Churchgoers are devastated by the theft of a memorial donated to a Suffolk village by two war heroes in memory of a British martyr.
Whoever removed the bronze medal from St Mary the Virgin Church, in Bawdsey, has probably ascertained its modest monetary value – but may be ignorant of its tremendous historical value.
The item hung in the church for more than 20 years – before it was taken at some point between January 22 and February 12 – honouring Edith Cavell, whose great-uncle and aunt occupied Bawdsey Hall in the 19th century.
Miss Cavell, who stayed in Bawdsey while training as a nurse, was executed in 1915 for helping Allied prisoners escape to Holland in the First World War. Her final words were: “I am glad to die for my country”.
The medal, which also depicts Belgian nurse Marie Depage, was donated by Alderton couple James and Peggy Langley. Mrs Langley was part of the ‘Comet line’ escape route that rescued allied servicemen trapped in Belgium during the Second World War. Her husband was a decorated officer wounded at Dunkirk, who escaped capture and saw out the war supporting escape lines in Europe with the secret service.
Churchwarden for 30 years, Lydia Calvesbert helped dedicate Bawdsey’s Cavell Close cul-de-sac in the nurse’s name.
She said: “It’s a replica medal, struck in Belgium in 1919, in memory of Edith and Marie Depage. Marie and her husband went to America but returned on board the Lusitania. When it was torpedoed, she stayed to help people onto lifeboats and treat injured passengers, but went down with the ship.
“The medal is two inches in diameter and shows the two women’s profiles on one side – with Edith in the foreground.
“It was screwed to the wall with a little bronze plaque, so whoever removed it must have done so with a pretty heavy-duty tool.
“It was discovered missing as the congregation gathered for the beginning of service on February 12. It could have been missing for up to a fortnight.
“We’ve had it more than 20 years. It was given to the church by Jimmy and Peggy Langley, who lived at the Old Rectory, in Alderton, after they returned to Britain from the war.
“One of their sons, Christopher, has no idea how they obtained it – but they could have picked it up at an antiques fair in Belgium.
“Peggy was a Belgian national. Like Edith, she was responsible for ensuring that fallen troops reached the UK through occupied France and Gibraltar. The medal is a reflection of what she did during the war.
“We’re all devastated by the discovery.
“Edith’s grandfather and great-uncle farmed at Bawdsey Hall, where she stayed in the late 1890s.”
Suffolk police would like to hear from anyone with information about the theft. Call 101 and quote 37/19417/17.
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