Foreign Waiters Called Home

This was an interesting little article from the Eastbourne Gazette in September 1914.

Those ‘affecting scenes’ at the Railway Station were Austrian men going to fight for the enemy, soon Eastbourne men would be sent abroad to fight these same ‘waiters’.

"Foreign Waiters Called home

In the height of the season about 500 foreign waiters are employed in various Eastbourne hotels, boarding houses, and apartment houses. The majority are Germans the minority consisting of, Austrians, Italians, Frenchmen, Dutchmen and Danes. Last week some of the Austrians were called home to serve in the Army, and they obeyed the call regardless loss and inconvenience involved. The Germans and Frenchmen liable for military service have left or will be called upon to leave.

There was some affecting scenes at Eastbourne Railway Station on Sunday morning when the train for Newhaven started. Some of the departing hotel employees were leaving behind wives or sweethearts who could not restrain their tears on parting from the men who were going forth to face so many unknown perils."