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The 1940’s Society, 90 Lennard Road, Dunton Green, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2UXTel: 01732 452505 Web: www.1940.co.uk Email: magazine@1940.co.uk

The 1940s SocietyFor Everyone Interested in Wartime Britain

November / December 2010Issue 64 £3.00

1940s BurlesqueKitten Von Mew Reveals All

On the Buses & TrainsGetting to Work, Despite it Allby Jon Mills

Donald Dean VCA hero in two world warsDetails of a new book by Terry Crowdy

Events, reviews and muchmore!

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Writing this in November I’m resisting the temptation to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I am however conscious that this is the last magazine of 2010 and 2011 is nearly upon us. A time to look back at the years events and look forward to another new year ahead.

The Society hasn’t had all its plans come to fruition with some of the activities and events which I would like to have organised not taking place but on the whole its been a very positive year.

I’ve been delighted with the response to the magazine which continues to be eagerly awaited by members and I’m pleased to say that we’re constantly looking at ways to improve it. With this in mind you will notice that this issue is produced with full colour photographs and I hope to continue with this format next year. A development I hope you will all enjoy.

Unfortunately, with the New Year comes my annual plea to renew your subscription. If you’ve only just joined and paid then please ignore this but if everyone else could renew it would be greatly appreciated. Postage & printing costs have increased this year and I’m sure they will continue to rise in 2011 but membership is staying the same at (I hope you will agree) a very reasonable £10. Many thanks.

We haven’t had a huge response from members following the suggestion that we publish a contact list of those around the country who would welcome correspondence so I will hold this until the next issue to give interested members a chance to send me their details if they wish.

As always, I would welcome reviews, reminiscences or other items of interest to members for the magazine and am sure that you will appreciate the 1940s Society T-Shirt you receive as a thank you for items published. I look forward to hearing from you all.

Thank you once again for supporting the society and I will (after all) wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and enjoyable New Year

Ian

The 1940s SocietyFor Everyone Interested in Wartime Britain

Regular meetings at Otford Memorial Hall near Sevenoaks

Friday 26th November 2010 - 8pm

Friendly meetings learning more about life in the 1940’s. Meetings start at 8pm at Otford Memorial Hall, Nr. Sevenoaks.

Admission £3. Further details from Ian on 01732 452505 orvisit the Web Site at: www.1940.co.uk

The Railway at War Britains railways during the Second World War

Presented by Jon Mills

Britains railways were not only an important part of the transport infrastructure during the Second World War but had a vital role in its successful conclusion.

Jon Mills explores the wartime changes in Britains railways, what they were used for and the impact on Britains population.

Jon is a respected author and historian specialising in Britains Home Front and the collecting of Home Front material. He is also a regular writer for a number of specialist journals, military history and family history magazines.

Come along for what is sure to be a fascinating evening.

If you have any comments, articles or information of interest we would be pleased to consider it for future use. Please contact us at: The 1940’s Society, 90, Lennard Road, Dunton Green, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 2UX or email us at: magazine@1940.co.uk .

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part and in any form whatsoever, is strictly prohibited without the prior permission of the editor. Whilst every care is taken with material submitted to ‘The 1940s Society”, no responsibility can be accepted for loss or damage. Opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or the 1940s Society.

Whilst every effort has been made to contact all copyright holders, the sources of some pictures that may be used are obscure. The publishers will be glad to make good in future editions any error or omissions brought to their attention. The publication of any quotes or illustrations on which clearance has not been given is unintentional.

Designed and produced by Ian Bayley. . © Ian Bayley 2010

Foreword

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Six Spoons of Sugar The evacuee book is available from

our book store or www.holdsworthwrites.co.uk

Email: whoaremyfamily@aol.com

On the Buses & TrainsGetting to work despite it allIn an age when the private motor car is the most common form of transport, it is difficult to appreciate the reliance placed on more public means of transport during the Second World War. Although many people walked or cycled to work – neither easy in a blackout – large numbers in the cities commuted daily on the bus or by train. Jon Mills looks at some of the ways in which the daily journey to work was changed by the war.

The many war workers who travelled by bus quickly noticed their much changed appearance on the outbreak of war. Blackout covers appeared on headlights, interior lights were dimmed and netting glued to windows to prevent flying glass. The resulting internal gloom caused problems for conductors collecting fares and many bus companies issued them with special lamps so that tickets and change could be checked. Fuel restrictions reduced many services and in London the Green Line country service was suspended as its buses first became ambulances to evacuate hospital patients to safety outside the cities and later to serve as Clubmobile canteens for the American Forces serving over here.

