Skegness Magazine

The Signing of the Armistice 1918

‘Der Tag’ but not ‘Der Tag’ The Kaiser Vanted
Great Excitement in Skegness

That the armistice would be signed by Germany was considered as a foregone conclusion. When the news arrived in Skegness a lot of people at first were rather doubtful about the authenticity of the information. Though a large number of people da arranged for telegrams to be sent the congestion at the Post Office was so great that many handed in at London at 10.30 am did not reach Skegness till evening. One of the first persons to receive the news was Mr Hudson, chemist, and he quickly spread the splendid news. Directly afterwards a poster was placed outside Dutton’s shop giving particulars, and a large crowd assembled to read it.

The Church bells were quickly rung announcing the great news, and Councillors Haley and Connell quickly got to work and asked the tradespeople to close for the afternoon and make a public holiday. Everyone was agreeable and at one o’clock the town presented a holiday appearance.

The first intimation the writer had of the glad news was hearing the church bells ringing, and on coming into the street heard a number of soldiers singing to the accompaniment of a mouth organ, playing ‘Everybody’s Doing It’, and very soon everybody was doing it. Flags were quickly hoisted and bunting swayed, and long before the shops closed the streets presented a pleasing appearance with decorations.

Children were waving flags; bicycles and perambulators displaying a flag of tricolour ribbon.

The Chairman of the Council sent out invitations to the members of all religious denominations and leading citizens inviting them to be present at a united service in the Marine Gardens at 3.30. It was arranged to meet in the Lumley Square and form a procession, and long before 3 o’clock the Square was crowded with people.

On Monday afternoon a draft was due to depart to France and the men formed up in front of the headquarters near the Clock Tower ready to go. They were quite excited and had decorated their caps with flags and their faces were flushed with the thought that though they had to go, the victory was won. It seemed to the public looking on, that it was a pity the men had to leave on such a day of rejoicing, particularly when the men were called to attention to receive their officer. As he advanced the expression on his face denoted there was something unusual about to occur, but when he informed the men the draft was cancelled and they were to return to their billets a tremendous cheer went up from the men. As the boys got the order to move they quiclky sprang to it, and there was not a sound except the tramp of feet as they moved away, to be followed by tremendous hurrahs directly as they were dismissed.

Shortly after two o’clock the inhabitants began to congregate in Lumley Road, and quickly the streets became crowded. “Everyone was doing it,” and it was a great day. Everyone was jolly, everyone was smiling, everyone was happy that the fighting was stopped. Little knots of soldiers stood about talking over the good news, whilst others marched down the centre of the streets singing popular airs. Cannon crackers etc kept popping off which produced yells of laughter from the people around. Lumley Road and Lumley Square was packed with people, long before three o’clock, that it was impossible to move with ease, but all the more the merrier appeared the motto. Soldiers singing, hurrahing, and decorated with patriotic colours helped to make one large and good humoured crowd.

The formation of a procession in anything like order was out of the question, and the pleasantries and banter to the police as they tried to regulate the traffic, was good humouredly accepted by them. Eventually Insp Epton got the crowd to move to the Marine Gardens, and quickly the whole formed up to go to the Marine Gardens.

The order of the procession was as follows:-
Wounded Soldiers
Commandant and Nurses of Red Cross Hospital
Cottage Hospital Staff
Mrs Coetmore jones representing Lord Scarbrough
Rev John H Hill, Rev Watchman, Rev S Rathmell, Rev Toone
Coun W Clayton, Mt Acton, Mr C F Grantham, Lieut G Grantham
Couns J H Sleight, C Thornton, W P Moody, D Haley, T Marshall, G F Ball (in uniform), C Bycroft, J Connell, S Moody
The Overseers
Leading Tradesmen and Others

Arriving at the Marine Gardens the procession formed around the flag pole in front of the Lifeboat Station, when a united service was opened by the Rev Watchman, and the hymn “Praise God from whom all blessings flow” was heartily taken up by the crowd. The Rev Hill led in prayer, after which the Rev rathmell read Psalm 150, “O God, our help in ages past” was then sung.

Coun W Clayton, the Chairman of the Council in a short telling speech, said the day that they had all been looking for had come at last, and they wished to show their gratitude to the God they worshipped, who had won the fight for the freedom of nations. He (the speaker) hoped they would never forget the boys who had done so much for them, (Cheers). They must be loyal to the boys that had won the freedom of the world, when they returned from the war. He was proud as one of the representatives of Skegness, of the loyalty that this little town had shown for its country. Over 400 men had responded to the country’s call. He wanted to say a few words to the relatives of the fallen, how deeply the gereral public sympathised with them in their bereavement and the loss of their dear ones. That day was a day was a day of rejoicing, but they did not forget those who had fallen on the field of battle. The hour was a dark one for the relatives of those who had given up their lives in the great cause, but those lives had not been given in vain. On such a day as that they must not forget the ladies who had so nobly responded to the call of the country. The ladies had willingly done their bit, in whatever capacity they had undertaken. Look at the work the Red Cross Nurses had done (A Voice: “Three Cheers,” and they were given) nursing the wounded, and caring for the sick, sticking to their duties hour after hour, day after day, year after year. The devotion of the nurses at the local Red Cross Hospital, Winthorpe Auxiliary Hospital and Cottage Hospital had been superb. Then there were ladies who had given their time to the YMCM (another thre  cheers0, and looked after the comforts of the serving men; also the Committee of the Prisoners of War, who had sent parcels of food to the unfortunate one who had been captures by the enemy. They could not forget to thank Mr Coupe for his ever energetic way to obtain the money to carry the war through. He had raised considerable amounts and everyone knew that the successful issue announced that day could not have been done if the Government had been short of £sd. The speaker trusted when the battles were all over, and he said they practically were, they would love their country more deeply, a land which had stood up for the principal of unity of freedom for mankind throughout the world.

The Rev Toone concluded the service by prayer, and said “Help us, O God, in this our time of rejoicing, to lift up our hearts to Thee.”

The National Anthem was then sung by the huge crowd.

Throughout the afternoon the bugle band of the Lincolnshire Regiment paraded the streets.

Source: Skegness, Mablethorpe and Alford News 1918