The War Poet from Seaford
When the Reverend V.R.D Hellaby died in Seaford in 1995 there was a brief obituary in the Church Times but this unassuming cleric had a fascinating past as an actor, poet and prisoner of war.
Victor Hellaby was born on 19th October 1910 and went to St Peter's School on the Alfriston Road, Seaford. He started a career in commerce, commuting every day to London, but was always spiritual and also a member of the Territorial Army.
At the outbreak of the Second World War he found himself as a Battery Captain in the 57th Anti-Tank Regiment of the Royal Artillery.
The regiment had been sent to Belgium to fight a rearguard action against the advancing Nazis, but on 22nd May 1940 he was wounded and later captured near Oudenarde, which is about 10 miles south of Ghent.
Victor was taken to a prison hospital in Holland where he recovered from his injuries before being sent to Oflag VIIb a German Prisoner of War Camp at Eichstatt in deepest Germany. Oflag VIIb was situated in a forest about half way between Nuremburg and Munich.
It is difficult to imagine today what the conditions were like in this camp. Captain Hellaby was here for five long years.
The Camp Commandant Oberst Reid imposed a strict regime and at one point two RAF officers where shot dead when they were found out of their hut five minutes after a curfew.
There were long periods of sheer boredom when the men entertained themselves as best they could by holding concert parties and dances.
One of Captain Hellaby's co-prisoners devised a new dance whilst he was at the camp but when he sent details of the steps home to his wife, the guards thought it was a secret code and he was interrogated!
Captain Hellaby took part in some of the camp plays and at one time took the role of Polonius in Shakespeares "Hamlet". The title role was taken by the a young soldier, Michael Goodliffe, who after the war became a famous actor appearing in many TV dramas.
Costumes and make-up for the production were supplied by the Munich Opera House and the production was enjoyed by the prisoners and local people who were permitted to attend.
During his incarceration, Captain Hellaby was in correspondence with Dr George Bell, the Bishop of Chichester who sent him theological books and urged him to take the cloth on his release.
It is interesting that Bishop Bell was able to correspond to prisoners of the Nazis, however he was an outspoken opponent of the blanket bombing of German cities and was no doubt known to the German authorities.
Hellaby also wrote poetry in which he expressed his deep religious beliefs and the sadness in being parted from his wife Marjorie. In one of his poems he writes "The fall is here again, the trees and gold, and every day I think of you a thousandfold"
When he was finally released in May 1945, he returned home and was duly ordained by Bishop Bell in Chichester Cathedral.
Although he spent a short time as the chaplain to a school in Redhill and as a Vicar in south London, he spent the rest of his life in Sussex, spending many years as the Rural Dean of Dallington and the Vicar of Brightling.
The Church Times described him as being outspoken and sometimes tempestuous but with a spiritual insight and a great sense of humour.
He also retained an interest in the military and at one time was the Chaplain to the Inns of Court Regiment. ( A Regiment that traced its roots to 1584 and who landed on Juno Beach on D-Day )
When Father Victor retired in 1982 he moved back to Seaford and attended St Peter's Church in Blatchington. When Father Andrews retired the following year, Father Hellaby served the parish for nine months before a new priest was appointed.
He then became an Honorary Assistant Priest and helped with services and travelling around the parish, visiting those who were unable to attend church.
His experiences in Oflag VIIb served him well – he wrote the script to at least one parish pantomime including "Jack and the Beanstalk" performed in 1987.
The Reverend Victor Hellaby died in January 1995 but is still remembered with affection in the parish. I am grateful to the parishioners of St Peter's who made me aware of this good man during the recent flower festival and "Saints and Soldiers" display.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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