Reported in the Bromley & District Times on 6th September 1940 Prison of War: Edward F. Belsey, Bromley This week Mrs E. F. Belsey of Bromley has heard from her husband, Private Edward F. Belsey, R.A.M.C., that he is a prisoner of war. Previously he had been reported as missing from June 10. The son of Mr Belsey and of the late Mrs Belsey, of 53 Palace Road, Bromley, he was educated at the Central School, and afterwards obtained employment as an assistant at the Chaterton Road branch of the South…
Category: WW2
Sec. Lieutenant Claudius C. G. Anderson
Reported in the Bromley & District Times on 6th September 1940 Prisoner of War: Second-Lieutenant C.C.G. Anderson, R.A. Mr and Mrs Anderson of Springfield, Derry Downs, St Mary Cray, have been informed that their son, Second-Lieutenant Claudius C. G. (“Grigor”) Anderson, aged 23, who was reported missing in France, is now a prisoner of war in Germany. Second-Lieutenant Anderson served with a Territorial Anti-Aircraft Company in 1937, and at the outbreak of was war transferred to search light work. He was educated at Dulwich College and in civil life was…
Day Out for Dunkirk Wounded
This wonderful report, which appeared in the local newspaper, describes how a party of wounded soldiers who at Dunkirk , were treated by the kind people of Bromley, when they visited the town on a day trip. The occasion was made possible by the donations of a local company. It would be great to know which local company helped arrange this. Bromley Firm’s Effort Mr Watts, manager of the Gaumont, Bromley, sprang a surprise on the audience on Wednesday afternoon, when he announced that over 30 of the boys who…
Salute the Soldier Week – August 1944
‘Salute the Solider Week’ was a national fundraising effort to encourage civilians to place their money in government accounts, as Britain prepared for a final assault on Nazi Germany. Across the country celebrations began with a parade and culminated on public space, such as a village green, with a mixture of speeches, blessing ceremonies, sporting events and games. This report from the Bromley & District Times newspaper in August 1944, provides details of the event which took place in Orpington. Salute the Soldier Everything is set for Salute the…
Some Bone! – Collecting for the War Effort in WW2
In 1941, the Department of National War Services put in place a nation-wide salvage programme. Households across the country were asked to collect metals, paper, bones, rags and fat. It wasn’t done for the environment but rather for the war effort. Bone became a vitally important material to the war effort. Fortunately, bones were readily available because they could be collected from the carcass of any dead animal. They were in high demand because the extracted fats were used to make glycerine, an agent used in high explosives. Alongside this, bones…
“Doodle Bugs” – Goebbels has been having a field day
Written by the Vicar of Bromley, this report appeared in the Bromley & District Times on 30th June 1944 “Doodle Bugs” Goebbels has been having a field day. The description of London under a pall of smoke with the arterial roads packed with crowds of refugees, and the life of the city disrupted, has proved a welcome diversion to a war-weary people whose eyes reluctantly were being compelled to look more towards Cherbourg. But actually in one respect his claims are not entirely wide of the mark, for we, too,…
Work of the Firemen in 1944
In preparation for war, the Auxiliary Fire Service was established in the United Kingdom in 1938 to supplement the many individual peacetime fire fighters. The AFS had their own often rapidly-constructed or requisitioned stations, or added their own services to existing stations. The NFS was created in August 1941 by the amalgamation of the wartime national Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) and the local authority fire brigades (about 1,600 of them). It existed until 1948, when it was again split by the Fire Services Act 1947, with fire services reverting to…
Fighter Fund for Bromley
This advert for support and volunteers for the Fighter Fund in Bromley was published in the Bromley & District Times on 23rd August 1940. Enthusiastic Support – Subscriptions Coming in – – All Classes want to help – – Volunteers will be needed – The Supermarine “Spitfire” single-seater day and night fighter, supreme among fighter aircraft throughout the world. She carries eight machine guns mounted in the wings, four each side of the fuselage. The official maximum speed is 357 m.p.h. at 18,100 ft. Picture shows formation of six spitfires…
Great Air Battles Off Coast, August 1940
This report details the beginning of the Battle of Britain, outlining the impressive number of aircraft brought down by the R.A.F. and ground defence units, who work tirelessly to protect Britain. Reported in the Bromley & District Times, 23rd August 1940 295 Raiders Down in 7 Days Brilliant Work by R.A.F. and Ground Defences In air battles of enormous proportions which have raged over Kent and South Coasts this week the R.A.F. and British ground defences have exacted heavy toll from the enemy. In seven days from last Thursday, when…
King Visits Anti-Aircraft in West Wickham, 1940
The King has twice visited North-West Kent this week – on Saturday before for a Home Guard parade at West Wickham, and again on Wednesday to inspect a number of defence units, including a listening post at West Wickham. As reported in the Bromley & District Times, 16th August 1940