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Berkshire Record Office

Guide to World War 2 Records: ��ѿ��ý Front

Berkshire Record Office
9 Coley Avenue
Reading
RG1 6AF

Tel: (0118)901-5132
Fax: (0118)901-5131
Email: arch@reading.gov.uk
www.berkshirerecordoffice.org.uk

Both school log books and parish magazines can give further information about the effects of the War, though the amount can vary. Please see the schools index and the parish catalogues in the searchroom for further information.

Berkshire: War Agricultural Committee papers 1940s (D/EX734/31-33, D/EX652/26).
Berkshire County Council Domestic Food Production Committee notes of members of the village produce associations 1944 (D/EX1511/10/18).
Wills and administrations of persons killed during active service
c.1939-1945 (D/EBB/B3/129, 175, 194, 204, 231, 261, 279, 312, 324, 337, 368, 370, 414, 475, 484, 530, 556, 750).

Abingdon Rural District: Housing (Post-War Housing) Sub-Committee minutes 1944 (RD/A/CB1/10).

Binfield: Clothing ration book 1947 (D/ENM10/4).

Bradfield Rural District: Food Control Committee reports in the Rural District Council minutes 1939-1945 (RD/B/CA1/34-40).

Bucklebury: Plans of Bradfield Rural District Council post-war housing proposed at Bucklebury and Hatch Lane, Bucklebury 1944 (CPC28/17/2).
Newspaper cutting on the use of Bucklebury Common as a Vehicle Repair Depot during wartime 1939-1945 (D/EX227/Z4).

Coleshill: Details of fire watching and the Welcome ��ѿ��ý Fund in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1939-1945 (CPC40/1/1).

Cookham Rural District: Special (Use of Petroleum Spirit) Committee August 1942, Special (Removal of iron railings, gates, etc)
Sub-Committee June 1942, and Salvage Committee minutes 1942-1946
(RD/C/CB13/2).

Crowthorne: Information on domestic food production, keeping records during wartime, War Weapons Week, iron railings salvage and post-war housing in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1942-1944 (CPC102B/1/2).

Easthampstead Rural District: Some information on the Food Control Committee in the Rural District Council minutes 1939-1945
(RD/E/C1/15-16).
Iron Railings Committee minutes 1941 (RD/E/CB16/1).
Post-war development information in the Rural District Council minutes 1944-1945 (RD/E/CA1/16).

Faringdon Rural District: Post-War Reconstruction Sub-Committee minutes 1942-1943 (RD/F/CB5/1).

Finchampstead: Information on blackout provision, civilian war deaths provision, and scrap metal collection in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1940-1945 (CPC56/1/3).

East Ilsley: Information on the Welcome ��ѿ��ý Fund in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1945 (CPC74/1/1).

Hurst (St Nicholas): Information on emergency food control, salvage, post-war planning, victory celebrations and the Welcome ��ѿ��ý Fund in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1941-1945 (CPC73/1/4).

Inkpen: Records of Manor Farm, managed by women during the war 1941-1955 (D/EX1785/1/1-3, 6, 2/1-3, 6, 3/1).
Information on Victory in Europe Day celebrations in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1945 (CPC76/1/2).

Maidenhead: Communal Feeding Sub-Committee minutes 1941
(M/AC2/3/2).
Food Office Amalgamation Special Sub-Committee minutes 1941
(M/AC2/3/2).
Salvage Sub-Committee and Salvage Scrutiny Sub-Committee minutes 1942-1943 (M/AC2/3/2).
Holidays at ��ѿ��ý Sub-Committee minutes 1943 (M/AC2/3/2).
Entertainments Sub-Committee minutes [concerning Victory in Europe Day celebrations] 1945 (M/AC2/3/2).
Newspaper cuttings relating to Frederick Hickman’s army service
1925-1993 (D/EX1219/1-4).

Mapledurham: Some information on post-war reconstruction in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1942-1943 (CPC162B/1/2).

Moulsford: Papers relating to the Moulsford Welcome ��ѿ��ý Fund, including minutes and accounts 1947 (CPC88/18/2).

Newbury: Register of petrol rationing 1941-1945 (D/EX656/16, 16a). Newbury Boys Club magazines [produced in part to communicate the difficulties of wartime] 1943 (D/EX1741/1).

Newbury Rural District: Some information on the Food Control Committee, the salvage scheme and post-war housing in the Rural District Council minutes 1939-1945 (RD/N/CA1/10).

