From: Tim Merry (timmerry@mitmania.net.au)
Date: Thu Mar 22 2001 - 03:09:58 PST
Hello Chris, ----- Original Message ----- From: <hmemor@YOUTH.NET> To: <timewitnesses@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2001 9:06 AM Subject: [timewitnesses] good ole' winnie I'm sending this to you direct because I am inclined to say things as I see them, which can cause some people belonging to the Timewitnesses group to get uptight! So you can write back to me direct if you like. I was in England when the war began, and although I don't think much about it now, if you jog my memory I can probably tell you a thing or two about WWII. I was 15, and still at school, when the war started. My home was in central London, and my boarding -school was in the county of Devon - miles away. I joined the army when I was 18, and fought in an armoured division from Normandy through to the end of the France-Germany campaign. > I am yet another inquisitive mind attempting to find information > about the Second World War. Specifically I am writing a paper about > Winston Churchill's June 18, 1940 address to the House of Commons > "Their finest hour". I was looking for anyone who experienced this > time at the beginning of the war in England and mayber even heard the > broadcast of this speech. I have a lot of questions about everyday > life related to this speech so if anyone can answer even one of them I > would be really appreciative. I remember that speech - most of his speeches - well enough. Churchill really knew how to raise the spirit of the people; he was a great leader. Have you come across the one in which he praised the British airmen who battled day after day against the onslaught of the Luftwaffe at about the same time - The Battle of Britain: " Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." We heard all these speeches on the radio (which was called the wireless in those days!). > Currently I have found some information > on this in social history books but a first-hand account would be much > more interesting. Churchill seems to be trying to get past political > and perhaps(???) social differences in this speech. Was everyone just > generally aware about how their was a large difference in class and > political views? Did this perhaps pose a problem to Churchill(who was > trying to unify everyone) in the general population, at least did you > perceive any? There has always been a distinction between the middle and upper class on the one side, and the working class on the other; between those who went to an English Public School (which was of course a private fee-paying school), and those who went to Council schools; between those who spoke with a certain accent, and those who spoke otherwise. I don't think those differences are so noticeable today. But during the war everyone pulled together - they knew they had to; and with most people in uniform people tended to do as they were bid, and it all worked out well. As soon as the war was over Churchill was tossed out by the popular vote! I recall that the power of the unions led to a lowering of standards in quality of manufactures - which was a pity. I'll answer the rest of your message later - okay? Tim timmerry@mitmania.net.au > I am also curious about your communication technology at the time. > Did people primarily get their news from radio or newspapers? If > someone wanted to just say "hi" would they call on the telephone or > write a letter? Wich was more formal? what were telegraphed messages > for? > > Did anyone hear the actual broadcast of this speech? What did you > think of it? Did it help inspire ypou more than you already were? What > did you personally think of Churchill and what about after you heard > it? Did the country respond well to this speech? > > I would appreciate any information. This website is such a good idea > I have found all the personal accounts fascinating. It makes it much > more real then any history book. That is a major reason why I would > love to hear from anyone. > > Chris-from pittsburgh, pennsylvania (age 18) > > (Thanks for sharing your personal memories they are a treasure to my > generation.) >