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Chapter 1
Overview

Importance of Location
 
Relating wartime Whitstable to the wider picture and discussing the significance of location.

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Chapter 2
Preparing

Preparing the Coast

John Harman and Vanessa Trampleasure identify some of the fortifications along Whitstable's waterfront.

The Maunsell Forts

The estuary represented a blind spot for landbased anit-aircraft batteries... and, so the famous forts were built in the sea. (note: the Maunsell forts article is a separate item and will appear in a separate window)  

Inland Fortifications

Brian Smith provides details of pillboxes and we take a brief look at anti-tank traps.

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Chapter 3
Air Raid Shelters

Shelters - An Overview

Brian Smith outlines the government view, recommendations, options and the popular choices.

Communal Shelters in Whitstable

Provision of communal shelters for protection during air raids.

Private Shelters

Brian Smith's beautifully illustrated articles describing air raid shelters for homes and gardens - the Anderson and Morrison shelters.

A Schoolboy's Experiences of Shelters

Brian Smith relates personal memories of shelters.

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Chapter 4
Roles & Duty

Allocation of Duties

Discussing some of the roles of Whitstable people including reserved occupations, observer corps, ARP, fire watches, medics, fire brigade and the wheels of industry. 

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Chapter 5
Civilian Evacuation

A Question of Evacuation

How evacuations affected Whitstable

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Chapter 6
Families at War

War time brought restrictions, hardship, separation and, for some, the tragic loss of loved ones. Somehow, people survived - continuing normal, everyday activities in an abnormal environment that was gradually becoming a strange form of normality. In this section, we consider some aspects of family life that continued in adversity.... albeit with wartime adaptations......  

A One-Parent Nation?

How families coped in the absence of "dad".

Financial Pressures

Apart from surviving the dangers, families negotiated the problems of finance.

Rationing & Diet

Brian Smith describes arrangements for rationing (including scans of coupons and books), the government's "British Restaurant"... and childhood methods of supplementing wartime diet!

Make Do, Mend.. and Share

War brought out the worst of humanity.... but it also encouraged invention, recycling and enhanced a sense of community.   

Gas Masks

Discussing how people prepared... with  gas masks

 Life in Schools

Schools continued against a background of a nation at war.

Playgrounds & Hobbies

Kids continued to collect, observe, listen and investigate... but what they collected observed, listened to and investigated was often rather different from peacetime. 

Marriage and Starting a Family

Some decisions were made more difficult by war... and the celebration of happy events were sometimes restricted by wartime circumstance.  

Young Adults and Curfew

John Harman reminds us of local curfews and how some young adults circumvented the restrictions!  

The Odd and Funny Sides of War

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Simply Whitstable's 
 

... with thanks to all our
 contributors

  

The Flanders Poppy
by Susan Brickland
 

On November the eleventh,
Each and every year,
People stand in silence,
Some may shed a tear.

They're thinking of their loved ones,
And those they did not know,
Because they died to save our land,
In wars of long a ago.

The soldiers were just young men,
They didn't want to go,
They didn't choose to fight and kill,
Pure courage they must show.

They fought to keep our freedom,
They really had no choice,
They had to save their families,
And guns must be their voice.

Our soldiers battled bravely,
They drove the foe away,
But many of them lost their lives,
To keep them all at bay.

And so we must remember,
Although so long ago.
Those brave young men who went to war,
To save us from our foe.

So many soldiers perished,
In poppy fields in France,
That now when we remember,
Using poppies is not chance.

Each poppy that we carry,
Is one young life that's lost,
It shows we don't forget them,
And are sad at what it cost.

© Susan Brickland

 

NOTE

It is not our intention to provide a detailed history of World War II. However, we present anecdotes and stories contributed by our readers in order to paint a broad brush picture of Whitstable during the conflict. Along the way, we hope to provide a human touch.

 

If you can supply additonal information for inclusion in the "Whitstable at War" feature, we would love to hear from you. 

Email dave at simplywhitstable.com

 

 

 

Chapter 13
The War Effort

The War Effort

Some of Whitstable's contributions to the war effort.

 

Chapter 14
Casualties

Casualties & Damage

Brian Smith writes on the subject of Whitstable casualties and damage... and sets these in the context of a war ravaged county. 

 

Chapter 15
Peace in Our Time

Peace Arrives

Memories of VE Day

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Chapter 16
The Aftermath

Legacies of War

Some remnants of war continued for decades to come. 

Rationing in the 1950s

Some food items remained rationed until 1954. Ian Johnson provides scans of a Whitstable ration book of 1952/53.

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Chapter 17
Remembrance

Whitstable Remembers

The Cenotaph and final words

   

 

 

 

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Chapter 7
Dunkirk

Five Days at Dunkirk 

Sam Perks' amazing story of the 5 days he spent evacuating troops from Dunkirk... at the age of 14! Story introduced and kindly made available to Simply Whitstable by Sam's son, Richard Perks.

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Chapter 8
The Military

Troops Arrive & Set Up

Bases, roles and stories of the army in Whitstable

Other Services & Bases

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Chapter 9
Bomb Strikes

Whitstable was not a prime target for bombing. However, its problem arose from its position alongside the shipping lanes of the Thames estuary and on the bombing runs of the Luftwaffe en route to London. Thus, the town was hit on a number of occasions. 

As we will see below, it is unlikely that any of these strikes were pre-planned. In fact, it was probably more a case of accident or opportunism. The weapons varied in type as we can see below...... 

Conventional Bombs

Bomb strikes on town involving conventional bombers 

The "Oil Bomb" Attack

An  attack on a military garage in Northwood Road that led to  one of the most severe fires of wartime Whitstable

 Parachute Delivered Mines

One of the most devastating explosions occurred in Victoria Street - but it wasn't a conventional bomb and it may have been an accident.

The V1 "Doodlebugs"

Brian Smith provides general details of Hitler's major "weapon of terror" and how it affected both our county and  town. We also locate some of the  strikes on Whitstable by way anecdotes from Bill Dancer and Mollie Fallon. 

The V2 Rocket

Brian Smith provides the technical background and, using the anecdotes of our readers, we examine the "most widely" experienced explosion in the town - the day a V2 landed in London's Field near Old Bridge Road and Seymour Avenue 

Incendiary Bombs

These were very different bombs. Small in size and with limited explosive capacity, they were designed for one purpose... to cause fire. With the help of a range of contributors, we look at the method of delivery, the impact and some of the defensive measures implemented in Whitstable. Thanks to Mark Foreman, we even have a photo of one such device that fell on the town.  

Effects of Bomb Blast

The unpredictable nature of bomb blast caused some curious effects which gave rise to some miraculous escapes, strange outcomes... and, in hindsight,  some amusing moments.

The UXBs

Unexploded bombs caused problems during wartime... and for many years therafter.

Summary of Main Strikes

A table listing the locations of known bomb strikes.

 

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Chapter 10
Fighter Attacks

Story of a Dogfight

Brian Smith's amazing and detailed article on one particular battle over Seasalter. It was one in which we almost lost Brian amidst the gunfire.... at the age of just 4! 

Observed Air Attacks

Whilst bomb attacks may have been impersonal, specific aircraft attacks could be different.... even in Whitstable.

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Chapter 11
Downed Aircraft 

Downed Aircraft

The local  resting places of some aircraft 

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Chapter 12
Allied Ops

Allied Operations

Viewing training and offense operations over Whitstable

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