In September we welcomed Rod Spokes whose talk was about World War One and its impact upon the life of the Norwich.
One of the earliest effects was the publicity and encouragement for unmarried men between 19 and 30 to 'join up'. This age range was later extended and married men were included when conscription was introduced in 1916. Some 32,000 men were recruited to the Norfolk Regiment housed in the Britannia Barracks on Mousehold Heath and to the Norfolk Cavalry Regiment quartered in Barrack Street. He said that although accepted into the army, many of these men were woefully unfit for duty.
One of the next effects of the war to be felt in Norwich, was the very high rate of casualties sustained in the trenches. The first of these arrive in Norwich came as early as October in 1914, and as there were not enough beds for them in the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital the Thorpe St Andrew's Asylum was taken over as was Lakenham School and several local residences.
Manufacturing industries in Norwich benefited from the war. Shoes and boots were needed by the army and the Norwich shoe manufacturers were quick to respond. Harmers of Norwich soon changed from making civilian clothing to supplying uniforms. Caley's supplied chocolate bars and Boulton and Paul became significant makers of airplanes at a factory site on Riverside assembling their planes on Mousehold Heath.
Everyone knows of course what effect Norwich-born Edith Cavell had upon the nation after her execution in Belgium and it was, to Norwich that she was brought for burial. It is said that following her death the number of men volunteering doubled to 10,000 a month.
The City of Norwich lost three and a half thousand men during this conflict and are remembered at the Norwich Cenotaph in front of City Hall and on the many war memorials and cemeteries in and around Norwich.
Paul Weeks