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Tag: fairfield

Fairfield Church Hall

In 1979 the old wooden Church Hall was knocked down and replaced by the Village Hall that stands today.

Back in August/September 1926 there was no Church Hall, with Village activities taking place at Fairfield School. A Church Hall “Building” committee, consisting of Trustees and local residents had been formed, and they held their meetings at the School; coordinating fund raising activities, studying building plans & commissioning a contractor to erect the building. By the end of 1926 the Church Hall had been built and formally opened.

Opening Ceremony of St. Mark’s Church Hall

The hall was formally opened on Saturday December 11th 1926 by Lady Georgina Vernon, who was supported on the platform by the Rector (the Rev. Douglas Alner Townsend), Mrs. Townsend, Messrs. W. H. Matty (Hon. Treasurer and Trustee), J. T. G. Davis (Trustee), H. S. Stevens & F. Handley (Churchwardens), J. B. Nickols (Hon. Secretary), W. S. Webb, Mrs. W. Shakespeare Webb & Mrs. W. H. Matty.

Having briefly introduced Lady Georgina Vernon, the Rector asked her to formally Open the Hall, and she proceeded to the door on the west side (veranda door), and with a silver key presented to her by the Contractor (Mr. Grosvenor Workman of Birmingham) unlocked the door, and declared the Hall open.

Speeches from the Rector and several other persons followed, and a full report of the opening ceremony appeared the “County Express” &“Bromsgrove Messenger”.

Upwards of 300 persons were present for the opening ceremony, the hall was filled to the utmost capacity. Many people had to stand as there was insufficient seating.

By hospitality of Mr. Matty the audience were served with tea, and a collection was taken for the Hall funds, which amounted to £10 10s 6d.

A concert followed the opening ceremony at 7pm, when the hall was again filled to capacity. Dancing was kept up to 11pm, and the day proceedings then terminated. Everyone being pleased with their achievements and confident of the Hall’s future success.

World War 2

The Church Hall was used by the Fairfield Platoon of the 2nd Worcestershire (Bromsgrove) Battalion Home Guard as their Headquarters during WWII and was also requisitioned for use as a first aid point.

War Memorial

On August 24th, 1914, at the very beginning of the Great War, a Branch of the Prince of Wales’ Fund was started in the Parish, which was intended to support those people affected by the war.

There quickly followed a branch of the Red Cross Fund and also a Belgian Refugee Fund, which was formed to support a family of Belgian refugees that had settled in Belbroughton.

The war ended in 1918. The Committee then in charge of the Refugees were asked to organise something in the form of a War Memorial. The Parish Council was approached and along with Belgian committee formed “The Committee of Belbroughton and Fairfield Peace Fund”, the proposition that Memorial Crosses should be erected at both ends of the Parish (Belbroughton & Fairfield), to meet the strong feeling that some permanent Memorial should be provided. It was also suggested that a Recreation Ground be established in the village of Belbroughton.

With the generous support of local subscribers, donations from the employees of Messrs. Isaac Nash Ltd, a scythe making factory in Bebroughton, the committee achieved its goal.

Belbroughton recreation Ground was opened for use in September, 1920.

Belbroughton War Memorial Cross was unveiled by General Sir H. Walker, and dedicated by the Rev. S. M. Cooke, Rector, Saturday, November 12th, 1921.

Fairfield War Memorial Cross, was unveiled by General Sir Percy Radcliffe, and dedicated by Rev. Canon Cronshaw, Sunday, May 4th, 1924.

As well as the names of the fallen from both World Wars, another inscription reads:- “To the Glory of God and in Memory of the Men of Fairfield who gave their lives for God, King and Country in the Great War 1914-1919 + Lest We Forget”. Like many memorials of this time, the ending date is given as 1919 rather than 1918.

According to the United Kingdom National Inventory of War Memorials, the memorial was designed by the Bromsgrove Guild, who were well-known in the arts & craft world. (The Bromsgrove Guild existed from 1898 to 1966.)

