Description
Object description
British civil servant with Ministry of Labour in London, GB, 1941-1944; worked as welfare officer with United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration at Hanau Displaced Persons Camp, Germany, 1945-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period as civil servant with Ministry of Labour in London, GB, 1941-1944: story of pre-war employment as civil servant; recall to Civil Service at Ministry of Labour in London, 1941; nature of duties as clerk on appeals panel; examples of case histories including member of Royal family and entertainers Ben Lyon and Bebe Daniels; question of prostitution being designated a Reserved Occupation; German Air Force raid on Scotch House, Baker Street; story of Ernest Bevin and pianist Harriet Cohen; opinion of fairness of appeals system; memories of Flora Solomons and setting up of British Restaurants. Recollections of training as welfare officer with United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Association (UNRRA) in GB, 1944-1945: secondment with husband Patrick Heath to United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Association (UNRRA), 1944; attitude of British Government to United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Association (UNRRA); husband Patrick Heath's pre-war work with refugees; question of adequate staffing and organisation of United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Association (UNRRA); attitude to being American controlled.
REEL 2 Continues: opinion of training received; issue of uniform; question of military rank and civilian status; problem of lack of equipment and supplies; composition of staff; medical facilities; sight of former war zones in France and Germany; Recollections of period as welfare officer with United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Association (UNRRA) at Hanau Displaced Persons Camp, Germany, 1945-1946: description of state of Frankfurt am Main; use of former German Army barracks for camp; initial impressions of camp and inmates; organisation of inmates by nationality and daily planning meeting; physical condition of inmates from concentration camps, slave labourers and Polish prisoners of war; question of taking Jewish inmates to separate camps; problem of providing food and nutrition for inmates.
REEL 3 Continues: deaths and illness caused by inmates consuming raw alcohol; description of construction of camp hospital; story of former concentration camp inmate and betting game; question of physical condition and survival of inmates; delousing and fumigation with DDT; story of Polish inmates building church and celebrating National Day; mass wedding in camp; discipline in camp; problem of children injured by discarded ammunition; question of providing educational facilities for children; role of inmates in rebuilding camp; problem of relations between different nationalities in camp; question of repatriation of Ukrainians and other nationalities to Soviet Union; attitude towards Soviet Army; role of husband in preventing forced repatriations; question of lack of protection for United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Association (UNRRA) workers; story of abduction of inmate by Soviet forces.
REEL 4 Continues: attitude of inmates to use of German prisoners of war in camp; rationing system; problem of lack of finance and supplies; story relating to camp cinema; problem of clothing distribution; reason for increase in United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Association (UNRRA) staff, 1946; amusing story of language confusion; story of organising Scout and Guide activities for camp children; question of psychological and physical recovery of children; Polish Christmas party, 25/12/1945.
REEL 5 Continues: reads poem 'At Christmas Eve' written by Ukrainian boy; camp art; English language lessons; workshops for inmates intending to emigrate; closure of camp and replacement of United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Association (UNRRA) by International Refugee Organisation (IRO), 1947; question of selection of inmates by receiving countries; story of receiving presents from inmates and continuing contacts with former inmates; reads letters sent by inmates; reputation of camp as model camp; recognition of husband Patrick Heath's work; health problems caused by working in camp; attitude to treatment of refugees and question of self-respect; return to camp for farewell celebrations, 1947; further comments on forcible repatriation of inmates to Soviet Union; increase in suicides; altering and burning inmates registration cards to prevent forcible repatriations from camp; reaction of inmates to possibility of repatriation and threats to kill United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Association (UNRRA) workers.