Description
Object description
British schoolchild in London, GB, 1914-1916; railway worker with City and South London Railway in London, GB, 1916-1918
Content description
REEL 1 Background on Isle of Wight and London, GB, 1902-1914: family; childhood in London. Aspects of period as schoolchild in London, GB, 1914-1916: presence of troops in London; reaction to outbreak of First World War, 4/8/1914; brother's enlistment underage in British Army and return with frostbite; knowledge of war conditions; damage caused by German Zeppelins; violence against German shopkeepers; celebrations and funerals; Boy Scouts visiting wounded soldiers. Recollections of period as railway worker with City and South London Railway in London, GB, 1916-1919: transporting American troops on underground railway; leaving school 1916; early employment; joining City and South London Railway as box boy, 1916.
REEL 2 Continues: signal box work; hours and facilities; pay; activities between split shifts; use of privilege tickets; move to locomotive staff and learning the job; accidents and suicides on underground; dangers of electrical system; first aid facilities; duties as locomotive assistant including changing fuses; composition of complete train; types of carriages and cleaning them; passengers.
REEL 3 Continues: shifts worked; making tea; rest time; extra pay; ventilation underground; air raid sheltering arrangements; transporting troops; underground police controlling shelterers; exemptions from conscription; influx of women workers and their roles; pay as driver's assistant; unions; participation in strikes, 1919; informal rosta swapping; leave and leisure activities; privilege tickets; employment of conscientious objectors; effect of war on life; Armistice Day celebrations, 11/11/1918; re-employment of returning soldiers.
REEL 4 Continues: attitude towards military exemption of railway workers; helping invalid mother; retaining underground job at end of war; Tram, Omnibus and Tube Relief Fund for widows; memories of roof collaspe at Newington Causeway, 28/11/1923 and transfer to buses; cheering at Zeppelin L.31 shot down over Cuffley, 2/10/1916.