From the summer of 1940 women began to replacemen as bus crews. In London the lady “clippie” became a familiar sight – London Transport

eventually employed 11,000 - whilst outside London some companies also employed women as bus drivers. The pressure on buses increased as operating companies throughout the country saw passenger numbers expand out of all recognition as army camps and munitions factories sprang up in areas outside the

major towns not previously served by bus routes.

Crossville Motor Services ran a fleet of 200 buses

simply to serve a new Royal Ordnance

Factory at Wrexham in north Wales, whilst the company operating

from Salisbury eventually ran

119 buses daily to the army’s Blandford Camp on Salisbury Plain - more buses than its entire fleet possessed in 1939.

The bombing which began in the late summer of 1940

brought inevitable damage and destruction. Services

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continued to operate although delayed and diverted, London Transport employing specialist “Road Spotters” to arrange emergency routes and advise

drivers of diversions. The severe damage suffered by London’s buses was perhaps best illustrated by the images from October 1940 of a bus swallowed up by the crater in London’s Balham High Road or the bus leaning against the side of a house in north London. Losses were such that an appeal to provincial bus operators for the loan of vehicles to London produced 472 buses from 15 different owners in the first week, maintenance problems made worse by the fact that they were made by ten different manufacturers. These buses operated on central London routes until raids began to produce shortages in the cities from which they came – Bristol lost 159 buses in one night, one being found upside down in somebody’s garden - and they returned home.

Other strange changes to buses were the result of wartime shortages. In London 160 buses were converted to run on gas produced in a trailer attached to the rear of the bus, a measure that saved LT three million gallons of fuel. Buses operating near sensitive targets such as the

fighter airfield at RAF Biggin Hill were camouflaged by painting them grey although in 1943/44 shortages of paint of the correct colour produced buses in a brownish-red colour running on more central routes. From 1942 the war damaged buses were replaced by a limited number of “Utility” buses on which the most notable feature was the wooden slatted seats.

By the middle years of the war increased war production was putting immense strain on bus operators as they struggled to cope with demand. Campaigns to stagger working hours and discourage non-essential travellers were widespread, although servicemen on leave were often given priority, a special ticket for them being produced by LT. Most buses were forced to carry well above their pre-war maximum number of passengers, especially at peak times when they were so congested that movement of clippies up and down the bus to supervise the alighting and loading of passengers became a hideous if not impossible chore, delaying the bus. To overcome this problem many provincial bus companies recruited Auxiliary Conductors to their crews. These were regular bus passengers who remained

on the bus platform throughout their daily journey to supervise the movement of their fellow passengers at bus stops, freeing the clippie from the necessity to return to the platform. These auxiliaries, originally unpaid, were eventually recognised by the Ministry of Labour and National Service as doing a valuable job and allowed wages for up to fifteen hours per week. As a mark of recognition they were issued with either an armband or a lapel badge. The tickets issued by the clippies often carried slogans encouraging passengers to ensure that they were properly disposed of for salvage.

a bus swallowed up by the crater in London’s Balham High Road

Allied Forces on Leave ticket

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Whilst buses served for the shorter journey, those who travelled from the expanding suburbs around Britain’s cities commuted by train. The pre-war railway system was run by four major railway companies; The Great Western Railway, the London and North Eastern Railway, the Southern Railway, and the London Midland and Scottish Railway usually known by the abbreviation of their name. In 1939 in addition to vital goods and passengers, they carried 53.4 million passengers on

Government service a number that was to grow to 250 million by 1944 as large numbers of vital service and civilian personnel were moved around the country.

