Appledore

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.

The Late Sir W Reardon-Smith

As was briefly reporting in our last issue, the ashes of Sir Willie Reardon-Smith, one of Britain’s leading ship owners and a benefactor of his native Appledore, were scattered on December 14th in the sea off the Bar Buoy, in accordance with his wish. The ashes were conveyed to the Buoy, in a strong north-east wind, by Appledore lifeboat, the Violet Armstrong, under Coxswain S Cann, which left from the Quay.
Mr C H Ash, secretary on behalf of the Appledore branch of the RNLI met the funeral party.
The service, which was a shortened form of the ordinary funeral service, was conducted by Rev A R Richards, of the Seamen’s Mission, Appledore, who took the committal and led in the Lord’s Prayer while Mr H Ford (who is chairman of Northam Urban District Council) scattered the ashes. The Vicar conveyed to the new baronet and family the sympathy of all at Appledore in their bereavement. As the lifeboat passed the coastguard station at Westward Ho! on the outward journey, their flag was dipped as a token of respect for Sir Willie. The flag of the Sailors’ Rest, in which the late baronet had been keenly
interested, was also at half-mast, as were other flags.
Among those present on board the lifeboat were Sir William Reardon Smith, Bart, son: Rev H C A S Muller, Rev A R Richards, Lt-Col V Lewis, Mr H Ford, Mr W Bailey, Mr P Rees, who had served in the late Sir W Reardon Smith’s ships, Messrs G Heywood, W Bond, Neal, C Ford. The crew of the lifeboat consisted of Messrs S Cann, R Cann, F Tatem, W Edwards, J Hooper, W Bowden, R H Cann and W Cann.
Sir William thanked the crew and all others who had taken part in the ceremony. Before leaving for Cardiff he visited his late father’s kinswoman, Miss M Hamlyn. While at Appledore he greeted a number of old family friends.

APPLEDORE AIR PILOT’S SKILL AVERTS TRAGEDY - 1939

Mr J E D Scott, the British Airways pilot who landed his machine at Croydon on Tuesday successfully with one wheel because the undercarriage jammed, is a son of the Hon. Denys Scott of Appledore.

Women passengers kissed the pilot, while a huge crown standing on the airfield cheered and cheered again.
The air line, one of the British Airways fleet of new Lockheed Fourteen 12-seater low wing monoplanes, arrived from Paris at 2.40pm with five men and two women passengers and a crew of three on board. Shortly before 4.20pm although the under carriage was sill fixed, a landing was made without injury to anyone.
Mr J E D Scott, who is the eldest son of Capt the Hon. Denys Scott, was born at Lord Eldon’s London House, 43 Portman Square. He is married and will be 31 years of age in May. Mr Scott was educated at Nash School and later at Harrow. For five years he was on the railways in East Africa, and, coming back to England, joined the British Airways at Bristol, where he started his flying.
Well known at Appledore, which place he visits nearly every year, Mr J E D Scott is a member of the Royal North Devon Golf Club, his golfing handicap being 8.
For some time he was a pilot at the Barnstaple and North Devon Aerodrome for the Atlantic Coast Air Line, flying on the Barnstaple-Cardiff-Plymouth services.

Singer Escapes in Car Crash

Former local pop singer with the band "Mystery Men" Brian Tilke escaped injury when his Ford Zodiac crashed into a farm building at Tucking Mill on 5th February 1965.