Codford St. Mary...

Sunday, 5th June cont. - (Catch-up)

Fred Johnstone had been stationed nearby to Codford St. Mary when he first got to England from Australia in December 1917. He said in his notebook that it was a "cold hole", and not surprising, given that he was there in January and February.

We first went to Codford St.Peters, and there was a service under way, so didn't go in. We later spoke to a local gentleman, who, after hearing our story, said it would have been Codford St.Mary, and not C. St. Peters.

Drove back a short road, which connects the two villages,  to C St.M, and found the little church, and were able to go inside. A very pretty church, and after we came out spoke to a lady who was walking her dog. Turned out she was involved with the local history society, and they are working on some histories for the centenary of the 1914 war. She said there were hundreds of soldiers stationed there during the war as it was close to the railway, and they camped in tents!!! 

 
We have a postcard of the village that Fred sent back home, and we tried to replicate the scene in a photo, but not sure we got precisely the same view, and there is much growth in the stream, and so some of the view is blocked by trees.
The lady, Stephanie, also told us of the local cemetery of Anzac war graves, which are just across the road from the church, and are beautifully maintained. They are most likely graves of those who died whilst in the area during their training, of whatever disease or accident, but the cemetery is a credit to those who maintain it.

There is also a depiction of the Anzac Cap badge carved into the hillside, just outside the town, and Lee caught a glimpse of it on our way out.We were told that every year, on the 18th June, Australian and NZ military service people who are stationed in the UK, and some locals, go up to the 'badge' and trim back the grass etc.

"The cap badge on the slope above Foxhole Bottom, made by Australian troops, 1916-17, incorporating glass beer bottle bases.  Polishing the bottles became a punishment duty, giving rise to the site's colloquial name, 'Misery Hill'. Turfed over during the Second World War to prevent its use by enemy bombers, the outline was restored in chalk and last scoured in 1999 by Australian troops."

Our photo 2011

Fred's postcard 1918

We will contact Stephanie and see if we can supply anything towards their centenary celebrations in 2014, and perhaps she might have some photo's of the camp, etc that we could use.