Birchington Great War Patriotic Record | Click here to buy the book or view our other local books
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5
WAR WEAPONS WEEK
On Thursday 23rd May 1918, an aeroplane and a Red Cross motor arrived at the Square, the latter fitted up as an office with two lady clerks in attendance. Mrs Powell-Cotton opened the proceedings with a speech.
Thursday was called `Ladies' Day', Friday was `Men's Day' and Saturday was `Children's Day'. The object was to obtain the sum of £5,000 for the purpose of providing two aeroplanes, but this sum was more than realised in the first two days.
On Thursday before 4 pm £2500 was taken.
On Friday morning the amount was £7,215.
On Saturday morning £7,558 was taken.
By the evening of Saturday the handsome sum was £10,023.
This was later raised to £13,600.
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This is equivalent to * £539,920 / £540,000 in 2002!!
Their original target, for a community of about 2000 souls, was £5000 and would be equivalent to £198,500 in present day terms. In 1918 terms, they were being asked for about £2.50 from every man, woman and child, when a week's wages for a whole family were often about £1- £1.50. In the end, they actually gave what averages out as £6.80 from each person. In present day terms their eventual gift was worth :
£270 for every man, woman and child!
* These figures are based on those issued by the Bank of England to me on the 20th February 2002.
The Bank of England estimate is based on £1 in 1918 = £39.70 in 2002.