As a result “normal” passengers found themselves at the end of a long queue for trains, government traffic always taking priority. Shortages were first experienced on the outbreak of war as both trains and buses were commandeered to evacuate children from the cities, the railways running nearly 4,000 trains which moved 1.3 million people. In June 1940 Southern Railways were disrupted as their trains moved the 300,000 troops evacuated from Dunkirk in land. Commuters at Paddock Wood and Headcorn found themselves sharing the platform with WVS volunteers making tea and sandwiches for the troops as their trains passed through. Rolling stock disappeared as ambulance trains stood ready to evacuate the mass casualties expected from air raids and during the summer of 1940 – when the names of stations disappeared as place names were removed in case of invasion - armoured trains were created to guard Britain’s coastline. Like their fellow bus travellers those on trains were affected by the blackout as compartment lights were dimmed and windows blacked out, a measure which also saw the newer coloured light signals hooded and the open cabs of steam locomotives enclosed. On platforms porters found great difficulty reading labels on luggage and parcels and the working of assembling vital goods trains in

marshalling yards became difficult and dangerous.

Bombing brought major problems to railways as stations and lines of all sizes suffered attacks. In London the 4,000 miles of track of the Southern Railway crossed 3,550 bridges and 5,600 bridge arches, many vital to daily commuter trains and frequent damage meant almost daily delays which were added to by the large number of unexploded bombs which could not be disturbed by the passage of trains. Every London station was hit at some point and other cities suffered similar damage. In the last major raid on London in May 1941 damage was suffered by Paddington, Euston, St Pancras, Fenchurch Street, Marylebone, King’s Cross, Liverpool Street and Waterloo.

Outside London new commuters were created by the Royal Ordnance Factories (ROF) which had been established in areas of high unemployment. ROF Chorley in Lancashire was provided by the LMS with its own railway station to which four hundred trains a week provided 222.500 journeys delivering workers from Manchester, Lancaster, Blackpool and Burnley whilst Thorp Arch

in Cheshire created so many “workmen’s specials” that the normal passenger train service in Leeds and Selby was drastically reduced. Further disruption to passenger traffic was produced by the arrival of the American forces in the build-up to D-Day and the move of the Allied forces to the south coast ports. In June 1944 the small Hampshire station of Dunbridge which in June 1938 had dealt with 182 goods wagons of local traffic, processed 5,246 wagons on government service.

Jon Mills has written a number of books on Britains Home Front and the collecting of Home Front material, some of which are available from the 1940s society website. His books include: ‘Utility Furniture’, ‘The WVS’, ‘Identity Cards, permits & Passes’, plus many others. Please take a look at www.1940.co.uk

He is also a regular writer for a number of military history and family history magazines and is our speaker on 26th November when he will be presenting “The Railway at War”

“normal” passengers found themselves at the end of a long queue for trains

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Burlesque was a tricky thing to bring to the 1940’s scene. I had been performing in Burlesque theatres for 4 years on and off and although I kept to my traditional style, the Burly fashion around me was starting to boom and progress into more diverse acts – Latex, fire breathing, axel grinding, nudity and even bathing in blood. I wasn’t part of any of that and although respected the art, I couldn’t relate to the alternative side of it, as my passion was the 1940’s and 50’s. When I was first immersed into the underground world of Burlesque tease, it was still pretty much an unknown, unappreciated art form. I enjoyed it because the crowds were usually filled with eccentric young people who got to show their creativity and elaborate on this through fashion. I remember one young man in particular who wore a top hat and tails with a fox fur stole. It somehow worked and he walked around with an extravagant air with a transvestite in a gold spangley dress on one arm and a rockabilly chick on the other. I loved this strange world as I was far from ‘the norm’ myself and came from a creative background with 2 artistic parents and a Great Grandmother who ran off to Paris to be an entertainer (although that is where the love of

the stage stopped and hop-skip-jumped a few generations). I had already been the face of Festival of Flight at Blenheim Palace in 2005 and 2007 but did not perform at WWII events until 2009. It wasn’t until a rather bad experience in London that I was forced to rethink my performing career. Although it was more of a rather expensive and exciting hobby than bread and butter, I felt almost forced to give up a passion that had helped me gain confidence about my body and given me a way to

Kitten Von Mew1940s Burlesque ArtistOver the last year or two a new performer has taken centre stage at many 1940s dances and events. We catch up with Kitten Von Mew as she tells us about her performances and her role in 1940s re-enactment.

Kitten Von Mew

Kitten Von Mew performing at the War & Peace show 2010

“I couldn’t relate to the alternative side of it, as my passion was the 1940’s and 50’s ...”

