Armistice Day

Armistice Day 100 years ago in a small Devon village.....
1918 saw the end of The Great War and Tipton St John took part in the celebrations of the Armistice signing as did many towns and villages all over the country.
This newspaper report was in the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette 1918.
          "Not to be outdone by its bigger neighbour at Ottery, this little village (Tipton) kept up the signing of the armistice by holding a torchlight procession around the village, headed by the Ottery Town Band and afterwards rolled several tar barrels through the village. "
It must have been a bitter sweet celebration for many villagers, with everyone being affected by the War in some way.
Six village men lost their lives during the First World War and people of the village collected money so that a memorial could be placed in the church. This took the form of a marble tablet with the names of the fallen men etched into it. In 1923 a church service was held to commerate the memorial and the church was so full even before the service began that latecomers had to stand outside to pay their respects. Sir John Kennaway on behalf of 195 subscribers unveiled the memorial and "the mournful notes of the last post rang out with remarkable clearness from the church across the valley".
Poppies have been sold each year since supporting Armistice Day and in 1930 Mrs Morshead (of Angela Court) and the WI collected £11 11s 1d  toward Earl Haigs Fund.  The same year the school children made a cross of Laurel leaves and put their poppies in it with a card attached "In loving memory of our brave soldiers from Tipton School"   It was placed on the War Memorial, which was also covered with poppies and flowers.

This November we will be remembering William Pottinger (Metcombe), Thomas Pratt (Coombe), Samuel Lowe Bennet (Tipton Lodge), William James
( Metcombe), Thomas Bastin (Tipton) and Harry Channon (Venn Ottery) amongst the many other brave men, women and animals who gave their lives.

"At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them."

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