The War Memorial lists the following men who died in service of their country:

John Banner (son of Luke & Teresa Banner, Wildmoor)

Rank : Lance Corporal

Regiment : 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Service number : 12364

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 25th April 1915 aged 21

Buried : Commemorated on Helles Memorial, Turkey.

Stanley Charles Biddle (son of Edward & Sarah Biddle, Fairfield)

Rank : Private

Regiment : 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Service number : 18726

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 15th November 1916 aged 33

Buried : Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, France.

John Thomas Burton (husband of Florence of Fairfield and father of 10 children)

Rank : Private

Regiment : 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Service number : 36507

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 27th March 1917 aged 40

Buried : St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France

Samuel Clements (son of Henry and Emma Clement of Birmingham)

Rank : Lance Sergeant

Regiment : 1st Battalion Warwickshire Regiment

Service number : 1125

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 16th February 1917 aged 26

Buried : Fins New British Cemetery, Somme, France

Albert Crisp (son of Thomas and Eliza Crisp of Bournheath)

Rank : Corporal

Regiment : 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Service number : 26908

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 9th October 1918 aged 26

Buried : Fairfield (St Mark) Churchyard.

Clifford Vernon Darby

Rank : Private

Regiment : 13th (2nd/4th Battalion The South Lancashire Regiment) Battalion The Parachute Regiment Army Air Corps

Service number : 14520557

Conflict : WW2

Date of death : 7th June 1944 aged 23

Buried : Ranville War Cemetery, France.

Jephthah Davenport (son of Henry & Mary Davenport of Bournheath, husband of Lizzie of Bournheath)

Rank : Private

Regiment : 3rd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Service number : 27433

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 11th July 1916 aged 26

Buried : Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, France.

Philip Davenport

Rank : Sapper

Regiment : 1017 Docks Operating Company Royal Engineers

Service number : 1909248

Conflict : WW2

Date of death : 11th August 1942 aged 22

Buried : Beirut War Cemetery, Lebanese Republic.

Ernest John Eades (son of John & Emma Eades of Fairfield)

Rank : Private

Regiment : 9th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Service number : 19457

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 4th July 1916 aged 22

Buried : Basra War Cemetery, Iraq.

George Eades (son of John & Julia Eades of Stoneybridge)

Rank : Private

Regiment : 2nd Battalion The Herefordshire Regiment. King’s Shropshire Light Infantry

Service number : 4038165

Conflict : WW2

Date of death : 31st July 1941 aged 25

Buried : Fairfield (St Mark) Churchyard.

Donald Evans (son of Mr. & Mrs. T.R.J. Evans of Fairfield)

Rank : Driver

Regiment : Royal Signals

Service number : 316382

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 16th December 1918 aged 21

Buried : Terlincthun British Cemetry, Wimille, Pas de Calais, France

John Hancox (son of Annie Elizabeth Hancox of Fairfield)

Rank : Private John Wallace Hancox

Regiment : 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Service number : 12386

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 27th June 1915 aged 26

Buried : Twelve Tree Copse Cemetery, Turkey.

William Harbach (son of Harry & Caroline Harbach of Stourbridge)

Rank : Private

Regiment : 424th Agricultural Company Labour Corps

Service number : 460691

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 10th October 1918 aged 27

Buried : Fairfield (St Mark) Churchyard.

Samuel Harbridge (son of George & Mary Harbridge of Bell Heath)

Rank : Driver

Regiment : Royal Field Artillery

Service number : 87551

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 27th March 1918 aged 35

Buried : Etaples Military Cemetery

Walter Harris (son of Joshua & Jane Harris of Bournheath)

Rank : Driver

Regiment : Royal Field Artillery

Service number : Unknown

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 19th August 1917 aged 27

Buried : Unknown

Charles Herbert Harrison (son of Charles H. & Sarah Harrison of Bournheath)

Rank : Lance Corporal

Regiment : 14th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Service number : 25484

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 8th June 1917 aged 23

Buried : Fairfield (St Mark) Churchyard.

