New archive unveils rare WWII tales and artefacts from Yorkshire

A new online archive is about to share a fascinating collection of stories and artefacts from Yorkshire during World War II.

The materials have been preserved by an Oxford University project that has digitised over 25,000 previously hidden artefacts from the Second World War.

Photos of the objects and stories will be available to view on the project website, theirfinesthour.org, on 6 June 2024 to complement events commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

The archive contains a remarkable range of stories and objects that capture both the extraordinary and everyday lives of those who experienced the war.

It also highlights the varied experiences of Yorkshire residents, including combat, evacuation, and home front contributions.

Accounts include that of Howard Scott, an RAF pilot from Doncaster who served in Chaklala Rawalpindi, India and witnessed the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp; Charles Cohen, a musician who played in RAF bands in York; and Ralph Richardson from Goathland who experienced his ship being sunk by a German cruiser.

The archive includes the story of Robert Walker Oldroyd, born and raised in Dewsbury, who worked at the Slazenger Sports factory in Horbury before the war. Sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force in April 1940, Robert’s battalion suffered heavy casualties and, unable to retreat to Dunkirk, fought west across France before being evacuated on 18 June 1940 as part of Operation Aerial.

Several accounts and artefacts relate to those who were evacuated to Yorkshire. Sue Fish, a Londoner who ended up in the pit village of Thurnscoe, passed on fond memories of her time in South Yorkshire: pea picking in the rain, eating rabbit stew in Leeds, and learning to speak ‘Yorkshire’.

There are also stories about the Luftwaffe’s bombing raids across Yorkshire.

Ann Ferguson, who was born and grew up in Leeds, remembers having to go into a cellar during the Leeds Blitz. Disturbed by the sound of the air raid siren, she and her mother made up a story in order to cope:

“I decided that what I heard was the moon, singing. So whenever the siren sounded, my mother would say, ‘That’s the moon singing, we need to go down to the cellar’.”

A contributor’s grandfather passed on his memories of the Sheffield Blitz, which took place in December 1940:

“I was in the shelter with my grandma, my auntie, my cousin, my mother and another. It wasn't nice; the noise was terrible, the bang and the thuds.”

“We seemed to be in there for a very long time and when the all-clear came it was morning and daylight.”

“There was a knock on the door and a request to see if the James family was there. This was me and my mum and we said "yes", which was met with a sigh of relief "Oh good!" - but also, "I'm sorry to say we have some bad news, a bomb has gone through your house. It hasn't exploded but you won't be able to go home.”

Even those outside industrial centres were affected by the Luftwaffe’s campaign. A “Sheffield girl” who lived in Dore, South Yorkshire during the war recalled a bomb dropping on a nearby bungalow. She also remembered going into Sheffield on the tram just after the blitz and seeing the blackened remains of department stores and shops.

Dr Stuart Lee, project director of ‘Their Finest Hour’, said: “Very few families in Britain and across the Commonwealth were untouched by the war. We knew from previous projects that people have so many wonderful objects, photos, and anecdotes which have been passed down from family members and which are at risk of getting lost or being forgotten. We’re delighted that we have been able to preserve so many of these stories and objects and make them available to the public through our archive of memories.”

Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and based out of the Faculty of English at Oxford University, ‘Their Finest Hour’ worked with hundreds of volunteers to organise over 70 free events in 2023 and early 2024.

Over 2,000 people attended the events, called ‘Digital Collection Days’, to share their war-related stories and mementos and have them recorded and digitised (i.e. photographed) by volunteers. Those who could not attend a Digital Collection Day in person were able to submit stories and photos via the project website.

Digital Collection Days took place in all regions of the UK, including at York Army Museum, Kirklands Community Centre, Todmorden Library, Holocaust Centre North (Huddersfield), and Halifax Central Library and Archives.

Dr Matthew Kidd, project manager, said: "The success of the project would not have been possible without the voluntary effort of thousands of dedicated volunteers and contributors. Thanks to their efforts, we’ve been able to create a ‘people’s archive’ of the Second World War that showcases both the extraordinary and everyday objects passed on by those who lived through the war."