3rd September 1939..Britain at War

80 years ago today , 3rd September 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany following the invasion of Poland on September 1st.  If you have family stories to tell, please let us know so that the history of those dark days may be recorded and not lost.
And it's not only the stories of the men who were killed that we want to record, but also of those who lived through those years at home and overseas. Did your families take in evacuees? Did you have family who were prisoners of war, or who served as Air Raid Wardens..And let's see all the photos!

(Alec Renshaw Don’t forget many of the young men in the area never had chance to serve, they had to work down the mines, they served their country with as much honour as any of the forces men

·       Blackwell Parish 1939 -1945 Absolutely agree Alec Renshaw. We want to record their stories too.

·       Blackwell Parish 1939 -1945 In support of this, and demonstrating the dangers in the mines,there is the record of Solomon Ball of South Normanton who died following an accident at Blackwell A Winning Colliery 3 weeks before War was declared. Trapped and injured by a roof fall on January 18th, Solomon died 7 months later on 10 Aug 1939. He had been born in South Normanton in 1881, had married Jane Allmark of Pinxton and they had 3 sons and a daughter, George, Solomon, Arthur and Alice. Solomon Junior had died in infancy.)

·       Blackwell Parish 1939 -1945 Very grateful to Glenda and Sandra for remembering the names of the Blackwell men, whose names were listed on the Roll of Honour at Blackwell Methodist Church, and whose names I understand were read out in the Armistice Day Services.

 

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