Description
Object description
British civilian in Battersea, London, GB, 1939-1945
Content description
REEL 1: Recollections of period in Battersea, London, GB, 1939-1945: father's service with police; story of moving to grandmother's house in Tooting; reaction to outbreak of war and first air raid sirens, 9/1939; story of wearing gas mask and aunt fainting; description of conditions in Anderson shelter; improvised gas mask for baby by urinating on napkin; reason for father preferring Morrison shelter in house; description of Morrison shelter; father's duties during raids; provisions in Anderson shelter including pickaxe, shovel and bottle of water; attitude to fear; slept on mattresses in house until start of Blitz; story of shrapnel from anti-aircraft guns on Clapham Common dropping in streets and being collected by children; story of machine gun magazine from German aircraft landing on roof; effect of air raids on Battersea area; local council installed water tanks; story of hearing bomb explode nearby; description of seeing London on fire; sent home after school closed; received school leaving certificate and started work teaching children in local houses; parents attitude to evacuation of children; description of work at Price's candle and lubricants factory on Thames; unable to join RAF due to essential work at factory; location of factory; used basement of factory as air raid shelter; story of factory being bombed and ceiling collapsing; description of watching aerial combats during Battle of Britain, 1940; amusing story of putting umbrella up during air raid as protection against shrapnel.
REEL 2 Continues: casualties in workforce at Price's factory; story of ex-POW returning to factory and going berserk; story of father being reported missing during air raid; story of V1 exploding and being hit on head with bricks; story of falling over in air raid shelter during V1 raid; father's shifts as policeman; food and rationing situation including pig farm at police station; clothing and sweet coupons; making own clothes; walked to shops in Lavender Hill; story of street covered with burning paper after newspaper factory bombed; reaction to V2 rockets; description of VE Day celebrations at Piccadilly Circus, 5/1945; social life including dances and visits to pubs.