Wadhurst, Sussex: A Village Changed Forever by War

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One hundred years ago, everyone in the village of Wadhurst would have known somebody who had died during the Great War. Twelve families lost two sons.Two families lost three; changing the face of the village forever. Sunday 9 May 1915, is a particularly significant date. Twenty-five men from Wadhurst died in 10 minutes at the Battle of Aubers Ridge. A wave of shock swept through the village as the news came through about the devastating battle. The local regiment was decimated. In all, 149 men never returned. Breadwinners were lost, families struggled and the next generation of children considerably reduced in number. Wadhurst resident Heather Woodward looks back at the moment the men of Wadhurst answered the call of king and country and how so many of them never came home. Location: Wadhurst, Sussex TN5 6AP Image shows Wadhurst then and now Historic image courtesy of Wadhurst History Society, and contemporary image courtesy of Heather Woodward, who also presents the story