The Essex Chronicle of 23rd June 1944 reported:
Herb "Industry"
Mr and Mrs Arthur Heald, who have recently bought Weavers, a fascinating little house, near Bannister Green, Felsted, both came from the North.

Mrs Heald is transferring all her medicinal herbs from her last herb farm, and in the meantime is busy preparing part of the land for them. This work rates very nearly "priority" with the Ministry of agriculture, since nearly all herbs of such kinds used for heart, eye, lung, and in fact almost all complaints and illnesses used to come from the Continent, and even islands now occupied by the Japanese.~

All these have to be dried very carefully, and a great deal of work is entailed.

Mr Heald, whose name may be remembered as a trainer at local race meetings and point-to-point meetings some time ago has recently been invalided from the R.A.F. after several years service.
 

Appears on the Service Voters List for 1945. Normally resident at Newhouse Farm, Causeway End
 

The Essex Chronicle of 14th March 1941 (page 5) under the heading "Gallant Yeomanry in the Western Desert" records that Jim and Bill Hutley were serving with the Army, and were the sons of Mr Ernest Hutley, now of Felsted.

James returned to Felsted and married Joan Dorothy Marshall (see below) in 1945, and went into farming.

James died, aged 89, in 2004.
 

William served as a Captain (226209) with the 2nd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.

The London Gazette of 19th April 1945 reports that Acting Captain 226209 2 Regiment R.H.A. serving in Itlay was awarded the Military Cross. This is the gallantry medal second only to the Victoria Cross. The award of the Military Cross was subsequently reported in the Essex Chronicle of 27th April 1945.

He appears on the Service Voters List for 1945. Normally resident at Kingstons, Felstead.

He returned to Felsted and went into farming. Bill married Jean D. Taber in the Maldon registration district in 1947.

He died in 1985.
 

Walter Jarvis  was born on 25th August 1916 to son of James Jarvis and lived in Willow's Green before. He attended Felsted County Primary School.

He was a driver–mechanic (private rank) in the Royal Artillery (Territorial heavy artillery company), being called up early due to being a member of the local Felsted area TA before the Second World War. He served in Antwerp, Belgium, where he met and married his wife, Alida De Ridder, who returned to Willlows Green with Walter in 1945. They had three children and remained at Willows Green until 1951 when the family moved to Bocking.

Walter talked very little about his war experiences and his medals remained un-opened until discovered by his son William after his death in Braintree in 1972.

The photograph of his commemorative scroll was provided by his son William.

 18 year old Ed Laudrum
 

Appears on the Service Voters List for 1945. Normally resident at Willows Green

Edward served with the Royal Artillery between 1939 and 1945.

He was stationed on a concrete pontoon anchored out on the Thames Estuary and like many others admitted to being in fear of his life when enemy aircraft would skim across the waves avoiding the radar and then fire at the pontoon. The soldiers who had nowhere to take cover would have to throw themselves flat in the hope that the bullets would miss them. They would also be showered by the cross-fire from Hurricane and Spitfire fighter planes who were trying to shoot down the German aircraft. Edward later trained as a Physical Training Instructor and later in the war served in Egypt (pictured right).

Edward married Edith Lancaster in 1956. They had two children Tony and Tina.

Edward lived a quiet country life by following his father, grandfather and great grandfather in to the family thatching business. His work being in and around the Felsted area which continues through his son.

Edward also played centre forward for Felsted Rovers.
 

Born 25^th February 1925, the younger brother of Edward Laudrum.

When war was declared in 1939 Rod was just 14 and would have to wait to join the services, but early in the war recalls German planes flying low over Felsted while he was on a haystack and waving his hay knife at the aircraft in a defiant gesture.

He appears on the Service Voters List for 1946. Normally resident at Flynn, Willows Green

Rod went on to be a speedway racer.

Joined the Essex Regiment in March 1932 but was discharged five months later on 27th August 1932 as being "not likely to become an efficient soldier after training."

Leslie returned to Felsted where he married Jessie I.M. Frost from Norfolk at the end of 1934. They had three children:
Raymond L. Layzell born 1935
Brenda L. Layzell born 1937
Derrick G. Layzell born 1938

On 29th July 1940 Leslie joined the Royal Artillery as a Gunner with Coastal and Anti-Aircraft batteries. Army number 1614538.

He appears on the Service Voters List for 1945. Normally resident at 7 Bannister Villas
 

Second son of Thomas Henry Layzell mentioned above.
 

The Essex Chronicle of 24th April 1942 (page 9) includes the following announcement:
PRISONER OF WAR. - L./Cpl. Geoffrey Lister, of Prince's Farm, Felsted, is reported to be a prisoner of war in Italian hands, according tolists received from enemy sources.

During 1941 Axis forces pushed into Egypt from Lybia. The British forces then drove them back and captured the strategic port of Tobruk, only to be pushed back again by Rommel's forces in early 1942. The capture of Geoffrey Lister occurred before General Montgomery took over command of the 8th Army and turned the tide of the Axis advance at El Alamein.
 

Joan Marshall was a Wren with the WRNS and served in Egypt.

She married James Ernest Hutley in 1945.
 

Ashley enlisted as Private soldier 6025939, at No1 Infantry Training Centre, Warley Barracks, on 27th June 1940.

Ashley served with the 2nd Battalion the Essex Regiment.

The 2nd Battalion of the Essex Regiment, were part of the 56th Independent Infantry Brigade which landed on Gold Beach, around 1 pm on D-Day, 6th June 1944. The Brigade liberated Bayeux the next day, and went on to fight their way across France, Belgium and Holland, until the fall of Germany in May 1945.

He was discharged to the Z Reserve on 30th March 1946.
 

Basil Maurice Mixture, was born in Felstead on 18 June 1919. He was the 11th and youngest child of Charles and Alice Mixture.

Basil enlisted on 11th December 1941 at Warley barracks, Brentwood. He was described in his army record as being 5' 7¾” tall, weighing 144 lbs, having hazel eyes and dark brown hair.

He served as Private soldier 6031920 with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment, and served in Burma with the Chindits 1st expedition. He fought alongside the Ghurkas for whom he had a great deal of respect.

He began his 14 days embarkation leave on 17th June 1942 and did not return to England  until 14th March 1945.

The Christmas Card shown here was sent from India in November 1944 to his mother who lived at 19 Oxney Villas, Watch House Green.

He is buried at the United Reformed Church Cemetery in Chelmsford Road.
 

Army - details not yet known.