Englefield in World War 2
The Home Front
Curiously, although it is somewhat closer in time we know less about the Second World War in Englefield than we do about the First World War. Although a first-hand account was available to the next generation the people themselves didn’t talk about it much once it was over, there was no parish magazine at the time to act as a record and the newspapers printed very little about the war other than official notices.
The reserved occupations list meant that far fewer of the men in Englefield were able to volunteer or were conscripted as they were in reserved occupations; in fact, nationally about twice as many men remained at home as went into the armed forces. Agricultural workers were clearly vital to feeding the nation but everywhere workers of all kinds were needed to provide essential supplies, both for the military and normal life. In Englefield, workers at the Timber Yard were involved in making coffins for the government.
As in the previous war, women too left their homes and joined in the national effort. Many joined the women’s branches of the Navy, Army and Air Force and served in a variety of important roles, freeing-up the men for actual combat. Others took work in factories making munitions, on the land or in other jobs to support the national effort. The Woolwich ordnance factory had been evacuated into the newly built factory at Theale, intended to make cigarettes, and local women went to help make munitions as they had in the last war. The Women’s Land Army, disbanded after the First World War, was reactivated in June 1939 to help increase the nation’s food supply and the Women’s Timber Corps was formed in 1942.
The evacuation of the ordnance factory from Woolwich to Theale and the arrival of Landgirls on local farms stirred-up the local gene pool a bit with a number of marriages between people from long-established local families and these newcomers or in the next generation between their children.
From the very start of the War people in local towns and villages were engaged in making supplies of clothing and bandages for the County Hospital Supply Depot and by November 1939 there were 166 centres at work. The Bradfield Rural centre was run by Miss Benyon and had sub-depots at Aldermaston, Beenham, Bradfield, Bucklebury, Englefield, Marlston, Padworth, Theale and Sulhamstead. More villages joined in as the War went on and Miss Benyon’s centre expanded to include Mortimer, Burghfield, Pangbourne, Ashamstead, Yattendon, Basildon, Streatley and Purley. All the items sent to the Hon Mrs Corfield, the County Organiser, by these villages are detailed in Miss Benyon’s record book. Mrs. Corfield received a letter from Her Majesty the Queen, in which her Majesty wrote of her interest in the report of the work that is being done in Berkshire and was pleased to learn it was doing so well.
Each summer there would be a fete in the grounds of Englefield House where Mr and Mrs Benyon were still living although part of it was converted to a hospital again. The fetes, in aid of the Red Cross, were very lavish affairs and these at least were fully reported in the local papers. Mrs Benyon had caused to be made years before by the estate carpenters, every kind of kind of sideshow: wheel of fortune, rolling the pennies and a very lavish hoop-la stall. Also the stalls selling fancy goods and produce were proper little market stalls. Each time there would be a special attraction such as a display by PT instructors from Aldershot in 1941, and in 1942 the Central Band of the RAF from Uxbridge.
Apart from the salvage collections there were national savings drives, such as Warship Week and the Spitfire Fund when individuals and groups collected funds to buy munitions of various types. The Spitfire Fund eventually raised about £13 million nationally (£650 million at today’s value).
There were also local efforts on a smaller scale and in October 1941 a series of local savings groups were set up with more limited targets. These ranged from Pangbourne’s goal of £3,000 for a field gun through Basildon’s target of £1,500 for a Bren Gun Carrier and gun and £700 for a barrage balloon at Mortimer to £12 for 3000 rounds of small arms ammunition by Bucklebury WI. Englefield school aimed to collect £100 to buy a machine gun.
When the school opened for the new term in September 1939 the roll consisted of both Englefield children and evacuees from London in almost equal numbers: 40 Englefield and 39 evacuees. The initial proposal was that the school would open on 12th September with the Englefield children attending from 8.50 until 12.30 and the London children being taught by their own teachers from 1.00 until 4.30 but by the 19th all the children were being taught together. By January 1940 the number of evacuees at the school had fallen to 17.
The school garden in Loring’s Meadow next to the school was begun in 1941 and the first plant (a spring cabbage) was placed by the headmaster on 26th September. This was part of the Dig for Victory campaign, though in Englefield where some of the boys would certainly go on to become gardeners on the estate and the estate workers houses all had large gardens anyway (which were expected to be kept tidy) it was good preparation in general. At that time there were 60 children on the roll and the garden measured some 800 square yards. Under the School Garden Act of 1942 the produce was sold, with the proceeds being shared by the school and the authority. On 25th January 1943 the school received £12-13s-4d from the sale of produce; £2-2s-8d being remitted to Reading.
Village-dwellers were somewhat more cushioned from the effects of rationing than their urban counterparts and the large gardens of the Englefield houses provided a bountiful harvest of fresh vegetables in season throughout the year. Some people also kept chickens and there was even a pig sty at the bottom of the garden of number 10 that was still there for many decades after the war, though then uninhabited except by small boys playing. In 1894 free apple trees were made available to anyone who wanted them and about 150 were planted in the cottage gardens. These were Bramley Seedling and Blenheim Orange and by 1939 would have been in full production. One of each was planted on the lawn in front of the Workmen’s Club and remained there for about 100 years. No doubt rabbits and pigeons (and other quarry?) also found their way to the table as well. Even in the 1950s some households were almost self-sufficient in fruit and vegetables, although the menu did get a bit monotonous in the early months of the year.