Description
Object description
British schoolchild in London, 1939-1940; evacuee in Monkton, New Brunswick, Canada, 1940-1945; served with Royal Air Force in GB, 1949-1950; civilian scientist employed at Glaxo Laboratories and Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham, GB, 1950-1964
Content description
REEL 1: Background in Tooting, London, 1930-1939: family; childhood; education; recreational activities; awareness of political situation; reaction to outbreak of war, 9/1939. Aspects of period in London, 1939-1940: issued with gas mask; air raid and gas precautions; construction of Anderson shelter in garden; father in reserved occupation; rationing and blackout; collected scrap metal; story of being evacuated with brother on CORB scheme to Canada, 1940; description of voyage to Canada. Aspects of period as evacuee in Monkton, New Brunswick, Canada, 1940-1945: disembarked Halifax, Nova Scotia; accommodation in college; selection process for evacuees; attitude to evacuation; traveled by train to Monkton; description of host family house.
REEL 2 Continues: adaptation to weather conditions; various memories of MacLellan family; education; chemistry experiments; sporting activities; opinion of teachers; opinion of food.
REEL 3 Continues: worked on school farm; skiing; various memories of activities at holiday shack in mountains; story of making record at local radio station for parents in GB; story of visit to biscuit factory; attitude of other pupils to English accent; awareness of progress of war; memories of VE Day celebrations, 5/1945; description of voyage back to GB, 1945. REEL 4 Continues: further memories of daily life and activities in Canada including training with cadet force.
REEL 5 Continues: further memories of daily life and activities in Canada. Aspects of period in GB, 1945-1949: reunion with family; reaction to returning to England.
REEL 6 Continues: description of employment as lab boy at Paint Research Station, Teddington, Middlesex; called up for National Service, 1949. Aspects of period with RAF in GB, 1949-1950: basic training at RAF Padgate; uniform; attitude to use of bad language; assault course; further training as radar assistant at RAF Yatesbury; duties as radar instructor; types of electronic equipment; opinion of accommodation and food; recreational activities and social life; attitude to rank on discharge.
REEL 7 Continues: Aspects of period at Glaxo Laboratories, Greenford, Middlesex, GB, 1950-1958: description of employment as laboratory technician; research and experiments; opinion of John Hunt. Aspects of period at Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham, GB, 1958-1964: interview; description of employment as research chemist and teaching chemistry to army officers; subject of PhD; attitude to teaching military personnel.
REEL 8 Continues: amusing story of rat; social life. Further comments on period as evacuee in Canada, 1940-1945: post-war contact with members of host family; story of return visit to Monkton; opinion of parents.