Collection description:
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII in 2005, the library interviewed over 150 local people about their life and experiences between 1939-1945 and wrote down their responses; a further 100 people submitted their own written memories. The memories were subsequently edited and a book 'Voices: memories of Doncaster 1939-1945' was published; each chapter was themed, for example, outbreak of war, Home Guard, rationing, evacuation, war work, etc., with extracts and quotes forming the basis of the text. The notes from the original interviews have been typed up as a record of the full interview and our part of the Library's collections. The subjects covered by the transcripts in the outbreak of war, war work (inc. Bevin Boys & Women’s Land Army), civil defence (inc Home Guard and ARP), evacuation & childhood, rationing, fundraising activities, German & Italian POWs, local military deployment; personal accounts of life on the ‘front’ and the post-war years.

Recordings relating to World War II: 
c.250

Subjects covered:
Home Front • Evacuees • Home Guard • Women's Land Army • Bevin Boys • German & Italian Prisoners of War (see 'Collection description' above for further details)

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Collection description:
The interviews in the collection that relate to the second world war, cover: reminiscences about the home front in Beverley in the second world war, experiences of land army work, air raids on Beverley and Driffield. A small amount of testimony relates to life in the East Riding during the first world war. Testimony has been collected by staff and volunteers at the museum service usually in connection with particular exhibitions. Most recordings have yet to be accessioned into the collection, but interview notes, part and full transcriptions exist for most of the recordings. In total the museums service has around 120 oral history interview recordings, about 60 relating generally to rural life in the East Riding from around 1912 - 2000, and around 60 relating in particular to the history of Beverley, the county town, from around 1930 - 2000.

Recordings relating to World War II:
20 (Includes recordings solely focused on wartime experience & life histories which include references to wartime experiences)

Subjects covered:
Home Front • Women's Land Army • Bevin Boys

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Collection description:
The Great Ayton Community Archaeology Project is a local history group in the North Yorkshire village of Great Ayton.  Their research covers many aspects of local history, including the Second World War and its effect on village life. In addition to the recordings of local people discussing their wartime experiences, the Project also has information on what the remains of wartime buildings in and around the village, the local school records from the war years and a file of local newspaper cuttings relating to the village during the war.

Recordings relating to World War II: 
34 (Includes recordings solely focused on wartime experience & life histories which include references to wartime experiences)

Subjects covered:
Home Front • Evacuees • Home Guard • Auxiliary Units • Women's Land Army • German & Italian Prisoners of War

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Collection description:
The material in the Liddle Collection includes the personal papers of well over four thousand men and women who lived through the First World War, and of approximately five hundred who experienced the Second World War. These have been grouped by geographical area in which a man or woman served, or by the nature of his or her military service.

A database catalogue describing each individual set of papers relating to the First World War has now been completed and contains 4300 records. The Second World War catalogue contains 488 records. There are approximately 110 taped recordings in the collection.

The material is divided into sections; Army, Navy, RAF, Women in Uniform Overseas, Home Front in Uniform, Domestic Front and Other Nationals: American, Czech, French, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Norwegian and Polish. Files are arranged alphabetically by name within each section.

Recordings relating to World War II: 
c. 110 (Recordings are solely focussed on wartime experiences)

Subjects covered:
Home Front • Evacuees • British Army (Burma / India) • British Army (North Africa / Italy) • British Army (Northern Europe) • British Army (other) • Royal Navy • Royal Marines • Royal Air Force (Bomber Command) • Royal Air Force (Fighter Command) • Royal Air Force (other) • Merchant Navy • POWs (in German/Italian camps) • POWs (in Japanese camps) • WAAF (Women's Auxiliary Air Force) • WRNS (Women's Royal Naval Service) • ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) • Women's Land Army • Holocaust related • German Armed Forces • German POWs (in Allied camps) • German Home Front • Polish Resistance

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