Intro to 1944
1944, and events were looking favourably for the Allies.  Germany was being beaten in the East by the Russians, the Allies landed at Normandy to open up a second front against the Germans and the Americans were retaking the Pacific from the Japanese.  For the people of Britain this was the best it had looked since the war started.  Even the Home Guard were disbanded due to the threat of invasion diminishing.  Some hoped the war might be over by Christmas.

But with every gain there are casualties,  and so with every battle comes the inevitable report of more casualties.  Brandon had its share of missing or killed in action, and then there were those men still held captive at the hands of the Japanese Army to think about.  Little could be done to lessen their nightmare until the war was won.

So D-Day in Brandon was a muted affair, sure the people were happy to see progress, but there was the worry of loved ones fighting.  Hopefully the war would not be too long now ...

P.O.W.s
  Flt-Sgt. Ronald B. Mutum, son of Mr. and Mrs. B. Mutum, of Bury Road, who was reported as missing was now reported as being safe and well, although a prisoner of the Germans.    He had previously spent the Christmas of 1942 in Spain, where he was interned after a forced landing and was repatriated early in 1943.
  In September, Private C. Dixon, Essex Regiment, arrived at his mother’s, home in Mile End.  He was repatriated after being a POW in Italy.

Serviceman missing
  During January, Private Noel Hunt of Thetford Road was announced as missing in the Middle East.  Private Hunt had joined the Army aged 18 and had served in Palestine and Malta during the German bombardment.

In July his parents, Mr & Mrs E. Hunt, of 83 Thetford Road, received an airmail from Noel stating that he had been wonded in the leg and head.

His tale so far ...

• 16th Nov, 1943 - reported missing;

• 22nd Jan, 1944 - safe and well in Greece;

• 25 Feb, 1944 - taken as POW and then escapes;

• 2nd June, 1944 - recovered from enemy hands;

• 15th June, 1944 - is the postmark on his latest letter to be sent to his parents in Brandon;

Singapore POWs
  Private H. Croxall, husband of Mrs. H. Croxall, Crown Street, had sent a standard printed letter from a POW camp in Thailand.  The letter stated that he was in good health.

  Mrs. M. Ridgeon of George Street received her first news of her son, Private R. Ridgeon.  He wrote to say he was a POW in Thailand and is in excellent health and working for pay.

  Mr. & Mrs. R. Royal of Thetford Road received a card from their son Private F. Royal of the Cambridgeshire Regiment stating he was a prisoner of the Japanese in Thailand.  This was their first news of him. Local football fans knew Private R. Royal as “Gunny”.

  Mrs. Branch, Thetford Road, received a card from her husband Sergeant Branch, who was a POW in Camp Taiwan.  He stated he was fit and well.

Charity

  The annual distribution of charity bread took place in the Church School and 137 bread loaves, weighing 2lb each, were given away. 

  A cushion made by Mrs. O. Copping of London Road realised £7 for the POW Fund.

  The Town Street Serving Soldiers Fund was boosted during the ‘Salute the soldier week’ when £130 5s of savings certificates were raised. Of this money 15s would be handed out to each of the 77 people serving in the Forces.  This number included soldiers, sailors, airmen, A.T.S. and W.A.A.F.  This left a balance of £76 5s in the fund, to be used to send cigarettes and parcels, when possible, to Brandon men who were POWs.

  In August a garden fete held by Mr and Mrs Rought-Rought, and organised by Miss W. Neep, at Heath House in aid of the Suffolk POWs was attended by over 2,000 people and raised £420.

  The Christmas Gift Fund for local men and women serving in the Forces topped £620.  Overall 319 personnel will receive cards, but it was not easy to distinguish the real ‘Brandonians’.  The card depicts a scene of Brandon Bridge.  They will each also be credited with 35s at Barclays Bank.

  The 1944 Poppy Day appeal raised £133 11s 4d from Brandon, Santon Downham and Wangford.

Christmas 1944
Nine Carols were sung and lessons were read at The Baptist Church on Christmas Eve.  There was also singing by the choir and Rev. Denis H. Bareham was the preacher.  