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channel my hands-on creativity (through costume) and my love of entertaining. I approached the USO Shows and introduced myself, my passion for the 1940’s and that I wished to perform some authentic, yet family friendly fan dances with them as they would have had for the troops in WWII. It was always going to be a 50/50 chance but luckily Kieran saw the opportunity for something different and agreed to give me a go at a dance held locally to me. 2 weeks before the performance I got the call I was dreading, that they had reconsidered and weren’t sure it would be suitable. I stomped my foot hard and demanded that they give me a chance to prove

my worth, I needed this chance to show people that Burlesque was more than boobs and g-strings. They agreed and the performance went down rather well. From there I came up with more patriotic inspired routines and danced my way through the War and Peace Show, Bethune Victory Weekend, county fairs, Blitz Balls and more with my USO family. I met praise and prejudice on a monthly bases, but understood that people at the events may not have come to see a Burlesque performer. I danced with the same coverage as a swimsuit, making each dance whimsical as well as graceful and focused my attention on the children and women of the audience as much as the men. My fan base grew and people finally started warming to me, now realising I was not a threat to their marriage and just a gal enjoying what she does! The only adult based performances I would do were past the watershed at the War and Peace Show or other events that specifically requested it. I have always admired dancing girls from a very young age. I loved watching black and white movies on Sunday mornings as a child and studied the curvy dancers, their beautiful costumes, nipped waists, long legs, happy smiles and perfect hair. Boy did I want that! I was a tom boy with a closet passion for being glamorous. A late developer with no body confidence, but an entertainer, artistic nature and flare for anything that sparkled and shimmied.

Burlesque in the 1940’s was popular with the troops. Thanks to the likes of Starlets such as Betty Grable, Ava Gardener and the pin-up art of Vargas and Gil Elvgren, the female form played an important role in WWII. As lady luck figures on aircraft, calendar lovelies, poster girls and entertainers, those wartime belles gave the soldiers something else to fight for, a little sweet daydream and a reminder of the women back home. USO and Stagedoor Canteen hostesses would not only help serve food and entertain the fighting men, but dance with them, talk and hold their hand whilst they ate. A girlfriend for an evening to lend an ear, but the soldiers were never allowed to discuss the war, what they were doing or where they were going. These girls became an escapism and a truly important part of getting through the hard times. It was the same with the Burlesque beauties. They

became an entertainment so spell-binding that for a split second those men would forget about the disasters they had witnessed, the friends they had lost and the home sickness. I wanted to portray those women, the glamour in hard times, the USO hostess that would dance and chat, the Burlesque girl that would entertain and raise a smile and transport you right back to the 1940’s. So here I am, I dance with the reenactors whether they know the moves or just want to sway, I lend a hand where I am needed, I chat, I laugh, I perform, I even sing now would you believe it! But do I help people in the way the girls did back in WWII? Probably not, but I offer escapism from the modern world, the stresses of day to day living, the hope of better things to come. I transport people back to a different era, where glamour was kept up through times of struggle and hardship. Where music and dancing filled people’s hearts with joy and emotion so profound that even us reenactors get teary eyed at certain songs, knowing how the lyrics must have had prolific importance back then as well as now. To keep such an important era alive? So I take some clothes off! So I wink at the crowd and rustle some feathers! I’m proud to be a 1940’s Burlesque artist and pin-up gal for reenactors, those fighting for our country in modern war and those fighting for their lives in hospital. Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?

Kitten Von Mew posing for retro photographs. Photograph by Candee Photography

This calendar image by Vargas is typical of the pin-up images popular with Second World War troops. (Jan 1943).

For more information about Kitten Von Mew visit her website at: www.kitten-von-mew.com

Kitten Von Mew gets to meet members of todays Army

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Seventy years on from 1940 this year has been marked by tributes to those who fought in the Battle of Britain. We have also seen tributes to the little ships and the miracle of Dunkirk. Both these events are firmly established in our national psyche as ‘our finest hour’. Of course, these two events eclipse the cataclysmic collapse of France and the Low Countries in 1940, without which Dunkirk would not have been necessary in the first place. A witness to the 1940 campaign was the late Colonel Donald Dean, a Great War veteran and holder of the Victoria Cross who served in the Second World War.

In civilian life Dean was part of the famous Sittingbourne brick makers and barge owners Smeed, Dean & Co. In 2008 Dean’s family contacted me and entrusted me

with the Colonel’s notes and wartime letters. Dean’s papers quickly revealed an episode from the fall of France now almost forgotten. While Dunkirk is well known, less has been written of a similar evacuation from the port

Few soldiers served in both World Wars and fewer still with the distinction and bravery of Donald Dean. Terry Crowdy gives us a brief insight into the life of this unique hero.

