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

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

Starcross Remembers

The centenary of the signing of The Armistice at the end of the First World War was celebrated in Starcross.
The Remembrance Day Service took place in St Paul's Church at 10:00am.The congregation processed to Starcross War Memorial on The Strand, where they were joined by many more from the village for a Remembrance Service, and wreath-laying which started at 10:45am.
Many thanks to Hugh Scudder, from Kenton, for the photographs
Click this link to see them all
A few images from Sundays Remembrance Service at St Paul’s and Parade to the Memorial

Starcross School Dinners 1944

from Starcross School Log 1944
Nov 13
Dinners arrived today at 6 minutes past 1
The man who brought them was as usual
filthy dirty, as if he had come out
of the car inspection pit, and he spilt
half the dinners on the floor bringing
them in.
17
Arrival of dinners. Mon. 1.6
                          Tues  12.50
                          Wed   12.50
                          Thurs. 12.40
                          Frid.   12.50
Dinners have been unsatisfactory lately
from their late arrival. One day a caterpillar
1 3/4 ins long was found in the greens
the same day a blackbeetle was also found.
Potatoes are rarely cooked, and
uneatably hard. I have complained
... often but there is no
improvement.

This gem was unearthed as part of the Villages in Action Heritage Lottery funded project to Unearth the histories of 8 Devon rural communities

Free exhibition in Exeter Guildhall - Polish 307 Squadron RAF: For your freedom and ours

For Your Freedom and Ours - The Story of 307 Squadron
307 Squadron Project invites you to Exeter’s Guildhall for an exhibition,
14-16 November 2016,
to remember the Polish 307 Squadron that defended the South West of England during the Second World War.
307 Squadron RAF were night-fighters who fought the Luftwaffe over the skies of Britain and prevented Exeter from being totally destroyed during the blitz on the city in 1942.

On Tuesday 15 November, ‘307 Squadron Day’, at 10:00 the Polish flag will be raised over the Guildhall by the Lord Mayor of Exeter. This event has been organised by 307 Squadron Project in conjunction with Exeter City Council.

307 Squadron Project is a British-Polish registered charity established to promote the role and carry out further research on the squadron that were known as the ‘Lwow Eagle Owls’.
The project also promotes cooperation between our nations.

The free exhibition at the Guildhall, which is in both English and Polish, is open:
Monday 14th November 10:00–16:00
Tuesday 15th November 10:00–16:00
Wednesday 16th November 10:00–16:00

There will be a Mass in Polish to remember the airmen of 307 Squadron at
 the Church of The Sacred Heart in Exeter on Sunday 20th November at 14:30 led by the Rector of the PCM Stefan Wylężek.

For more information on the event please contact us at info@307squadron.org
 
Yours sincerely,
Andrzej Michalski, Michael Parrott, Marcin Piórkowski
307 Squadron Project
www.307squadron.org
facebook.com/307SquadronProject
Photos: S.Barrett,T.Adamski.



Polish Night Fighter Squadron 307 in wiki

A new History of Teignmouth online

http://www.teignheritage.co.uk/

an aural and visual record of West Teignmouth

Congratulations to all who have worked for years to produce this wonderful record.

Starcross Home Guard

Starcross Home Guard. Recognise anyone?

Starcross Home Guard

Wartime evacuees Norman and Douglas Sharp

remains of CGI Radar Station on Exminster Marshes

 Many thanks to the  website of The Exe Estaury Management Partnership
for the link to this photo

Can you help Ann Clear to discover anything more about 2 young brothers: Norman and Douglas Sharp, who were evacuated to Starcross during the war?

"
...During the Second World War my Dad and his brother were evacuated to Starcross, from Stanley Technical College in South Norwood, near Croydon, London.  I am led to believe the majority of children who attended their college (or maybe class) went to Devon with them.  My Dad stayed at Southbrook House (the very big Victorian villa near to Cockwood) and his brother stayed somewhere else in the village and they attended the village school.  I do not know how long they were there for, or the specific year (although I would think it likely to be sometime between 1939/40, but it may be later).


At some point they were moved on to a house together (address unknown) in Torquay, where they attended an unknown college that allowed them to continue there studies, which I believe was skilled tool making/draftsmanship and the like.

