Your PoW stories please

German soldiers who were captured in Normandy disembarking from a LST at Southampton during June 1944

Official war photographer: Lt E.E. Allen

http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//30/media-30695/large.jpg

 I am a third-year undergraduate History student at the University of Plymouth and am undertaking oral history research as part of the requirements for my final-year dissertation. My project explores the memory and experience of German Prisoners of War who were held in Devon during and after the Second World War. I am particularly interested in British attitude towards the Prisoners of War, their employment whilst held in camps and after the end of the war as well as their socialisation with the Prisoners of War. I am hoping to carry out some informal interviews/discussions with people who would be willing, able, and happy to share their experiences. This could German prisoners themselves, their wives and family members, those who employed them during and after the war and/or their family members also, or anyone with an experience they would like to share.

Prisoner captivity was a large part of the Second World War and various experiences of British soldiers have been shared over the years. However, the experiences of the German Prisoners of War within Devon are lesser known but are a significant part of our history. Many prisoners were employed on local farms with some even staying after the war to continue their work. I believe it is important to illuminate these unique experiences to ensure we do not forget them as the years pass on.

I would look to use these interviews within my dissertation and will ensure that participants fully understand the project, what is required of them, what they can expect of me, and how their interviews will be used, to ensure the consent they give is fully informed. In return, I would give acknowledgment to those who are happy to participate or redact/change names and details for those who wish. 

I was wondering whether you would be able to publish an article calling for people across Devon who have a connection to this that would be willing to participate. Anybody who is interested to participate or who have questions can contact me via dissertationresearch2020@gmail.com.

 

 

Kind regards

Sarah Ferguson

Exeter Historic Buildings Trust

 

Exeter Historic Buildings Trust – Trustee Vacancies

Are you passionate about heritage and historic buildings? Would you like to work with a vibrant and forward-thinking organisation working to preserve Exeter’s historic fabric? Exeter Historic Buildings Trust is currently looking for trustees to join its board. 

Exeter Historic Building Trust (EHBT) was founded in 1996 to rescue the 11th century former refectory wing of St Nicholas Priory and now works to preserve for the benefit of the people of Exeter, and of the nation at large, the historical architectural heritage of the city. To find out more about the Trust’s work, please visit our website at www.ehbt.org.uk

 In 2018, the Trust also acquired the west wing of the Priory, with the intention of returning it to community use.  The Trust’s regular activity is to maintain the Priory and open it to the public. We have a regular programme of tours and events, including cookery demonstrations, performances and historical re-enactments.  For a full review of our events, please visit Priory website at www.nicholaspriory.com 

We welcome applications for this voluntary role from both those who have experience of being a trustee and those who are new to the role. Following the retirement of our treasurer, we particularly welcome applications from people with a background in finance or accounting to help manage the financial aspects of the Trust’s work, supported by our bookkeeper. 

To apply, please send your CV and a covering letter explaining your interest in the role to admin@ehbt.org.uk 

If you would like more information about Exeter Historic Buildings Trust or the role, please email admin@ehbt.org.uk,  or to organise an informal discussion regarding either, please email Katharine Chant at secretary@ehbt.org.uk 

Closing dates:     For finance and treasurer role:  6th December 2020 

        For other trustee vacancies:       11th January 2021

Devon History: online courses. Todd Gray

Photo: https://www.creditoncourier.co.uk/

Drr. Todd Gray, FrHistS. MBE. is to present these online courses:

Each Zoom lecture is illustrated and will be followed by a question and answer session.  Each course has a featured book which could be read alongside the lectures.  Booking via www.Stevensbooks.co.uk

 

2020

 

Devon’s travellers’ tales, 1600-1950 

An examination of the impressions made by visitors to Devon mostly from their personal manuscript journals.  These accounts reveal previously unknown details of the county’s villages, towns and countryside.

 

Over four weeks

Tuesday mornings, 10.30 - 11.45am

24 November – 15 December 2020 

Fee: £24

Featured book: Todd Gray, Exeter: The Travellers’ Tale available to course members at a discount price of £8 through www.Stevensbooks.co.uk

 

History that Hurts

Four difficult topics will be discussed from a Devon viewpoint: looting in the second world war, the rise of fascism in the 1930s, black and white slavery from 1563 to 1834, and discrimination in Exeter from 1530 to 1945

 

Over four weeks

Thursday mornings, 10.30 - 11.45am

26 November – 16 December 2020 

Fee: £24

Featured book: Todd Gray, Not One of Us available to course members at a discount price of £14 through www.Stevensbooks.co.uk

2021

 

Devon’s travellers’ tales, 1600-1950 Part Two

Further examples of the experiences of visitors in Devon – topography, food, buildings and people are just some of the aspects of life that were recorded. Many of the accounts have not been previously published.

