Re: World War II
 

Handwriting and the associated materials & equipment played a big part in our everyday lives during WW2. In those days before computers, cell phones, hand held PDAs, copying machines, etc., all business notes, forms, documents, receipts, school work, personal correspondence -- and so on -- were rendered on paper using pencils or pen and ink. In school we used steel nibbed dip pens and black ink from inkwells in the desktops. Kids fortunate enough to own fountain pens (I owned a used Mabie Todd "Swan" given to me by an uncle in 1938) were allowed to use them. Ballpoint pens did not come into use until after the war.

In Lancashire housewives, shopkeepers, deliverymen, etc. mostly used indelible pencils which they wetted with their tongues (bitter taste) for important notes, receipts, ledger entries, etc. Teachers also used indelible pencils to grade schoolwork. Fountain pens were used by businessmen for formal correspondence and were used for private letter writing by numerous individuals.

Regular lead pencils, indelible pencils, dip pens, paper and ink were in short supply throughout the war and we saved every pencil stub and scrap of good writing paper we could -- we also drastically diluted the classroom ink. Letter writing to loved ones serving in the armed forces was very important during WW2. Fountain pens were treasured writing instruments, the most popular makes being Mabie Todd (Swan & Blackbird), Waterman and Parker in Britain at that time. It was almost impossible to buy new fountain pens in England during the war (the Mabie Todd manufacturing plant was totally destroyed in the London Blitz).

Re: World War II
 

http://jp29.org/hf105.jpg

Greatly increased production of vegetable food crops of all kinds was essential for the nation's wartime health and well being. Farming was designated an essential war effort occupation and farmers were provided with maximum Government support and assistance.

The Women's Land Army (WLA) was formed in 1939 to replace farmer's helpers who had been conscripted in the armed forces or to augment existing work forces. Young women were recruited and underwent intense, high caliber, training before being assigned to farms. They were uniformed in khaki shirts & jodhpurs, dark green wool pullovers and sturdy brown boots. WLA members resided on the farms to which they were assigned and performed every farm task imaginable. The program was an enormous success and the efforts of the WLA went a long way to insure the civilian population was adequately fed throughout the war. Even the smallest farms were assigned WLA members on application.

I worked on the farm of our milkman during the school summer holidays of 1940 and 1941 (and sometimes after school in the spring and early autumn) assisting the one WLA member assigned. She was very competent and hard working -- every bit as good as the farmer himself.

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Mmmmm interesting thread :) my daughter is doing WW1 & 2 so will be good input as to what it was really like, maybe she might appreciate things more mmmm maybe not lol

Shes been learning about the rashon books & allowances.

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good to see you back on james,have put your site in my favorites & do get to read it now & again, having been born 1944..... your writings for me are of great interest, thank you .

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Thanks, mez.

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During Whitsuntide 1941, a three day holiday that encompassed Sunday 1 June through Tuesday 3 June in that year, the Manchester region underwent its second heaviest air raid of the war. Salford and Stretford suffered heavy destruction -- fourteen nurses were killed when the Salford Royal Hospital sustained a direct hit.

Trafford Park sustained HE bomb direct hits -- Manchester United's stands and grounds were severely damaged and the team had to use Manchester City's grounds until the end of the war. LCC stands and grounds were also severely damaged -- including a huge crater next to the test cricket pitch.

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I seem to remember a movie in the early 90s that was about land army girls but I can't remember the name of it.

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On Christmas Eve 1944, a formation of specially configured HE-111 Heinkel bombers (I/KG53 squadron) flying over the North Sea launched 45 V1 Flying Bombs (Doodlebugs) aimed at Manchester 31 of which reached the target area. Fifteen fell on Manchester, the remainder impacting in surrounding towns and sparsely populated outlying areas. BBC Report -- Doodlebug attack on Manchester

One hit a row of terrace houses in nearby Oldham killing 37 people, including some evacuees from London, and seriously wounding many others. The blast damaged hundreds of nearby homes.

Six people died when one landed on Chapel Street, Tottington, near Bury.

One of the errant V1s impacted in a farmer's field at Gregson Lane near Bamber Bridge just outside Preston. This crash site has recently been examined and recorded by the Lancashire Aircraft Investigation Team (V1 Gregson Lane 24.12.1944).

