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'What's
the Second World War got to do with life today?' you might wonder.
Ever
flown abroad on holiday? Been ill and treated with penicillin? Or
are you a wife or mum who combines running a home with earning a
living? Well, you have World War Two to thank for it.
Whatever
your views on the rights or wrongs of war, Britain and the world
would look a very different place if the Second World War had never
happened.
Quest
The
quest for superiority over the Germans in the air led to the development
of the jet engine (thanks to Frank Whittle and the Gloster Aircraft
Company). Penicillin was developed to treat war injuries. And before
the war effort required them to step into men's shoes in Britain's
fields and factories, it was traditional for a woman to give up
paid work to be a housewife as soon as she had a wedding ring on
her finger and working mums were unheard of.
If
we bother to listen, people who lived through World War Two, and
are still here to tell the tale, have fascinating stories which
are an important part of our social history. Because it wasn't just
on the front line that the battle was fought, sacrifices were made
and lives lost.
Preserving
memories
The
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ People's War project wants to preserve as many of these memories
as possible before it's too late - but we need YOUR help to do it.
The
aim is to create the biggest-ever online archive of personal reminiscences
of living through the Second World War, so future generations will
know what it was like in every walk of life.
We
want to collect at least 5,000 reminiscences in the West of England
alone from the declining number of people who have firsthand experience
of the conflict and its effects - before those memories are lost
forever.
Action
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
Gloucestershire's Action Desk is looking for people to help with
this huge story-gathering task. We need volunteers who are willing
to ask elderly people about their war memories, then help add these
to the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ People's War website.
All
the stories gathered will build a massive educational and historical
resource, painting a vivid picture of wartime life from front line
to home front, in Britain and across the Commonwealth.
You
can help if you:
- Are
a student looking to improve interviewing and/or research skills
- particularly if you are studying history, journalism, or interested
for a media career.
- Are
familiar with word-processing and using the Internet.
- Work
for or are involved with an organisation that has contact with
elderly people and could help get a group together to share their
war stories.
Get
in touch!
If
you want to play your part in the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ People's War get in touch
with the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Gloucestershire Action Desk. Simply telephone 01452
331133 or e-mail Martin
Evans.
You
can also discover more by calling in at the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
Learning Centre on Eastgate Street anytime. The centre is
also holding a People's War Day on Saturday April 23 between 10am
and 4pm.
If
you would like to comment on this story get in touch at gloucestershire@bbc.co.uk
or have your say on our
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Can
you help the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ undertake its biggest-ever history project? We need
an army of volunteers to collect WW2 memories.
