What was 'War Weapons Week'?

After the British retreat from Europe, via Dunkirk, the British Army was severely under strength. With her Army’s equipment and arms left in Europe and also fighting the Germans and Italians in Africa there was a dire need to re-equip to resist the German’s imminent invasion. One answer was from the, ‘neutral’, Americans who were offering ships, planes and tanks by it’s ‘Lease, Lend’ scheme.  Another scheme was the War Weapons Week.

War Weapons Weeks were different from other war charities, as no money was paid by people to a named cause, this scheme encouraged a town’s residents to save their money in various Government accounts, such as War Bonds, Savings Bonds, Defence Bonds and Savings Certificates. Cash would be paid into Post Offices or Banks. It would coincide with a week of parades, exhibitions and other war paraphernalia. It would have two aims. The first was to encourage people to save. With the threat of an imminent invasion the Government were aware that people may withdraw their savings from Banks and thus create an economical crisis and also swelling the Treasury's coffers. Also residents would have the satisfaction that they had helped the war effort by doing little more than put some money into a savings bond.

In the region

Thetford was the first in the region to have a War Weapons Week. Then Bury St. Edmunds had theirs, raising over £300,000, a very large sum. Brandon decided to break from the Mildenhall Rural District Council and hold their own events, with Mildenhall holding it’s events a month later. Included in the Brandon War Weapons Week were Elveden, Lakenheath and Santon Downham.

Brandon's War Weapons Week's Chairman was Mr Harry Lingwood and it's Secretary was Mr T. A. Green, and they stated the aim was to reach £15,000. It broke down like this:

• BRANDON & SANTON DOWNHAM - £10,000

• LAKENHEATH & ELVEDEN - £5,000

The main attractions of Brandon's War Weapons Week

School slogan competition

The Headmaster of Brandon Council Schools, Mr W.H. Lumsden, arranged a competition for the children for their best slogans for War Weapons Week, with cash prizes as incentives. The winners were:

1. Ivan Webber, aged 12 - "I'll lend to defend my right to be free,and not have Hitler rule over me."
   Jean Clarke, aged 13 - "Spend less, save more, that's the way to win the war."
2. Cynthia Holmes, aged 13 - "We'll help beat the Nazi scamps, by sticking on the savings stamps."
   Phyllis Ludkin, aged 13 - "Join in Brandon's organisation, to raise £15,000 to help the nation."
3. Betty Drewery - "Save all you can make no mistake, victory and freedom are at stake."
   Margaret Esser - "If we win the war Hitler will rave, so help this to happen by starting to save."

18 other cildren were also awarded prizes.

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Exhibitions

Mr Herbert Edwards, A.R.P. Head Warden, held a daily exhibition on the Market Hill of German war memorabilia. Items included a dingy with paddles, Mae West waterproofs, fin and rudder from a Ju88 aircraft, parachute flares, machine guns, Very lights, incendiary bombs and a land mine.

Gas Company Showroom, in the High Street, displayed German bombs in their window.

Brandon shopkeeper, Mrs. M. E. Green displayed a photograph of Sgt. E. G. Caban (R.A.F.) in her window. He was a local hero after being recently awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (D.F.M.).

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The Parade

The week-long events would commence with a large parade through the town on Sunday, 23rd March 1941. This would involve:

• The parade included 2 Military Bands, Home Guard (under Company CO Wentworth Smith and Platoon COs B. W. Wood and W. G. Gentle), Brandon Volunteer Fire Brigade and Auxilary Fire Brigade (Capt. B. Olley), A.R.P. First Aid (Mr H. Edwards), Brandon A.R.P. Organiser (Mr. R. J. Woodrow), Special PCs (Sgt. J. A . Adams and Mr. F. J. Mount), Sub-Divisional Commander (Mr. A. J. Gascoyne), 1st Company Brandon Girl Guides (Capt. E. Murrell), a contingent of troops, Chairman of Brandon's War Weapons Week (Mr. H. Lingwood), Secretary (Mr. T. A. Green), followed by guns, tanks, Army motor-cyclists, Brandon Fire Engines and Tenders and the Brandon Ambulance.
• The parade was ¾ mile long and wound it's way from the Railway Meadow, up through the High Street, then turning North into Thetford Road, into George Street, down London Road, finally turning into Town Street and then Manor Road, before returning to the Market Hill.
• At the conclusion of the parade on the Market Hill as service was conducted by the R.A.F. officiating chaplain, Rev. J. D. Crawford, and Brandon's Rev. H. Tyrell Green. 2 Hyms were sung, "Eternal Father Strong To Save" and "Abide With Me". The Lords Prayer and a blessing were read too. The whole service was relayed by loud speakers to a crowd on the Market Hill.
• The parade then returned to the Railway Meadow.

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Other events

Other events included:

• A.R.P. Exercises, including the local wardens demonstrating the rights and wrongs of extinguishing incendiary bombs with the use of stirrup pumps, and how to put out a fire with sand.
• A demonstration of First Aid for people with smoke inhalation.
• A demonstration of gas masks. This invovled the spectators wearing their masks while tear gas was released.
• Dances in the Church Institute, Paget Hall and Avenue Cinema.

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So how much did Brandon's week raise?

The aim was to raise £15,000 in one week.

The actual total of savings during the week for Brandon, Elveden, Lakenheath and Santon Downham actually far exceeded their task. The total at the close of proceedings was £52,356.

The total breaks down thus:

	£	s	d
BRANDON	43,096	0	8
LAKENHEATH	7,552	15	0
ELVEDEN	1,469	13	9
SANTON DOWNHAM	237	11	0
TOTAL	52,356	0	5

The Assistant Commissioner for National Savings, Mr. A. J. Harris, asked to be placed on record his statement,

"the intense gratitude of his headquarters for the wonderful response ... once again the residents of Brandon and the outlying villages had set a brilliant example to their fellow citizens in the Empire by lending as vast a sum of money to the nation..."

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MARCH 23 - 29.

BRANDON & DISTRICT

WAR WEAPONS WEEK