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15 October 2014
WW2 - People's War

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Grapevine cracks Oficial Secrets Act

by Callum6744

Contributed by 
Callum6744
People in story: 
James & Janet Winders
Location of story: 
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Article ID: 
A8990355
Contributed on: 
30 January 2006

My parents lived near Swan Hunter’s shipyard during 1939 and 1940 i.e. the early part of WW2.
British forces had suffered setbacks, shipping was a vital resource and the shipyard was working flat out to make ships as fast as they could.
My father was a young draughtsman, and was studying to become a Naval Architect.
One day he was called into the chief draughtsman’s office to be told that he was going to be part of a team working on a special project. He was given his briefing, a travel warrant, and sent home to pack his bag.
He walked from the briefing, straight back to his house and arrived home mid-afternoon.
He shouted that he was home and had something important to tell his young wife.
My mother appeared at the top of the stairs and shouted down ‘yes, I know, your going to London to design the landing craft for the invasion’!!!!!!
As a naval shipyard worker my father had signed the official secrets act, and he took it very seriously indeed.
As a result, to his dying day, while he told us that his special project did take him to London, he refused to tell us specifically what he worked on. However, we, his family, feel that the grapevine had got it right and he did work on landing craft for the invasion.

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