This V1 raid was a rude Christmas Eve shock for people in the Manchester area, for local officials had been hinting that the danger from air raids was was pretty much over for us in the North. D-Day had heightened the expectation that the war was winding down, besides, the unexpected V1 raids had been directed against London. Certainly no one expected an air raid siren alert followed by the sound of Doodlebugs chugging across Lancashire skies during that Christmas of 1944!

The V1 raid on Manchester occurred exactly four years after the first major Air Raid on the city -- the horrendous firestorm Blitz of Christmas 1940.

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One V1 that impacted near Oswaldtwistle carried a load of propaganda leaflets. Leaflets from these V1s were also found at Brindle, near Manchester and Huddersfield, Yorkshire.

Evidently a large number of V1s were loaded with propaganda leaflets. This subject is covered in meticulous detail by Herbert A. Friedman in his Web page article The German V1 Rocket Leaflet Campaign. This fascinating article explains how the leaflets were stored and dispersed and includes an impressive number of V1 related photographic images and numerous actual propaganda leaflet reproductions. It is also a treasure trove of V1 Flying Bomb information.

The British government was pretty secretive about V1 impact sites for they did not want the Germans to know the number of those that reached the target area and exactly where they had fallen.

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A plan and description of the WW2 Stanhill German Prisoner of War Camp near Oswaldtwistle can be found at:

http://www.fortunecity.com/campus/di.../PoWs/pows.htm

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Never realised the doodlebug had that kind of range. We learn something new everyday.

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My mum tells me stories about what she and her brothers and sisters did during the war except the stories what she tells arent lancashire ones because she was brought up and got married in northern ireland and didnt come over here until 1949/50. But because the republic of ireland was neutral they had tins of peaches etc that you couldnt get in the UK due to rationing so people went over the border for them especially as she only lived about 3 miles from the border.

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The first British WW2 film I remember was It's in the Air (George Formby 1939) -- the following link is George Formby singing and playing Our Sgt. Major from that movie.

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One of the most memorable Christmasses of my life was 1940. That Christmas Manchester was hit with a monumental air raid and one of the most intense incendiary bomb attacks of the war -- a fire storm ensued in the center of the city.

My father took me to the top of Crown Point, on the moors south of Burnley, where we could see Manchester burning -- the spectacular fires lit up the night skies across the horizon.

We worried about the safety of our relatives -- an aunt of mine (one of my mother's sisters) who lived in Salford and a close cousin of my mother who lived in Stretford next to Trafford Park -- and were greatly relieved to later learn that they had survived unscathed.

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Thank you for the feedback, park381. I sincerely appreciate comments relating to my web site and my postings here. Your interest -- and that of others providing feedback -- makes my efforts worthwhile.

James

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Mother and self lived on Burnley road in Blackburn, with Grandparents whilst my father was away in the war, I don't have much recall of events due to my tender age at the time, but there were tales of a german bomb being dropped near the power station at Whitebirk.
I do however remember visiting the POW camp at Stanhill in later years.

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A B17-G bomber "The Lady Helen", 231425, from Burtonwood AB was attacked by fighters and crashed into the mountains near Steyr in February, 1944. Survivors of the crash were captured as POW's. The pilot was named Lt. Donald Smith. The other crew members were : Lt. Sims, Co-Pilot; Lt. McConnell, Bombadier; Lt. Dender, Navigator. S/Sgt Eugene Eisele was the Ball Turret gunner but was lucky enough not to be on this mission. Some of the targets were,Cassino IT--Ploesti RO--Munich GE--Budapest HU.

http://jp29.org/jim02.JPG
http://jp29.org/jim04.JPG
http://jp29.org/jim03.JPG
http://jp29.org/jim05.JPG

http://jp29.org/jim01.JPG
S/Sgt Eugene Eisele, ball turret gunner, 49 missions

Photos courtesy of, my friends, the Eisele family.

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There was another aircaft that crashed in our area of Lancashire. On 21 January 1943 a British Halifax bomber (DT581) that had strayed off-course crashed on Hoar Side Moor not far from Black Hameldon, which was later to claim B-24 42-50668 in 1945 (see previous posting of mine).

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/lait/site/Halifax%20DT581.htm

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Click on the sound file on the following page for the actual sound of a V1 "Doodlebug" in flight, engine cut-out and impact:

http://timewitnesses.org/english/doodbug.html

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THE LANCASHIRE AIRCRAFT INVESTIGATION TEAM SITE
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/lait/site/index.htm
..... has recently been updated to include much new information.

