Lance Bombardier William Noel Hickmott was the son of Thomas William and Beatrice Hickmott of Bromley. He married Amy Rabbeth in 1932 and had four children; William (1932), Sheila & Maureen (1935) and Ann (1937). William was part of the Royal Horse Artillery, 2 Regiment (Servie no. 1089687). He died on the 9th May 1943 and is buried at Massicault War Cemetery in Tunisia. After William’s death, Amy married Timothy O’Brien in 1945. Lance-Bombardier W. N. Hickmott Mrs W. N. Hickmott, 19 Mosul Way, Bromley Common, has been notified that her husband,…
Tag: WW2
RAF “Presents” for Hitler
By the mid end of the Second War World, Britain began using larger ‘giant’ bombs against the enemy. They were nicknamed the ‘blockbuster bomb’ by the press and referred to a bomb which had enough explosive power to destroy an entire street or large building through the effects of blast in conjunction with incendiary bombs. By informing the reader of the weapons being used upon the Germans during the Second World War, was this a form of propaganda to scare the enemy? This small feature appeared in the local newspaper in May 1943,…
What they Do and What they Wear: Lifebuoy Toilet Soap advert
Lifebuoy Toilet Soap was very much of a popular product being used during the Second World World. It reached it peak during this period, before its popularity dwindled when rationing ended and more appealing products came to the market. We previously featured an advert for Lifebuoy from 1940, which featured a young boy and his granny: Lifebuoy Soap – Advert 1940 The Mechanised Transport Corps A khaki “British officer” tunic with a fleur-de-lis stamped on each button, royal blue piping round the cuff, title and crest worn on the right…
Lost Books – help needed to recover
The bombing raids on Britain during the Second World War took in toll in many places, including libraries! England saw some 54,000 children’s books go up in flames during the bombing of England, and thousands of special collections housed in the libraries were lost forever. Of the 1,145,500 books destroyed in the ruins of the bombed libraries, 982,000 were in city libraries; 155,813 belonged to university libraries, and the rest in county libraries. Dartford set up a ‘Book Recovery Drive’ in the May of 1943 to encourage readers to help resupply…
Swat that Squander Bug
The Squander Bug was propaganda character created during the Second War War by artist Phillip Boydell, an employee of the British National Savings Committee. The unpleasant-looking character was used for press adverts, as well as widely used by other wartime artists in poster campaigns and political cartoons. At the time, the British National Savings Committee had become concerned that inflated prices were being paid for consumer goods that were in short supply and believed that the money would be better spent on savings certificates to help with the war effort.…
‘Staycations’ are nothing new!!
All through the second world war there were ideas and discussions on taking holidays at home. Here’s what was going on in Bromley for your delectation in 1943 The band of the Royal Artillery, Woolwich A concert in the hall of the County School for Boys, Hayes Lane The Leslie Bridgewater Quintette – well-known singers The Ripley Choir and the Bromley and Chislehurst Orchestra Captain Joe Merrill of the Hayes Home Guard will produce a play: ‘The man who Stayed at Home,’ at Crown Lane A circus and zoo at…
Daddy’s Medal: Devotion to Duty
This feature appeared in the Bromley & District Times calling for more to be done to save Daddy’s Medal… Our part in the Great Offensive doesn’t call for bravery, but it does call for devotion… Devotion to Duty. No matter how hard we work, no matter how much we save, we cannot equal the sacrifice made by the men who use the weapons we provide… But we must try, so that at the end of it all we can say that “by devotion to duty” we, too, have played our…
Lieu. (E.W.) Kevin Walton
Eric William Kevin Walton, known as Kevin Walton, was an officer in the Royal Navy during World War II. Born in Kobe in Japan on 15 May 1918, Lieu Walton was the son of William Heward Murray Walton, a clergyman and missionary, and his wife Myra (née Hebbert), whose family had served for four generations in the Indian Civil Service. Walton joined the Royal Navy as an engineer officer at the start of World War II, and took part in various naval actions during the first five years. Walton later…
Appeal: Householders told to save bones
During World War II households were encouraged to save bones, as well as other waste materials, in a bid to help the war effort. Bones in particular were needed as they were used to make explosives lubricating oil, glue, fertiliser and animal feed amongst other things. This article featured in the local Bromley newspaper in 1943 appealing to householders to save their bones, however small they seemed. The Ministry of Information also used promotional films such as the cartoon “Bones..Bones..Bones – Save Bones” (1944) to highlight their mission. Appeal to…
Trailblazing iconic fashion of the 1940s
Although we look back at the 1940’s and think of it as a decade of mostly war and hardship, it was in fact a milestone decade for style in women’s fashion, despite the 1930’s being a hard act to follow. With style icons such as Christian Dior, Ava Gardner, Bette Davis, Doris Day and Rita Hayworth, these women were trailblazers in styles and new silhouettes – many styles of which are still supported today in women’s fashion. These adverts appeared in the local newspaper in 1943, encouraging women to invest…