Food, Glorious Food

Not only did the men of Hull give their time to their own city, they also gave it to London.  In 1944 the wardens in London had been under such duress and all annual leave had been cancelled.  A call was made for assistance from other cities and Hull, having great experience, stepped forward.  Some went for just a few weeks, other went until their services were no longer needed.

In the records of the Warden Service, I have found copies of letters written by some of the men who went to London sent to members of the Warden Service back in Hull, letting them know how things were.  One of the biggest causes of excitement seems to be the food allowances!

J Longford, 19 August

“We arrived at our Depot about 5-10pm and after a clean up we were directed to the recreation hall where a long table was set out with plenty of plates full of tomatoes, cold potatoes, Russian Salad, and a liberal supply of ham, with a pudding to follow.  The Chief Warden was there, but like a sensible fellow he said tuck in and I will formally welcome you after the meal.”

On 20 August, he goes on to write,

“We were told that we obtain our tea at the Post, and supper at approx 8-30pm. at the Depot.  Mark those words well my noble William, those four words TEA AT THE POST.  I was mystified about this, but boy did I get a shock.  My co-full timer said ‘What would you like for tea?’ Well, being a polite sort of cove I gave a conventional reply, of I’ll have what you say.  Well, he got the tea ready.  A tin of salmon between the two of us, (it could have been tinned meat, sardines, herrings, corned beef) plenty of bread and margarine, jam and a slab of fruit cake which would not have gone in my haversack.  Of course I had been told during the morning that all posts were supplied with rations, but boy what rations.”

F. E. Baskerville, 20 August

“I have a permit for 1½ lbs. of tea, 3 lbs. of sugar and 20 pints of milk per week.  The Police Inspector, who is also the Chief Warden, gets this for me and I settle with him every Saturday.  We have an electric boiler in our billet and so we can make a cup of tea any time we like.  We have been issued with three teapots.” 

Introduction to the Archivist

As the archivist appointed to work on North East Coast Town Revealed: Hull’s Second World War Records, I would like to introduce myself.  My name is Victoria and I have previously worked at Durham County Record Office where I catalogued records of the Durham Light Infantry.  This collection spans many wars from the 1800s to the 1960s, with a substantial number of records relating to soldiers in the First and Second World Wars.

I am therefore pleased to have been given this opportunity to build on my experience and work with records from the Home Front and to learn about the experiences of Hull during the Second World War.  In cataloguing these records I hope to bring them to a wider audience by increasing their accessibility and revealing stories of endurance of the city and its people. 

My first steps have been to start going through the numerous personnel cards for the Warden Service and sorting them for the mammoth, but hugely beneficial, task of indexing the names.  We will shortly be putting out a call for volunteers to help us in this so keep checking back for further information.

Victoria Oxberry, Project Archivist, Hull City Archives at Hull History Centre

North East Coast Town Revealed: Hull’s Second World War Records

The National Cataloguing Grants programme is administered on behalf of several trusts by The National Archives with grant award decisions being made by a specially convened independent Cataloguing Grants Panel. Hull History Centre has successfully secured one of the 12 grants issued this year which will enable the Centre to employ an Archivist for 12 months to fully catalogue records created by various departments from within Hull City Council. The records of departments such as:

• Town Architects Department 
• Education Department 
• Treasurer’s Department 
• Town Clerk Department 
• City Engineers Department 
• Records of Wartime Emergency Services 

These records allow us to understand the hardships endured by the people of Hull during the War and reveal their gallantry and resourcefulness during the daily struggles they faced. The project will deepen our understanding of the problems encountered and solutions found by those tasked with not only preserving life, but coming to the aid of those affected by the raids.

The project will give us the opportunity to work closely with volunteers who will help to index the records, repackage files and volumes, and digitise photographs. The resulting on line catalogues will allow the public to search for individuals or streets in much greater depth than is currently available and visit the Centre to view any relevant documents.

This is an exciting project which will highlight the devastation wreaked on Hull during the Second World War and demonstrate the resilience of its citizens on the home front when faced with such traumas. It is surprising for a city so heavily bombed during the war that these records have even survived.

Carol Tanner Access & Collections Manager, Hull City Archives at Hull History Centre