This photo was taken on October 22, 1944 and was featured in the Middy on November 8, 1944, less than a year before the end of World War Two in 1945.
The photo shows the men and women, some temporary and some permanent employees, who throughout the war sorted and delivered the public’s telegrams.
Before the war Haywards Heath post office had 33 regular postmen. This was reduced down to seven with the rest of the staff being made up of wartime personnel.
The head postmaster at the time, Mr G. W. Solly, had recently come to the role from Margate and was said to be impressed by the smart and efficient work of the postwomen of the district and thought that it would be a good idea if some permanent record was made of their effort, and that of their colleagues in other departments, for keeping the Post Office machine running mostly in the wartime as in peace.