An aircaft crash occured in the Burnley area in mid-war. In the late morning of 1 September 1942, an American P38 (Lockheed Lightning) fighter, which was was part of a flight of several on a training exercise, crashed in the woods near Cliviger. My best friend and I got to the crash location in time to retrieve a few souvenirs before the police arrived to cordon it off:

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/lait/site/P-38%2041-7669.htm

Another crash occurred in the Burnley area toward the end of the war. In the late afternoon of Monday, 19 February, 1945 an American B24 Liberator bomber crashed on the moors just outside Burnley (Black Hameldon). We went to the scene the next day after the crash (not as I previously reported -- I got this crash mixed up with the previous Lockheed Lightning crash at Cliveger):

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/lait/site/B-24%2042-50668.htm

I was on August Bank Holiday at Blackpool with my mother in 1941 when the the following mid-air collision over the Central Railway Station occurred. We were at the South Shore Pleasure Beach when the crash occurred and so I did not see it -- but I heard it and we went to the crash site a short time later:

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/lait/site/Botha-Defiant.htm

The above excellent report is very detailed and accompanied by several great on-the-spot photos.

James

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great photos and information, the ones on back hameldon and blackpool central are really fascinating welcome back again lol;)

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Thanks, cashman. You remind me that I meant to mention that there is now quite a bit more new information available relating to the V1 Flying Bomb (Doodlebug) attack on Manchester during Christmas 1944. Here is a recap:

On Christmas Eve 1944, a formation of specially configured HE-111 Heinkel bombers (I/KG53 squadron) flying over the North Sea launched 45 V1 Flying Bombs (Doodlebugs) aimed at Manchester 31 of which reached the target area. Fifteen fell on Manchester, the remainder impacting in surrounding towns and sparsely populated outlying areas .......... One V1 that impacted near Oswaldtwistle carried a load of propaganda leaflets. Leaflets from these V1s were also found at Brindle, near Manchester and Huddersfield, Yorkshire.

One of the errant V1s impacted in a farmer's field at Gregson Lane near Bamber Bridge just outside Preston. This crash site has recently been examined and recorded by the http://web.ukonline.co.uk/lait/site/...son%20Lane.htm Lancashire Aircraft Investigation Team (V1 Gregson Lane 24.12.1944)

A number of V1s were loaded with propaganda leaflets. This subject is covered in meticulous detail by Herbert A. Friedman in his Web page article http://www.psywarrior.com/V1RocketLeaf.html -- The German V1 Rocket Leaflet Campaign. This fascinating article explains how the leaflets were stored and dispersed and the Oswaldtwistle leaflet carrying V1 is detailed -- I am trying to find out if anyone here has in their possession any of the miniature leaflets depicted in this article -- they would be great historical treasures.

James

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BTW, as a point of trivial interest, the middle two open platform bays of Blackpool Central Station http://web.ukonline.co.uk/lait/site/...fiant%2011.htm were used by the Colne-Burnley-Accrington-Blackpool wakes week, August Bank holiday and excursion trains -- including the fabled Saturday night "Passion Express".

James

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A government survey conducted shortly after the war revealed that the general civilian population -- especially children -- despite food rationing, was in better health than pre-war. Many reasons were advanced for that phenomenon: a diet that featured a lot of fresh vegetables but was low in refined sugar and fat; sparse availability of sweets; consumption of bread that was usually made from coarse whole wheat; a great deal of walking and bicycling due to petrol being in extremely short supply; new drugs (such as penicillin) for treating infections; etc.

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Thanks, cashman -- I should have additional information shortly.

James

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Here is a wonderful 1945 Christmas card that members of the 52nd Lowland (Mountain) Division, now in occupied Germany, sent home to their friends and loved ones. It was given to me by my good friend, John Sewell from Southport, who served with the 52nd during the war.

This is truly a card of joy and thanksgiving. WW2 was over and peace reigned throughout the world once again. I have attached a fold out view of the card followed by individual pages at full size for easier reading of their exploits.

The 52nd had fought hard and valiantly throughout the war. They evacuated from Cherbourg -- thereby escaping the debacle of Dunkirk -- during the collapse of France in 1940; they were billeted in tents at Kennet in southern England during the dark days of 1940/41 where they were a vital part of the pathetically meagre Invasion Reserve that was to defend Britain against a Nazi invasion; they trained for, and were a vital component of, the Allied D-Day+ invasion force in 1944; they fought through Holland and occupied northern Germany under Field Marshall Montgomery; they captured the key city of Bremen and were there at the Nazi surrender.

