This is one of several leaflets produced by the government and sent out to every household during the 1939 1945 war, referred to as WWII. The topic is Evacuation, Why and How. The topics covered include:-Why evacuateThe government evacuation sch...
A talk about the arms industry during the First World War and beyond will be held at the village hall in October 2014. Sue Smith and Symon Hill gave the talk on October 23rd.
This small newspaper cutting gives a wonderful moment in time giving a general picture of how things were in the early days of WWII. The author comments on:-The visibility of evacuees - many came from Bow in LondonThe Manor was offered as a hospi...
This letter, dated November 1st 1944 was send by Stan Smith's commanding officer to Stan's father informing him that Stan was missing but may be a POW. He was a POW and near the end of the was became one of the POWs who took part in the...
Freda Daniels was not quite 3 years old when she was dressed up to sell poppies in 1929. She was born April 13th 1927. The photograph of her sitting has '3 years old' written on the back.When she married she became Mrs Freda Bradley.
This photograph is of the Eeles family. There are pages about the branch of the family that emigrated to Canada, pension awarded to Ebenezer Eeles and his discharge certificate and pension notification and a form from the dispersal hospital centr...
These children are all evacuees from Bow in London. Here, they are being given the fun of some games at Weald Manor.The young girl at the bottom front on the right is now Mrs Joyce Cotter, neé Chambers and the girl on the right of the middle row ...
On May 19th 2004 a conversation between Stan Smith and Jo Lewington was recorded and this is a transcript of that conversation. Stan talks of his time fighting and then as a POW and finally on the long march west."The Long March was during t...
May & Ted Horne with their sons Godfrey and Jack, pre 1914.Four members of the Horne family fought world wars,A. HorneD. HorneJ. Horneand E. Horne who was killed in WWII. Edwin James Godfrey Horne in military uniform standing by his father T...
These young men were in Bampton's ATC, probably in the 1950s. Some are named on the picture and if anyone can add more names or suggest corrections, do get in touch with the archive - the contact can be made from the Home Page of this websit...
Robert Griffith writes the following piece of social history from a personal point of view and it's eminently readable to anyone interested in WWII and RAF Brize Norton."On the 27th August 2009, it was my privilege to attend the Memorial...
When American servicemen were sent over in 1942 to help with the war against the Nazis, they were issued with guidelines on how to behave and what to expect when they came to the UK. This booklet, here reproduced in hard back, is reproduced from ...
Richard Buckingham said"My great uncle Ernest Christopher Buckingham. Private 9991 Ox & Bucks Light Infantry. He is mentioned on the Menin Gate memorial. Brother to Shadrack “Jack” Buckingham who used to live at 1 Spring Cottages, \Pri...
Airman, Reg Smith, married Albert Radband's sister, Beryl Joan Radband.He was the brother of twins Peggy and Dolly.Godfather of Jamie Wheeler.Marion Paintin said "Joan and Reg had two children Linda and Michael who married my sister Sus...
Private William Johnson Ox & Bucks Light Infantry 5th Battalion 10677 A Company. His granddaughter Pamela Smith has put together these items.William was the first young man in Bampton to volunteer and the town awarded him a clock for this. H...
"The crest on the lighter is that of the USAF 5th Air Force that has been based in the Pacific since 1942. Brize Norton air base was handed to the USAF in 1951 and returned to the RAF in 1965. Zippo type lighters were very popular at the time...
Witney Gazette, autumn 2015. Call to fund a national memorial for our Ox & Bucks D-Day heroes. Fitting tribute: The design for the memorial to the 2nd Battalion D Company of the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry’s heroic Pegasus Bridge operation ...
Witney Gazette June 24th 2015.Peter Davis from Church Street put on a detailed and very interesting exhibition for the Bampton Community Archive in the Old Grammar School, Church Close about the Witney Airfield. The only suggestion of an airfield...
Brigadier Rupert Crowdy OBE served in the army in India and Burma and afterwards he organised the 'shipping' of coal into Berlin during the Berlin Siege. In 1962 he was appointed Aide-de-Camp to the Queen.
From a Local newspaper. Feb 1968. Report of the AGM of Bampton Branch of the British Legion along with the Women's section. President Capt C R Radclyffe; Chairman P Mathem; vice chairman E Spurrett; secretary John Quick; standard bearer W Jac...
Newspaper clipping from the Witney Gazette April 11th 1958.J L Hughes Owens recalls a time during the Boar War when a Bampton resident got a telegram from his son in London saying Mafeking had been relieved. The townsfolk went wild with much drink...
This is the milk ration book for Frederick Gerring, born June 26th 1951 and living with his parents Rose and Arthur Gerring at Sandford House, Church View.
This is the Welfare Foods Service Entitlement Book for Frederick Gerring at Sandford House 1951-1955. Orange juice & vitamins. His date of birth on the front cover is June 26th 1951. It was for Orange Juice and Cod Liver Oil.
This is the clothes ration book for Rose F Sollis who lived at The Swan Inn in Buckland Road.The book had to be handed to the shopkeeper for him or her to take out the appropriate coupon; it was illegal for a shopkeeper to accept loose coupons. ...
Rationing continued long after the end of WWII. As some items became more plentiful they were taken off ration but as this book belonging to Rose Gerring shows, meat, fats, cheese, bacon and sugar were still on ration in 1953-54.The supplier of e...
Long after the end of WWII there was food rationing. As certain items became a little more plentiful they were removed from rationing but as late as 1954 some items were still on ration.This is a ration book, what is left of it, that belonged to ...
These two letters were written to Rose Sollis by Arthur Gerring who was in the army in India during WWII. They married when Arthur came home after demob.The writing is beautiful, both content and visually.
These are really good, old photographs showing members of the Tanner, Flux, Poole, Butler and Elward families from around 1900 through the twentieth century. The family group photograph of 'Buscot' Tanner shows him with his sons in unif...
An evacuee family including children outside Emmie and Eddie Foreshew's mother's shop which became 'Emmies' until Tom and Sylvia Papworth retired in 2012 and being unable to find a buyer for their business, the property became...
These three items all belonged to Edith Bishop who became Mrs Foreshew. They are her National Registration Identity Card, her war time ration book and her medical card.
Merchant Navy service book.Club rooms for members of the British Merchant Navy, second floor of Seamen's Church Institute, 25 South Street, New York City.The club rooms were dedicated by the British Ambassador in March 1941
Notification of medal awarded to Arthur Beckley during WWII. Arthur played a very active part in the life of Bampton also being a member of our retained fire crew for many years.
George Butler and Albert William Edginton were half brothers. Albert was killed in WWI March 26th 1917. One of George's sisters was Ada Alexandra Butler who married Frank Tanner.To see how they fit into the family tree, find Ada in this fam...
Freda Bradley's father Fred Daniels in military uniform, taken by Tanaka in Hong Kong during WWII.Fred was in Hong Kong in 1927 when his daughter, who became Mrs Freda Bradley, was born.
This extract from the Witney Gazette of November 17th 1922 recounts the Armistice Day proceedings around the memorial in the Market Square and in church.It goes on to mention the various meetings leading up to the general election.There are furthe...
Joyce Cotter (nee Chambers) was one of many evacuees from the Bow area of London who came to live in Bampton during part of WWII. Joyce came to Bampton along with one of her sisters, Mary, and a brother Albert Chambers. Joyce and Mary were kept...
Isaac Roderick Woodley born April 1888 married Rose Ann Bunce born 1883 in December 1909. Roderick was killed in WWI in France. This written account documents marriages after Roderick was killed.
Private William Johnson fought in WWI in the 5th Ox and Bucks Light Infantry. He was mentioned in the Supplement to The London Gazette October 27th 1916 for his bravery when attempting to rescue Lt Wood in broad daylight. His granddaughter has w...
Mary Ellis died in the summer of 2018 on July 24th. She was born in Langfield near Witney and was one of the first women to take to the skies in Spitfires and heavy bombers. She was a friend and colleague of Molly Rose OBE who was another ATA pi...
Tom Buxton and Sarah Radband went to Ypres to take part in the"Grand Pilgrimage 9090 years ago - 10 years after WW1 a grand pilgrimage was undertaken by wives, mothers relatives and comrades of the fallen.Following the same route as those who...
Since Matthew Rice and his wife bought Ham Court they have done a great deal of renovation all around the house. Surprisingly, this small piece of wood with the name I. M. Group dates from WWII. The company was based at Ham Court and they repair...
A photograph of Bill Drinkwater in his WWII uniform at his garden gate.A photograph of Bill Drinkwater in bull fighter's clothes for the fun of the picture.Bill's father William Frank Drinkwater's character reference and certificate...
Along with Freda there are photographs of her brothers Jim and Ken with their grandmother Mrs Dewe, her mother Phyllis and aunt/mother's sister Lilian, Philly Dewe her grandfather in his Morris dancing clothes, Billy Dewe her uncle, her fathe...
Mary Ellis was a wonderful lady who flew over 1,000 planes including more than 400 Spitfires. She was born in Leafield near Witney and was a good friend with our own Molly Rose OBE who was also in the ATA. Mary was 101 when she died. The artic...
Freda Bradley's uncle Jack's memorial plaque. Jack was born circa 1896 and is shown as 15 years old on the 1911 census, where it says he was a mason's labourer and living in Lavender Square.The World War One Memorial Plaque was mad...
Jason was killed in Afghanistan by a bomb which exploded under the vehicle he was in. Jason was born in Zimbabwe and he and his family escaped from that unhappy place and came to Bampton. Jason went to Burford school where he excelled and was ve...
Ray Evans wrote the history of Radio Station Bampton which was part of the Royal Corps of Signals. This is his account, which can also be bought as a book in the Vesey Room in Bampton.
Sam Bennett sharpening a scythe. Sam played fiddle for Francis Shergold's Morris men at Whitsun. He lived in Warwickshire and walked to Bampton. He used to stay with Mr & Mrs Townsend at Castle View Farm and stayed for a while to work on...
Nearly 300 troops fly out to Estonia for a multinational operation. The soldiers were all from Bulford-based 5th battalion The Riffles. The article gives much more detail.
Francis Shergold took over as squire of the Bampton Traditional Morris Men from William Nathan 'Jingy' Wells. These photographs cover most of the years from about 1940 to shortly before he died in 2008.MO282C - Bampton Morris Men. Roy D...
Knowing that gas had been used in WWI the general public of all ages were issued with gas masks in WWII and this leaflet was produced by the Lord Privy Seal's office in July 1939 and given to all households.Your Gas Mask: how to keep it and h...
Lance Corporal Herbert Lock: B Coy 44th Bn. Canadian Infantry, New Brunswick. He died aged 30 on November 1st 1918. He was the son of Mr & Mrs W Lock of the Market Place in Bampton.A315 - Entry of Herbert Lock's name in the cemetery re...
Albert Townsend, born c1884 married Mary Elizabeth Portlock born c1881. Early in the 1900s they bought the Elephant and Castle where Albert raised pigs and kept chickens. Towards the end of the 1930s they moved across the road when they bought C...
At the end of 1965 the Bampton branch of the Women's Institute produced this album called "Bampton Today 1965" for an inter-branch competition it is probably the best source anywhere of Bampton in any single year. It covers many su...
The Drinkwater family have lived in Bampton from very early 1900s. William Frank Drinkwater was born in 1893 and served with the Royal Field Artillery from 1914 to October 1922 but did 4 years with them from 1910. His son William, Bill to all wh...
Colonel Mike Roberts and Diana came to live in Bampton when Mike retired from the army. His early army career was in India and Burma and he and Diana came back to the UK just before partition. An interview with Diana can be found at https://yout...
Chris Timms aged 17 in 1943 wearing Royal Navy uniform in the picture. The sound recording was made on April 15th 2004 and Christ talks about his time in the Navy in a mine sweeper.Chris Timms and friend Michael Hirons in Church View in 1933. No...
Some of these cards were sent home to families in Bampton during WWI and others during WWII. You can see what is written on them and the dates they were sent.
Chris Timms aged 17 in 1943 wearing Royal Navy uniform in the picture. The sound recording was made on April 15th 2004 and Christ talks about his time in the Navy in a mine sweeper.Chris Timms and friend Michael Hirons in Church View in 1933. No...
This leaflet produced in WWII called 'Your Food In War-Time'. Public information leaflet No4. Issued from the Lord Privy Seal's Office July 1939. The contents cover the areas:-What the government has done.How you can help.Food su...
These postcards were sent during WWI and WWII. They are between the Townsend family who lived at the Elephant and Castle during WWI but across the road at Castle View Farm in WWII. There are cards to and from members of the Flux family who lived...
War graves in Bampton Cemetery.War grave of:-1. A.G. Martin, ordinary seaman. died 3rd November 1918 H.M.S. Pembroke. Service number SS/9671.2. Lance Corporal S. Clark of the Royal Fusiliers. Died 28th May, 1915 aged 25.3. George Frederick Baylis...
Oliver Onesipherous Collett opened a shop in Cheapside in 1888 where he sold jewellery and repaired watches. His excitement was really in motorised transport and a little before 1900 he built a motorcycle and not long after he built the first sid...
This album of 'Old Time Bampton People' was put together by Lloyd Hughes Owens in the 1970s. It's a wonderful collection of photographs and text covering topics and people - Bampton Fire Brigade; Morris dancers; William Nathan ...
In the 1970s Lloyd Hughes Owens collect together all the photographs he could find of old-time Bampton and a few of people. He put them together in an album along with explanatory text and you'll find the pictures and text here.
https://youtu.be/nqnMaTmrykMhttps://youtu.be/iHEL-7BZEBcThe first one of these two YouTube films is of Ray talking about his training in Catterick and subsequent life working in the Royal Corps of Signals. When not working abroad, Ray was posted ...
Chris Timms took part in Bampton life in many ways. He was a keen cricketer and played for Bampton. He joined the Navy and served during WWII and much later in his life he became a member of the Royal British Legion. Apart from the picture abov...
In April 2017 two World War Two Women Pilots who were in the ATA had their work recognised by a permanent memorial at RAF Brize Norton. Molly Rose, who lived in Bampton for very many years and Mary Ellis who were both called Spitfire Women, flew ...
Nearly 300 British troops deployed to Estonia as a deterrent against Russian aggression. The soldiers were all from Bullford-based 5th Battalion The Riffles.
This entry, all about Captain B.W.G. Rose has a huge amount of information and I strongly recommend that you open the pdf and find the detail. It includes a foreword by one of his three sons, Nigel Rose, a two page typewritten copy of BWGR's...
These 4 pages list the YouTube web address of the filmed interviews done by the Bampton Community Archive. They are with Dave Rose with Terry Rouse bellringing; Vera Elward talking about Busby's department store; A History of St Mary's ...
You can hear Molly talking about her life and work on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7n2Np5FkngMolly Rose flew 38 different types of aircraft during WWII including the Spitfire as part of her work when in the Air Transport Auxiliary. ...
This is a wonderful collection of memorabilia that was kept by Dor Thomson and covers the period just before WWII broke out, through the war and a short period after it. It gives a truly fascinating idea of what it was like to be a woman during W...
The War Memorial in the Market Square has names on from the WWI, WWII and Afghanistan. These photographs take you around the memorial so that you can see every name on it. It also shows the newly added name in 2009 of Jason Mackie (Afghanistan) ...
In December 2003 approximately 72 tall masts were taken down at RAF Bampton Castle in Weald when the station was closed down. Two small masts remained until October 5th and 6th 2015 when they too were removed and these 11 photographs document the...
