- Contributed by听
- Rodney Vincent
- People in story:听
- The village people and evacuees
- Location of story:听
- The small east Cambridgeshire village of Wood Ditton
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A3780885
- Contributed on:听
- 13 March 2005
Village housewives worked on the land alongside the men - this group was snapped while hoeing a field of beans
Prior to World War II the small east Cambridgeshire village of Wood Ditton had been a quiet agricultural community that had not changed very much for centuries.The war precipitated us into the 20th century and brought totally new experiences, excitement and danger.
Evacuee children arrived from London, bringing culture shocks to both sides. Most of the young men of the village left to join the forces and those men who had not been called up formed the local Home Guard platoon, or became Air Raid Wardens. Uniformed servicemen of different nationalities stationed in nearby camps appeared in the village, to the excitement of some of the village girls.
Fear of invasion, German spies, bombs and poison gas gripped the village. Absent family members, food rationing, the black-out and the drone of enemy bombers flying overhead at night added to our anxiety.
Read the full story of how our lives were affected during the war on the village website
www.wood-ditton.org.uk/war1.htm
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