Remembering the Second World War in South Gloucestershire

Thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, South Gloucestershire Council has been able to uncover the experiences of local residents in South Gloucestershire during the Second World War.  Ten videos are available to view online. You can listen to Jim Perrett, born in 1917 in Filton, who discusses memories of his father returning from the First World War and and then describes his own military service, working as a dispatch rider for the First Calvary Division of the Royal Army Service Corp, carrying messages between units based in Palestine, North Africa and the Siege of Tobruk. Similarly, brother and sister, Ken Evans and Molly Rogers, tell how each of their eleven siblings were in services during the war.

Another participant, Hella Hewison was born in Berlin on 7 January 1925 to German Jewish parents, Hella witnessed Kristallnacht and escaped on Kindertransport. She reads the Red Cross letter from her mother saying goodbye before going to a concentration camp. Hella’s mother and grandmother were both killed and later Hella became the first non-British nurse at Southmead Hospital. Finally, Majorie Bennett, born in Yate in 1922 was working in Newman's factory on the day war broke out.  She tells stories of catching a German spy at Yate Cinema, describes the bombings of Parnall's factory in Yate and then talks about how and why she joined the WAAF despite being underage. 

There is also an online exhibition to see how the war affected the area, including war time industry, those away on the front line, the home front, civil defence, evacuees and prisoners of war and resources for schools and those working with older people.

To access the various strands relating to this fascinating project see https://beta.southglos.gov.uk/south-gloucestershire-second-world-war-stories/#how-the-second-world-war-affected-south-gloucestershire