Newland: Post-war development discussion recorded in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1944 (CPC73D/1/12).

Padworth: Information on the salvage scheme, communal feeding, and domestic food production in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1939-1945 (CPC90/1/1-2).

Pangbourne: Information on wartime allotments, troops stationed in Pangbourne, holidays at home, post-war housing and the Welcome ��ѿ��ý Fund in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1939-1945 (CPC91/2/1).Letters regarding gifts by Pangbourne Congregational Church to families of German prisoners of war worshipping at church 1947 (D/N45/14/8).

Purley: Information on post-war housing in the Civil Parish Council minutes and rough minutes 1944-1945 (CPC93/1/1, CPC93/2/1).
Information on the Welcome ��ѿ��ý Fund in the Civil Parish Council rough minutes 1945 (CPC93/1/1).

Radley: Orders of service in the time of war 1940 and thanksgiving for victory 1945 (D/P95/28/3).

Reading: Post-War Reconstruction Committee minutes 1942-1946
(R/AC1/3/84, 90, 93, 97).
Letters relating to the wartime activities of Samuel Elliott and Sons Ltd, Engineers, including work on landing craft 1942-1945
(D/EX1263/6/6-9).
Record of the work of the British Welcome Club for servicemen at Broad Street Church 1943-1945 (D/N11/1/2/9).
List of army comforts provided by Tyndale Baptist Church 1939
(D/N28/7/2/3).
Photographs and articles concerning military vehicle conversions carried out by Vincents of Reading 1939-1944 (D/EX1401/46-48).
Reading National Savings Committee records 1939-1945
(P/NS2/9, 10, 6/2).
Letters of A R Reeves on life in wartime c.1941 (D/EBB/B3/550).
Sale catalogue of house requisitioned as a children’s sickbay 1942
(D/EX1852/2/9).
Letter from the Red Cross regarding communications with people in enemy occupied territory 1942 (D/EBB/B3/260).
Annual dinner menus of Reading Biscuit Factory Fire Brigade 1936-1949 (D/EX1615/6).
Blotter advertising “Embrostat Process” as a precaution against air raids by Sargents Embrook Limited, Printers c.1940s (D/EX1397/1).

Remenham: Parish church service register annotated with commentary on the progress of the war and related local events 1939-1945
(D/P99/1B/4).

Sandhurst: Information on the Produce Association [run at the direction of the Berkshire War Agricultural Committee] 1942-1943 and the salvage of iron railings 1943 in the Civil Parish Council minutes (CPC102/1/3).

Shinfield: Arrangements for provision of services in case of civilian deaths due to enemy action 1940, wartime allotments 1941, iron
railing salvage 1941-1945 and the Victory Garden Show 1943 in the Civil Parish Council minutes (CPC110/1/5).

Shrivenham: Papers on and photographs of bells and plaque in the parish church given by British and American soldiers stationed in Shrivenham 1944-1946 (D/P112/8A/37-39).
Shrivenham Post, newspaper of US Army University Centre, 1945
(D/EX1407/1).

Slough: Bell’s Asbestos and Engineering Ltd scrapbook containing advertisements for fire screens, smother blankets, and bells for incendiary bombs supplied to ARP departments [c.1940s] (D/EX1800/2).

Sonning: Information on the salvage scheme 1941, Victory Garden Show 1943-1944 and post-war development 1943-1945 in the Civil Parish
Council minutes (CPC113/1/3).

South Ascot: Order of service of thanksgiving for victory in Europe 1945 (D/P186/1B/10).

South Moreton: Notes of war news in the parish church service registers 1940-1945 (D/P87/1B/4-5).

Speen: Post-war development and the Welcome ��ѿ��ý Fund/War Memorial information in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1944-1945 (CPC116/1/3).

Stratfield Mortimer: Information on communal feeding, emergency water supplies and the salvage scheme in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1940-1945 (CPC120/1/2).

Streatley: Information on the salvage scheme, civilian deaths, allotments and post-war development in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1939-1945 (CPC122/1/2).
Prayer in the time of war 1940 (D/P122/1C/2).

Sunningdale: Information on the use of an allotment by a London schoolmaster for educational purposes 1939, post-war development and peace celebrations 1945 in the Civil Parish Council minutes (CPC150B/1/2).

Sunninghill: Information on post-war development and Victory in Europe Day celebrations in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1945 (CPC126/1/4).

Sunningwell: Papers concerning the Welcome ��ѿ��ý Fund and festivities for members of the forces 1946 (D/P127/28/3).

