The start of war in September 1939 must have brought some disruption to the smooth running of the society, although it is obvious that members sought very much to ‘carry on as normal’. The minutes of the society during the war years can only hint at the stresses and anxieties to be overcome. A competition against Crystal Palace scheduled during the first month of the war was cancelled and another scheduled at Witley Manor in October was moved to the river, perhaps due to increased army activity in the area with the re-establishment of camps on Witley and Milford Commons.
At the AGM in March 1940 it was decided that any member who joined the armed forces would be entitled to free membership for the duration of the war or until their discharge, whichever came first. This was later changed to cover the whole of their military service until they returned to civilian life. As more and more members joined up the income of the society dropped, resulting in some committee members having to dig into the own pockets to keep it afloat. S.G. West, whose Vice-chairmanship included the war years, personally paid for the printing of the rule books on more than one occasion. Wartime restrictions on the supply of paper meant that the size of the book had to be kept to a minimum. As a result, the rulebook for the 1941 season was reduced to a membership card.
The minutes for the March 1940 AGM also record the first society reference to disabled members, when it was decided that they should be exempt from the rule that competitors should land [i.e. net] their own fish.
In July 1940 the committee unanimously agreed to move the society HQ from the Railway Hotel to the Broadwater Hotel. This hotel occupied what had previously been the Temperance Coffee Tavern on the corner of Meadrow and Catteshall Road. It was owned by Bill Palmer, who became a committee member in 1942. The Railway Hotel had been the society’s base since 1907but was now under new management, who probably wanted to make changes that did not suit the society. It belonged to Hodgsons Kingston Brewery and had been rebuilt during the 1930s, although the society’s minutes do not make any reference to any temporary arrangements during the rebuilding.
The split does not appear to have been particularly amicable and it was not long before disagreement surfaced. In July the secretary was instructed to write ‘to find out if the two fish and map belonging to the society were sold to the new landlord of the Railway Hotel’. One of the fish referred to was Mr Lucas’s 21lb 8oz pike caught during a society competition at Shillinglee in 1938. Eventually the dispute over ownership seems to have narrowed down to the pike and the map. Following several exchanges of correspondence matters were finally settled in September 1940, when a letter was received from ‘the secretary of Hodgsons Brewery confirming the fact that the fish and map at the Railway Hotel were the property of the Society’. In April 1942 there was a proposal to loan the pike to Godalming Museum but this does not appear to have happened. The final destination of the second stuffed fish is unknown and its species and weight was not recorded.
Despite its unstable financial position, the society made a significant contribution to the war effort in addition to providing locals and visitors with a peaceful distraction in very troubling times. In September 1940 it was agreed to donate three guineas to the Godalming Spitfire Fund. By 1943 the society had a collecting box at every competition in aid of the British Red Cross and by the following year it was also making additional donations. In the same year a ‘Red Cross Competition’ raised a total of £5 10s (£5.50).
A large number of pillboxes and other fortifications were constructed in the valley of the Wey through Godalming in 1940. Until the defeat of the German Luftwaffe in the autumn of that year, an invasion seemed probable and the valley had been identified as a possible route for invading troops. An anti-tank ditch was dug across the Lammas Lands which flooded and became a popular fishing spot for the town’s youngsters. It is not mentioned in the minutes undoubtedly because, as a military defence, it was considered top secret.
At the AGM in March 1941 it was reported that the club was thriving with the membership standing at a record 175. The importance of encouraging junior membership was also emphasized with the establishment ‘of a series of six monthly competitions for juvenile members … a maximum of 30/- (£1.50) prize money [to] be given by the club for the same.’
Alf Johnson is missing from the committee after July 1941 as he had been called up. He served with the Middle East Forces and regularly wrote home to the committee giving his encouragement. His first letter back in March 1942 described life in Iraq and he wished society members the best of luck during the coming season.
Only occasionally do the Society’s committee minutes hint that wartime conditions impinged on their attempts to ‘carry on as usual’. For example, in 1942 the annual August Bank Holiday competition was scheduled to be held at Shillinglee but it had to be cancelled. Permission was needed for non-essential use of petrol and the Regional Transport Commission refused in this case to sanction a coach to carry members to the lake.
In March 1944 F. Raymond Stovold, farmer and owner of a local dairy, granted the society the fishing rights on the River Wey at Eashing. He accepted the proposal that he become Vice-President and the following year he was elected President, a role that he retained for many years after the War. Also at the AGM in March 1944 Mr J. Lee agreed to the proposal that, with the help of an assistant secretary, he take on the combined roles of Hon. Secretary and Treasurer. The previous treasurer, W. (Billy) Mills, was thanked for his work for the Society. The Society has always had need of hard-working volunteers such as John Lee and Billy Mills as without them the Society would not have survived for 140 years. Mills was also one of three members of the ’Competitions Committee’ and one of eight ‘collectors’ responsible for gathering ticket fees. One of the other collectors in 1944 was George Jones & Son, a High Street ironmonger who, no doubt, also sold fishing tackle in addition to day tickets.
In April 1944 the Society agreed to rent for £15 per annum the fishing rights on the south bank of the River Wey from Somerset Bridge near Elstead to Eashing Bridge, a stretch immediately upstream from that granted by F.R. Stovold a month before. An extra £2 also granted them rights on two ponds at Oxenford Farm.
At the AGM in March 1945 Mr S.G. West was elected Chairman but John Lee, Hon. Secretary and Treasurer, expressed his wish to stand down as secretary after seven years in the post. Unfortunately, no member stepped forward to take the position so he agreed to continue for another year. The Hon. Secretary’s role has always been central to the well-being of the Society. Over the years many a secretary has found it far easier to except the post than to resign it!
The end of the war in Europe passed without mention in the Society minutes. June 1945 saw the establishment of the ‘Mr A. Johnson Prize’ consisting of 10 shillings (50P) for the best basket of roach and a similar sum for dace. Alf Johnson was a key figure in the development of the Society post-war and he first reappears following his army service with the M.E.F at the committee meeting in September 1945. From then on he is hardly ever missing from Society meetings. His enthusiasm, drive and above all his ability to motivate others was behind much of the progress made by the Society during the second half of the 20th century. In fact, Alf was instrumental in getting the writer of this history to start out on the long road of research!
