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In February 1915 William Powell, a farmer of Great Linford, was accepted for service with the Army Veterinary Corps. During his absence his farm would be looked after by his friends in the district.

Serving with the ammunition column of the 44th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Driver Roland Spriggs had been at the front since the outbreak of the war. His brother was also serving with the R.F.A., and the two met for the first time in March 1915.

Whilst recovering from an injured knee, caused when his horse stumbled, in May 1915 Lance Corporal Harry Robinson, of Great Linford, recognised a man in Northampton who was a deserter from his regiment. He informed the police and the man was swiftly detained, to await a military escort.

In 1915 Mrs. Anna Elliott, a resident of the almshouses at Great Linford, and one of the oldest inhabitants in the village, made 36 strong kettle holders for the Red Cross, who had recently made a special appeal.

During September 1915 Stanley William Hedges, whose brother, Percy, had been wounded on active service with the Royal Bucks Hussars at the Dardanelles, passed his tests for duty as a despatch rider at the front. Attached to the Royal Engineers, he would be stationed at Holywell Camp, Pembroke, and having in late July 1916 completed his training was promoted to full corporal. He then came home on final leave, being later sent to Mesopotamia.

(While on a visit to his brother in law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Dudley Gardner, at Sherington, Stanley died suddenly on Wednesday, February 22nd 1939. He had accompanied his sister to Newport Pagnell to meet several old friends, and it was in the evening when sitting in a chair that he was taken ill. He died before a doctor could arrive. His father, the late William Hedges, had farmed at Great Linford for many years, and although Stanley had formerly occupied a farm at Milton Keynes, he left to establish a successful business as a haulage contractor at Bushey Heath. For some weeks before his death he had been in a nursing home, and due to an improvement in health following his discharge he decided to spend some time with his sister at Sherington, before returning to his business. He was aged 45, and left a widow (a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Spires of The Elms, Leighton Buzzard) and a girl aged 15 and a boy aged 9. With the funeral being held on the afternoon of Saturday, February 25th, his body was taken to Great Linford for interment in the churchyard adjoining the graves of his father, who died in July 1921, and his mother, who died in May 1930.)

During the first week of October 1915, on Tricolour Day Mrs. G. Uthwatt, amongst others of the village, and the local schoolchildren, raised £1 10s for the French Wounded Emergency Fund.

By February 1916, Mr. and Mrs. W. Sprigg, of Railway Terrace, had four sons and a son in law in the Forces. Having been on active service at the Western Front since early August 1914, William and Roland were in the Royal Field Artillery, whilst Joe was with the 7th Wilts. in Salonica, where he would be posted as missing on April 24th 1917. Frederick George was a driver in the Army Service Corps at Greenwich, and their son in law, Walter Chamberlain, was at Burnham in Somerset, training with the Bucks Territorial Battalion reserves.

In April 1916 Captain H. Ditmas, of Ivy House, who had been on active service with the Royal Field Artillery since the outbreak of war, was gazetted to Major.

(By deed poll dated April 26th 1918 he and his wife would change their surname to Doyne-Ditmas.)

For Christmas gifts for the village men on active service, in December 1916 a house to house collection raised over £27.

Sarah Lacey, of the Wharf Inn, was summoned at the Newport Pagnell Divisional Petty Sessions on Wednesday, December 27th 1916, for not having screened the lights of her dwelling house on December 12th. In a letter she admitted her guilt, and was represented in court by her daughter. Police constable Nicholls said that he had seen a bright light shining from the window of the inn, and on entering the premises he found a double burner lamp alight on the table. The blinds were not drawn, and the woman said that having lit the lamp her daughter had forgotten that it was alight. A fine of 5s was imposed.

In March 1917, at the Local Tribunal for the Newport Pagnell Rural District the military were represented in force, with Captain L.H. Green, the chief recruiting officer for Bucks, Lieutenant Porter, the military representative to the County Appeal Committee, Mr. W. Carlile, the Military Representative to the Local Appeal Tribunal, Mr. R.F. Neave, the County Tribunal Representative, and Lieutenant Walker, the Substitution Officer. Having previously been exempted for 6 months a Great Linford publican and bricklayer had carried out the wishes of the Tribunal by presenting himself for medical examination, and was subsequently passed C1 by the Oxford Board. He suffered from rheumatism, and had the responsibility of 3 young children, and having mentioned that he did a lot repair work to farm buildings, Mr. Carlile replied “Farm buildings must tumble down. Raising food is everything now.” The Tribunal would grant him conditional exemption if he was prepared to work wholly on the land, and following his agreement to find permanent agricultural work the case was adjourned for two weeks. The man duly found full time employment with a farmer in the village.

Due to engine failure, between Great Linford and Wolverton an aeroplane came down on Sunday, April 8th 1917, and a large crowd from the neighbourhood soon gathered. Members of the Royal Defence Corps were posted to guard the machine, which, having been repaired in under 4 hours, was able to take off just before 5p.m., and resume its journey towards London.

For the eggs which bore her name, during the last week of September 1917 Cissie Ellis, aged 5, received letters of thanks from two wounded soldiers in France.

In October 1917 a parlour maid was required at the Rectory.

(The same need would arise in December 1918, with applicants to contact Mrs. Turnbull.)

Featuring recitations and songs, in aid of the Red Cross a concert was performed in the village school on the evening of Saturday, December 29th 1917. The performers were the Misses May and Minnie Harper, Doris Hartup, Daisy Sapwell, Evelyn Walters, and Kathleen Smith, and in addition mandolin selections were played by the Gear family from Stantonbury. Having been taught by Mr. G. Smith, who acted as pianist, the girls performed a sketch entitled ‘Building castles in Spain,’ and after the concert a whist drive was held, followed by dancing. There was also a bagatelle board, and in total the proceeds would amount to £6 3s 4d.

Organised by Mrs. Hedges and a few friends, a whist drive and dance was held in the village schools on Thursday, January 3rd 1918. This was in aid of the Royal Engineers hospital at Newport Pagnell, and with music provided by Mr. C. Kenneth Garratt on the piano, and Sapper Fuller, of the Royal Engineers, on the violin, the vocal items were provided by Miss Kathleen Powell and Mr. D. Gardner, who officiated as the master of ceremonies for dancing. Skittles and bagatelle were also enjoyed, and the event raised £18.

From the Great Linford men serving at home and abroad, during January 1918 the Committee of the Soldiers and Sailors Christmas Gifts Collection Fund received a large number of letters and cards, acknowledging with thanks the postal orders that had been received. The collectors were Mrs. Ditmas, Miss Turnbull, Mrs. Hedges, Messrs A. Mills, T. Sapwell, C. Heeps, and G. Beckett, with the amount collected being in excess of £32.

Organised by Miss Joan Mead, of Great Linford Manor, a house to house collection was made in the village in January 1918. In response to an appeal, this was towards providing a Recreation Hut for facially disfigured soldiers undergoing treatment in France, and a total of £3 12s would be raised.

(Aged 26, Miss Katharine Helena Joanna Mead died in February 1923 aged 26. Having endured poor health for some while a holiday in Switzerland was proposed, but at Folkestone she contracted influenza, and during the Channel crossing with her parents her condition worsened. A stop to rest in Calais was consequently made, where she passed away. At Great Linford she had been held in great respect, having been secretary of the Bucks district of the Girls’ Diocesan Association, a commandant of St. John V.A.D., a valued worker in the Sunday School, and a keen worker for the village Women’s Institute. She had also been instrumental in forming a village company of Girl Guides, of which she was captain at the time of her demise.)