Thatcham: Information on the salvage of iron railings, holidays at home, allotments for wartime food production, post-war development and Victory in Japan Day celebrations in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1940-1945 (CPC130/1/4).

Theale: Information on a communal feeding centre 1940-1941 and
post-war housing in Civil Parish Council minutes 1944-1945 (CPC132B/1/2).

Tilehurst: Information on emergency communal feeding, salvage scheme, domestic food production, post-war planning, ration books, Battle of Britain Sunday, Sailors Flag Day, Warships Week and Victory in Europe Day celebrations in the Civil Parish Council minutes
1940-1945 (CPC132/1/6-7).
Statement regarding the appointment of a German curate 1943
(D/P132/8A/5).

Twyford: Information on iron salvage in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1940 (CPC73B/1/3).

Wallingford Borough: Local Government Staffs (War Service) Act Committee minutes 1939-1940 (W/AC2/2/8).
Emergency Petrol Supplies Committee minutes 1943 (W/AC2/2/9).
Emergency Housing Accommodation Committee minutes 1945
(W/AC2/2/9).

Wallingford Rural District: Information on the Food Control Committee 1940-1944, salvage scheme 1941, and the British Restaurant, Didcot, Sub-Committee, Wallingford 1942, Didcot Warships Week 1942, American troops 1942, post-war reconstruction 1945, use of German prisoners of war as labourers (for the preparation of post-war housing sites) 1945, and the Victory in Europe Day holiday 1945 in the Rural District Council minutes 1940—1944 (RD/W/CA1/19-20).

Waltham St Lawrence: Some information on victory celebrations in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1945 (CPC141/1/2).

Wantage: Food Control Committee minutes 1939 (UD/WT/CA1/8-9).

Wargrave: Some information on planning for civilian war deaths 1940, salvage scheme 1942-1944, Victory Garden, Wings for Victory, and Warships Weeks 1943, post-war planning 1943-1944, American Airplane Crash memorial 1944-1946, Salute to the Solider Week 1945, Victory in Europe and Victory in Japan Day celebrations 1945 in the Civil Parish Council minutes (CPC145/1/4).

West Hendred: Information on ploughing the village recreation ground for food production in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1941 (CPC67/1/1).

Windsor: Dig for Victory Campaign and wartime allotments
information in the Allotments Committee minutes 1939-1945
(WI/AC2/9/9-15).
Communal Feeding Committee, later British Restaurant Committee minutes 1942-1945 (WI/AC2/11/12-15).
Wartime Nurseries Committee minutes 1940-1945 (WI/AC 2/11/11-15).
Copies of letters regarding the supply of eggs to Windsor Castle (1940)
(T/A96/1-5).

Windsor Rural District: Reconstruction Committee minutes 1943-1946
(RD/WI/CA1/25-28).

Old Windsor: Copy of letter of appreciation to those returning from
military service, Old Windsor, c. 1945 (CPC150/18/5).
Some information on peace-time celebrations in Old Windsor in Civil
Parish Council Minutes 1945 (CPC162B/1/2).

Winkfield: Some information on post-war housing in the Civil Parish
Council minutes 1944 (CPC151/1/2).

Winnersh: Information on iron railing and other salvage schemes
1941-1943 and post-war development 1943-1944 in the Civil Parish Council
minutes (CPC73C/1/2-3).

Wokingham: Letters from the Wokingham Borough Surveyor as the Local Fuel Overseer 1939-1943 (WO/SA2/9-13).
Scrapbooks of the Town Clerk on all aspects of wartime life 1939-1945
(WO/AZ1/2-2).
Plans of the proposed British Restaurant, for the Ministry of Food 1941-1942 (WO/SW2/4/1-4).
Some information about food organisers (for communal feeding) in the Civil Parish Council minutes 1941 (CPC154B/1/2).
Food ration card (n.d.) (D/ENM10/3).

Woodley: Information on entertainment for troops 1941, war loan
investments 1941, emergency food officers’ posts 1942, iron railing
salvage 1942 and ration books 1941-1942 in the Civil Parish Council minutes (CPC113B/1/3).

Out-county: Map of Salisbury Plain showing night march route 1942
(D/EX503/3/2).
Southern Command Plans of tank transporter routes 1944 (D/EX1742/5). Ordnance Survey map of South East England, showing airfields and other air defence sites at the beginning of WW2 1940 (BRO library).

This guide is correct as of January 2006. Please contact the Berkshire Record Office to request a copy of the most up-to-date version.

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