Collection description:
In the early 1980s the office used a government scheme to employ people to undertake an oral history project and some of the people recorded their memories of their wartime service in the forces or life during the war.

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

Subjects covered:
Home Front • Evacuees • British Army (Northern Europe / N. Africa & Italy / other) • Royal Navy • Royal Air Force • Merchant Navy

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Collection description:
TRD/5/1 Interview concerning employment with BINDAL [Bacon Importers Defence Association Limited] at Colwyn Bay, while evacuated from London. Refers to Ministry of Food, social activities, WEA lectures, general election campaign, 1945 and youth hostelling in Snowdonia. 1940-5. TRD/7/1 Interview concerning war injury and working at Brymbo Steelworks.
There are also a considerable number of photos and documents relating to the war in the Record Office archive. This can be searched via the website.

Recordings relating to World War II:
2

Subjects covered:
Home Front • Evacuees

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Collection description:
The bulk of the collection comprises approx. 300 recordings made in the 1980s and 90s of elderly people in the community now Flintshire. It covers their recollections of life in industry, agriculture, mining, shipping etc. Other more recent recordings were made in 2005 to find out about Flintshire's contribution to WW2.

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

Subjects covered:
Not specified

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Collection description:
The oral history collection relates primarily to local history within Pembrokeshire, and the experiences of Pembrokeshire people. The collection covers a variety of aspects of World War Two. These include:
• Pembroke Dock Bombing • Sunderland Flying Boats • Prisoners of War • D Day preparations • Village life in Pembrokeshire during the war years • Memoirs of a WW2 RAF pilot, paratrooper & member of Royal Marine Band • Ambulance driver 1939 – 1945 • Fireman 1939 – 1945. The oral history project ran in the mid 1980's, the interviews were conducted by a variety of volunteers through the medium of Welsh or English. Some of the interviews were then transcribed, and catalogued, however, a great deal of the collection was never transcribed.

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

Subjects covered:
Home Front • British Army • Royal Air Force • (see collection description for further details)

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Collection description:
Small collection of recordings of local people.

Recordings relating to World War II:
Less than 10

Subjects covered:
Home Front • Evacuees • Women's Land Army

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Collection description:
Reference code: GB 0216 TH / Title: Swansea Tape Recording Local History Project / Dates: 1975-1980 / Level of description: Fonds / Extent and medium: 75 CD-Roms / Name of creator(s): Swansea Tape Recording Local History
Project Administrative/biographical history: The spring of 1975 saw the beginning of an important initiative, whose purpose was to make tape recordings of the memories of people in Swansea, the Swansea Valley and in Gower. The project was organised by Dr John Alban and Dr Hywel Francis. Interviews were conducted with local people and topics discussed include various aspects of industry, both mining and smelting, as well as agriculture, the War, and social conditions. In 2004, with funding from CyMAL, the recordings were copied to CD in a digital format.
Scope and content: recordings of interviews with local people in Swansea, the Swansea Valley and Gower, 1975-1980.

Location of originals: the original reel-to-reel tapes are held in the National Screen and Sound Archive, National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth. In 2004, with funding from CyMAL, the recordings were copied to CD in a digital format and the original reel-to-reel tapes were transferred to the National Screen and Sound Archive, housed in the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth. The DVDs can be listened to in the Archive Searchroom in County Hall, Swansea. Advance booking is advisable. When you come in, please quote the reference number of the recording you want to listen to (contact the archives service for details).

Publication note: for further information about the project, see Dr J. R. Alban, 'Tape recording Local History in Swansea' in The Local Historian XIV no. 5 (1981).

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

Subjects covered:
Home Front

Additional information:
Swansea was heavily bombed in 1941, and several of the recordings include reminiscences of the destruction of the town centre by bombing. 

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