious and decide to immediately adjourn all appeals while they wait for a reply to their indignant letter requesting an explanation. They do not blame the military representatives who attend the tribunal, who they say do not appear to have been consulted. A few weeks later they hold a closed meeting to discuss the reply that has arrived. They feel accused of undue leniency in granting appeals and don't feel the letter gives a proper answer to their questions. So they fire off another letter to the authorities.
- A Public meeting is held in the market square, and another at the Brewery to exhort people to take out War Savings. A savings bureau is opened at the Institute from 7-8pm each day so residents can find out more. A couple of weeks later the Post Office at Marlow say they have issued war savings certificates to the value of £1,910.
Above, The Old House in West Street, which was used for officer accomodation for those encamped at Bovingdon Green when the camp got washed out.
MARCH
- The home counties Royal Engineers (territorials) who have been in Marlow since late 1915, leave for Maidenhead. They have been so long associated with Marlow that their departure is sometimes mistaken for the end of soldiers being stationed here. However, they were immediately replaced by 500 members of the East Anglian Royal Engineers (territorials) from Maidenhead. These would remain in Marlow into 1918. It's a cold day, with snow on the ground, but locals still stop and watch the men depart and their colleagues arrive under command of Major Walker.
- The newly formed Scouts begin collecting waste paper for the war effort.
- An advertisement in the local papers says the countries food stocks are low so every time a Marlow resident eats they should say to themselves that "our merchant sailors have died and are dying" to bring the food to them.
- Local Government Board send a letter to the Marlow Tribunal saying Marlow should not have included in the list of unduly lenient ones. Pride is restored and the tribunal resumes adjudicating claims for delaying or stopping individuals conscription.
- The war claims an indirect victim in young William T Bowles, age 7 who is run down and killed by a Red Cross Ambulance from the Canadian hospital in Taplow. The driver is exonerated of blame. It seems little William had been playing with a dog in the street and absorbed in his game, he ran out into the middle of the road immediately in front of the Ambulance. He sustained fatal head injuries. (William is the son of Thomas Bowles of 47 Dean Street. )
- The Royal Engineers have the use of Marlow cricket ground for the season, where they mostly play military teams, in front of a civilian audience. And of course they hold one of their regular sports events, most recently a regatta, and then athletics - held on the Borlase playing field. Gate receipts from both events raise funds for the Royal Engineers POW appeal fund.
JUNE -
- Whitsun sees a crowded river and train service that remind some of Pre war high days and holidays. The number of motor cars heading into town is noted as petrol use for leisure activities is supposed to be limited.
JULY
- Marlow regatta may have been cancelled for the duration of the war but the soldiers stationed in Marlow can't organise enough regattas. Military teams from a variety of local camps join the Royal Engineers in the latest military regatta held on the Thames. The evening sees a concert held at the Rowing Club in aid of the RE POW fund.
- The Marlow War Supplies depot in Victoria Road, running since 1914, appeals for funds as demand for their work outstrip supply. It is also a branch of the Queen Mary Needlework Guild.
AUGUST
- The first Marlow Boy Scouts now number 100 members. They are asked to take part in a parade organised to commemorate the anniversary of the declaration of war on Germany. The Royal Engineers and Marlow Fire Brigade join the march. A platform is erected in Market Square and draped with flags and bunting. The town council address the crowds and propose a resolution that Marlow will carry on her war efforts through to success. Unsurprisingly, the resolution passes and the crowd cheers until the singing of the National Anthem brings things to a close.
- Audiences attending the evening performance of Broncho Bills circus in the Crown Meadow get a surprise when the end of the show coincides with a raid aiming to catch men avoiding military service. The police, assisted by the military, arrest 4 men, one of whom is a circus worker. The others are "circus followers" who are not local. All are eventually handed over to the military authorities.
- Sapper George Verney, Royal Engineers (Inland water transport service), and landlord of the Nags Head, Dean Street, dies of shell shock on August 10th leaving a widow and 3 children. He was in Epsom hospital after active service in France.
Other reports suggest an external head injury was also involved.
OCTOBER
- Marlow urban district council display a list of maximum coal prices that will be charged, which have been negotiated with the traders. The cheapest price is for "kitchen" grade coal at 35/6 per ton.
NOVEMBER
The East Anglian Royal Engineers at Marlow decide to follow the example of their Home Counties RE colleagues and start a mixed hockey team with local ladies. This time they also decide to have men's teams, and civilians can join.
- Borlase school hosts special service in their chapel to commemorate the many former pupils who are among the fallen and injured. A collection at the end is made for the Red Cross.
DECEMBER
The food control committee in Marlow announce they will be starting a communal kitchen at a unused shop at 55 High Street. They have secured it with half price rent and a grant from the local council to help set it up. This will serve both eat in and takeaway meals. The aim is to help workers get a filling meal and to assist fuel preservation by using economies of scale to cook in quantity. But if you go, don't forget to take a knife and fork as they aren't supplied. You will however get a bowl and plate. Eat in diners have to order their meal at the counter then carry it upstairs where there are two rooms set aside. (See also April 1918 and January 1919)
- John Langley, chairman of the Urban council and the Marlow Tribunal, gets caught in a London Air raid. He is in Paddington station when all the lights go out. In the dark, he stumbles and falls off the platform onto the rails. Thankfully no train is moving but he sustains a fractured thigh and has to spend 6 weeks in St Mary's Hospital at Paddington. It was Mr Langley that donated land for the new Cottage Hospital off Glade Road, using part of the area he let as allotments. See also February 1918. You can read a biography of John here
Written and researched by Kathryn Day
For a post on Marlow in 1914 see here , 1915 here 1916 here
1918 here
Brewery First World War Memorial Tablet here
To find people of interest on the blog choose the Person Index on the drop down menu which lists every mention however small of an individual found on the blog. More detailed posts can be found under the Biographies sections.
To read other posts relating to Marlow's military history or everyday life here in the past, see the post listing here
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