South Woodham Ferrers in Essex, England.
I just looked this up and read a very interesting account of someone writing memories of their childhood from there during World War II.
I have a link for you. You may read it just here.
(12,000 tomato plants!)
Let me know if you take the time to read it. Thanks.
It is late at night. I will look at it tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled across this but found it to be such a detailed story, I wanted to share it.
DeleteThat was fascinating! Thanks for sharing the link. I liked the bit about reaching downed planes before the authorities and collecting bits of Perspex and other materials. And listening for time bombs in the mud!
ReplyDeleteI've been reading Angela Thirkell's wartime novels and this reminiscence makes a wonderful corollary. :)
Richard's parents lived near London, so they lived through this time period of bombing raids and air shelters. They never liked to talk about it though. Must have been very scary times.
DeleteHow did you come across it, Kay? Do you have friends or family in the area so that you became interested in the place?
ReplyDeleteSeems like a cousin of Richard's was going to visit a friend there and I wondered where it was...when I typed in the name of the town, the first thing I saw was this remembrance from World War II. I thought it was well worth reading.
DeleteInteresting article. What amazes me about that war is how close Germany (essentially one country, plus Italy, both without major oil reserves) came to pulling it off ranged against the entire European continent. Luckily, they took on Russia at the same time as Europe or it would have been a very different story. Even at the end, with victory in sight, Germany engineers still managed to build the world's first space rocket ( a prototype version- (V2) and an advanced fighter jet capable of reaching speeds many times faster than anything else around- luckily for the allies - it was too late to make a difference. But a close run thing. Hard to believe now that one country should get so far ahead of the pack, so fast, after the carnage and impact of WWI which left it flattened and subdued.
ReplyDeleteIt really was a close thing, wasn't it. Much closer than I think most people realize. You have reminded me of a book I want to read...
Delete"Last Hope Island" by Lynne Olson. It is about Britain, of course! Britain really was the last hope.
Par for the course at that time.
ReplyDeleteI know, you can read lots of other accounts on that same website. You know I did!
DeleteFascinating and scary and a fabulous story of the times. How glad i am that this and other stories are being preserved.
ReplyDeleteI know, they know how to do things like that over there. We really do need to record these kind of memories.
DeleteInteresting. My mother had a pen pal in England during WW2 and I have the letters he wrote to her. He was evacuated out of London during the blitz. The most amazing thing to me was he simply was able to accept what was happening and still write about everyday things - school, music he liked, his mates.
ReplyDeleteMy inlaws were evacuated. I can't imagine how difficult that would have been, to make that decision to send your children away for their own safety. I wonder if you have ever seen the film, "Hope and Glory"? It is very well done. It is the film by John Boorman, based on his memories of the Blitz in London from his childhood.
DeleteI saw Hope and Glory. Thought it was excellent.
DeleteI know! It was a great film, wasn't it? We have such good taste. xxx
DeleteSuch a story for a young boy to put to memory. I am sure there are thousand such stories. Indeed hundreds of thousands. Blessings to all, xoxo, Susie
ReplyDeleteMy inlaws never wanted to talk that much about that time period. Perhaps it was too painful to remember. I am glad that we have records of it from people. Blessings on you, Susie! xx
DeleteAlways something interesting to read and find new things. HAve a beautiful week. HUGS
ReplyDeleteI find so many things on the internet that I want to share.
DeleteHope you have a lovely week too. God bless you.
I read it. It's fascinating and demonstrates how important it is to preserve memories.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Glad you read it too! I am fascinated by stories like this, real people with real memories, not fake fiction books! :-)
DeleteI'm impressed that anyone in the States has even heard of South Woodham Ferrers!
ReplyDeleteHa, ha...I always impress people!
DeleteRemember I am Georgia Girl With An English Heart!
This is fascinating. I would like to share it with my D.E. Stevenson group which has a lot of interest in WWII in the UK and the home front there.
ReplyDeleteI find this fascinating too. I remember telling my father-in-law that he could go online and try to talk with others like himself who were evacuated during the war. I gave him that website and now I can't remember what it was!
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