Personal recollections of the Second World War (or World War II) are of increasing value to historians as the number of witnesses to this period sadly declines.

In the United Kingdom, thousands of people have recorded their memories of the War. Recollections of WWII aims promote their stories through providing researchers with 
a unique directory of oral history collections relating to the Second World War.


The stories of child evacuees, survivors of the Holocaust and civilians who experienced the Blitz of British cities are featured in many of these collections. The experiences of men who served in the Army, Royal Navy, RAF and Merchant Navy, and women in the WAAF, WRNS, ATS and Land Army are well represented in collections large and small.

The large oral history collections of the Imperial War Museum, Second World War Experience CentreBBC People's War Archive and the D Day Museum are all included, but many smaller local collections also contain fascinating and rarely heard stories.

The majority of collections have websites. Some sites offer the opportunity to download transcripts, listen to MP3s or watch videos of interviews, for example Bolton Remembers the WarFinest Hour Liverpool Blitz Sound Archive and the Shropshire Regimental Museum. Where sites include transcripts, audio or video files these are indicated by icons.

The collections can be browsed by subject or by location (split into regions of the United Kingdom).

The majority of these recordings can be easily accessed by researchers, often requiring only a few days notice. In many cases, these excellent sources of first hand testimony have not be reproduced in publications before, and can provide fresh insights into this period of history.

Recollections of WWII is an independent, non-profit website, and is run on a voluntary basis. If you have any questions about the site, or would like to suggest a collection for inclusion, please contact me.

Latest Updates
8th Aug 2008 The Second World War Memoirs of Joe Brown - the memoirs of a British Army officer who served in North West Europe 1944-45
5th Aug 2008 The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst - a small collection of videoed interviews with British Army and RAF veterans
18th July 2008 Wirksworth Heritage Centre - DVD of current Wirksworth residents discussing their wartime experiences during the war
15th July 2008 Jersey Heritage - a large collection of audio and video recordings covering all aspects of the German Occupation of the Channel Islands including an interview with a ex-internee of Lager Sylt concentration camp on Alderney.
14th July 2008 Doncaster Central Local Studies Library - collection of 250 transcripts and memoirs of local people recalling Doncaster in wartime.
14th July 2008 Royal Northumberland Fusiliers Museum - recordings of senior officers and an ex-POW who served with the Regiment during the Second World War.
4th July 2008 The King's Own Royal Regiment Museum - a small number of recordings of ex-servicemen who served with the Regiment in North Africa and Burma.
29th June 2008 Association of Jewish Refugees - 150 recordings of Jewish refugees who came to the UK before and after the Second World War.
12th June 2008 Southampton City Council Oral History Unit - over 60 recordings relating to the Southampton Blitz and preparations for D Day in the local area. 
10th June 2008 The Second World War Experience Centre - over 4000 oral history recordings focused on wartime experiences. The website contains audio excerpts and transcripts.
6th June 2008 Cornwall Record Office - 4 recordings relating to the Home Front in Cornwall
5th June 2008 Fairford History Society - 5 recordings relating to Gloucestershire in wartime, and 1 discussing imprisonment in Stalin's gulag & serving in the Polish Air Force.
4th June 2008 Wigan Heritage Service - a small collection of recordings recalling the experiences of local people during the war, including Army, RAF and ATS service.
2nd June 2008 Plymouth and West Devon Records Office - a collection of 18 recordings recounting everyday life during and after the Plymouth Blitz.
30th May 2008 The Fernhurst Society - a local history group in Surrey which has been developing their oral history collection for over 10 years.  
30th May 2008 The Great Ayton Community Archaeology Project - a North Yorkshire based local history group with a collection of over 30 recordings. 
27th May 2008 Chorley Home Front Project - an online collection of recordings relating to the experiences of children in Chorley during the war. Includes MP3s to download.

 

 



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