The reminiscences of John Bowman, a former Tring postman . . .
Rationing. Food is becoming short due to the German submarine warfare waged against our merchant ships.
The shortage of labour on the land is being circumvented by the formation of a corps of women volunteers known as “The Women’s Land Army”. Young women are also being directed into munitions factories. The naval and military have their own women’s arms, the WRNS and WAC’s. The women are taking over the duties of motor drivers, cooks, clerks, etc., allowing the release of men to fill the gaps in the fighting services.
Halton is still the Eastern Command Training Depot.
The Royal Flying Corps are moving into the North Camp area. A flying field has been established, with an Australian squadron flying from it. The Royal Flying Corps training organisation, concentrated in the new workshops being built by German prisoners of war under the direction of the Royal Engineers, has trained 15,000 Air Mechanics during 1917.
On the Western Front, an offensive was started in the Arras area during the early spring. The German army was pushed back, resulting in the capture of Vimy Ridge by the Canadian Army Corps. Although the high ground was not of a great height, it did hold a commanding view over the Douai plain, with its coal mines and industrial complex towards Lille and the south Belgian bulge.
The Bolshevik revolution, and subsequent peace with Germany, has allowed thousands of German and Austrian troops to be moved westward. The entry of the United States into the war partly evened up the score, but the Americans were largely untrained in warfare.
In the autumn of 1917 an offensive move in the Ypres area was launched, to break out from the salient. The objective being a possible capture of the Channel ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge, which were bases for the “U” boats engaged in sea operations in the Western Approaches.
On April 1st 1918 the Royal Air Force was born by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. As aircraft developed, an offensive strategy developed whereby enemy lines of communication were attacked. Even industrial complexes were attacked in the Ruhr and Saar areas. The German nation was beginning to crack. Lack of food and the casualty lists were causing and demonstrations throughout greater Germany. Early in 1918 the German High Command launched an offensive westward in the Somme area, pushing back our forces almost to Amiens. The German successes pushed our armies back to the position held a year earlier.
Food shortages and unrest was showing throughout Britain, very similar to Germany. Socialism was surfacing taking heart from the success of the Russian Revolution.
The Tring war memorial is nearing completion. It is hoped that the unveiling and dedication would be held on St Peter's day 29th June 1918. Due to various delays the memorial was unveiled and dedicated on 27th November 1918.
