Suffolk Chronicle & Mercury 6th January 1922
A memorial tablet to the gallant employees at Bramford Works [Edward Packard &Co Ltd.] who fell in the Great War and with a record of the names of those responded to their country’s call, was unveiled in the Club room at the Works on Monday afternoon [2nd January 1922]. The exceptionally large percentage of the men in the service of the firm who joined the Army was, no doubt, to some extent, due to that inspiration of patriotism which, through a long and honourable career, had characterised their chief, now, Sir Edward Packard, whose recently acquired honour is a source of universal congratulation. The memorial which adorns the wall is the work of Miss E Sylvia Packard, Sir Edward’s gifted daughter, whose artistic design and beautiful execution of the work is, in itself, a lasting tribute to her talent. The memorial takes the form of a mahogany panel upon which is recorded in Roman letters on a white ground the names of the twenty-one men killed in action, and the ninety-four(1) men still living who served their country. Above the names soars the Dove of Peace, and, and intersected in the columns of names are excellent painted portraits of the majority of the men who died and some poetic lines; while the pattern enclosing the names is beautifully carried out in exquisite touches of varied colour depicting the Crown, and emblem of honour, the Red Roses of England. The Thistles of Scotland, the Shamrock of Ireland, the Fleur de Lys of France, Columbines for love, and Corn for Faithfulness. The inside panels of the doors, which enclose the names, bear the full length painting of a British sentry on the one side and St George of England on the other, in protective attitude. The whole is surmounted in the lunette by a striking pictural representation of Britannia, watching her dead, and at the same time bestowing her blessing and thanks to the living.
The spacious building only just accommodated the company assembled to take part in the ceremony, over which Sir Edward Packard and Major G R C Stuart CB, DL and Sergt. Saunders VC, who performed the unveiling ceremony. Unfortunately, Lady Packard and Mrs C T Packard were unable to be present, through illness. Letters of apology for non-attendance were received from the Rev C W Ward, Mr C H Shipston,(2) Mr F M Shepperd.(3)
The large number of employees present included many who wore military distinctions. The relatives of the dead were provided with special accommodation. The proceedings opened with an address from Major Stuart, after which Sergeant Saunders VC stepped forward, and taking up a position alongside the tablet, pulled the cord, detaching the Union Jack covering the memorial, and then he opened the doors, revealing the names. The gallant sergeant confessed that he was no orator, but said a quotation from a speech by the great American Statesman, Lincoln, would convey to them everything that it was necessary for him to say: “With charity to all; with malice towards none, and with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right. Let us strive to carry on the work which we are on, and bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who has fought the battle – his widows and orphans, and to do all we can to achieve and bring a just and lasting peace amongst ourselves and all nations.”
Two buglers having sounded the “Last Post”, Major Smart read copies of the verses recorded on the memorial, one being the well known lines by Rupert Brooke, “The Dead”, and the other from Owen Seaman’s poems; (4)
“Rejoice, whatever anguish rend your heart,
That God has given you for priceless dower,
To live in those great times and have your part
In freedom’s crowning hour.
That you may tell your sons who see the light,
High in the heaven their heritage to take,
I saw the powers of darkness put to flight,
I saw the morning break.”
The Rev W H Lillie, Vicar of Bramford-cum-Burstall, with the Rev P Turner (Curate) then conducted a brief dedication service. The opening lines of the prayer, read by the Vicar, were:
“In the faith of Jesus Christ and in honoured memory of brave men, we dedicate this tablet, praying that the blessing of God may, for ever abide with those who erected it in all peace and consolation”
This was followed by the singing of the hymn “For all the Saints” led by the youthful surpliced choir, who moved round the enclosed space in front of the tablet, finally rendering the concluding verses in a circle round the memorial.
Sir Edward Packard, in the course of an explanatory address, referred at the outset to the fact that they were indebted to his daughter, Miss Sylvia Packard,(5) for the design and execution of the memorial. He could not, he said, conceive anything more satisfactory to the men of Bramford Works than to see a memorial in which one of its features was the portraits of some of those who had worked so loyally with them. He gave a sketch of the character of the memorial design, as given above, and, coming to the names of their comrades who had fallen, he remarked that the list was headed by that of Lieut Col H Norrington Packard,(6) a son of his (Sir Edward’s) brother.
The service ended with the singing of the National Anthem and the sounding of the “Reveille” by the buglers. Wreaths were deposited at the foot of the memorial by Mrs Norrington Packard, widow of the late Col H Norrington Packard DSO. There were also wreaths from the firm and the works staff.
Footnotes:
(1) There are actually 95 although it is possible a name was added later. A “T A Spurling” (Thomas Arthur Spurling) is listed both on the memorial and Roll of Service and seems to be an error rather than two people with similar names. “W Thain” on the Roll of Service actually died from the Spanish flu shortly after returning from France in 1919. He is buried in Great Blakenham Churchyard with a Commonwealth War Grave headstone
(2) Charles Henry Shipston was the Company Secretary for Edward Packard & Co he was a Lieutenant in the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. His son, Geoffrey Thomas Shipston, served as a Captain in the 5th Leicesters.
(3) F M Shepherd is listed on the Roll of Service as a member of staff having served in and survived the war. One possible candidate is Frank Maurice Shepherd, born 1886 in Fritton, Norfolk. In 1901 he was a Clerk for GER and in 1911 a Shipping Clerk living in Norwich. He may have joined Packards after 1911 and/or worked for them in that capacity in Norwich.
(4)“Between Midnight and Morning” by Sir Owen Seaman. The verses quoted in the article are the second and third only.
(5) Sylvia Packard was an art teacher at the Royal School for the Daughters of Officers in Bath.
(6) Henry Norrington Packard was the only son of Henry Woods Packard and Agnes Marian Packard (née Norrington). He served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from 18th August 1914 commanding the 117th Battery, XXVI Brigade, was severely wounded at the Battle of the Aisne on 19th September 1914 and invalided home. He returned to France in May 1915 in command of the 46th Brigade RFA and was killed in action at Arras on the 12th April 1916 being shot by a sniper.
See more details and about the memorials eventual rescue here.
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