World War II memories
The Wartime Villages
Joyce Collett was born on the 8th September 1927. Living in Draycott Moor/Southmoor for 46 years, she went to school in Longworth. When Joyce left school at 14 years old she started work as a farm worker for Richard Cox. Her father worked with shire horses at Frost's Farm.
During the 2nd World War rations were very meagre with 2oz. of cheese, butter a week and the National loaf. There were blackout curtains at the windows which had to be used whenever the lights were on.
The family did not have much money but the chickens they kept and their own vegetables fed them well. Wild rabbits supplemented their menu and their clothes were bought from local jumble sales.
During the war years, evacuees came from London and they attended to the local school and youth club. Many of the evacuees settled here after the war and didn't go back home.
Land army girls came and worked on local farms staying at Heath House. Much help was needed to work on the land as the men were at war and Italian and German P.O.W.s were set to work on the fields.[See John Garrett's story about the Bakers] The Italians lived in large sheds on Cox’s farm and the Germans lived at Besseleigh being brought to work in lorries.
The Gypsies who lived locally also worked on the farms.
The airfield at Kingston Bagpuize had bright searchlights and village children used to watch the planes going out and count them coming home. The airfield at Stanton Harcourt was bombed. Two of Joyce’s cousins (Mary and Jean Bungay) married airmen. Unhappily Mary’s husband was killed in an accident just after the war.
As the war progressed and the Americans joined us the Draycott Wood was cleared and the area used as a camp. The area where Rimes Close now stands was also used by the Americans. The G.I.s used to pick the local girls up in their lorries and take them to dances which were held at Kingston Bagpuize. Joyce felt that the G.I.’s weren’t always very popular.
[See also A Longworth Childhood]Joyce has photographs of some Italian and German P.O.W.s Some of these prisoners remained in these villages after the war. They had settled here and married into local families.