...
"

Here's correspondence from the Devon History Society's weblog which mentions that  South Devon Technical college in World War 2 hosted Gravesend Technical School and another London college

OLD ENQUIRIES

Jun 22, 2012. Kenneth Watkins writes:
 In 1941 and 1942 I was in Torquay, a pupil at the South Devon Technical College. The college was the host for the Gravesend Junior Technical School and a London school (I forget its name), both having been 'evacuated' from the London area endangered by enemy air raids.
Our family returned to Gravesend at the end of 1942, because of Torquay having been attacked in broad daylight that summer by four ME109s and one Fw190. We (my mother, sister and brother) were all enjoying the Tor Abbey sands that day, along with many other jolly crowds, as if there were no war! This and earlier single-aircraft raids had made my mother nervous.
(Ironically, raids resumed in the Gravesend-London area in January 1943!)
My question is - what was the date of this daylight raid, in which one bomb was dropped on the town by each of the German fighters and they machine-gunned the town during low-level flights along the water's edge right above my head?
Also, are there any newspaper or other reports available describing the several attacks on Torquay?
Kenneth Watkins, (born 17 July 1928),
2 rue de Songeons,
60220 Campeaux, France. 

I appreciate that this doesn't match your chronology, but this sounds very like an account of the notorious air raid on the afternoon of Sunday 30th May 1943 (see Casualties of the bombing of St Marychurch). During this, the beach was also machine-gunned, killing the town's Director of Education, Frank Kesteven.
 - RG

and here's a couple of links from this weblog about Southbrook House 

http://starcrosshistory.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/kellys-directory-online.html 

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Grand-design-age-splendour/story-15107515-detail/story.html 

Operational Base of the Starcross Auxiliary Unit Patrol

Can you add anything to the Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team's webpage about the wartime Starcross Auxiliary patrol?

From the information received so far all the Patrols of Group 5 (Dawlish, Teignmouth and Starcross) seem to have worked and trained very closely together. Looking at the names and addresses on the Nominal Rolls it is almost impossible to make three distinctly separate patrols.

Each Patrol therefore, has been compiled by their group photograph where available. This may have lead to errors as to which Auxilier is recorded in which Patrol.

Please contact Nina Hannaford on cartdevon@gmail.com if you have any information to help."

The Operational Base for the Patrol is between Starcross and Exminster and the Auxiliers lived in the surrounding area. It was located on land farmed by Francis Wotton at Tawsington Farm. The farm has now been split and the land divided up around neighbouring farms. Situated just below the brow of a hill, the area has views over the River Exe Estuary and almost up to the City of Exeter.

Condition of OB: Known to have been built by the Royal Engineers local children discovered the OB, while still intact, during the 1950s. It was entered into by a trap door in the middle of a Laurel copse though nothing could be seen from the surface.

Embedded in the entrance shaft were 5 metal rungs leading down to a Nissen Hut type structure containing a cast iron stove, a cupboard and four bunk beds. Ventilation pipes led to the surface.

A 3 ft diameter concrete pipe lead away as an escape tunnel, exiting at the surface.

Size of OB and entrance/exit etc: Currently unknown, though thought to have been destroyed. At one time it was seen as only rubble remaining, along with the intact escape tunnel leading away.

From the information received so far all the Patrols of Group 5 (Dawlish, Teignmouth and Starcross) seem to have worked and trained very closely together. Looking at the names and addresses on the Nominal Rolls it is almost impossible to make three distinctly separate patrols.
Each Patrol therefore, has been compiled by their group photograph where available. This may have lead to errors as to which Auxilier is recorded in which Patrol.
Please contact Nina Hannaford on cartdevon@gmail.com if you have any information to help.
- See more at: http://www.coleshillhouse.com/starcross-auxiliary-unit-patrol.php#sthash.z7S7NGpa.dpuf

From the information received so far all the Patrols of Group 5 (Dawlish, Teignmouth and Starcross) seem to have worked and trained very closely together. Looking at the names and addresses on the Nominal Rolls it is almost impossible to make three distinctly separate patrols.
Each Patrol therefore, has been compiled by their group photograph where available. This may have lead to errors as to which Auxilier is recorded in which Patrol.
Please contact Nina Hannaford on cartdevon@gmail.com if you have any information to help.
- See more at: http://www.coleshillhouse.com/starcross-auxiliary-unit-patrol.php#sthash.z7S7NGpa.dpuf