Mrs A.J. Wiffen and Rev. G. Kirkpatrick welcomed the children’s’ mothers to the Infants School Carol Service and Rev. Kirkpatrick gave a talk to the children.  The staff had decorated the school, the mothers gave the children a Christmas party and a play was acted out by some of the children under the instruction of Miss Dawn.  Afterwards 60 children enjoyed tea and games.

On Christmas Day some of the Brandon schoolchildren were the guests of the U.S.A.A.F. at a party.

Brandon Parish Council

  The minutes form the December council meeting.

• Nothing had been heard about the de-requisitioning of a building for the use as a public building. – Mr A.E. Chapman (clerk);
• Request for immediate attention to the poor state of the road near Park View and Sandgulls. – Mr. B. Lingwood;
• Attention was drawn to the constant defacing of a copy of the byelaws placed in The Avenue prohibiting cycling.  The police were asked to intervene. – Mr. F. Gentle;
• A request was made for the electric light over the Market Hill car park and the Town Clock to be illuminated again. – Mr. F. Mount;
• The Gas Company had been approached to install lamps as soon as possible for use when light restrictions were to be lifted. – Mr T. Green;
• It was pointed out that rotten posts and barbed wire needed to be removed from the Avenue. – Mr. Brearley;

Servicemen decorated

  The Military Medal was awarded to Private Sergeant Halls RAMC.
  
  Driver Allan Butcher, R.A.S.C., serving in the Central Mediterranean Forces, was awarded the Order of St. Mark, which is a Greek medal.  His parents, Mr and Mrs J.W. Butcher lived on the London Road.

  Acting Squadron-Leader W.J. Johnson, R.A.F.V.R., aged 25, became a double DFC in December.  He joined up at the start of the war and earned his first award in January 1943.
  The report read, “Since then he has led his squadron on many raids against vital targets in support of ground forces and throughout has displayed inspiring leadership, great courage and unswerving devotion to duty”.

  On December 11^th 1944 Lance Corporal Robert Kimberly Linge of the 1^st Suffolk Regiment was decorated by Field-Marshal Montgomery with the Military Medal for gallantry on the field.  His parents live at 163 London Road.

Brandon Brothers Meet In Italy

In September Mr. and Mrs. W. Arnold, 13 Coronation Place, Brandon, received news that two of their sons, Private W. Arnold, R.A.M.C. and Private J. Arnold, R.A.S.C. had met in Italy.  They were reported as both being in good health and had just spent seven days' leave together. They were both keen sportsmen and were members of the local cricket and football clubs.

Death of a Home Guardsman

  62-year-old Mr. W.B. Wood of London Road died after a short illness.  He was a major in the local Home Guard and was also a member of the Brandon Royal British Legion.  Major Wood took over from Major Wentworth-Smith as the commanding officer of “F” (Brandon) Company, when Major Wentworth-Smith retired in 1942.
  Representatives from the 8^th Battalion Norfolk Home Guard, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk Home Guards, Boy Scouts, Calders Ltd, Fisons Ltd, Police, Eastern Area British Legion and the Brandon British Legion were present at his funeral.

Brandon magistrates

  In January, Mr. Ben Culey was brought before Brandon magistrates on a charge of willfully blocking the free passage of a footpath by causing a crowd to assemble outside his cinema.
  Mr. and Mrs. Kent, of the nearby Flowerpot Public House, said that their entrance was interfered with by the massed queues.  Mr. Culey had already been warned on a previous occasion and Military Police had come to the cinema to marshal the crowd.
  In his defence Mr. Culey said that he had offered to pay for a Police Constable to be on duty at the cinema but for now his staff were in charge of the crowds.  Mr. Culey assured the magistrates that he was doing everything in his power and he could not allow the crowds to assemble around the cinema, as they would block the emergency exits.
  The case was dismissed.  

  In February, it was the proprietor of The Flowerpot who was in front of the magistrates.  Herbert Kent was called before the magistrates for failing to comply with a National Service Order, although there was a long history behind this case.
  On 24^th September 1943, Mr. Kent appealed against his National Service Order (this instructed the receiver to report for duty in the Civil Defence, e.g. Home Guard, ARP, etc), but he was not successful and his appeal was dismissed. 
  Later that year, 1^st December 1943, Mr. Kent was instructed to become a part-time Civil Defence Air Raid Warden at The Flintknappers Hotel.  He did not attend and blamed ill health, he had sore feet, fallen arches and swollen ankles.
  Two weeks later, 15^th December 1943, he again failed to enroll and this brought him before the magistrates.
  Mr. Kent said that he and his father had kept The Flowerpot Inn for 95 years and without a single complaint, he had served in France in World War One and had been wounded and gassed.  He was now 58 years old and was willing to do whatever he could for the Civil Defence, but within his abilities.
  The magistrates fined Mr. Kent £5.

