There is a new exhibition at Abingdon County Hall Musuem, put together by the Abingdon Area Archaeological and Historical Society (AAAHS), who are fifty years old.

They began life as the Abingdon and District Archaeological Society. Volunteers back in 1968 could still take an important part in archaeological digs.

They found many important objects. Some help make up the museum’s collection.

Nowadays, developers are more likely to call in commercial archaeologists.

The society also has many members interested in exploring the history of Abingdon and so have added HISTORY to their name. You can find their growing collection of Abingdon people at https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/partners/history/people and Abingdon buildings at https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/partners/history/buildings.

Faringdon Advertiser and Vale of the White Horse Gazette © Successor rightsholder unknown (Digitised by https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)

Saturday 06 July 1918

Mr J Chivers, draper High Street, Abingdon, has received official information that his eldest son, 2nd Lieut. H. Chivers, A,S.C., has been accidentally killed in France. He leaves a widow and two children.

Pte Frank Gilbert Tarry, East Yorks Regt., son of Mrs Tarry, East St Helen’s, Abingdon, is posted as missing.

Saturday 13 July 1918

Pte. Walter Green, 44, a driver in the A.S.C. Remount Depot at Bristol, of West St. Helen Street, Abingdon, was kicked by a horse on July 3rd, and died the following day in the Hospital. Deceased had only joined up about fortnight, and in the A.S.C. a little over a week. He leaves a widow and several young children, and had one son killed in a flying accident a short time ago.

Saturday 20 July 1918

Sec-Lieut. P. L. Howard, Royal Berks, son of Arthur Howard, chemist, Caldecott Road, is reported missing.

France’s National Day was celebrated in Abingdon on Friday last, when the town was gay with flags. In the evening there was demonstration in the Park, and a procession through the town. The proceedings terminated by the band playing the French National Anthem, and God Save King.

Saturday 27 July 1918

Pte. George Wiggins, Royal Berks, of Ock Street, who was reported missing on August 22nd 1917, is now officially assumed to have died on that date.

A shrine has been erected in the Vineyard, Abingdon, near the Malthouse, and was dedicated by the Vicar. The shrine is the gift of Lady Norman, of Stratton House, Abingdon, and is made from wood and metal from H.M.S Britannic.

Pte. Frederick Giddings, R,.E., Mayotts Road, Abingdon, formerly employed by Mr Stroads, painter and previously posted as missing has now been officially reported as having died in Germany. He leaves a widow and two children.

(The A.S.C (Army Service Corps) was the Logistics Regiment of their day. Two of the Abingdon army deaths were from the A.S.C. – both accidental.)

Thankyou Malcolm for this piece and the pictures,

Her Majesty The Queen has made few visits to Abingdon during her long reign but she did carry out a Royal Review of the Royal Air Force on the airfield exactly 50 years ago on 14th June 1968. The occasion was a celebratory one marking the 50th anniversary of the RAF and included a flying display with tactical demonstrations together with a mass flypast of fighters and bombers. An impressive static display comprised many aircraft representing types in service during the first 50 years.

The ’50’ formation took place the day of the Royal Review.

The day of the Royal Review was a closed event but the display was repeated the following day when the base was open to the public.

On the public day the Jet Provosts increased in number to form the Queen’s Cypher.

The Lockheed Hercules was new into RAF service in 1968 and is shown here carrying out an ultra low-level air delivery (ULLA) as part of the mock assault set-piece. The ULLA system was developed by the Air Transport Development Unit (ATDU) in conjunction with the Joint Air Transport Establishment (JATE), both units were based at RAF Abingdon at the time. I think the MoD has a liking for acronyms!

This year the Royal Review to mark the centenary of the RAF will take place at RAF Fairford on the first day of the Royal International Air Tattoo. Three days beforehand, on the 10th July, a mass flypast of one hundred aircraft will overfly The Mall and Buckingham Palace. Let’s hope the weather then is as good as it was in Abingdon in 1968!

Last picture is for anybody who grew up in the 60s showing the BBC1 schedule for 14th June 1968 taken from The Birmingham Post in British Newspaper Archive – All Rights Reserved. The Newcomers, the soap opera to rival ITVs Coronation Street, was on at 7.05pm.

Work on the old part of the Guildhall is progressing. The Roysse Court Gardens are being dug up

The major benefits of the revamp include:
* Accessible toilets on the ground floor.
* Muniments room for the town’s archives with easy access and reading room.
* Improved reception area.
* Re-paving Roysse Court Gardens, including removing steps on the south side.
* Platform lift to old magistrates court.

I don’t think the fate of the old staircase has been decided yet. It was to be modified to allow a lift to the upper storey but then people protested that the staircase was a town treasure.