First World War letters to go on display
At the outbreak of the war, Colonel Leonard Messel of Nymans in Handcross was debarred from active service on account of his German ancestry.
He therefore devoted his time to training battalions of the Royal East Kent Regiment known as the Buffs. These men wrote to him throughout the war.
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Hide AdTo mark the centenary of the First World War, Nymans is displaying selected contents of some of the 491 letters Colonel Messel received, alongside audio recordings.
Visitors will also be able to discover the impact of the war on other people within the Nymans circle, from Leonard’s father Ludwig, who is said to have died broken-hearted by the conflict between the two nations he loved, to his wife Maud and her household who worked tirelessly at the nearby VAD hospital.
Highlights include: