East Midlands Collections >

Derbyshire County Hall Local Studies Library
East Midlands Oral History Archive
Nottingham Central Library, Local Studies
WFR Museum (Sherwood Foresters Collection)
Wirksworth Heritage Centre

 
 

Collection websites contain:
 Transcripts / Summaries  Audio files              Video files            

Derbyshire County Hall Local Studies Library
Derbyshire County Council, County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3AG
Contact: Ruth Gordon, Local Studies Development Librarian
Telephone: 01629 585579 Fax: 01629 585049
Email: localstudies@derbyshire.gov.uk

Collection description: 
We have an Oral History collection containing around 90 recordings relating to life in the village of Ashover and nearby Clay Cross all fully transcribed. 22 Recordings relating to Renishaw without full transcripts. Around 20 relating to Belper which focus particularly on wartime memories but without transcripts as yet. A few individual recordings including Horace Kirk of Cromford and the wartime memories of BJ Ellis of Riddings.

Recordings relating to World War II:
Approx. 40 (Life histories which include references to wartime experiences)

Subjects covered:
Home Front • British Army • Royal Air Force
Format of recordings:
Audio - all or some with transcripts
Access:
Anyone may listen to the recordings but no copies may be made of either tapes or transcripts without specific permission. Advance booking is advisable to ensure the tape recorder will be available.
Related products:
Boiler Suits, Bofors and Bullets: Wartime memories of women munitions workers at the Collaro factory, Langley Mill. DCC 1999,  ISBN 0903463571. Price £2.50 including post
Keep the Home Fires Burning: World War II stories from Swadlincote and surrounding area
DCC 2006, ISBN 0903463822. Price £2.00 including postage
Ashover Remembered DCC 2005, ISBN 0903463792 (contains one chapter on the war.) Price £4.00 including postage.
These books are available by sending a cheque payable to Derbyshire County Council to the address above.
Current status: Collection is still being developed

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East Midlands Oral History Archive
Centre for Urban History, University of Leicester, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE1 7RH
Contact: Colin Hyde, Outreach Worker/Researcher
Telephone: 0116 2525065 Fax: 0116 2525769
Email: emoha@le.ac.uk

Collection description:
The East Midlands Oral History Archive holds a variety of oral history collections from Leicestershire & Rutland which have mainly been recorded since 1982. Of those recordings which feature information about the Second World War, most are general interviews with reference to wartime experiences.

Collections specifically covering the Second World War are the 'Evacuees' collection, the 'em:source' collection (interviews recalling childhood in Nottinghamshire during the Second World War and former members of the Women's Timber Corps recalling their wartime service) and the 'Leicester Regiment' collection. Information about these collections can be found on our website: http://www.le.ac.uk/emoha/catalogue/collections.html

Recordings relating to World War II:
340 (Total includes both recordings solely focused on wartime experience & life histories which include references to wartime experiences)

Subjects covered:
Home Front • Evacuees • British Army (Burma / India) • British Army (North Africa / Italy) • British Army (Northern Europe) • Conscientious Objectors • German Prisoner of War (in Allied camps) • Prisoners of War (in German/Italian camps) • Prisoners of War (in Japanese camps) • Refugees (from Europe) • Women Shipyard / Factory Workers • Women's Land Army • Women's Timber Corps
Format of recordings:
Audio - all or some with summaries, few with transcripts
Access:
Recordings are available to be listened to at the Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland. Restrictions vary from interview to interview. Details on how to request a recording can be found on our website: http://www.le.ac.uk/emoha/catalogue/recordofficerequest.html
Related products:
The em:source collection was created to provide content for the em:source website: http://www.emsource.org.uk/
Current status: The Archive is no longer collecting recordings relating to the Second World War.
Additional information:
Our recordings are locally based and cover many aspects of the Home Front in Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland. However, around 50 interviews are with ex-servicemen and women and cover their experiences both in the region and abroad. A few full interviews and several compilation recordings from our collections can be found on The Showcase website: http://showcase.commedia.org.uk/article/archive/41/0