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1919 civic reception at sittingbourne train station after being awarded his VC

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of Boulogne. After reading Dean’s papers I realised why.

At the beginning of the war Dean was in the Territorial Army, in The Buffs regiment. Instead of leading his volunteers out to France he was transferred into the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps. Known somewhat disparagingly as the ‘pick and shovel brigade’ the Pioneers nonetheless performed a vital function, supplying the army, building camps and airfields and, closer to home, clearing bomb sites during the Blitz. At Boulogne these same Pioneers (only one in four of whom was armed) manned the barricades at Boulogne and held off attacks by tanks and German dive bombers. There was bloody fighting as Dean led his men in counterattacks against the Germans and was amazed when a company of ‘Glasgow Irish’ threw down their rifles in an attack only to carry on the fight with cut throat razors and fists – that being the only way they knew to fight. At the height of the battle Dean was knocked out by an exploding shell and left for dead. When he finally came to on the night of 23/24 May 1940 he realised he and his men were cut off. The

Guards had earlier embarked for Britain and refused to allow the Pioneers on board their ships. Dean had to ask the Guards to at least leave their rifles behind so his men could defend themselves. As the Guards sailed off, hundreds of Dean’s men were left in the port with little chance of escape. As fortune had it, in the dead of night a British destroyer approached Boulogne to see if there was anyone left. Dean signalled the ship to come into port and began withdrawing his men. There was hardly space for all of them and so the wounded were left behind, along with those Dean admitted were either too tired or too drunk to get up. As the Germans opened fire on the destroyer, Dean was the last man up the gangplank and safety.

Returning to England, Dean spoke out against the conduct of the Guards and questioned why they had not stayed on to fight. Hearing his account Dean was told never to repeat the story again. Instead he gained great satisfaction by writing a letter to the commander of the Welsh Guards informing him if

he wanted to send someone over, he’d let them have their rifles back.

This is only one of many interesting stories in Dean’s memoir, which covers both world wars of the last century.

His account of life in the trenches and being wounded at Passchendaele in 1917 really brings home the awful conditions suffered during the Great War.

His account of the Second World War tells of France in 1940 and another less well known episode of the war – the invasion of Madagascar in 1942. The account closes with good descriptions of the campaigns in Sicily and Italy. His observations are colourful and his anecdotes often very amusing.

After the war Dean did great work with the British Legion and at his death in 1985 was the longest surviving recipient of the VC from the Great War. He was also responsible for the twinning of Ypres and Sittingbourne in 1964. For me at least, he remains a great local hero.

Donald Dean VC is published by:Pen and Sword Books. ISBN: 9781848841581

The work of the Pioneer Corps in keeping the army on the move often goes unreported. Here Pioneers restore a mined road in Madagascar

The shattered remains of Lens in northern France. This is where the sewer fighting took place in 1918 just before Dean won his VC.

Col Dean in later life - circa 1960

“a company of ‘Glasgow Irish’ threw down their rifles in an attack only to carry on the fight with cut throat razors and fists ...”

Hardback176 pagesRRP £19.99

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Almost 50 members of Orpington Video and Film Makers (OVFM) have been involved in the making of a wartime drama film: Blitz & Bananas.

Members of the local community were also invited to get involved, resulting in more than 125 people contributing in some way or other, including members of the 1940’s Society who shared their wartime memories, took part in the film or joined the film crew.

The project was initiated by Anna Littler, a member of both the 1940’s Society and Orpington Video and Film Makers. Anna is

a Family Tree Researcher, and a Reminiscence Worker in centres and homes for the elderly, who had been so moved by people’s wartime stories, that she set about

Blitz & Bananas!Some months ago Anna Littler appealed for help with a wartime drama film. The project has been well supported and Anna gives us an update on how work is progressing.

Ronnie and Pearl’s romance blossoms before he returns to Biggin Hill. Photo: Ced Verdon

Some of the film crew in action. Photo: Simon Earwicker

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requesting WW2 memories from local people to help her to create the 45-minute film script. As a child she had been really inspired by her grandfather’s and great uncles’ experiences as bomber pilots and prisoners of war.

