Safeguarding memories and tales from WW2
A major project has safeguarded the memories of the Second World War for future generations through mass digitisation of the conflict’s stories and objects.
A new online archive is set to unveil a treasure trove of stories and artefacts relating to Portsmouth during the Second World War.
The materials have been preserved by an Oxford University project that has digitised over 25,000 previously hidden artefacts from the Second World War. Photos of the objects and stories will be available to view on the project website - theirfinesthour.org - from June 6 to complement events commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-day.
The archive and its contents will be free to view, share, and reuse, enabling the stories and experiences of the past to move into research and education today. The archive contains a remarkable range of stories and objects that capture both the extraordinary and everyday lives of those who experienced the war.
Noteworthy accounts describe an eight-year-old boy observing aerial dogfights and the red glow of bombing raids that illuminated the skies above Portsmouth and Southampton, and a teenage evacuee who narrowly survived multiple bombings upon her return to Portsmouth.
Equally compelling is the account of Patricia Phillips, born in Waterlooville, who passed on memories about the constant noise of bombs, the kindness of Canadian troops, her parachutematerial christening dress, and the lasting impression of her father burning her teddy bear in a bonfire at the war's end.
Other accounts reveal
the experiences of military personnel. John Pearce, born and raised in Portsmouth, was conscripted in 1942. Before joining the military, he had been given a white feather for cowardice, which spurred his decision to enlist. He participated in the D-day landings and was killed six weeks later after being seriously wounded by enemy shell and mortar fire.
Additionally, the archive unveils the story of Victor Voller, who spent much of his time in the Western Desert and participated in the evacuation from Crete. Victor narrowly escaped death by boarding a different ship than planned, as the intended ship was hit.