London

A collection of stories from Somerset

On May 11th 1941 a bomb landed in Mrs Gamlin's road, killing a girl and her father....

My Mother, a Nurse at Middlesex Hospital (nee Harperbury Hospital)

As the night pressed into her half-hours journey to work at Middlesex Colony, near St.Albans, she would be...

Bus Stop (Chapter 7 part 1)

Perhaps I should explain that bus and coach crews came into contact with several other garage canteens...

Bob's Diary 1943 - Jan - Feb

29 Friday— Went out with Sandi, Dave, Maurice and Maxie, first to the “Clarence”, then on...

Only an Evacuee Part 1

Initially, as could be expected, there was friction between the village boys and we evacuees, they shouted...

Itinerary of one 14701281 Frank Wilkinson

When this showed signs of terminating my wife took up paid work first in the Food Office and then as a...

Evacuation and after

The long snake of children and teachers arrived at Bow Road Underground Station and were shepherded down...

To Sleep Perchance To Dream

This time as a proper Scout Platoon in our Bren Gun Carriers, the Motor Platoons in their 15 hundred weight...

John Hudson - A London Family (1939 - 1945)

Perhaps some old soldiers from 1914 expected them to "go over the top" when the whistle blew, but...

The Story of Bevin's Babes: Chapter 6

7 THE SUMMARY OF MARLENE'S STORY — In London, she details her early memories of being shuttled...

Letters from the home front Letters 1 - 4

By the way, I mentioned to Arthur Smith about the travelling facilities for the wives of men in the forces,...

Recolloections of the Second World War part 4

With the deterioration in the weather, the daylight raids stopped and the Germans settled down to night...

Jim Humphreys- Part 1 of 2

The enemy realised the importance of this searchlight and tried to bomb it on many occasions but were...

Dunkirk - first hand account of one of the small boats

John Knight's works and offices, the Royal Primrose Soap Works were in East London at Silvertown, E16...

Ruby

He had come from London and started an upholstery factory next door to where we lived and manufactured...

A Bermondsey Boys War. Part 3- The London Blitz.

Mum and Dad thought we'd get a respite as so far, they'd escaped being bombed on that side of...

Mum's Life 1

I think he was killed in the war after Chris died, his Dad died, his Mum went to live with Lily and...

Bus Stop (Chapter 2 part 1)

There were workman's tickets that gave you a return ticket for a penny or tu'pence more than the...

Recollections of the Second World War Part 3

Now they had occupied France and the Low Countries, the Germans were much closer to Britain so could reach...

Living and Working in London during WW2

August 1940 and it was just after that the heavy bombing of London began, we used to go out to the cinema...

No Punches Pulled

On we went then dug in again, next morning a young German came down the dirt road and gave himself up to...

The East End in the War

They moved to 3 Bradwell St. The island was called thus because it was an enclave bordered by the L.N.E.R....

Gladys's Diary 1940 - Part 1

Gladys worked as a typist in an office in the City of London, and Arthur worked at Enfield Rolling Mills....

A Bill Brown Experience: Chapter 3 D Rothery: With the Grenadier Guards in Pirbright and Chelsea

On one of my Saturday afternoon fatigues, I had to report to the Sergeant's mess cookhouse and report...

Evacuation

Norman Horlock and I went into one house and next door a boy called Peter Tomkins was going to be billeted...

Continuing Bob's Diary Mar - Apr 1943

The film was Abbot and Costello in “Rookies” a film I'd seen before, but anything is...