How The First World War Came To Guildford Exactly 100 Years Ago

Published on: 5 Aug, 2014
Updated on: 7 Aug, 2014

By David Rose

How the world has changed over the past 100 years. How different the scenes in Guildford town centre were 100 years ago when news came through that Great Britain had declared war on Germany, to those on August 4, 2014.

Market Street, Guildford, at about 11.30pm on August 4, 2014. One hundred years ago at this moment this street was packed with people waiting to hear if Britain was at war.

The photo here shows Market Street at about 11.3opm last night. My colleague at the Guildford Dragon NEWS Martin Giles and I had attended the service to commemorate the centenary of the declaration of war at Holy Trinity Church. Afterwards we walked down High Street and along Market Street. There was hardly a soul about.

Here, 100 years years ago, were the offices and printing works of the Surrey Advertiser (one of three local newspapers at the time).

A single lamp lit at the Guildhall in remembrance of Britain’s entry into the First World War 100 years ago.

Back then it was an era before radio, before television, the internet and online media such as The Guildford Dragon NEWS and others. The town’s telephone exchange was nearby and the wires must have been buzzing.

The Guildhall on August 4, 2014. There were few people in the town on this Monday night compared to 100 years ago.

This is how the First World War, the Great War, the ‘war to end all wars’, came to Guildford…

A large crowd had gathered in the centre of Guildford late on Tuesday 4 August 1914 waiting nervously for an announcement, the outcome of which most, by now, expected. They stood not in front of the Guildhall in the High Street, where election results, royal proclamations and the like were usually read out, but outside the offices of the Surrey Advertiser in Market Street. The newspaper was set to receive the all-important telegram message via the Press Association of the answer to Britain’s demand that Germany should respect the neutrality of Belgium in the wake of the impending crisis in Europe.

Britain’s ultimatum was timed to expire at midnight in Germany, therefore 11pm here. Just before 11.30pm a report came through stating that Germany had declared war on Britain! This was, of course, an error. It was followed almost immediately by a correction that included the fateful words: ‘England has declared war on Germany.’

And by the time the Guildhall clock had struck midnight there were only a few small clusters of people left in the town – everyone else had rushed home with the news wondering what the next morning would bring.

The above is an extract from the book Great War Britain, Guildford, by David Rose, to be published later this year.

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