Description
Object description
British civilian wife of Private Sidney Shutt of 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry living in Thornley, GB, 1940-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Wheatley Hill and Thornley, County Durham, GB, 1911-1939: story of father's ice-cream business; family; death of mother; re-marriage of father; memories of stepmother; siblings; memories of air raids during First World War; family home in Thornley; memories of father's ice cream shop; education; work in family shop including items available in shop; memories of General Strike; relationship between Protestants and Catholics; lack of leisure activity as teenager; boys attending grammar and university; sympathy felt for miners; details of trips to cinema; businesses close to father's; memories of Thornley Carnival; shop Sidney Shutt worked in; shop presence at Miner's Gala and shop's transport.
REEL 2 Continues: electricity supply; street lights; walking around village at night; dances at Miner's Welfare; father's contact with family; working hours; drinking and fighting in village; business from miners; marriage; work and pay of husband Sidney Shutt; home in Wheatley Hill; allocation of council house including length of wait; worst houses in Thornley; building of council houses; opinion of council house; reactions to Munich Agreement. Aspects of period as civilian in GB during Second World War: reactions to outbreak of war; story of suspicions against doctor; suspicions falling on cousin; start of husband's service; further details of reaction to outbreak of war; birth of first son; issue of gas masks and cover taken from air raids; cover taken by parents during air raids; blackout; memories of air raids; local casualties; story of husband's return from war; hope husband would not get called-up; news of husband being taken POW.
REEL 3 Continues: departure of husband for army; morale following Dunkirk; reactions to Italy entering war; story of Mussolini bust; prejudice against Germans and Italians in Hartlepool; death of father's non-naturalised friend on transport ship; story of comments made in butcher's; army service of brothers; letters written to brothers; memories of Home Guard; money; details of rationing and food gained from friends; discussion about possibility of moving near husband; length before first leave; Christmases without husband; reactions to husband's first return and his use of cigarettes from Red Cross Parcels; gaining news of war; listening to Lord Haw Haw; changes in morale including story of comfort received from friend; death of Les Rowley; visits to cinema; newsreels; changes to lives of women; awareness of husband's location and safety; correspondence with husband while in North Africa; following news of North African campaign; parcels sent to husband while POW; news husband was missing and taken POW; conditions in Italian POW Camp; awareness of husband's transference to Germany; correspondence with husband while POW in Italy; visits to Red Cross at Durham.
REEL 4 Continues: POWs from Thornley; later holidays through British Legion; work in shop; reaction to Italian capitulation; morale after six years of war; awareness of husband's location; reactions to Allied bombing of Europe; Bevin Boys in Thornley; gaps in correspondence with husband; mail received by husband; news of liberation; return of husband; husband's removal of tonsils while POW; details of husband's leave; VE Day celebrations; relationship between son and husband; effects of war on husband; German treatment of Russian and British POWs; remaining service of husband; details of husband's pay; reaction to atomic bombs; VJ Day celebrations; return of brothers from war; husband's service in Emsley and demobilisation; civilian work of husband; reaction of husband to new house; return to normal life; family; thriftiness during war.
REEL 5 Continues: routine during war; sleeping arrangements; education of son; help gained with food; items included in rationing; decoration and furniture in house including story of son getting head stuck in banisters; radio and television; visits to cinema; receiving of army pay; gossip among women; memories of miners during war; reactions to Lord Haw Haw as war progressed; reactions to doodlebugs and incendiary bombs; queuing for food; availability of items in Thornley; shopping in other towns; visits to recreation ground; memories of father during war; recovery of family business after war; closure of shop; replacement business run by brother; return of brothers after war; customers visiting family shop after war; radio in shop; reactions to husband entering army; knowledge of Durham Light Infantry; men in village joining 16th Battalion Durham Light Infantry.
REEL 6 Continues: letter from wife of officer husband was batman to; reporting of husband's capture in newspaper; husband talking about war experiences; reflections on effects of war.