297 Squadron had moved to RAF Brize Norton early in 1944 as part of No 38 Group and had subsequently been involved in the opening of the Second Front on D Day, towing Horsa gliders with paratroops in Operation Overlord. Flt Sgt Alan Busbridge and...
The Royal Corps of Signals were at their base in Weald from 1943 until September 1969 after which it was RAF Bampton Castle. Before the Weald station was ready to receive them, they were based in a house in Fox Close off New Road in Bampton. Whe...
Hilda Kent joined the Women's Land Army in Witney. After she retired she used to make a display in the foyer of the Bush Club every Wednesday and it was something everyone looked forward to seeing. One week she did one about her Land Army w...
Hilda Kent had many jobs through her working life but nearly all involved driving and this is the fascinating story of her working life. She drove horse boxes when young then a Taxi in Bexhill and once WWII broke out she drove soldiers in a bus t...
This is the obituary written in The Guardian newspaper on November 19th 2016 for Molly Rose who was 95. Molly was one of the few remaining female pilots who were in the ATA during WWII where she flew 38 different aircraft. She was the wife of Be...
During WWII many ladies from the ATA flew many types of aeroplanes, delivering them for the men to fly on active service and sometime acting as a taxi service to bring back ladies who had done the delivering. Two of those ladies were Molly Rose a...
Princess Anne went to RAF Brize Norton as part of the celebration of the 100th year of 101 Squadron, which flew as part of Bomber Command during WWII. It still operates in the Middle East. There is much more information in the article.
This postcard was lent to the Archive by John Broxholme, who is a descendant. John said "As you can see the picture is well worn, but at least it survived as long as it did in France. Remarkably the creases have managed to miss the faces! ...
The photograph shows the joy and celebration of the return of Mr Bovington from the Falklands War - he is standing at the front of the group with his mother Yvette and they are surrounded by families who live very close to them in Bampton
Each week in the Witney Gazette Derek West writes an interesting article usually about somewhere or some one person associated with Witney. In this article he talks about the bombs that dropped in Witney and surrounding villages. While he does n...
Pte William Johnson rescued a fellow soldier while under fire and having been shot in the leg. Sadly, the comrade he rescued died the following day but he was awarded the Military Medal and received a citation from King George V and the people of...
These photographs are all from Kit Jackson's collection. Kit took photographs for most of her adult life. There are several of her family members plus WWII soldiers probably billeted in Bampton, school classes from the 1970s when she worked...
This picture was taken from the middle of the road in Cheapside. On the left is the Town Hall with nearly all the archways filled in; the two on the right in the sunshine were unblocked so the space inside could be used as a bus stop shelter a li...
These photographs were part of the collection belonging to Kit Jackson; they are of her family, Morris Men, work colleagues, buildings, billeted soldiers in Bampton, pigeon fancier, friends, school classes and the mystery tours she used to arrange...
The White family lived in Sandford Cottage, the thatched cottage on the south side of Sandford field from at least as early as 1900. These photographs cover the period 1910 to 1960. They are all family related, some babies, children, adults, in ...
This is a photograph of Arthur Montague Colvile going to Buckingham Palace with his wife Phyllis Muriel (Innes) to receive his DSO. The supplement to The London Gazette June 3rd 1918 records the award of the Distinguished Service Order on Major A...
These ladies were representing the women's section of the British Legion at the Remembrance Day Sunday service at the War Memorial in the Market Square. The status ROYAL was given in 1971.
The Memorial Plaque was issued after the First World War to the next-of-kin of all British and Empire service personnel who were killed as a result of the war. The plaques (which could be described as large plaquettes) were made of bronze, and he...
Brigadier Rupert Crowdy OBE led a very full and very long life, dying less than two months before his 107th birthday. This entry gives you the eulogy given by his grandson Colonel Mike Brooke OBE which gives fascinating detail into Rupert's ...