On June 5th Sgt Donald Gardiner of the Royal Canadian Air Force, pleaded not guilty to attempting to take and drive away a motor vehicle without the owner's consent in Brandon.
The offence was reported to have occurred at 11.30pm on May 20th, when PC Johnson noticed two airmen standing near to the entrance of Calders Wood Yard.  He had watched them for a minute or so and then heard someone from within the yard whistle a signal to the men after which one of the men went into the yard.  PC Johnson then heard someone trying to start up an engine at which point he turned on his torch and saw two men standing at the front of Messrs. Calders Ltd lorry.  The two men ran off but the PC apprehended Gardiner who was sat in the driver's seat of the lorry.
At the Police Station Gardiner said "We were trying to get a ride, but could not so we just attempted to take one and being a driver myself I volunteered to drive the lorry.  I am very sorry for what I have done."
The inspection plate over the engine had been removed and the starting crank handle was in the front of the engine.  Gardiner was unwilling to identify the other men to the Police and denied that he was drunk, although he did admit to smelling of alcohol.
An employee of Messrs. Calders Ltd, Mr. Ronald Dickerson, said that he had parked the lorry in the wood yard and had immobilised it by taking out the rotor arm, closing the cabin windows and locking the doors.  When he was shown the lorry afterwards by the police he said that the door had been forced and that the engine had been tampered with.
Gardiner told the Brandon Police Court that he and his mates had been celebrating in Brandon and had got a bit too happy and they then tried to get a lift back to their billets but could not get one and so started to 'play about' with the lorry.  He had done nothing other than merely sit in the driver's seat and had no intention of stealing the lorry.
The Brandon Police Court fined him £2.

  In July a soldier, William Davies, appeared before Mr. H. Wentworth-Smith at an occasional court after he was caught attempting to break into the Avenue Cinema.  He was handed over to the Military authorities to be dealt with. 

  Mr. John Fendick, a Brandon farmer, was fined £5 for “selling milk not of the nature, substance and quality demanded.”  Despite his not guilty plea and defence witness accounts from his family his milk was tested and was proved to be diluted by up to 20% with water. 

  A plant driver from Truro, Mr. Doug Philips, was fined a total of £2 10s and costs of 10s for poaching 2 rabbits.

  Before the magistrates in November was a case regarding a Brandon worker who had suffered an injury at work.  The accident occurred at a Brandon fur factory, Messrs S & P Lingwood, London Road, on September 22^nd 1943 and cost a 16-year old woman, Ivy Dixon, her hand.  She had attempted to remove ‘flue’ that was coming from the machine.  To do this she removed the cover at the back of the machine and inserted her hand.  The knives pulled her hand in and cut it off.
  The company was found to be not negligent.

Salute The Soldier Week

For more info about the 'Salute the Soldier' Week click [here].

  The Home Guard organised a sports meeting at the Recreation Ground and a large crowd was drawn to the occasion.  Also attending were The Wisbech Town Silver Prize Band.

  Other attractions included:

  The total for the Mildenhall Rural District Council region was £114,101 8s 7d.

In December L/Bombardier L.T. Mutum, R.A., of Coronation Place was appointed as Press Assistant to the Public Relations Officer of his unit in Europe.  Before the war he was clerk/assistant to Mr. R.J. Woodrow, a Brandon ironmonger.  At the outbreak of war he wrote for the Bury Free Press, and he later edited a regimental magazine called ‘Suffolk Punch’ which he founded in 1942.   

Captain G.N. Shann, son of Dr. E.W. Shann, Paddocks Brandon, wrote saying that he liked his posting in East Africa so much that he is considering staying on there and applying for employment in Tanganyika Territory within the Education or Administration.  Before the war he had studied historical research at Cambridge University.   