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Nottingham Central Library, Local Studies
Angel Row, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG1 6HP
Contact:
Telephone: 0115 9152873 Fax:
Email: local_studies.library@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Collection description:
Most of the oral history collection that include references to WW2 are about civilians in the local area. However there are a few of people who were on active service too. The aim of the Local Studies Library is to collect, conserve and make available materials relevant to the past, present and future of the City and County of Nottingham. Tapes with an “A” prefix were recorded during the Nottinghamshire Oral History Project from 1982 to 1984, which looked at people’s working lives between 1900 and 1950. The remainder of the tapes have a “C” prefix; most of these have been donated by individuals or organisations.
Relevant reference numbers for World War 2 references are:- A1-7,A11-16,A19-21, A23-, A25-28, A30-32, A35-38, A40, A42, A44, A46-48, A50-51, A53-54, A57-59, A63-70, A72-73, A87,A89-90, A93, A95,A97,A100,A105. C384, C391-402, C725-6, C793.

Recordings relating to World War II:
73 (Life histories which include references to wartime experiences)

Subjects covered:
Home Front • Evacuees • British Army • Royal Air Force • Women's Land Army
Format of recordings:
Audio - all or some with transcripts
Access:
Contact the local Studies Library. Usually access will require a visit to the library itself. There are some transcripts which are only available to view here due to restrictions agreed when recorded.
Current status: Collection is still being developed

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WFR Museum (Sherwood Foresters Collection)
Foresters House, Chetwynd Barracks, Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, NG9 5HA
Contact: Mr I G Edwards BEM, Assistant Curator/Archivist
Telephone: 0115 9465415 Fax: 0115 9469853
Email: archivist@wfrmuseum.org.uk

Collection description:
Major G P C Vallance 8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters - Tape recorded interview reference his campaign in Norway and his escape through Sweden - 2002-5544
Lt Colonel Brian Duncan Shaw MM - An interview by J Elson of the Staffordshire Regimental Museum reference his service in both Wars - 2001-4374-1 continued in 2001-4374-2 (Poor quality) A German Officer Edvard Felix Richter reference his recollections and memories of the Second World War - 2001-4375

Recordings relating to World War II:
3 (Total includes both recordings solely focused on wartime experience & life histories which include references to wartime experiences)

Subjects covered: 
British Army (Northern Europe) • German Armed Forces 
Format of recordings:
Audio - no transcripts

Access:
By appointment on 0115 9465415 with the Archivist. No charges for use but donations accepted
Current status:
Collection is not presently under development but this is under consideration

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Wirksworth Heritage Centre
Crown Yard, Market Place, Wirksworth, Derbyshire, DE4 4ET
Contact: Mrs M Vaughan, Trustee
Telephone: 01629 825225 Fax:
Email: enquiries@storyofwirksworth.co.uk  

Collection description: 
A DVD - 'Homefront Memories' was made with lottery grant in 2006. It contains extracts from 50+ memories from current residents of Wirksworth, Derbyshire. The aim was to collect 60 memories for the 60 years since ww2. Many of the participants were not residents at the time, but lived in places as diverse as London, Liverpool and Scotland.

Recordings relating to World War II: 
57 (The recordings are solely focused on wartime experience)

Subjects covered:
Home Front • Evacuees
Format of recordings:
Video - included within the DVD
Access:
Copies of DVD available to purchase £7.50 inc p&p while stocks last. The DVD is also shown within the museum. Archived full recordings held within the Heritage Centre.
Current status: Collection is no longer being developed
Additional information:
The interviews are snapshots of life during the war, mainly as childhood memories. They include reflections from participants now in 70's and 80's on the waste of life.

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This website is continually being updated. If you would like to suggest a collection which should be included, please contact me.