Our ‘In Our Age’ Facebook
Eighty-six years ago in August 1940 Betty Ramsay of Elton Hall, Herefordshire, died on active service. She seems to be one of the seven Herefordshire service women who died during World War Two. ![]()
(Image: recruitment poster from www.historyguild.org)![]()
According to our limited research the others were Winnie Malin (Stretton Sugwas), Hilda Peregrine (Hinton Court, Hereford), Lily Pyne (Much Dewchurch), Elsei Langford (Eardisley), Annie Chamberlain (Kingsland) and Mary Weale from Winforton. (Mary Weale’s family, Ezra and Florence Weale, also lost their son David Thomas, killed on active service. )![]()
It’s difficult to find information on these women who served variously with the ATS, VADs and FANNYs (Transport) but, according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Hilda Peregrine was the oldest at 26, Winnie Malin and Mary Weale the youngest at only 19. ![]()
Hilda Peregrine may have been married - she was the daughter of James and Eliza McDougall. Betty Ramsay certainly was; her husband was Major R D Ramsay and her father, Brigadier Edward Custance fought in several of the North African campaigns. ![]()
We would welcome more information on any of these women.
Bundles of withies leant against the fence as basket maker Andrew Barnett takes a delivery at the Great Western Railway yard and parcel sheds near the bridge over the line. This evocative photo, too indistinct to reproduce in In Our Age, was generously loaned by DE Fishbourne and is a reminder of the economic role our brooks and streams once played in those pre-plastic days.
It’s 82 years since SS Samwake, a lease lend ‘liberty’ ship and part of convoy FTM 53 comprising 14 merchant ships and 3 escort vessels carrying troops and supplies to the Normandy landings, came under attack from 3 German E boats off Beachey Head. ![]()
Chief cook on board, and Herefordian, ‘Clem’ Clements recalled the sinking at midnight on July 31 in In Our Age. ![]()
‘She was struck by two torpedoes. We never saw our attacker.’ All crew managed to reach the lifeboats before the ship went down although, ‘we had one that we lost - the ship’s cat!’ Clem went on to serve with the perilous Arctic Convoys. He survived the War. ![]()
Image: a liberty ship under construction - Wikipaedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_ship)
Last chance to check out the entries for the Young Historian Award, on display at Hereford Library in the Town Hall. They’ll come down next week so pop by and see what wonderful histories these ten- and eleven-year olds come up with!
Pick up a copy of In Our Age while you’re there!
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