 In September S.Q.M.S. W.G.M. Naylor sent home a message to his mother and sister at “The Vines” in Brandon.  He was auditing the accounts of the N.A.A.F.I. and had travelled widely, including depots in North Africa, Italy and the Island of Vis in the Adriatic.  He had also visited Rome while on leave.
  He wrote, “Any soldier who grumbles about the NAAFI should pay a visit to a NAAFI warehouse.  Here, he will find every conceivable kind of article provided for the soldier’s well being.  I found not only cases of cigarettes, toilet necessities, etc., but all sorts of tinned foods, sports gear, table sauces, sewing cotton and dozens of other items – all waiting for units to collect and distribute to the troops.”

Serviceman killed
  In July a service was held for a Brandon man killed in action in The Mediterranean.  Private Horace Augustus Stannard’s widow, parents and other relatives attended the service at the Methodist Church on the London Road.  The Rev. A.J. Wiffen paid tributes, as did Mr. W.H. Thoday a L.C.C. Schoolmaster, formerly of Brandon.

M.R.D.C

  In March the Mildenhall Rural District Council decided to support the countywide campaign to bring to the notice of those concerned the serious risk of contracting Venereal Disease.  They also voted to ask the Police to visit the Public Houses in the District to ensure that the regulation in respect to supplying alcoholic drinks to under age persons is observed.

Scouts

  The 1^st Brandon Scout Troop had their colours dedicated in April and took place at the St. Peter’s Church with 140 youths in attendance including those from Brandon Scouts, Girl Guides, Army Cadets Force, Girls Training Corps and 2052 ATC Squadron.

Royal British Legion  
  The Royal British Legion held a General Meeting in July, the Chairman was General de Lotbiniere who presided over some awards.

£10 was presented to Mr. L. Farrow, who was leaving the town, as appreciation of his work for the club.
£50 went into a fund for local men and women serving in the forces.  
£5 was donated to the (Suffolk) British Red Cross.

  Mr. Cook, a local bank manager, was invited onto the Finance Committee and also asked to be an auditor.

House Auction
Mr. F.W. Gentle, at an auction held in The Ram Hotel, bought three cottages, numbers 26, 28 and 30 London Road, for £825 on 20^th July at 7pm.  The tenants of these properties were: Mrs Fairhead, Mr G. Edwards and Miss F. Ashley.

G.I. Wedding
Miss Betty Victoria Dartford of Coronation Place married an American, Private James Henry Lee of Pomeroy Ohio, at St. Peter’s Church Brandon, in September.

Bombing casualties
Details of local casualties caused by enemy bombing are released for West Suffolk.
43 dead and 130 injured, in a total of 178 raids.
There were 1,852 High Explosive bombs and 13,624 incendiaries dropped onto the region.

Serviceman comes home
In September Private C. Dixon of the Essex Regiment arrived home to his mother's house in Mile End.  Pvt Dixon, son of Mrs, and the late Mr, A. Dixon was repatriated after being a German POW in Italy.

Camera appeal

1944 WORLD WAR EVENTS

January
1st - Rommel takes command of Army Group B.
1st-31st - First flights of the US jet aircraft, the XP80.
4th - Yugoslav Partisans take Banja Luka.
6th - Russians advance into Poland.  Merrill's Marauders created in Burma.
7th - Russians advance into Ukraine.
9th - The British capture Maungdaw, Burma.
16th - Eisenhower becomes Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary Forces.
19th - Russians take Novgorod.
27th - Leningrad is relieved after 900 day siege.

February
1st - Polish Resistance fighters assassinate Major Kutschera, the Head of the Gestapo.
4th - Japanese Army counter-attacks in Arakan and drives the Allies back into India.
7th - German counter-offensive at Monte Cassino.
8th - Plans for Operation Overlord finalised.
15th - The monastery at Monte Cassino is destroyed by Allied bombing.
16th - Germans counter-attack at Anzio.
21st - Tojo is made Chief of Japanese Army.

March
3rd - Greek Resistance fighters attack the Germans.  German attacks at Anzio cease.
6th - First Allied daylight raid on Berlin.
8th - Fight for Imphal begins.
13th - Russian-Italian pact.
14th - British withdraw from Imphal.
15th - New Zealand and Indians attack Monte Casino.
19th - Germans occupy Hungary.
22nd - Allies attacks on Monte Casino stop.
24th - Major-General Wingate is killed in an air crash.
29th  Siege of Imphal begins.

