The current concerns over swine flu call to mind the famous influenza pandemic of 1918. It has been estimated that the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 killed more people than the First World War, at somewhere between 20 and 30 million people world-wide. The flu, which was known as "Spanish Flu" or "La Grippe”, was most deadly for people aged 20 to 40. This age range was unusual for influenza which is usually a killer of the elderly and young children.

Sutton Veny burial register 1918

Wiltshire was not hit as badly as more densely populated areas, but nevertheless the impact was still felt strongly.

The Registrar General published a report on the mortality in England and Wales arising from the pandemic in 1920. The academic Niall Johnson has helpfully created an on-line searchable database based on this report – see: http://www.ahds.ac.uk/ for further details. The database reveals that during the period June 1918 to May 1919:

63 people died of influenza in Salisbury Municipal Borough; 159 in Swindon; and 611 in the rest of Wiltshire.

The majority of these deaths took place during the period 2-30 November, showing that the epidemic was at its height at this time.

Seend log book 1918  

In Wiltshire the impact of the pandemic was felt particularly strongly in the army camps where people were living in close proximity. For example, influenza swept through the camp at Sutton Veny in the Wylye valley, during a six week period in 1918.Over a hundred Australian soldiers and five Australian nurses died. They are buried in Sutton Veny church yard and their details are to be found in the parish register of burials, which is in the Wiltshire and Swindon Archives. (Seeimage of register 941/4.) With some of the men the vicar was not aware of their forenames and so only the initials have been entered. The graves are looked after by the Imperial War Graves Commission. Each has a rose bush planted by it. Every year, on the Sunday nearest to Anzac Day a memorial service is held in the church. On Anzac Day itself (April25th) a service is conducted in the churchyard and the village children lay flowers on the graves.

Church registers are not the only source of information about the epidemic held at Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre – the school log books kept by head teachers can also be fruitful. These reveal that most schools were actually shut during November because of the epidemic. The head teacher at Seend recorded that over half the children were not strong enough to attend school during November and December 1918. (See image of logbook F8/500/283/2/1)