Belper Train Station: Capturing the Reaction to War

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On the morning of Wednesday 5 August, 1914 – the day after war was declared – hundreds of people turned out at Belper Station to see off the 22 members of the Derbyshire Yeomanry from the Belper District. The mood was one of celebration and excitement. They were under the command of Sergeant H Gillet. They left for Chesterfield on the 11:12, where they were to obtain horses and proceed to Ipswich. Sgt Gillet, who survived Gallipoli, eventually dying at Selonica of pneumonia. His name is on the town’s war memorial. A picture was taken on the day they left Belper – today it’s used for history talks by local historian Adrian Farmer. Location: Belper Train Station, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 1DA Image: Belper Station then and now, courtesy of Adrian Farmer