June’s meeting was about Lincolnshire during the Second World War, and the domestic front. Due to the agriculture and the engineering carried out in Lincolnshire there was a large home front contingent and many evacuees were sent to the villages surrounding Lincoln.
Elaine has been lucky enough to talk to those who lived through this time, including a 95 year old woman who has lived in Welton all her life. She has also searched through village archives and had copies of letter from school children that had been sent to their school master who had enlisted. The letters included details of an aircraft crashing in a field, where fortunately the crew jumped from about 30 feet without parachutes and all survived, as well as news articles about the evacuees.
There was also a story about an aircraft crashing on the school on Lindum Hill killing the school mistress and in the below picture it is clear to see Greestone Steps in Lincoln.
The WI was instrumental in this period, writing a report called Town Children through Country Eyes, which exposed the deprivation in inner city areas and the desperate state of the social services. The WI was a rural movement at the time, and the plight of these children would have been shocking.
A newspaper article called the children vernimous, and they were often used as free labour, Elaine said there were heartbreaking stories of families being split up as children were selected by adults. Although women in Bardney suggested a blacklist of evacuees who had stolen from homes and not been good tenants.
The WI also made copious amounts of jam to preserve summer fruits with an increased sugar ration.
Elaine spoke about how the Second World War was the first war where the entire civilian population was mobilised and targeted. Trenches were dug on West Common, and how war preparations started in 1935, and Chamberlain’s “Peace in our time” allowed a year to buy time to enhance Britain’s war readiness.
Elaine (in the yellow jumper) had many anecdotes about life during the Second World War in Lincolnshire, we thoroughly recommend her as a speaker.
We also had an overview from Jules about the NFWI Annual Meeting, which had happened the day before, and the news that the Bystanders Can be Lifesavers resolution had passed.
Our next meeting will be on Thursday 3rd July, 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start at the Grandstand on Carholme Road. Members are free, guests £5, first visit is free – bring a mug. Our speaker will be Polly Lancaster talking about Secret Codes in Knitting.
The Lincoln WI 