John Hodgetts (son of Caleb & Annie Hodgetts, Bournheath)

Rank : Lance Sergeant

Regiment : 14th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Service number : 25815

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 2nd September 1916 aged 22

Buried : Wimereux Communal Cemetery, France.

Ernest Hughes (son of Edward & Charlotte Hughes of Fairfield)

Rank : Private

Regiment : 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Service number : 26033

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 9th August 1916

Buried : Vermelles British Cemetery, France.

George Frederick Ivamy (of Fairfield and son of Joseph & Emily Ivamy of Winton, Dorset)

Rank : Sergeant

Regiment : 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Service number : 15670

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 1st July 1916 aged 34

Buried : Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, France.

Frederick Charles Jones (son of Charles H. & Agnes Jones of Bournheath)

Rank : Private

Regiment : 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment

Service number : 47597

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 31st July 1917 aged 20

Buried : Commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.

Rupert Rea (son of James Ellen Rea of Huddington)

Rank : Private

Regiment : Devonshire Regiment. Transferred to 446th Company Labour Corps.

Service number : 29625

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 1st December 1918 aged 27

Buried : Fairfield (St Mark) Churchyard

Harry Read (son of Arthur & Mary Read of Fairfield)

Rank : Private

Regiment : 9th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Service number : 27142

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 15th December 1916 aged 20

Buried : Commemorated on Basra Memorial, Iraq.

Charles W Stevens (son of Charles Henry & Myra Stevens of Bromsgrove)

Rank : Driver

Regiment : 10 Ambulance Car Company Royal Army Service Corps

Service number : 138071

Conflict : WW2

Date of death : 13th October 1943 aged 24

Buried : Johannesburg (West Park) Cemetery, South Africa.

Harry Tilt (son of Thomas & Mary Tilt of Bournheath)

Rank : Private

Regiment : 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Service number : 9803

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 14th April 1918 aged 19

Buried : Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, France.

Charles Tranter (son of Mary A. Tranter of Belbroughton and husband of Jane of Bournheath)

Rank : Gunner

Regiment : 129th Battery 42nd Brigade Royal Field Artillery

Service number : 328

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 15th October 1917 aged 37

Buried : Railway Dugouts Burial Ground (Transport Farm), Belgium.

William Thomas Wilkes (son of Thomas & Elizabeth Wilkes of Wildmoor)

Rank : Private

Regiment : 10th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Service number : 19896

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 30th July 1916 aged 26

Buried : Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, France.

Arthur Wood (son of Sarah Read of Bournheath)

Rank : Private

Regiment : 3rd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Service number : 15719

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 6th October 1916 aged 22

Buried : Pozieres British Cemetery, Ovillers-La-Boisselle, France.

Ernest Wood (son of William & Emma Wood of Wildmoor)

Rank : Private

Regiment : 3rd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Service number : 60440

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 19th February 1919 aged 18

Buried : Fairfield (St Mark) Churchyard.

Frederick Ernest Wood (son of Mrs. Hodgkiss of Wildmoor)

Rank : Private

Regiment : 3rd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Service number : 29789

Conflict : WW1

Date of death : 12th April 1918 aged 20

Buried : Unknown

Fairfield Bromsgrove

Fairfield Emblem

In October 2014, as part of the 35th anniversary celebration to give thanks for the Village Hall, the children of the village and pupils that attended Fairfield First School were asked to design an emblem for Fairfield that could be adopted by village institutions.

The winning entry was drawn by William, aged 6 yrs.

The judges, Mary Fairbain, Carol Brogan & Conrad Palmer, reported that “all the children that entered the competition were very creative and the judges were pleased with all of the entries. It was very difficult to chose the winning design.”