Commemorative

Christmas Eve at the Front

An interesting letter has just been received by Mrs Packer, of Broadclyst, from her husband, Corpl Packer of A Company, 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, who is serving with the Expeditionary Force in Northern France. In the course of a letter he describes a remarkable incident which occurred on Christmas Eve between the British and German trenches.

World War 1

12.11.1918 Clovelly fishing

Clovelly

Fishing at Clovelly would seem to be a very profitable occupation at the present time. In addition to large numbers of other fish a tribunal applicant reported last week that since July he had caught 43,366 herrings and mackerel. Clovellys have been making 2½d and 3d apiece, but if these retailed at 2d each the catch of herrings alone would bring in during the past three of four months over £360. Then there were 1,047 whiting and 354lbs of conger and cod. North Devon Journal.

The Clovelly fisherman probably wishes the Barnstaple paper’s deductions were true.

Gazette article dated 12 November 1918

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12.11.1918 Armistice

Armistice Signed

The Prime Minister announces that the Germans signed the armistice at 5 o’clock this (Monday) morning, and all hostilities ceased on all fronts at 11 o’clcok
Meanwhile the British troops had re-take Mons, where the ‘Contemptibles’ made their historic stand against the Germans in 1914, and the Allies had driven the enemy out of practically the whole of France.

Gazette article dated 12 November 1918

World War 1

Devon Sea Fisheries
Bideford & Clovelly Fishermen Voice Grievances
The report of the Fishery Officer, Mr Thos. Brehont, of Dartmouth, of the Devon Sea Fisheries for the quarter ending 2 October 1918, deals with his visits to the principal fishing ports in the district, including the North Devon ports.
At Clovelly the Fishery Officer states he received a serious complaint from the trawlers there, who stated that at various times a considerable amount of steamers anchored in their inshore trawling grounds, and whilst at anchor they deposited a considerable quantity of ashes and clinkers, which they caught in their trawls, and was very detrimental to their fishing.
At Bideford he received a complaint from the fisherman that vessels on patrol work in the Bristol Channel frequently came to the inshore grounds and used trawls of a small mesh and with steam power. At Ilfracombe and Combe Martin the advantages of the motor for trawling purposes were being recognised, and he saw signs of a considerable development in that direction at these places. There had been three prosecutions during the quarter for illegal trawling. One case was dismissed, and in two other cases the defendants were convicted, and fines were imposed in each case, in one case the defendant was fined £2, and in the other £20.
Lobsters during the early part of the quarter had been plentiful, but crabs were scarce.

Gazette article dated 1 October 1918