While sliding on a fish pond near the Manor House, a tragedy occurred on the afternoon of Monday, January 14th 1918, when 7 year old Douglas Claude Sapwell, the son of Private E. B. Sapwell, of the Worcester Regiment, fell through the ice and drowned. At the inquest, held at the Nag’s Head on Thursday morning, January 17th, William Haynes, the boy’s grandfather, said that about 4p.m. he had seen his grandson walking towards the fish pond, on which he said he was going to go sliding. William warned him not to go near the far end, which he thought was unsafe, and the boy replied “All right, gramp.” Half an hour later William heard that there was a child in the pond, and rushing to the scene he and Michael Mead got the boy out. They then applied artificial respiration for about an hour until the arrival of Dr. Wickham, who in his evidence at the inquest said that everything possible had been done to revive the boy.

At the Red Cross fete at Newport Pagnell, in May 1918 Major Harold Doyne-Ditmas, of Great Linford, exhibited various war relics, including fuses of shells, a German egg bomb, a gas mask, a spike dropped from an aeroplane, a Mauser rifle and pistol, and German helmets, bayonets, cartridge cases etc.

Serving with the Royal Field Artillery, Roland Spriggs, the second son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Spriggs, of 11, Station Terrace, Great Linford, was severely wounded during the fighting in France on May 26th 1918, and would undergo treatment at the 2nd Western General Hospital, Manchester, for shrapnel wounds in the head, back, and arm. His wife lived at 180, Mill Road, Kettering, and he had been in France since the outbreak of the war, having been recalled as a Reservist.

Mrs. Dorothea Mead had two nanny kids and one billy, ‘Good milking strain,’ for sale in May 1918 at Great Linford Manor.

(After the death of her husband, Major C.W. Mead, who was buried at Great Linford in July 1934, his widow, Dorothea, moved to Newport Pagnell, where at her residence of ‘Brentnor,’ Wolverton Road, she died aged 83 on Friday, January 30th 1948. The cremation took place at Golders Green on February 3rd, and her ashes in an oak casket were brought to Great Linford church, where they lay overnight before the funeral on February 4th. Amongst the large congregation was Mr. H. Reed, who had been in the service of the family for 54 years, and representatives from the Mothers’ Union, district nursing, Girl Guides, British Legion, Orthopaedic Clinic, and Women’s Conservative and Unionist Association, all of which she had been associated with. The interment was made in the grave of her husband, and she was survived by her only son.)

At Ivy House, Mrs. Sibyl Doyne-Ditmas had the need for a temporary maid in June 1918 for about a month, to undertake parlour work for two weeks and housemaid’s work for the rest.

The Great Linford War Savings Association held a special effort on Thursday, July 11th 1918, this being to sell certificates etc. for the Newport Pagnell and District Aeroplane Week. As the honorary treasurer, Mrs. Hedges had kindly allowed the lawn of Linford House to be the setting for a garden fete, with the chief attraction during the evening being the Merry Magnets Concert Party from Newport Pagnell, whose principal, Miss Wilford, had secured the services of 6 young ladies. Despite the cold of the evening the outdoor singing and dancing was much enjoyed, and after the concert refreshments and side shows could be enjoyed. Throughout the evening Miss Neil had been busy securing names for the draw of the certificates, and Mr. W. Brice Shakeshaft drew out the various winning numbers from a box. The whole undertaking resulted in the sale of 210 certificates, and in addition there was a £1,000 War Bond investment by Major and Mrs. Doyne-Ditmas.

With the funeral taking place on the afternoon of Monday, August 19th 1918, Christopher Lorton Sapwell, late of the Army Veterinary Corps, was laid to rest in the churchyard, the coffin, covered by a Union Jack, having been borne to the church on a gun carriage. In attendance were 12 Royal Engineers from the Newport Pagnell Wireless Depot.

