Kings Langley
Kings Langley
Local History & Museum Society
Kings Langley

 

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BACK TO THE FRONT – Abbots and Kings Langley’s Great War Project

As the 100th Anniversary of the start of the Great War approaches, both Abbots Langley and Kings Langley teams from the “Back to the Front” Project are working hard researching information of men that went off to war, what life was like in the village etc.
 Over 1000 men and five women have been traced from Abbots Langley, Bedmond, Kings Langley and Hunton Bridge as the teams work to create detailed Roll of Honour for all who served from the villages during the First World War.
 Several meetings have taken place and the “Back to the Front” team in collaboration with local groups and organisations are now ready to announce the plans so far for the 2014 – 2019 period. Research and Events are planned to coincide with the major points throughout the War, and will extend into 2019 to cover the 100th Anniversaries of the men returning to the villages and the erection of the village War Memorials.
 The “Back to the Front” Programme will commence with a Talk, hosted by the Abbots Langley Local History Society at the Manor House Gardens, Abbots Langley on Monday 31st March, when Roger Yapp will present “Alice’s Adventures”, the story of a Nurse from Abbots Langley who served on the Western Front and recorded her exploits in eight volumes of a hand-written War Diary.
 In conjunction with the Abbots Langley Parish Council in August it is planned to turn the villages into a sea of red poppies to support the National Centenary Poppy Project. Discounted packs of Poppy Seeds can be purchased and it is hoped that as many villagers as possible will sow some in time to bloom this coming August.
 To coincide with the 100th Anniversary of the start of the War the Project Launch will take place at an Exhibition to be staged over the weekend of 2/3rd August at the Kings Langley Community Centre. There will be lots of film footage, photos and facts for everyone to see, all local to Abbots Langley, Kings Langley and the surrounding areas
 On Monday 4th August to mark the start of Great War there will be a Candlelight Vigil at Kings Langley War Memorial. At 11pm on the night of 4th August Britain declared War on Germany. The British Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey, commented at the time that the “Lamps were going out all over Europe”, and the Vigil will commemorate this event.
 From 23rd to 25th October the Kings Langley Players will present “Accrington Pals”, the story of men from Accrington who joined up with the Kitchener Battalions and fought together on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
 Other events planned for the following years will include
 ·         War Walks around Kings and Abbots Langley
 ·         “A Great War Soldier Lived Here” campaign to recognise where each of the Men and Women lived
 ·         Talks covering “Bedmond Boys”, the “Home Front in the Local Area”, “Christmas in the Trenches” and other local aspects of the War
 ·         A programme of musical, and dramatic performances as part of the Abbots Langley Festival of Art in 2016
·         A pilgrimage back to Belgium to visit areas associated with local men and their units
 ·         Recognition of King’s Langley’s VC winner – Christopher Cox
 ·         The 100th Anniversary of the Armistice on 11th November 2018
 ·         The 100th Anniversary of the Peace Celebration in July 2019
 ·         The 100th Anniversaries of the local War Memorials
 ·         Books re-creating the Rolls of Honour for the Villages including information for all those who served
 The Project has compiled a lot of information regarding the men and women, their exploits and the life of the villages during the war time period. However volunteers are requested to help in collating the information and to undertake further research. Irrespective of how much time you can contribute to the Project, if you have an interest in history, family history, the Great War or would just like to join the research team, please contact Roger Yapp for Abbots Langley by telephone on 01923 677507 or email backtothefront@hotmail.co.uk or for Kings Langley, Julie Barton 01923 270160 or email backtothefront@btinternet.com