IN conjunction with a flower festival, depicting poems and songs from two World Wars, a concert to commemorate the Great War in verse and music was held on Saturday, November 8, at St John the Evangelist Church, Tatworth.

In front of a packed audience, which included the Mayor of Chard and Consort Neil Parish and his wife, Sue, villagers and members of the Royal British Legion of Axminster, the commemoration dedicated the evening to 28 Tatworth men who marched off to war and never returned.

Descendents of those men who still live in the village were also in attendance.

The concert, which featured poetry from many famous Great War poets – including Wilfred Owen, Rupert Brooke, Vera Brittain and Rudyard Kipling – also contained letters from the trenches, some of which had been sent to their families and others to their sweethearts.

Caroline Fowler, whose grandfather survived the war, loaned a book of poetry written by him for display.

Aided by the Membury choir, who led the community singing under the direction of Richard Barrell, narrator David Ayres led the tribute from the moment the “Lights went out all over Europe”, until the finale of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey.

This was followed by Lawrence Binyon’s moving Exhortation from the “To the Fallen”.

Choral music interspersed throughout the concert added great atmosphere and provided a moving tribute to all who fought in the Great War, both from Britain and the Commonwealth, totalling almost 900,000 casualties.

Members of the congregation read many of the sombre poems along with letters from Pat Leonard DSO, known as The Fighting Padre.

His account of life in the trenches proved to be both sad and, in many cases, humorous.

For example, in one depiction of a member of the Flying Corps who thought he had landed in enemy territory and destroyed his plane, only to discover he had returned to his own airfield.

Unhurt, he received a caustic “dressing down” from the aircraft mechanics. During the intermission, World War One Trench cakes taken from an authentic recipe were served to over 140 people.

The audience took time to read some of the letters and documents on display from local men and the stunning arrangements on display throughout the church.

Proceeds from the evening, and the Remembrance Service the following day, which totalled £1,300, were donated to the RBL Axminster and cheque was handed to PCC member Lesley Frankau, Chairman of the Women’s Section of Axminster a few days later.

Our thanks to all who participated, worked behind the scenes and supported the evening from both the church and Tatworth village.

DAPHNE CARSLAKE