The marriage of Miss Winifred Hedges, the second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. Hedges, of Linford House, took place to Second Lieutenant Cyril Bliss, of the 3rd Northants. Regiment, on Wednesday, August 21st 1918. He was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Bliss of Bushey, Herts., and his bride wore his gift of a gold wrist watch. She wore a brooch which had been given by her brother, Corporal Stanley Hedges, who was serving in Mesopotamia as a despatch rider, and for the ceremony she carried a handsome ivory and silver prayer book, this being a present from Mrs. J. Turnbull and the rector of the parish the Reverend J. Turnbull, who officiated. Miss Dorothy Hedges, the sister of the bride, was the only bridesmaid, and she also wore a gold wrist watch, as a gift from the groom. Second Lieutenant Percy Hedges, of the R.A.F. had been able to obtain leave to attend his sister’s wedding, and brass candlesticks were his present to the couple. In the late afternoon the newly weds left for a honeymoon at St. Leonards on Sea, after which they would then make their home at Minster, Isle of Sheppey.

For the National Egg Collection for the Wounded, based at 154, Fleet Street, London, the Great Linford collectors were Miss Joyce, at the post office, and Miss Hathaway, at the school.

In the occupancy of Major H. Doyne-Ditmas, his wife and 4 young children, governess, nurse and three servants, on Monday, March 24th 1919 Ivy House, the property of William Uthwatt, was totally destroyed by fire. The Major, late of the Royal Field Artillery, had been awoken shortly after 4a.m. by the smell of burning, and on opening the bedroom door he found the landing and staircase filled with dense smoke. With all the other people in the house asleep, and with fire raging in the rooms of the ground floor, his only escape was to jump from the bedroom window, and fetching a ladder, at great personal risk he safely brought down his wife, children and her servants. Miss Walker, the nurse, then bravely re-entered the building to rouse the other servants, who swiftly escaped by ladder. In fact just as everyone had got clear the roof fell in, and while the others were kindly accommodated at the farmhouse of Mr. W. Powell, the Major motored to Newport Pagnell to alert the fire brigade. However, there he found that Great Linford did not subscribe to their services, and he had to sign a document guaranteeing that he would pay. The appliances duly turned out, but, although they obtained a good water supply from the pond at Mr. Powell’s farm house, the fire had taken too great a hold, and some firemen were injured trying to salvage what little was left. The police having arrived early at the scene, Superintendent Dibben organised a salvage party, but at great risk they were only able to save a grand piano, some linen and other items. By 8.30a.m. only the outer walls were left, although during the day as the fire brigade trawled through the remains some valuable jewels, which Mrs. Ditmas feared had been lost, were found in a ground floor room. Ironically, 2 weeks before Major Ditmas had lost a lot of valuable furniture in a fire at Wilton Street, Victoria.

In memory of the men from the village who had been killed in the war, on the morning of Monday, April 7th 1919 there was a large congregation in the parish church for a service of special prayers and hymns. At the schools, 43 ex servicemen had assembled under the command of Lieutenant Gerard Uthwatt, who was joined in the parade by other officers. Some 100 men from the village had served with the fighting forces, and 9 were killed.

Held in the schools, a whist drive and dance took place on the evening of Tuesday, April 22nd 1919, this being to help raise a fund for Mr. W. Chamberlain, who whilst serving with the Oxon and Bucks Light Infantry in France had suffered severe shell shock. This left him with paralysis, and being married with three small children he had been unable to work for the past 12 months. The special effort was the idea of his neighbours, and the committee by which the arrangements were made was formed by Miss E. Spriggs, Miss M. Lacey, and Messrs. F. Horne, F. Walters, and J. Dunkley (the honorary secretary). Mrs. Hedges lent scoring cards, bunting and flags, the Bradwell Social Club lent playing cards, and Mr. Gear and his family from Bradwell provided the music for the dance held afterwards. Mrs. Powell sent a supply of milk, and practically everyone in the village had contributed by way of gifts and refreshments. Over 100 people attended the event, and including the £1 11s raised by the auction of a cake, given by Mrs. Spriggs, £17 17s was raised. After expenses, £17 was then given to Mr. Chamberlain.

