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Hemyock Castle
Hemyock Residents Remember WWII.
"Colours" at Hemyock's VE Day Service
These pages contain extracts from the book Memories of War. The book includes memories of service both at home and overseas during World War Two (1939 – 1945). These initial extracts concentrate on memories of life in Hemyock — On the "Home Front." Pages in this series:
Introduction; Wartime Life; Homeguard; Farming; Aircraft; Evacuees; Memories; War Carpenter.
Introduction.
In 1995, as part of the Hemyock Commemorations of the fiftieth anniversary of the Allied Victories in Europe and Japan (VE Day and VJ Day), Margaret Sheppard and Norman Lowman collected first hand accounts from more than eighty resident of Hemyock, of life during the Second World War. Although obviously not a complete record, these memories do show how ordinary people were able to rise to the occasion and "do their bit" both in the armed forces and on the "home front."
"United they Stood" with one main, clear-cut objective — to defeat the enemy and so free not only this country but other parts of the world from the threat of Dictatorship and Fascism. Those of us who have been born since the War owe them a great debt for their Service and Sacrifice.
Resident from this small Devonshire village served all around the world. Due to wartime secrecy and their subsequent desire to return quickly to normal life, several people only considered their travels when providing these recollections. Some were surprised they first saw the locations on a world map. The accounts of those who served on the "home front" were hardly less extraordinary.
These memories formed part of the very successful exhibition held in Hemyock Baptist Church over the weekend of 6th to 8th May 1995. Many people kindly lent precious photographs and souvenirs.
Due to the passage of time, many of the contributors have since died.
Other pages in this series:
Introduction; Wartime Life; Homeguard; Farming; Aircraft; Evacuees; Memories; War Carpenter.
Memories of War — the Book
The memories were published as a 65 page, A4 booklet, illustrated with many photographs. All profits went to the Royal British Legion.
At present the booklet is out of print. We are considering producing a revised version, possibly as an "e-book" or on a CD-Rom.
- Automatic Translation (Link).
- Commonwealth War Cemetery, Trincomalee, Sri Lanka.
- Return to Hemyock Castle.
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Hemyock Castle, Hemyock, CULLOMPTON, Devon, EX15 3RJ, UK.
© 2001 - 2010. Prepared and published by Curlew Communications Ltd.