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15 October 2014
WW2 - People's War

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Archive List > Reserved Occupations

Stories categorised in 'Reserved Occupations'. These stories may contain references to other themes.

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The Runaway Trainicon for Recommended story

In 1944 my driver and I were working a train of petrol to Southampton Docks: 46 wagons of petrol in...

Fire Service Saves the Day on Hungerford Bridgeicon for Recommended story

My late grandfather, Alfred Blanchard, was in the London Fire Service during WW2. One night's air raids...

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On Becoming a Bevin Boy

I was being sent to Warsop Main Colliery and I had to go to the Town Hall where I was given a...

Memories of the Second World War 1939-1945: In Norbury

When we returned to Norbury Avenue the windows were soon blown out and just covered with brown paper....

The Home Front in Nottingham, Manchester and Portsmouth

MANCHESTER December,1940 My friend Sarah and I had been transferred to Nottingham....

My Husband Was Missing

My home then was in Norwich Rd North Walsham.I got as far as the railway station, when I heard the air raid...

Wartime Diary of a Customs Officer: Ch 5 - Aug - Sep 1940

There was a second air raid at 5 pm and screaming bombs were dropped on South Wimbledon and New Morden...

The Story of Bevin's Babes: Chapter 8

The spacious Victorian Villa on Wandsworth Common, South West London, where she lived as a small child, her...

Wartime Diary of a Customs Officer: Ch 4 - May - Jul 1940

22 Sat Kay did not go down to discuss sending Betty to Canada with Mum, as we heard from Roy, who came...

The War Years At Longforgan, Dundee

The Government set up a sugar factory at Cupar in Fife to process the crop and I grew two acres of sugar...

Wartime Diary of a Customs Officer: Ch 3 - Jan - Apr 1940

Mum offered to look after Beryl again and off Kay and I went to Raynes Park cinema. 13 Sat Great commotion,...

Wartime in Devon

Torquay however in common with many other south coastal towns had many hit and run attacks with FW 90s'...

From Pillar to Post - Part 2

We saw a torch light and heard voices heading towards us and was jolly well relieved when mum climbed into...

Pit Village Life in Scilly Banks and Moresby Parks, Cumberland during World War Twoicon for Story with photo

During World War Two Joe worked at Walkmill Colliery in the nearby village of Moresby Parks and was a...

Wartime Diary of a Customs Officer: Ch 1 - Intro, Aug - Oct 1939

PO = Preventive Officer APO = Assistant PO When the war started, Dad was married to Kay with 2 daughters,...

My Life as a Schoolteacher during the War

An incendiary bomb had come through the roof, through the upstairs ceiling, through the floor of the...

"We Decided It Was Wrong For A Christian To Kill"icon for Story with photo

During World War Two, John registered as a Conscientious Objector on religious grounds and worked as a coal...

From Captivity to Freedom: From BEF to POW - and Back Again

Les refused to stay in a P.O.W. camp in Germany and was made to march across Europe The forced labour that...

Watch Your 'Snap'

Tubs of coal came from two miles away along a main haulage tunnel from the coalface to the pit bottom......

My Experiences of Radar Installation

No. 2 Installation Unit was responsible for fabricating and maintaining all radar stations and aerials on...

A Bevin Boy Remembers

Soon after my 18th birthday the brown manila envelope containing the expected call up papers arrived and I...

Wartime Diary of a Customs Officer: Ch 2 - Nov - Dec 1939

22 WED No message arrived from Kay as to what time she would be at Euston, but Mum phoned from Dad's...

The Overseas Volunteers at Birley East Collieryicon for Story with photo

The son of a railway worker, Kazik had been just 15 years of age when the Germans crossed the border, 26...

My War-Time Memories (aged 2 to 7)

Had Mum and Dad been able to foresee the events that were to unfold upon our return, their decision to...

Deep Duffryn

The chairman would bang the table with his gavel and call on ‘Dai Jones to give us a song’ and...

Deep Duffryn 1944

The chairman would bang the table with his gavel and call on ‘Dai Jones to give us a song’ and...

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