Hi, I'm Helen and I'm new to the site. I am currently researching and writing about World War 2 in my home town of St Helens in the North West of England. My idea is to compile all of my findings into a blog so that the town's war time history is all in one place and easy to access for anyone interested now and future generations. I have a love of history and a real curiosity about the second world war, there is just something about that time that resonates with me in some way I can't describe. St Helens is in Merseyside (originally Lancashire) and about 10 miles from Liverpool. It boarders Warrington and has boundaries with Burtonwood, where the biggest air base in Europe was situated, our town was also the location of the Vulcan works where tanks were manufactured and also Sutton Oak, the notorious poison gas factory. I hope to discover everything I can about the area during the war, so if anyone has anything they can share with me I would be very grateful.
Hello and welcome. What have you done so far and is there a St Helens History Group that might be able to help you? Are you wanting to focus on what happened in St Helens in WW2 or for the men and women who served? There are more than 530 casualties from St Helens in WW2, that's a lot of work!
welcome to the forum if you google St Helens WW2 many sites come up http://www.sthelensrollsofhonour.co.uk/worldwartwo ww2 German bombing map Lancashire At War
I want to write about it from a home front point of view, how it affected the town and what roles the town played, what it was like to be here during that time, places of interest in terms of sites that got hit, local military sites and such. I have uncovered a lot already but there will be so much more! Bert Trautmann (the footballer) was a german prisoner of war here and after the war played for St Helens town before signing for Manchester City! He's famous for breaking his neck and carrying on playing, I had no idea he had started his British footballing career here. That's the type of thing I love to find.
Helen Welcome aboard ! Have you seen this ? BBC - WW2 People's War - A Soldier's Son - Family Life in St Helens during WW2 Ron
Helen, Hello and welcome to the forum. I'm originally from Preston and an aunt was born in St Helens. Good luck with your research. Regards Tom
Hi Helen and welcome. All of the WW2 Casualties that we know about have an individual page on our website http://www.sthelensrollsofhonour.co.uk/home In addition the gallery is fully searchable http://www.sthelensrollsofhonour.co.uk/gallery.php In addition please say hello on our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/groups/307346856406410/