For celebrating Peace Day, July 19th 1919, a committee under Mr. W. Uthwatt had decided to provide a cold dinner of meat with salad, bread, cheese, beer, and minerals for the village adults, and a free tea for those under 14. By the kindness of Major Mead and Mr. A. Mills the Manor ‘Wilderness’ and Little Marsh field were used for the occasion, and the village squire had provided specially sawn oak boards and stakes from his saw mill for the seats and tables, which were arranged in a gridiron style for the 300 guests. The many gifts of flowers for decoration had been arranged by Miss Turnbull and Mrs. Adams, and joints of meat weighing over 290lbs, consisting of well cooked roast and boiled beef and mutton, were carved in an open tent near the tables by the squire, the rector, Major Mead, Mr. W. Powell and Mr. P. Hedges. Afterwards the squire proposed the health of the King, with this being followed by the singing of a verse of the National Anthem, and then a toast by the rector, the Reverend J. Turnbull, to ‘Our Glorious Defenders - on sea, on land, at home and abroad, and in the air.’ Eliciting loud applause Major Mead, who had served throughout the war at home and in France, said that for their future security words must have unity of purpose. Assisted by Percy Sharpe, at 2.30p.m. the Sports Committee, composed of Major Mead, Percy Hedges (late of the R.A.F.) and Michael Mead, embarked on their programme, but due to the weather the tea had to be held at rather short notice in the school room, where, with all credit to the tea committee, about 250 people enjoyed plenty of delicious cake and ‘nicely cut’ bread and butter. After the tea the sports resumed, with the prizes given by Mrs. Mead. For the adults there was a light supper of bread and meat, and cake and milk for the youngsters, and the cost of the day had been largely defrayed by friends, with a small charge being made for dinner, since no house to house collection had been undertaken. However, there was no limit as to how much could be consumed, and Mrs. Hedges had presented tickets to every soldier and sailor present, and she and Major Mead had given free tickets to the soldiers’ wives. For raising funds a piano organ had been hired by Fred Horne and Harry Robinson, and, with the latter seeming ‘to be familiar with every phase of wheedling strategy,’ despite the showers their combined efforts raised £5 14s 10½d, which was forwarded to the sports account. Another helper was Mr. W. J. Short, who sent a horse and cart, and two former soldiers, Albert Sapwell and Fred Pallett, put on a fireworks display. In conclusion a few people adjoined to the school room to finish the day in singing and dancing, with Miss Theo Rose presiding at the piano.

In aid of funds to provide the village with a memorial hall, a garden fete was held in the grounds of Great Linford Manor on Friday, August 27th 1920. Major and Mrs. Mead were the main instigators, and the villagers had readily helped by providing gifts for the stalls, or pledging help on the day. In addition to the stalls there were numerous other attractions including hoop la, a bran tub, fish pond, skittles, clock golf, swing boats, a treasure hunt and competitions for a pair of chickens and ducks. Miss Stella Uthwatt did good business selling buttonholes, and Mr. Pidgen, of Wolverton, had kindly lent boats for trips on the canal. Tea and refreshments were in the charge of Mrs. Heeps and her assistants, and in the evening there was dancing on the lawn, with Mr. E. Whittaker, the honorary secretary to the Memorial Hall Committee, presiding at the piano. Also in the evening a first rate concert took place in the schools. This had been organised by Mr. C. Heeps, who for his participation contributed ‘He went in like a lion and came out like a lamb.’ With tenders for a brick building to be invited as soon as possible, the plans had already been passed for a memorial hall which, with £200 having been raised by holding fetes etc., would serve as an educational centre as well as a recreation and reading room.

After the war Major Doyne-Ditmas moved to Wootton, where he continued to win prizes with his kennel of English Springer Spaniels.