The cast includes 18 local children aged from 1 month to 17 years old, some of whom have attracted attention locally wearing vintage dresses and pushing 1930’s dolls’ prams! The children are the stars of the film and one of the main storylines is about 5 sisters (aged 4-11) who secretly collect people’s belongings, which they find scattered around the neighbourhood after a night of bombing, including a bowler hat, a silver pocket watch and some tiny red shoes. Linked with their top secret operation is a dilemma over an extremely sought after banana!

Filming has been taking place in Bromley, Petts Wood, Farnborough, Orpington and Knockholt over the last few months. A wartime tea party raising money for our Prisoners of War was filmed at Ripley Arts Centre, Bromley and 1930’s trucks were kindly lent by Bowens in Knockholt for a scene featuring

Albert and Maisie, the evacuees from London.

A few members of the 1940’s Society also offered their amazing vintage cars, which added so much to the look of the film. The children and teenagers involved were delighted to be seen riding around in these exquisite automobiles! Ced Verdon and his 1934 Daimler 15 Cabriolet were used for Dr Honeyman’s car and David Wilcox and his 1935 J1 MG Midget were used for the RAF Pilot, Ronald Honeyman.

We had some fun filming the car owners driving their cars (disguised a little with trilby hats or RAF caps) and then replacing the driver with the actor once the vehicle was stationary. We also had Viv the Spiv turning up to the teaparty in a Morris Bull nose Oxford (c1928).

Other people have also kindly let us use WW2 uniforms, 1930’s props as well as their homes and properties including air raid shelters in their gardens! We have also recently been thrilled to hear that a couple of actors who have been in television drama for decades are also interested in taking part in the film. So watch out for updates!

The film is being made to highlight how people in the South East London and Kent area, especially the children, were affected by the Blitz, which began 70 years ago. Anna hopes that local schools will be interested in the film too, as it not only preserves local people’s wartime experiences, but it also aims to entertain, inform and inspire the younger generation too.

One scene features a young man whose grandparents had been killed in Lewisham on the first night of the Blitz. When Anna told 19 year old actor, Seb Gray from Petts Wood, that the young man he was portraying was not only a real person, but was in fact Derek Allen (aged 86), another actor in the film, Seb seemed really moved. The story became

so much more personal then, and the compassion he felt was even more visible in his performance.

We still have 2 or 3 more days of filming to do and are still in need of a few house fronts and/or interiors that could be used. The house fronts need to be 1930’s or earlier, without modern window frames or doors etc. An interior would need to have part of a lounge or dining room which looks suitable for the era (or earlier). We are also looking for a WW2 Fireman’s uniform of any size. Please do get in touch if you can help.

Filming will be completed this year and the editing is already underway. Plans for a Premiere are also on the horizon. If you would like to be kept informed about the Premiere of Blitz and Bananas or for any other information, please make contact (preferably by email if possible): annahopelittler@yahoo.co.ukOr on 01689 862 825 or 07757 162 114

Thanks to everyone involved! It has been an amazing community project!

Maisie and Albert being evacuated from Spitalfields to Kent. Photo: Simon Earwicker

The Smiley sisters who gather lost items during the Blitz. Photo: Simon Earwicker

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26 November 2010 The 1940’s Society - SevenoaksThe Railway at Warby Jon Mills.Writer and collector, Jon Mills will be discussing the role of Britains railways during the Second World War.8pm at Otford Memorial Hall near Sevenoaks, Kent.Further details from Ian on 01732 452505 Admission £3 4 December 2010 Otford Swing Dance 7-30 till MidnightOtford Village Memorial Hall, Otford, Kent TN14 5PQDress to Impress, 1940s preferred.Free tea, coffee & doughnuts, Please bring your own drinksTickets £6 or £7 on the doorDetails: 07506 851862 or www.spitfirebounce.com 5 December 2010 THE ESSEX VINTAGE FASHION FAIR - “VINTAGE VOGUE - The largest Vintage Fashion Fair covering East London, Essex and East Anglia, at the Brentwood School Sports Hall, Middleton Hall Lane, Brentwood, Essex CM15 8EE 10.00am - 4.00pm. Featuring over 60 of the most inspired and savvy dealers from around the country, with the widest selection of vintage and retro merchandise from the 1920’s to the 1980’s. Entry: £4.50 Concessions: £3.50 (Students, Children under 5yrs, OAPs) See website for further details: www.essexvintagefashionfair.com or Tel 01702 332544/ email: atomic.events@btinternet.com

