Description
Object description
British schoolboy in Bethnal Green, GB, 1939-1945, including experience of Bethnal Green Underground Station disaster, 3/3/1943; private served with Royal Corps of Signals in GB, 1948; sapper served with Royal Engineers in GB, 1948-1950
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of period as schoolboy in Bethnal Green, GB, 1939- 1945: destruction of first home in 1940; family; moves of family and air raids; shelter taken from raids; details of shelter at Bethnal Green Underground Station; education; opinion of education; civilian work; arrival at Bethnal Green Underground Station shelter for a night; activities during the nights there including rations; air raids; sleeping arrangements; latrines; description of station interior; story of direct hit on station, 1941 including scenes on exit from station following morning; details of further bomb damage in Bethnal Green; closure of tube station and amendments made; conversion of station to shelter including shelter taken in interim period; sleeping arrangements in Bethnal Green Underground Station.
REEL 2 Continues: details of conversion of station to a public shelter; gaining of bunk; activities in shelter; community spirit; capacity of shelter; arrival at shelter; closing off of shelter at start of raids; relationship with mother; air raids on dockyards, 1940; question of concern for own safety including initial air raid warnings and description of Anderson shelter; anti-aircraft defences in London; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; first bombing of Bethnal Green; pause in raids before Blitz; feelings of safety; awareness of progress of war; restrictions on civilian life; discipline; war work of father and other exempted men.
REEL 3 Continues: memories of Aunt Lilian Hall and Harry Fitzgerald; journey to Bethnal Green Underground Station shelter, 3/3/1943; switching on of searchlight in Bethnal Green Gardens and reaction including description of searchlight; arrival at tube station including description of entrance; noise heard from Victoria Park and reaction; surge down stairs and scenes around him; help received from Air Raid Warden and reaction to situation; walk to and arrival at bunk; arrival and state of aunt; subsequent activities during wait for mother and call to not speak of incident; passing by of officials; all clear; night in shelter; state of stairs on exit from shelter; realisation of scale of disaster; search of father for missing friends Lilian and Vera Trotter; funerals of victims and media presence at shelter, 4/3/1943; closure of shelter and changes made; details of campaign for memorial.
REEL 4 Continues: reaction to London Bombings, 7/7/2005; restrictions on photography during Second World War; discussion of cause of disaster including results of subsequent inquiry; story of television interview and inaccurate programmes made about disaster; research into searchlight in Bethnal Green Gardens; opinion that accident was avoidable; further details of campaign for memorial including problems found in gaining support; memorial to first V1 attack in Bethnal Green; details of V1 Doodle Bug attacks and reactions of civilians; description of V2 raids; details of civilian work.
REEL 5 Continues: end of war and rationing; registration for National Service; summary of service. Aspects of period as private with Royal Corps of Signals in GB, 1948: journey to Catterick Camp; arrival in camp; sleeping arrangements; first night and morning in army; issue of kit and sending home of civilian clothing; medical; polishing of boots; initiative tests; rifle training; increase of discipline including inspections; weapons and fitness training; manoeuvres; posting to Royal Engineers including period on Baghdad Lines and army number. Aspects of period as sapper with Royal Engineers in GB, 1948-1950: posting to Malvern; bridge building training; posting to Craven Arms; duties moving ammunition; story of volunteering and selection for bomb disposal unit; make-up of and duties with unit; opportunity given for return to army; reason for not re-joining army; delay to demobilisation; civilian work and marriage; details of own business.
REEL 6 Continues: contact with regular troops; attitude of troops to National Service; details and uses of pay; story of interview with adjutant and punishment received; leaves during service; leisure activities; opinion of army service; discipline including standard of turnout when leaving camp; attitude to Germans and war including discussion of bombing raids in civilian areas; opinion of possibility of German invasion; preparation of country for war by Churchill.