 

Over four weeks

Tuesday mornings, 10.30 - 11.45am

12 January – 2 February 2021 

Fee: £24

Featured book: Todd Gray, East Devon: The Travellers’ Tale available to course members at a discount price of £8 through www.Stevensbooks.co.uk

 

 

Devon’s garden history, 1500-1900

Five different aspects of Devon’s garden history will be examined through printed and manuscript sources: exotic plants, garden nurseries, herb gardens and selected gardens such as Nutwell, Shute, Oxton and Cockwood.

 

Over five weeks

Thursday mornings, 10.30 – 11.45 am

14 January – 11 February 2021

Fee: £30

Featured book: Todd Gray, The Art of the Devon Garden available to course members at a discount price of £18 through www.Stevensbooks.co.uk

 

 

England’s carved bench ends, 1450-1700

An examination of the late medieval timber carvings found in churches in the South West (Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset) with those of East Anglia, Central England.  

 

Over five weeks

Thursday mornings, 10.30 – 11.45 am

18 February – 18 March 2021 

Fee: £30

Featured book: Todd Gray, Devon’s Ancient Bench Ends available to course members at a discount price of £16 through www.Stevensbooks.co.uk

Next ZOOM meeting is POSTPONED

 

POSTPONED BECAUSE OF COVID19 LOCKDOWN

NEW DATE: WEDNESDAY 17th FEBRUARY 2021

Captain Peacock and the Swans of the River Exe

This month's  ZOOM meeting of Starcross History Society is on Wednesday, November 18th, from 7.30pm until 9.00pm. You can join anytime: no need to apologise for being late, and you can leave anytime BUT YOU WON'T WANT TO LEAVE this meeting with Joe Hancock from Burn the Curtain Interactive Promenade Theatre Company. Please wear a Victorian hat. or not 😅

This Covid19 summer, a massive project was planned around Starcross's Victorian polymath; Captain George Peacock:

•  Swan pedalos were to be built on Exeter Quay. Ragtag characters from all over the world would retrieve parts of Captain Peacock's inventions and reconstruct them on Exeter Quay.

• An exhibition about Captain Peacock would have displayed Malcolm Fairweather's scale model of The Swan of the Exe which he was making for Starcross History Society.

• A graphic novel about Captain Peacock would have been commissioned

• People dressed in Victorian costumes were to retrieve Captain Peacock inventions which would have been hidden around Exeter Quay. Did you know that his drinking water converter is still in use today? And he invented a screw propeller.

The wasn't to be this year, but don't miss this ZOOM meeting where you can find out about all the stuff Captain Peacock did; and share your own ideas about how to celebrate him.

There's a How to ZOOM guide on

https://starcrosshistory.blogspot.com/2020/10/how-to-zoom.html?m=1

To get the link for this November 18th Starcross History Society ZOOM meeting, please email heirnet@gmail.com

We make no charge because we believe that history should be FREE... but it's not,  because we like to offer our ZOOM presenters  a remuneration, and we have the Professional version of ZOOM. 

If you can afford it, please give a donation via the PayPal button. 

Thankyou very much.

We have never charged admittance to our meetings because we believe that History should be Free for All. Now that we have all our meetings online, we can't flog raffle tickets or teas& coffees, or have a voluntary collecting pot. 
We have ambitions to make cash from a YouTube channel, but this will be a long time project... We'll need over 30,000 followers and we'll need to register as a charity.
Meanwhile, if you have enjoyed one or more of our ZOOM meetings, perhaps you would kindly donate something. 
We would like to keep going. We also have more projects we'd like to see through.
See the EVENTS page for details of more projects, but currently we are working with the Starcross Action for Trees group to install a topiaried Yew tree or trees in Starcross, reminiscent of the conical Yew trees which were along The Strand.

Polish Squadron 307 Video

307 Squadron Project are pleased to invite you to join us for a series of unique video events on Sunday 15th November - 307 Squadron Day Live! 

Due to Covid-19 we have had to cancel our annual exhibition at Exeter Guildhall, however the Polish flag will still be raised over the city which 307 Squadron defended for two years during the war.

Our online events include the following:

09:45 Raising of the Polish Flag
Live coverage from Exeter Guildhall Speeches from: Lord Mayor of Exeter; His Excellency The Polish Ambassador to Great Britain, Lord Lieutenant of Devon, RAF Brize Norton

16:00 80 Years Ago…The story of 307 Squadron’s formation

19:00 307 Squadron Day Live

Includes:

Semper Fidelis - the story of Exeter & 307 Squadron  Performances by singer Katy Carr Official Trailer of the film ‘The Navigator’ (produced by 307 Squadron Project) plus much more...

You can watch these live events on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/307SquadronProject

You will still be able to watch us even if you do not have a Facebook account - just visit our Facebook page and scroll down to the live video.

There is more information on this link:

www.facebook.com/events/663834894269872

We hope that you can join us on 15th November for these live broadcasts. Please would it be possible for you to help us publicise this event, this would be hugely appreciated. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,

Michael Parrott, Andrzej Michalski, Marcin Piórkowski   

307 Squadron Project

www.307squadron.org
facebook.com/307SquadronProject