Interview with female. Family friendship with Italian ex-prisoner of war

  • Women's Voices and Life Writing
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Title
Interview with female. Family friendship with Italian ex-prisoner of war
Notes on Audio Quality
There is a brief pause in the audio at 31 minutes.
Interviewer
Semeraro, Carmela
Document Type
  • Oral history Recording
Date
9 Sep 2002
Interview Date
9 Sep 2002
Biography
The Interviewee was born in North-West London on 24 August 1924. She had one older sister and three brothers, unfortunately, 3 died in infancy. She attended Princess Frederica School where she learned embroidery and left at 14 when she went to work for Dickens and Jones doing embroidery. When the Second World War began she went to work for the local butchers from the age of 16 for seven years. Her father made batteries for Lucas in Acton. Her mother would knit at home and her work used to be collected for use in shops in the West End. During the war, her house was partially bombed and she went to live with her uncle in Stanmore. Later, she bought a house in Stanmore where she would stay until she got married. She met her husband after writing to him when he was stationed in India during the war, she would write for 12 months before they got a chance to meet. Her husband at the time was living in Bedford and after the war went to work for London Brick as a mechanic. They lived together in a cottage in Houghton Conquest, then moved to Haynes. Her husband would do agricultural and mechanical work in their own workshop. They would make friends with an Italian ex-prisoner of war in the village and stayed friends for life.
Length (minutes)
38
Copyright and Source Archive
Material sourced from Bedfordshire Archives and Records Service