The battalions billeted in Hastings during World War 1 didn’t just enjoy the sea air and attractions of the town. They were expected to train as well. This shows the ‘B’ Company of the 11th Battalion Welsh Regiment resting upon their trestle bridge built over the boating lake in Alexandra Park. I would think that a shallow, concrete lined boating lake would be a perfect place to introduce new recruits to the art of bridge building. The original photograph was taken in March 1915.
The B Company spent most of their service in Salonika and saw quite a bit of action. Their record can be read in detail here.
The two photographs used to create the image are below. You can view the top image full size on my Flickr page by clicking on it.
This image is part of a series of Then and Now images I’ve created for East Sussex Council’s World War 1 commemoration website. The website is focussed on the contribution that the men and women of East Sussex made towards the war effort.
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