2017 – 2018 Milton Heritage Society talks
These talks will take place at The New Milton Memorial Hall commencing at 7 p.m. on the dates below:
14th September. Lyndsay Stride, a New Forest Commoner from a traditional commoning family, is a Trustee of the Foundation for Common Land who is also working in education & interpretation and currently co-ordinating a project called Commoning Voices.
Lyndsay is working on the details of her presentation which will include history of the New Forest and its commoning heritage
At this meeting there will also be a short AGM of the Milton Heritage Society.
12th October. Honouring the Memory of Lt. Cmdr. David Balme DSC
The life of David Balme. The quiet naval hero.
David Balme was the 20-year-old sub-lieutenant who, in 1941, boarded a German U-boat in mid-Atlantic and captured an Enigma machine and a treasure trove of intelligence material – one of the greatest secrets of the Second World War.
Although best known for this ‘secret capture’, Balme also had an active naval career in WW2 – on convoy escort duty in the Battle of the Atlantic, flying Albacores over the Western Desert at El Alamain, and becoming senior Fighter Direction Officer with the Eastern Fleet to secure victory over the Japanese.
This talk by Ray Mayes will follow the life of Lt. Cmdr. David Balme DSC until his death in January 2016 and consider his role in history – should he have been recognised with a higher honour?
9th November. Nick Saunders. 1918. How the final year of the Great War affected our community.
This talk will review how WW1 and the events in 1918 played a major impact on our district. 1918 saw the highest number of casualties in a single year for the whole war for our town. It will also look at the bigger picture of world events in the last months of the war, some of which have shaped the world we live in today.
There will be no speaker in December.
11th January. John Lay-Flurrie. Family Stories
John researched and wrote about the origin of his family name for many years and began talking to groups about family history. This led to him to become aware of our interest and concern in ancestors to the extent that we neglect our own stories and those of our families.
Are we relying too much on digital media? What will our great-great grandchildren know about us . . . ?
8th of February. Friends of New Forest Airfields. The New Forest airfields during WW2.
8th of February Dr Henry Goodall, Chairman FONFA. The New Forest Airfields during World War II
The New Forest today is a haven of peace and tranquillity for many, both residents and visitors. This presentation is an overview of the twelve New Forest Airfields in WWII, including their purpose, genesis, locations, types of airfield, squadrons and aircraft stationed hereabouts and their uses, with particular emphasis on the D-Day period in June 1944. The PowerPoint presentation will be accompanied by a commentary and personal stories of the servicemen and women who took part in this remarkable period of local activity.
Dr Henry Goodall is a retired Consultant Occupational Physician, with a lifetime interest in aviation, who became interested in the New Forest Airfields, on moving from Southampton to the New Forest in 1995.
He is Chairman of Trustees of the Friends of the New Forest Airfields (FONFA), who opened a new Museum to the public at Bransgore, in May 2016.
He served briefly in 10th Btn (TA) of the Parachute Regiment in the early 1960s, and is a member of Pathfinder UK, with whom he has carried out six commemorative static line parachute drops from World War II veteran Dakota and other aircraft, in France and the Netherlands, in addition to five training jumps, over the past four years.
8th March. Andy Varney. Policing in Milton Parish.
A Policeman’s lot is . . . . ? Memories of policing in the 1960’s … and beyond.
A factual and occasionally amusing look at Policing in a bygone generation. Initially in the Borough of Christchurch, and latterly in other county towns of Hampshire.
Police cars from the past – burglars who ‘catch themselves’ – ‘False phone callers’. These and other stories will be highlighted by our speaker.
An illustrated talk by Andrew Varney – former community Police officer in New Milton.
If you have an interesting subject for, or are able to give a presentation on local history or heritage in the Parish of Milton and district, then please contact the Milton Heritage Society Speaker & Events Secretary, Clive Rigden via e-mail: clive@rigden.net or telephone: 07 860 526 679.