During the early months of 1919, Doncaster folk struggled to get used to the fact that a great many of their loved ones were never coming home. Single parent families were now plentiful as mothers and daughters worked hard to keep things together in the home. Boys followed in their fathers’ pre-war footsteps by taking their places at the local coal mines. The town was divided into two halves. There were those who wanted to remember the fallen in every aspect of life, and others who wanted to forget the misery as much as possible. In an effort to forget Doncastrians threw themselves into celebrations of one sort or another, celebrations impossible during the war years.
In the spring they welcomed the horse home to the green lanes of the racecourse having almost forgotten what it was like to see the horses with their riders. It was the first equestrian event since the St Leger race of 1914 and the town was crowded, the Corporation already having made preparations for dealing with a crowd double that of any spring meeting before the war. The streets were packed, and tramcars with their six-penny fares carried the visitors to the course. Tipsters and bookies descended upon the town and the streets took on the well known ‘horsey’ appearance associated only with the races. The Borough Magistrates had granted special drinks licenses at the Borough Courts for the two race days allowing the public houses to remain open all day, in the morning for non-intoxicants, and in the afternoon and evening for all drinks.
After the spring race meeting came Whitsuntide, and what a Whit week it turned out to be. Record crowds descended on Doncaster and the surrounding district making it the brightest holiday since 1914. As a direct reaction to the depressing years of the war the public were now entering with zest into everything of a pleasurable nature. The weather was tremendous and the town was full of great crowds, full of good humour. Both Whit Sunday and Whit Monday were beautiful days, the streets were thronged with people and the highways were alive with traffic. Luxurious charabancs were met with on every main road delivering tourists to Doncaster from many districts. Miners, mill-hands, iron-workers and representatives of all industries from all parts of Yorkshire came to Doncaster and surrounding areas on Whit Monday, enjoying a tour in the car. At Woodlands Model Village athletic sports in connection with the football club drew a great crowd; at Owston there was a garden fete; at Bawtry a garden fete and victory fair took place in aid of the Church Endowment Fund; at Edenthorpe there was a Boy Scouts’ encampment and sports; at Doncaster the RSPCA organized a horse and vehicle parade, cycle, and fancy dress carnival and at night the Comrades of the Great War held a comic band contest. There certainly was no shortage of things to do and see. Hundreds of people flocked to the local beauty spots of Sandall Beat, the Race Common, Hexthorpe Flatts, Edlington Woods, Conisborough Castle, Roche Abbey, the Dukeries and so forth. The Grand Theatre, The Palace and The Picture Palace all had the same tale to tell.
At Arksey there was an impressive service attended by the Bishop of Sheffield as their take on a War Memorial was unveiled. The monument came in the form of the Peace Bells. The quaint village was surrounded on three of its sides by the growing industrialisation of the district, with the remaining side opening out through lovely old lanes and bridlepaths over a wide stretch of pasture and arable lands. Even now in the twenty-first century it still possesses a certain amount of seclusion and, in many ways, has the feel of a semi-rural hamlet. It was still very much a traditional village during the Great War years and so it came as no surprise that while the rest of the town were enjoying the hedonistic pleasures of Whit Monday, the villagers of Arksey were turning their attentions to the church. Dr Burrows, the Bishop of the Diocese, dedicated two bells that had been added to the peal of six that were already in the church tower. One of the bells was dedicated to the memory of those men who belonged to the parish who had fallen in the Great War and the other in commemoration of Peace. There was a tablet bearing the names of the fallen, the renovated clock and the Cambridge full quarter chimes that had been gifted by Miss Dunhill of Coney Garth, one of the churchwardens, in memory of her late parents. There was a Litany desk given by the Vicar, the Reverend A. Rhys-James, in memory of his two children who died in the parish, and a Litany service book given by Mrs Thompson in memory of her late husband, Charles Clifford Thompson, a former organist of the church.
The inscription on one of the new bells reads, ‘In Memory of the Fallen 1914-1919’, and on the other, ‘Peace after Victory 1919’. On the tablet, the names that appeared were Herbert Hopper, Jim Leeking, W. Leadbeater, Alfred Leadbeater, Charles Leadbeater, Charles Webster, Robert Norris, Charles Arrand, Harry Frost, John William Dawson, George Arthur, Stanley Hirst, Henry Severn - R.I.P’. After the service a parish tea was provided in the grounds of Arksey Hall by kind permission of Mr Nuttall where the Bishop and his wife visited the grounds and chatted with the people.
Although the War had ended and the Armistice signed some months ago, many local men were still abroad as part of an army of occupation, policing the war zones and battlefields at the transition between hostility and peace. The true, symbolic end of the horrific affair had to be on the occasion when the 1/5th KOYLI were welcomed home for good by way of a service of thanksgiving held at the Parish Church. The service was also attended by the Mayor and Corporation where Archdeacon Sandford gave an eloquent address, highlighting the fine work of the battalion and paying tribute to those who had laid down their lives. At the conclusion of the service, lunch was served at the Mansion House to past and present officers.
The procession to the church was headed by the Territorial Band followed closely by the Mayor, Councillor R.M. Jackson, the Mayor of Pontefract, Alderman Sides, the Chairmen of the Goole, Featherstone and Castleford Urban District Councils, and several members of the Town Council and officials, including Mr Tovey, the Town Clerk. There were well known officers present too, namely, Colonel Moxon CMG DSO, Commander of 5th KOYLI, Lieutenant Colonel Parkin DSO, Lieutenant Colonel E. Bernard Wilson DSO formerly CO of 5th Battalion KOYLI, Major Sullivan MC, Adjutant and Major Shearman DSO, among a great many other distinguished officers. There were two colour bearers along with the battalion’s VC hero, Sergeant Calvert. The pulpit at the church was draped with the Union Flag and the Colours of the regiment were placed in the nave. Archdeacon Sandford said:
‘We welcome you with full hearts and open arms on making their official return to the depot of their gallant battalion. You went out to fight a great battle for truth, righteousness, and freedom and you have come back crowned with victory. We have gathered here today to thank God for that victory. The people of Doncaster are grateful to you for all you have done and you have every reason to be proud of yourselves. You will not be forgotten and we will never forget the splendid service you have rendered. The people of Doncaster are proud to know that they are the fathers, brothers, and friends of such a gallant army of men such as you. We think of those men that have lost their lives in this with love and affection, how can we think of them except with deep reverence and profound devotion? We wanted you to go at the first call, and when some of you fell our hearts were nearly broken. Let those who fought for truth, righteousness, and justice, fight for it at home all your lives long in order that we might make Doncaster a better Doncaster than ever.’
As we today gather at our respective war memorials on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, in order to honour those who fell in that Great War along with every other war since then, let us think back to that very first official day of remembrance when the pain of the greatest war that this country had ever known was still heartbreakingly fresh in every Doncastrian’s mind. At eleven o’clock on 11 November 1919, at Clock Corner in Doncaster a very large crowd had gathered to watch each other stand still and to witness the stationary traffic. All eyes were fixed on the clock, and in a silence that became more and more impressive as the minutes ticked by, the hands at length pointed to eleven. Then, from far down the street came the mellow, plaintive notes of the ‘Last Post’, so full of melody and so full of meaning. Trams stopped, motorcars pulled up, and everybody stood still and remained silent as the grave. A clattering van in the French Gate district was stopped by the upraised hand of a police sergeant while the two minutes silence was rigidly observed. It was tense while it lasted. The meaning of it, and recollections, brought tears to the eyes of many and even strong men were seen to produce handkerchiefs and apply them to their weeping eyes.