Derbyshire

Growing Up during War in Buxton, Derbyshire

As Buxton, Derbyshire was hilly and the roads had little traffic, it was almost as fast and risky as...

BEVIN BOYS-Clipstone Colliery

As I had donew three years training in my Grammar School Cadet Force, I had opted for the Army on...

The Night a German Paratrooper called for supper

Adjacent to the corner of Coronation Ave. there is a large detatched house called 'The Limes', this...

Derby Smoke Screens

I think that these, plus the fact that Derby was in a hollow, together with the normal blackout of all...

Looking For a Home

Mum sent a telegram to Dad who had returned from France and was now based at a large army camp that was...

A swimming Hero

We were visiting my Grandad and Grandma Birch at Hall Street Alvaston Derby, my Uncle Stanley was there on...

My life in Derbyshire during the war

The week after the war finished we took the train to Blackpool for a week. My husband was a coal miner and...

War, Bombs and Romance

On my days off I would go to the Hippodrome Theatre on Corporation Street to see shows or to The Victoria,...

THE UNCLE I NEVER KNEW

Mother's youngest brother, Arthur Gordon Gadsby, joined the Sherwood Foresters, eventually being sent...

Some of my War Time Memories

Our local office was named post 0/4 and was situated in the Methodist chapel schoolroom on Park Street at...

Sirens Over Derby

Going to school always took longer than usual as we soberly took in the scenes of devastation, family homes...

Childhood Memories of WW2: In Derbyshire

My Dad was in the Home Guard and on one occasion a Bren Carrier was brought into Glossop Market. I can...

A Childs memories

Things we used on washdays: Soap powders: Alono Paddy – Co-op own brand Wiclo bleaching tablet Dolly...

Evacuee

At the outbreak of the Second World War, I was nine years of age and one of four childen living with my...

German Prisoner

My grandparents children, Kathleen and Reg my uncle lived at home, ironically my other uncle Ron was...

Childhood Memories

We were ten miles south of Derby, so we were in a gun-defended area or GDA because of Rolls Royce factories...

Making Gas Masks

It was at the time of the Munich Crisis and I was a student at Derby Teacher Training College... The masks...

The Dunkirk Survivors in Alfreton

I remember the British Expedition forces coming in to Alfreton in 1939/40 by rail to the station and were...

Don Shooter - My Story

One of my first memories of WW2 began on Sunday morning Dec 1st 1941, when the Post Office Telegraph boy...

First Night

My Father must have been working on the night shift at British Celanese Leaving Mother to look after us.We...

The Day War Broke Out

It was a brilliantly sunny morning, so I walked part way home with Joan taking a course that passed the...

Air Raids and Barrage Balloons in Derby

I decided to volunteer as an air raid warden, my aunt Florence James who lived on Brook Street, West End...

Round the World

When I arrived in India I was stationed in Ahmednagar but spent 4 years duty travelling around India......

Rationing and Markeaton Park

I lived with my mum, Ellen Tomlinson, dad Edward and sister Marjorie and brother Gordon. Markeaton Park was...

Helen Tinson's WW2 Experience

As I was 8 when the war ended my memories may be sketchy.A friend in Long Eaton slightly older worked in a...

Growing up During WW2: Working in Munitions and the Land Army

First of all making 20m.m. shell cases, the factory was outside of Derby in a small village called...