Soldiers in East Grinstead

After men joined the army they were sent to local army camps to be turned into soldiers. As experienced officers were needed in France to organise the war against the Germans, elderly people were bought out of retirement to train the men. These men were often over the age of sixty. One sixty five year old officer died of a heart attack while on parade. Another gave out instructions while sitting in his bath-chair. An elderly cavalry officer weighed over 20 stone and the regiment had great difficulty finding a horse that could carry him. They also had to build a special loading platform so that the officer could get on his horse.

Training camps rarely had enough huts for men. Most of the recruits had to sleep in tents. Conditions in these tents in winter were appalling and there were several examples of soldiers going on strike. Eventually it was decided to billet the men in local towns and villages. This also created serious problems. One soldier, Charles Cain, admitted later that the recruits sometimes took advantage of their hosts: "ten soldiers were billeted to one women who had three teenage daughters, and the mother and all the daughters finished up the family way."

People in East Grinstead became very concerned about the activities of the soldiers in the town. In 1915 a Women's Patrol was set up in an effort to stop local women from becoming too friendly with the soldiers. However, an increasing number of single women became pregnant. Between 1914 and 1918 the illegitimacy rate increased by 30%.

Ronald McNeill, a Conservative M.P. advocated that the State should adopt these 'war babies'. McNeill argued that these children should be put into institutions and prevented from getting married. Mrs. Godwin of Melrose House was the main supporter of this campaign in East Grinstead,

Chris Swanson and James Smith (Sackville School)

London Rifle Brigade marching up London Road
in East Grinstead on 10th September 1914

Mrs. A. Godwin, letter in East Grinstead Observer (1st May, 1915)

Can we expect God's help to beat the Germans when we directly break the laws. How many men now lies stiff and stark upon the battlefield and has left a son to be born to disgrace. How can we expect a country peopled by illegitimate offspring to be able to conquer our enemies. Let a law be passed at once that all illegitimate children belong to the state and must be sent to a government institute at the age of one month, and be known henceforth as state children. These people should be forbidden to marry. This will prevent evil in the future and that the evil will come to an end with the death of the individual.

A. W. True, letter to the East Grinstead Observer (8th May, 1915)

In her letter Mrs. Godwin says a lot about breaking laws of God. We hear a lot about justice, but not much about mercy. I am not excusing them, both the men and the girls are to blame. They have done wrong and they will have to suffer. I cannot understand anyone who has been a mother writing such stuff. Fancy taking the children away from the mother at the age of a month just when a child needs a mother's love most. It is bad enough to deprive a child of one parent, it would be worse to deprive it of both. Why should children suffer for the sins of their parents.