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Interview with Mario Miniussi
Mario Miniussi recalls the 18 March 1944 Monfalcone night bombing. He was sleeping when the siren sounded; then he saw the bombs falling on the shipyard among explosions and fires. Remembers how he was normally at school during alarms, so he and his…
Interview with Gualtiero Silvio Cosolo
Gualtiero Silvio Cosolo recalls attending the Ceriani vocational school in Monfalcone, at this time the air raid siren went off every day and the children would run to the nearest shelter. Describes the 7 March 1944 bombing and the gruesome sight of…
Interview with Guido Di Blas and Ilario Bolletti
Guido Di Blas and Ilario Bolletti recount wartime memories associated with the town of Monfalcone and the surrounding area. Describes a severe night of bombing stressing the ominous sight of target indicators and loud explosions; recalls the massive…
Interview with Stefania Vischi
Stefania Vischi recalls her wartime life in the Monfalcone area. Stresses how she spent long hours alone inside a shelter, frightened by explosions and tremors. Contrasts the horror of being at the receiving end of the bombing war and the strong…
Interview with Frank Page
Frank Page grew up near Teddington Locks and was working for an engineering firm when the war started. His house was bombed and he remembers recovering bodies from the ruins and says he joined the RAF to get his revenge on the Germans. His pilot…
Interview with Marialuigia Buffadossi
Marialuigia Buffadossi remembers her wartime life in the Lombardy region. Born in a low-class neighbourhood with poor-quality housing, she first worked as shorthand clerk for a solicitor, and then was employed by a major bank. Remembers her…
Interview with Sara Ventriglia
Sara Ventriglia, the daughter of a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, recalls her early life in wartime Milan. She describes the alarm being sounded, she and her family getting quickly dressed to reach a nearby shelter. She recollects moments…
Interview with Fausta Maggioni
Fausta Maggioni recalls memories of her wartime life in Milan. She describes a sizeable shelter reinforced with wooden props, a little bag with the few valuables she had always to bring along, as well as the many duties of her father as warden, who…
Interview with Giovanni Delfino
Giovanni Delfino was at first evacuated to the Cremona area, where he could see the glow of the distant bombings. He then came back to Milan only to witness a bomb nearly missing his house and killing factory workers. He describes the gruesome sight…
Interview with Carla Baietti
Carla Baietti recalls her life as a young labourer in Olgiate Comasco. Chronicles the hardships her family suffered during the war: fascist indoctrination, food shortage, her uncle's desertion and her brother's death while serving in Russia. Speaks…
Interview with Gavino Pala
Gavino Pala reminisces about his childhood in Sardinia, describing schooling and paramilitary training. Recollects the 17 May 1943 Alghero bombing, explaining how part of the population had left the city the day before and slept among olive trees,…
Lebensgefahr
The first part is targeted at the German population and argues, with illustrations, for passive and active resistance against the regime. It uses the image of Germany’s many broken bridges to argue that the only bridge open to the German people is…
Interview with Margaret Hodgin
Margaret’s family lived in Fiskerton and her first memory of war time, when she was seven and her brother four, was of her father digging a shelter in the garden. The children would walk or cycle to Reepham school.
Margaret was about eleven when…
Margaret was about eleven when…
The best thing I ever did
Ted Neale's account of his early experience from the age of 17. The factory where he worked burned down in a bombing attack so he volunteered for the RAF. He was posted to Scarborough then Carlisle to train on Tiger Moths. He met a girl called Mary…
What a place to be, whilst there was a war on
Ted Neale's account of when he was 18 at the Woolwich Arsenal. He tells of a bombing attack at the factory, which started just as they were leaving at 5pm.
Ted Neales' memoir
Memoirs of Ted Neale (written in a non-contemporary diary), recounting his experiences of an air raid on Woolwich, travelling to South Africa for aircrew training and taking part in bombing operations from Italy. Some anecdotes are repeated. This…
Ted Neale's early war memoirs
Ted Neale describes the start of the war and the end of his schooling. After a couple of jobs, which he left quickly, he moved to the Woolwich Arsenal as an apprentice tool maker. On Saturday 7th September 1940 an air raid destroyed the factory,…
Interview with Dr Marjorie Birch
Dr Marjorie Birch was born and grew up in London. She was evacuated with her younger sister when war was declared. She later trained as a medical student in London. She describes her accommodation opposite Kings Cross Station and the bombing. She…
Interview with Norman Freeman
Norman Freeman was born in London, his wartime preference to be a pilot was thwarted by poor eyesight so he became a wireless/radar mechanic. After training he served all over Britain, and then France at the end of the war. Norman told of why he…
Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine
Writes how she is looking forward to joining him in Aberystwyth and that she is working hard to get things ready. Mentions her activities and catches up with local news. Says all clear has gone a couple of times before midnight and discusses night…
Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine
Writes that she is feeling depressed and longing for his company and goes on with mention of her evening activities as well as problems with the telephone. Acknowledges his letter and discusses content about probability of invasion. Writes of indoor…
Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine
Writes of news of allied landing in Spitzbergen, mentions funny stories she has heard and comments on attack on Berlin. Writes about air raid warnings and their shelter in the garden. Mentions changing to the Times newspaper and parcel of baby…
Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine
Writes about putting up air raid shelter and how they will use it. Continues with news of daily activities and mentions putting advert in paper for daily help.
Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine
Mentions a financial issue and a bad journey home. Writes of air raid and using the shelter and how comfortable it was. Continues with gossip on her activities.
Letter to prisoner of war John Valentine from his wife Ursula
Writes of visits to cinema and of domestic activities. Continues with story of her sister's photographic efforts. Mentions letters she has dispatched with photographs. Writes of spending session in air raid shelter which daughter Frances took in good…