Videos tagged with second world war

Rationing and and Children's Routines during WW2

Rationing and and Children's Routines during WW2

In the second part of his interview Alex talks about rationing during the Second World War and how families struggled on a daily basis to feed themselves with the tiny quantities they were allowed. He talks of how his mother had to scrub floors to make ends meet whilst his father was away in the army, and of the short while he spent away when he was evacuated as a boy of 4. Alex also remembers a couple of cheeky adventures him and his friends used to embark on to get around their sweet cravings!

Wartime spirit and children's games and activities

Wartime spirit and children's games and activities

Alex was born and raised in Hackney, East London. He was about seven years old when the second world war broke out. In the first part of his interview he recalls the games he and his friends from the neighborhood used to play to pass the time, and the typical activities and behaviour of war-time children in the 1940s and 50s. Alex also talks about the sense of community that was so prevalent during such hard times, everyone helped one another wherever possible and this was something that was passed down to even very young children. He remembers doing everything he could to help out his less fortunate neighbours and the elderly...

Serving in the Navy during the Second World War

Serving in the Navy during the Second World War

Sunny Talks about some of his experiences in the Navy during the Second World War where he served aboard the HMS Sutton and how war lead to a breakdown that got him sent to a Psychiatric Hospital

Working in the RAF in the 1940s

Working in the RAF in the 1940s

Fred Folkard served in the RAF from 1941 working as an engine-man. He was shipped out straight away to Far East and travelled to many places including Casablanca, Freetown and Bombay, the whole time his family not knowing having no idea where he was. In this interview Fred recounts his experiences during the Second World War and even tells of a near-miss experience where he almost died in a plane crash in China.

The Story of a German Girls Escape from the Russian Forces in WWII

The Story of a German Girls Escape from the Russian Forces in WWII

Peter Whelan recants a story told to him by a German girl he met while serving as a Sergeant in Allied-Occupied Germany, He tells of her Escape from the Russians as a small child running through snow all the way to Berlin and what faced her upon her arrival.Peter Whelan recants a story told to him by a German girl he met while serving as a Sergeant in Allied-Occupied Germany, He tells of her Escape from the Russians as a small child running through snow all the way to Berlin and what faced her upon her arrival.