Description
Object description
British civilian in Lambeth, GB, 1939-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Lambeth and Peckham, GB, 1928-1939: story of birth in Lambeth Hospital and subsequent illness of mother; siblings; family home; reason for move to Peckham; education; community; visits home; health and return to Lambeth; work of mother; relationship with neighbours; local shops; work and war service of father; work of brothers; education including discipline among children; traffic; memories of police; leisure activities; thoughts about future career; holiday in Three Bridges during summer 1939; outbreak of war; visit to Gatwick Aerodrome; arrival of mother; education in Three Bridges; relationship with and home of brother and sister-in-law; visits to Lambeth; full return to Lambeth and story of scar on knee. Aspects of period as civilian in Lambeth, London, 1939-1945: closure of school; knitting for war effort; activities in lieu of education.
REEL 2 Continues: changes to life; education; problems with own Anderson shelter; shelter taken during air raids including in grounds of Imperial War Museum; bomb damage in area; story of neighbour with lorry; activities during nights in church bookshop shelter; damage from bombing to home; move to new home; changes to Brook Drive; usual bomb damage suffered by homes; sale of trilby hats found in damaged house; story of help given to bombed-out neighbour; education including shelter taken in Bretnam House and memories of woodwork teacher; health; story of final school report; civilian work including story of trips to Wimbledon; gaining extra education; details of work as copyholder; apprenticeship; air raid warnings; education; listening to Churchill's speeches; awareness of war.
REEL 3 Continues: memories of V1 Doodlebug raids including shelter taken and leisure activities; details of area around house; war service of brothers; activities with scouts including story of V2 raid on Lambeth Walk Pub; looting of bomb sites; other V2 rockets landing in area; gaining souvenirs from war; story of bomb discovered behind Imperial War Museum; contact with American and Scottish troops including gifts and comics and newspapers read; memories of D-Day; attendance at party for soldier returning from Dunkirk; air activity; people sheltering in Elephant & Castle Underground Station; storms before outbreak and end of war; visits to art galleries; politics of tenants; awareness of coming war in late 1930s; VE Day celebrations; story of Bing Crosby's visit to Britain.
REEL 4 Continues: story of Glenn Miller concert attended; diet before and during war; help given to local grocer; medical and dental treatment as child; visits to Imperial War Museum at Kensington; American exhibitions during war; details of rationing including foods liked and disliked; parties with Australian pilots; story of trying first taste of Coca-Cola at The Oval, 1938; story of fall-out between mother and uncle; discipline; buying of coal including smell of greengrocers; holidays before war; visits to cinema including air raids during films; fear of dark; sleeping arrangements; awareness of politics; attitude to Germans including service of uncle in National Fire Service.