5 December 2010 Northern Military Expo & 4x4 Show is a brand new indoor show with up to 200 Traders, it’s easy to find just off the A1/M Newark junction, and with a wide range of products & services on sale including : Military and 4x4 Vehicles for sale, Vehicle parts and accessories, Militaria and uniforms, Guns, books and models, 40s, 50s and retro fashions www.northernmilitaryexpo.co.uk 26 -27 December 2010 WWII CHRISTMAS LEAVE on the Watercress (Mid-Hants) RailwayEnjoy the thrill of WWII Christmas Leave. Join Civilian and Military re-enactors celebrate this historic holiday and experience the relief and joy of the journey once taken to return home from war. Visit www.watercressline.co.uk.

8 January 2011 Terry Elliott’s Sentimental Journey 1942 DanceHorton Kirby and South Darenth Village Hall.Enjoy & Dance to the sounds of the 1940s with DJ Terry Elliott in this period venue.Further details and directions contact sentimentaljourney1944@yahoo.co.uk or 0207 987 6686

Events DiaryNot a complete listing of everything that’s going on but a few events that may be of interest to members.

More are listed on the website at www.1940.co.uk

28 January 2011 The 1940’s Society - SevenoaksFILM EVENING - Digging (and Eating) For VictoryA fascinating evening of Ministry of Information films about gardens, gardening and food.

8pm at Otford Memorial Hall near Sevenoaks, Kent.Further details from Ian on 01732 452505 Admission £3 25 March 2011The 1940’s Society - SevenoaksSpeaker to be confirmed.

8pm at Otford Memorial Hall near Sevenoaks, Kent.Further details from Ian on 01732 452505 Admission £3 20 May 2011 The 1940’s Society - SevenoaksSpeaker to be confirmed.

8pm at Otford Memorial Hall near Sevenoaks, Kent.Further details from Ian on 01732 452505 Admission £3

25 - 26 June 2011Sledmere House Nostalgia Weekend 10.00 to 5.00pm.Music, dancing, trade stands, pyrotechnic displays, farming machinery displays and much more. Sledmere House, Sledmere, Driffield, East Yorkshire, YO25 3XG. Details on 01377 236637 orlisa@sledmerehouse.com. 15 July 2011 The 1940’s Society - SevenoaksSpeaker to be confirmed.8pm at Otford Memorial Hall near Sevenoaks, Kent.Further details from Ian on 01732 452505 Admission £3 23 September 2011 The 1940’s Society - SevenoaksSpeaker to be confirmed.8pm at Otford Memorial Hall near Sevenoaks, Kent.Further details from Ian on 01732 452505 Admission £3 5 November 2011 The 1940’s Society - SevenoaksSpeaker to be confirmed.8pm at Otford Memorial Hall near Sevenoaks, Kent.Further details from Ian on 01732 452505 Admission £3

1940’s Society Member OfferTwo New books are available to members at the pre-publication price of £15 (plus £2 p&p) per book.“Air Raids & Ration Books” by Mike Brown & Carol Harris and “Digging for Victory” by Twigs Way & Mike Brown.

Packed with photographs, illustrations and informative and entertaining narative these substantial full colour hardback books are a must have for members.

The normal RRP is £20 but either book is available to members until 31st January 2011 for the special pre-publication price of £15 (plus £2 p&p).

Please send your cheque payable to “The 1940s Society” to the normal address.Both books are expected to be in stock from 1st December 2010.

ISBN 9780955272363HB 216 colour pages RRP £20

ISBN 9780955272370HB 236 colour pages RRP £20

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The 1940’s SocietyMembership Application

I hope you have found this issue both interesting and informative and would like to receive it on a regular basis.

Please use this form (or a copy) or join online at www.1940.co.uk if you would like to continue to receive the magazine throughout 2011.

Please ensure that your details are updated should you move or your details change.

Membership is £10 (£18 non UK) which goes towards the costs of printing & posting the 6 issues produced each year.

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Please let me know what items or improvements you would like to see in the magazine

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PLEASE RETURN TO: The 1940s Society 90, Lennard Road, Dunton Green, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2UX

Fill in your application to ensure you get future copies of the magazine throughout 2011 (or join online at www.1940.co.uk).

Issue 64