Many of them died or suffered terrible wounds -- now those that survived could relax and send a beautiful Christmas card home. We owe these heroes so very much -- our present day freedom and enjoyment of life. In my opinion we should all honor their memories at this Christmas holiday season by maintaining a spirit of goodwill toward each other and giving thanks for the life we enjoy -- putting aside grouchiness, ill-will and animosity. We owe the heroes of WW2 who sacrificed so much for us at least that much.

James

http://jp29.org/hf189sn.jpghttp://jp29.org/hf210.jpg

http://jp29.org/hf186.jpg http://jp29.org/hf187.jpg http://jp29.org/hf188.jpg

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Hey James, just finished up reading this whole thread. Very interesting events. Also, a noble hobbie to keep these stories alive for both current and future generations.

I've found it fairly difficult getting much information about my Lancashire granddad's WWI experience (he fought in the trenches and suffered quite bad burns from the gas attacks).

Very early in WWII, I lost a Yorkshire Uncle at Ala Mein (sp?). His other 3 brothers were hurt in various ways. As the years go by, and we lose this glorious generation, the only facts we'll have are those that have been so well documented. Hence, I not only enjoyed your documentation of events but thank you for sustaining and bringing your thoughts/feelings to us through your writtings.

3 Cheers!

Brian

Re: World War II
 

Thank you for your most kind words and comments, Brian. As I mention elsewhere, my goal is to record my own experiences, accompanied by contemporary photographs and documents, relating to the British Home Front during WW2 before I die. To that end, I am constantly refining and adding to my Web pages. I am anxious to record the stories and exploits of as many people as possible who lived through those tumultuous times -- particularly in Lancashire - together with their photographs and documents before they are lost to history.

I provide links on my WW2 British Home Front Web pages via my WW2 British Home Front Directory to several similar sites as mine, some of which contain additional information in great detail.

The BBC instituted a massive program titled "The People's War" which is a vast repository for individual stories, but the submissions have to be brief vignettes out of necessity. There are some other similar projects.

I want to record the minutia of every day living -- again mostly in Lancashire -- on the British Home Front during WW2. Hopefully, others will contribute their own experiences and materials -- I would be most happy to compose Web pages for them to record their stories and store and present them via my own server. Time is running short: WW2 British Homefront survivors are dying at an alarming rate every day.

James

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Hey James, it's really ashame that as many folks didn't do the same for the WWI years. As far as keeping some good first person stories about things.

I know neither of my Grandfathers would talk about it all although I know they both saw so pretty bad stuff. I wonder if folks "on the homefront" during WWI would have been as forthwith as the WWII folks?

Even stuff like me Grampa Hall being the youngest of 16 children, having to quit school in 3rd grade to work in the "mines," join up with the army at 16 years old etc.. All we have are me Mums stories about these events and her memory is dwindling quickly.

My Dad sign up for WWII here in the states but the war ended while he was in New Mexico training to enter the pacific theater with the Air Corp. But even he doesn't talk much about it. He just says it's just something you did and it was done. Almost like it didn't happen.

It's very frustrating that most of any of my detailed history is lost to the ages!

Brian

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Yes, it is indeed a shame, Brian. I appreciate your lament. My own grandfather Pickering had great stories about his Army service in Egypt & France during WW1 as a soldier in the East Lancashire regiment. He also had a nice collection of photographs, army accoutrements and medals. The stories were never recorded and his WW1 effects were thrown out by my grandmother, as was the fashion in those days, when he died in 1943. The same thing happened with my father's and uncle's WW1 memorabilia -- all lost to succeeding generations forever.

Unfortunately much of the WW2 memorabilia I saved from WW2 was thrown out after the death of my father in 1963, including his medals and Home Guard accoutrements -- how sad! I composed my WW2 British Home Front pages and Unsung Allied Heroes of WW2 pages in an attempt to rectify that and preseve our WW2 heritage and record precious historical information.

James

Re: World War II
 

I maintain a Web site (Directory) Unsung Allied Heroes of WW2 that I am constantly updating. I invite you to visit my latest addition John Joseph Lynch jr., RAF (Eagle Squadron) for a fascinating story of a WW2 "Yank" Ace in the RAF.

