I was looking, a while back, in reference to the UK's WW2 veterans and the various efforts rehousing all of them, and often their de-housed families etc., after the war. There is quite often something in the epilogue or final chapter(s) of a fair few books. Older officers often going on to important new careers, a lot of the younger officers etc. returning to education or "the family firm" etc. Comments for instance of NCO's taking on further years in the army rather than return immediately to what might have been considered (for a few years) an uncertain or precarious civilian life or younger, non-demobbed, troopers etc. going on to serve in other regiments etc. i.e. in the BAOR. Re. The staggered demob: Demobilisation of the British Armed Forces after the Second World War - Wikipedia And some reactions to this etc. : Post–World War II demobilization strikes - Wikipedia Re. Post-war housing in the immediate post war years : Council house - Wikipedia In the UK - "Of 1.2 million new houses built from 1945 to 1951 when the programme officially ended, 156,623 prefab houses were constructed" Re. conditions in the bit of Germany he was stationed with, with the SRY, immediately after the war - my grandfather - for example - wrote this - "People who know tell me the farming out here is perfect. It’s a real pleasure to see the farmland laid out. Just now the countryside resembles nothing so much as a patchwork quilt. No weeds are allowed to flourish. As soon as the grain is cut and carried they heap manure on the stubble and plough again. Some of our people interested in forestry are to be shown around the forests here “as they are so much better than in our country” what an admission. The more one sees of other people and their countries the more one is ashamed to think that Britain is so backward for no reason at all. One can only blame the government. The pleasures arranged for the ordinary people are far in excess of anything yet thought of by us and I for one am bound to admit that no matter what one may say of Hitler and Nazi Germany they at least lived a fuller and happier life than we did prior to 1939. The cost of living in England never left anything for pleasure; here it was a natural thing. Yesterday I asked a boy the same age as John what parts of Germany he had visited, he said, Bremen, Hanover, Berlin and Dresden also all the well known minor states between here and there, such as Magdeburg between here and Berlin. Where has John been? Eastleigh. Incidentally this youngster was in his second year of English speaking in school and speaks very well. From this you can see how we are backward. I hope things will improve in the years to come."
From my photo collection Homes of Rest,Chiswick,London Royal Artillery houses, Harrow Weald,Middlesex
