About Me
I'm a producer on the About links working with Simon - I've been at the 大象传媒 for three years. I'm really excited by WW2 People's War and have been reading many of the fascinating stories already on the site.
My World War Two Stories
My Grandfather - Norman Hainsworth (d. 1976)
Norman was a scientist who worked for the government - so he was exempt from military service.
My Grandmother - Renee Hainsworth (nee Schlesinger) (d. 1997)
Renee experienced Nazi racial policy first hand, she was Jewish and lived with her family in Vienna, Austria. She escaped to England, via Switzerland in 1938 - around the time of the Anchluss with Germany. She'd met Norman on a trip to Brighton in 1935 (she was learning English on the beach - he was teaching football with the Boys' Brigade). They'd kept in touch and got married soon after she arrived in Britain.
My Grandfather Clifford Curtis
Clifford, or Eric as he's always been called, also avoided combat service. When called up, he was the only chap in the group who knew how to drive - so they decided to teach him how to be a driving instructor. He spent the war teaching chaps how to drive, maintain and repair tanks, motorbikes and armoured cars. My grandfather died earlier this year.
My Grandmother Miriam Veitch
Miriam and Clifford (Eric) were married early in the war and Miriam raised their first child - two children (my Dad included) followed closely after the end of the war. I'll be chasing my Gran for her homefront stories.
Recommended story
Story with photo