April
4th-20th Kohima is besieged by the Japanese.
10th - Russians take Odessa.
11th - Russians take Kerch.
16th - Russians take Yalta.  Eichmann begins to round up 800,000 Hungarian Jews.
28th - Japanese advance in Honan.

May
2nd - Spain guarantees neutral status.
8th - Roosevelt chooses June 5th for D-Day.
9th - Russians take Sevastopol.
11th - Allies attack Gustav Line.
16th - First flight for the German rocket aircraft, the Me163.
18th - Polish troops take Monte Cassino.
25th - Germans retreat from Anzio.

June
4th-6th French Resistance sabotage attacks on communication lines.
5th - Allies enter Rome.
6th - D-Day in Normandy, Allied Invasion of Europe.
9th - Allied aircraft begin using airstrips in France.  Russian offensives start in Finland.
10th - Massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane by the SS.
11th - Americans bombard the Marianas.
12th - All Normandy landing sites are linked up.
13th - First V1 rocket lands in Britain.
14th - First B-29 'Superfortress' attacks on Japan.
15th - First use of 'Tallboy' bomb by the RAF, it weighs 22,000lbs.  US Marines land on Saipan.
19th-20th - Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Japanese lose 300 aircraft and 14 ships are sunk or                             damaged.
22nd - Seige of Imphal is lifted.
27th - Americans take Chebourg.
30th - Finns stall Russian attacks.  US severs links with Finland.

July
7th - Japanese eliminated from Saipan.
9th - Allies take Caen.
17th - Rommel badly injured.  Russians cross into Poland.
18th - 'Operation Goodwood' is begun by the British.  Japanese retreat from Imphal-Kohima.  Tojo's
          cabinet resigns.
20th - Assassination attempt on Hitler is foiled.
21st - Americans land on Guam.
24th - First liberation of a concentration camp by the Russians at Maidanek.  Americans land on Tinian.

August
1st - Polish Underground uprising in Warsaw.
4th-8th - Hitler's assassination plotters tried and executed.  Allies enter Florence.
9th - Japanese eliminated from Guam.
12th - P.L.U.T.O. pipeline provides oil from Britain into France.
15th - Allies invade Southern France.
16th - Japanese resistance in India ceases.
22nd - Uprising in Paris.
23rd - Russian troops surround the German 7th Army at Kishinev.
25th - Allies liberate Paris.
28th - Allies take Marseilles and Toulon.
29th - French troops cross the Rhine.  Slovak uprising.
30th - Russians take Ploesti.  Germans leave Bulgaria.
31st - Montgomery is made Field Marshal.  Russians take Bucharest.

September
3rd-4th Allies liberate Antwerp and Brussels.
5th - Russia declares war on Bulgaria.
8th - First V2 rockets land in London.
12th US Army enters Germany.
14th - Russian Army enters Warsaw.
17th-21st - Operation 'Market Garden' to shorten the war backfires against the Allies.
18th - USAAF re-supply Polish resistance fighters.
26th - Russians occupy Estonia.

October
1st - Russians enter Yugoslavia.
2nd - Warsaw resistance ends.
3rd - German Me262 jet aircraft becomes operational.
4th - British troops land in Greece.
11th - Americans attack Okinawa.
12th - British Paras take Athens airfield.
14th - Allies liberate Athens.  Rommel commits suicide.
17th - US Rangers land at Leyte Gulf.
20th - Liberation of Belgrade.
23rd - Charles De Gaulle becomes leader of France.  
24th-26th - Japanese carrier fleet destroyed at Leyte Gulf.
27th - Americans in the Philippines suffer 'Kamikaze' attacks.
28th - Germans leave Albania.
30th - Last gassing at Auschwitz.

November
10th - Japanese take Kweilin US air base.
11th - US Navy bombards island of Iwo Jima.
12th - RAF sink Tirpitz.
13th - Japanese take Linchow air base.
23rd - Germans leave Macedonia.
24th - First B-29 Super Fortress bombing of Tokyo.
30th - Polish Government formed in London.

December
3rd - Home Guard in Britain stands down.
16th-25th - Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes.  The Germans hold Bastogne.
17th - The SS massacre US POWs at Malmédy.
26th - US relieve Bastogne.