Description
Object description
Two copies of a privately published book (September 2010) made up of colour photocopies of a ms Diary (187pp, 16 August 1940 – 23 March 1941 and 17 – 19 January 1942), illustrated with copies of 10 photographs and with ts transcription (40pp, including some explanatory notes, written by his daughter), relating to his service in the Royal Army Pay Corps, based in London, including detailed entries regarding Blitz attacks on London, details of air raids, going to the theatre, not being allowed to leave buildings due to raids, witnessing air battles overhead, seeing downed planes, his feeling of helplessness, watching a football match and the game being called off due to raid, (September 1940), viewing the extensive bomb damage in London, all leave being cancelled due to the threat of invasion, new AA batteries finally firing back, his hopes that St Pauls Cathedral would survive the bombing, his pride in being English and his resolve strengthening knowing that London 'can take it', bombs landing close to his house, his appreciation for bomb disposal units, his heartbreak at seeing people sleeping on the underground, rows with his fiancée, Ethyl, while on a week's leave in Lancashire, (October 1940), the contrast between the peace of Lancashire and the chaos of London, a letter regarding OCTU, Ethyl's mother dying, heavy raids on the City of London (December 1940), seeing Christmas trees still standing at St Paul's, praising fire pickets and the AFS, his belief that 'this becomes more and more a civilians war', his promotion to Lance Corporal (January 1941), another heavy bombing attack on his building (March 1941), playing football for his company against other Army units, his transfer to the Night Audit Staff and another German air raid as a reprisal for a raid on Berlin, (January 1942).
Content description
Two copies of a privately published book (September 2010) made up of colour photocopies of a ms Diary (187pp, 16 August 1940 – 23 March 1941 and 17 – 19 January 1942), illustrated with copies of 10 photographs and with ts transcription (40pp, including some explanatory notes, written by his daughter), relating to his service in the Royal Army Pay Corps, based in London, including detailed entries regarding Blitz attacks on London, details of air raids, going to the theatre, not being allowed to leave buildings due to raids, witnessing air battles overhead, seeing downed planes, his feeling of helplessness, watching a football match and the game being called off due to raid, (September 1940), viewing the extensive bomb damage in London, all leave being cancelled due to the threat of invasion, new AA batteries finally firing back, his hopes that St Pauls Cathedral would survive the bombing, his pride in being English and his resolve strengthening knowing that London 'can take it', bombs landing close to his house, his appreciation for bomb disposal units, his heartbreak at seeing people sleeping on the underground, rows with his fiancée, Ethyl, while on a week's leave in Lancashire, (October 1940), the contrast between the peace of Lancashire and the chaos of London, a letter regarding OCTU, Ethyl's mother dying, heavy raids on the City of London (December 1940), seeing Christmas trees still standing at St Paul's, praising fire pickets and the AFS, his belief that 'this becomes more and more a civilians war', his promotion to Lance Corporal (January 1941), another heavy bombing attack on his building (March 1941), playing football for his company against other Army units, his transfer to the Night Audit Staff and another German air raid as a reprisal for a raid on Berlin, (January 1942).
History note
Cataloguer SJO