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"The people of England have shown that they do not frighten easily. They have become 'seasoned soldiers' who have had their baptism of fire"

Raymond Daniell. Civilians Must Fight - published 1941

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The Ordinary People...
Ordinary people doing extraordinary things - housewives, bus drivers, engineers, postmen - called to 'do their bit'. Our first person living history events bring these small elements of everyday life back to the public eye - queueing for a bus, waiting for the 'all clear' or sharing the news whilst riding a tram. Here are are some photographs from various living history events over the past few years:
Make do and Mend was a constant reference throughout the war years and well into the next decade as shortages of clothing and household linen meant precious items could be saved by personal initiative. Sheets worn into holes became pillowcases or children's nightwear, gentleman's collars and cuffs were turned, pre-war dresses became children's blouses or playsuits - the sewing machine was an essential part of the war effort and all family members became experienced users. In our re-construction of a 1940s parlour, Rebecca listens to the news on the wireless as Hoc instructs Algy in the operation of pre-war Singer sewing machine as they transform a 1936 table cloth into tea towels. photograph by Chris Reynolds July 2006.
	The British public were issued with a respirator or gas mask by the time of the Munich crisis in September 1938. Masks were supplied in three sizes and had adjusting straps to fit the wearer. Bryan is seen adjusting a specially cleaned and prepared respirator dated 1937 during a wartime house display at Kidderminster in Summer 2006 - original masks should not be worn unless professional restoration processes have been completed. photograph by Chris Reynolds July 2006.
A wartime Summer Sunday morning 'somewhere in England'. Civilians wait for the village bus, obviously delayed on the narrow country lanes by the movement of troops and vehicles around the villages. Public transport during the war years was notoriously slow and laborious - air raids, petrol shortages, roadblocks and buses or trains ending up in the 'wrong place' after timetables were disrupted. Local journeys were often better managed on 'Shanks pony' (on foot) or by the ubiquitous cherished bicycle. Photo taken June 2003 by Bryan Webb.
	Evacuation on a mass scale took place again around South East England following the invasion of France on the 6th June 1944. The Nazi revenge weapons - the pilotless plane (or the 'doodlebug' as they were commonly known) brought terror from the skies by mid-June as the allied armies raced to destroy their launching sites in France. Dan, Mollie and Alex as evacuee children, billeted in rural Hampshire to escape the V1 attacks on London, Summer 1944. Photograph by Andy Kimpton at War on The Line June 2002.
The constant threat of air raids became a talking point for civilians 'carrying on' - here we see the latest news shared by people on a tram journey. Sarah, Ian, Pat and Ben at the Crich Tramway Village wartime weekend. photograph taken by Bryan Webb August 2002.
	The V1 rocket attacks of 1944 sent families back to their Anderson shelter as South East England came under daily attack once more from the Nazi 'revenge weapons'. Disruption on a massive scale brought back bitter memories of the Blitz of 1940 as thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed - the drone of the motor meant you were safe - when the engine cut out, the seconds of silence before the rocket fell to earth struck fear into the population. The awesome power of V1 was exceeded by the V2 on the 8th September 1944. The V2 rocket was the first long range ballistic missile used in combat - it arrived without warning, delivering a one ton warhead onto it's target population. photograph by Louise July 2003.

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