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I have some photos of my dad Walter Hanson Buckley who was with the 5th East Lancs Battery, Royal Field Artillery, 1st East Lancs Brigade and others in his group. You are welcome to them. I can send them by email if you like – well several emails actually – if you would like to send me a PM with an email address.

He joined in August 1914 and was demobbed in 1921 or thereabouts after serving in Egypt, Gallipoli and possibly in Europe and Russia.

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Thank you very much for that kind offer, jambutty -- I am sending a PM. BTW, I really enjoyed your web site!

James

Re: World War II
 

I came across this thread by accident - Thank God.
It is one of, if not the most, tear jerking thread I have read on here.
So sad that it appears to have died over 3 years ago - Lest we forget.
Such poignant stories.

Re: World War II
 

The Rifles you refer to were known as the P14 .303
made in WW1 in America to british specifications, they were never issued to the Tommies in WW1, the delivery date was over due and enough SMLE's had been produced by then. The septics liked the rifle so much they produced one for their own men in 30-06 calibre known as the P17, some of the latter were also issued to the LOCAL defence volunteers, LDV, later changed to home guard.

Those ranges up Hapton were used by most of the H.G., units in East Lancs throughout the war. I used to shoot on that range till it was closed in the early 1950's.
The range had been in use for quite a long time, for I found lot of different calibre's of spent bullets,
.303 Mk7's, .303 Mk6's, .303 Mk2's and several ball rounds from the days of the Brown Bess.

Retlaw.

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My mother, Mary Greenwood, used to work at Riley's Chemicals and Colours in Clayton-le-Moors during the war.

The factory was used to produce war gasses.

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I am new to this site. Please can you tell me the name of the regiment (?) of American soldiers who were stationed at Accrington during the Second World War.


Elizabeth

Re: World War II
 

I never saw any Septics in Accrington during WW2, where the eck could they billet a regiment of them, thats 1000 officers and men, the only place that comes any where near big enough for company (250 men) would have been Hargreaves St School, and that was being used by the Home Guard.

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There might have been some yanks in east lancs, because I recall my mum insinuating that one of my aunts 'bothered' with one.

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I found this -
BBC - WW2 People's War - The Battle of Bamber Bridge

" Adams Hall in Bamber Bridge, essentially a collection of army huts. This was the location of US Eighth Army Air Force Station 569 which consisted of a number of Quartermaster Truck Companies.

.. there were yanks at Bamber Bridge

Re: World War II
 

More browsing at that site reveals this
BBC - WW2 People's War - A Child in WW2: In Accrington
"Occasionally, G.I’s (American General Infantrymen) descended from Burtonwood, to court the local girls, and ‘ any gum chum?’ became the standard phrase. The Yanks seemed far more interesting than their British counterparts, and their stylish uniforms, suntanned faces and attractive accents fascinated me. When I spotted the occasional American Negro, I presumed he had appeared from the depth of the African Jungle. I had never seen a coloured person before."

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Greetings Accrington Web denizens!

My goodness, it has been several years since I last contributed here - I am glad to see this thread is still alive. I am afraid some of the images and links have disappeared from some postings - the infamous "link rot" you know. I will try to resurrect some of them.

I am now 83 years old and my WWII memories are dimming more and more but I will contribute some more tid-bits if there is any interest. I have unearthed additional information as a result of (now just a few I am afraid) relatives and friends digging up their old memories and sometimes memorabilia - but authentication of information is sometimes difficult - our memories often play tricks on us. On several occasions in the past I have had to correct postings as new or conflicting information came to light. I will keep trying to present accurate information and avoid "old war stories".

James

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Welcome back - only last night I was browsing through your earlier postings and found them quite enthralling. The details you provided reminded of a couple of incidents that I have vague childhood memories of. One of quite extraordinary clarity was seeing the southern sky as bright as day even though I had been put to bed- it was Manchester burning.
In later years I accompanied my Mother to meet her cousin on his release from hospital having been a prisoner of the Japs after being captured in Java - he was mentioned in "The Naked Island".
As you mentioned, it is a great pity that the photographs are now missing.
Please continue with your posts, you bring so much to this site.

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Welcome back, glad yer o.k. have certainly missed yer contributions.;)

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I had never visited the old thread on this but have now done so. Very very interesting. I'm looking forward to more. Welcome back

Re: World War II
 

Thank you Barrie, cashman and sm_counsell for the welcome back.

James

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There were some stationed in Blackburn, certainly during 1944. I think that they were accommodated at Brookhouse Mill, off Whalley New Road.