Description

Tubby Clayton described Talbot House as 'A House of People'. This is also the starting point of this series of presentations about Talbot House during the First World War, the Interbellum and the Second World War. The various episodes are told based on the testimonies of the protagonists themselves, with special attention to new facts, stories and anecdotes. The presentations are richly illustrated with often never-before-seen images.

What to expect during the lecture 'Talbot House during the Second World War'

• the recall in August 1939 of the last British caretaker to join his regiment;
• the role of Talbot House in the exodus of War Graves Commission staff and their families shortly before the occupation of the area;
• the taking of several Toc H staff members as prisoners of war after their visit to the House;
• the daring evacuation of the valuable contents by the Poperinge friends of the House in the night prior to their requisition by the occupier;
• the occupation of the House by various army units, with a focus on the story of Otto Kühn (who returned more than 50 years later as a 'tourist') and the female civilian personnel employed in the German Kriegsmarine;
• the worldwide concern of 'Talbotousians' about the fate of 'their' soldier club and the loyal caretakers René and Alida Berat;
• the struggle of some Belgian board members of the non-profit organization Talbot House to protect the House as much as possible against the actions of local collaborators;
• the liberation by the Polish 1st Armored Division and the reporting on Talbot House by BBC reporter Frank Gillard, who had been a caretaker there before the war;
• the reopening of the soldiers' club on December 8, 1944 with a focus on the story of Sgt. Rupert Craig, one of the very first visitors; its exploitation by Poperinge canteen owners; the special relationship with the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment and the Czech troops;
• closure of the soldiers' club in March 1946.

This lecture is one of a series of lectures that we are planning for the spring of 2025. The other lectures are as follows:

• March 27, 2025 at 8 p.m.: Talbot House during the First World War
• April 30, 2025 at 8 p.m.: Talbot House in the interwar period

Jan Louagie has been secretary of the non-profit organization Talbot House for more than 40 years and has been passionate about the history of the Every Man's Club for just as long. His intensive research resulted in the following publications, on which the presentations are based:

• The First Stop after Hell: Talbot House, Poperinge, Lannoo, 1998, 560pp (together with co-author Katrien Nolf)
• A Touch of Paradise in Hell, Talbot House, Poperinge – Every-Man's Sanctuary from the Trenches, Helion & Co., Solihull, 2015, 388 pp.
• Talbot House in the Second World War, Poperinge, 2022, 70pp.
• Talbot House in the interwar period – The Pilgrim's Way, Poperinge, 2024, 95 pp.

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