World War 1 Exhibition

On November 9th 2014, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of World War 1 (The Great War) Barford Heritage Group put on an exhibition designed to show how Barford had been affected. The exhibition covered the stories of individual soldiers, those who died and those who survived. The vicar, Rev. W. Ingham Brooke, preached a forceful sermon to get his parishioners to enlist and the full text was displayed.  Audio stories of heroism and disaster, and a poignant display of a women’s dressing table, which included hand-made silk cards sent from the trenches.

Original artefacts, a drum, rifle and bayonet and a piece of bread saved by a homecoming soldier also formed part of the display. A wonderful map, produced from the 1911 census showed who lived where in Barford in 1911 .

Over 150 people visited the Memorial Hall over the 4  hours the exhibition was open for.

Barford sewing ladies and Barford WI hand-made poppies

Alan McDermott

Central display: hand sewn poppies with a rustic cross, WW1 drum, played by Charles Wesley Hunt, from Barford.

Alan McDermott

Original WW1 military equiptment and uniform, included hand-knitted socks with 'Kitchener' toe.

Alan McDermott

A wife's dressing table with original silk, handmade postcards and a letter bearing bad news

Alan McDermott

Original Postcards, one of which is an origian Bruce Bairnsfather cartoon card and Playing Cards

Alan McDermott

WW1, photo of Ernest George Byerley, surrounded by cigarettes silks.

WW1 photos relating to the Powers brothers

WW1 kit bag.

WW1 dressing table, including hand-made silk postcards and hand knitted sock.

WW1 story of the Powers brothers, from Wasperton, one of whom was a prisoner of war.

WW1 toys including a hand-knitted teddy bear.

Map of Barford at the time of WW1 showing the names of the families and where they lived,.

Doug Warne