Prior to the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, the Castle Point District was made
up of four very quaint, peaceful little parishes: Canvey Island, South Benfleet,
Hadleigh and Thundersley. The initial enthusiasm shown by the young men of this
area, who were enthusiastic to be part of an adventure that was to be ‘over by
Christmas’, was mirrored by thousands of other courageous young men around
Britain. Most understood that it was their sworn duty to stand up for their king and
country. They didn’t stop to think or even fully appreciate the hardship and fear they
would leave behind on the home front.
This book tells of the memories and recollections of some of these brave men who
were fortunate enough to return home to their friends and families. For the ones who
weren’t so lucky, we hear from the people who endured the pain of a love lost forever
more.
Included throughout are a collection of invaluable wartime newspaper reports that
recount daily life, telling of the sacrifices that those left behind had to endure whilst
reading about the war dead, their numbers increasing on an almost daily basis.
From the extraordinary role of women during the war, the conscientious objectors
and those exempt from the fighting, to the aftermath of war when the district
celebrated victory while dealing with the painful loss of 189 men, all aspects of
wartime Castle Point are covered in this remarkable account, interspersed with a
number of wartime poems that further explain in verse what life was like during these
dark days.
