Southwark Goes to War

Discussion in 'User Introductions' started by Blitz Detective, Feb 24, 2020.

  1. Good day to you all. I am new here and embarking on an ambitious book about my London borough, Southwark in WW2. I have already been published about the borough in the Blitz. The next project is about the service personnel and Mercatile Marine who served abroad and on the sea. Southwark was formerly three boroughs; Southwark, Bermondsey and Camberwell. If any members can provide any information and about individuals I would be eternally grateful and of course credit the referrer. Thank you for reading
     
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  2. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Welcome to the forum and good luck with further research.
     
  3. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Good luck.

    My father was born in Peckham.. His family moved to 'Erne 'ill in 1924 where he was living when conscripted in 1939 so unfortunately would fall out of your trawl search.
     
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  4. Thank you for your reply. Never mind
     
  5. Thanks indeed
     
  6. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    hello and welcome assume most of the below is in your first book
    When The Blitz came to Southwark |
    With regard to your new book what exactly are you after
    Military /MN casualties?
    Stories of those that served in the borough?
    As you are aware BBC archive has many stories plus the Blue Anchor Library Weekly Activities, learn something new in The Blue
    BBC - WW2 People's War - Blue Anchor Library
    BBC - WW2 People's War - Southwark Family Memories of WWII

    Assume you will include Basher Bates.Its a shame he did not get the Blue Plaque
    https://www.southwarknews.co.uk/new...ss-recipient-named-on-the-new-d-day-memorial/


    regards
    Clive
     
  7. Hi Clive

    Thank you. First book second book was Southwark in the Blitz. Primary source was Southwark Archives as will be for this one

    This one is in its early days but I think I know where I'm going with it

    Slightly loose in the format. Basically first big chapter is Dunkirk, those who came back, those who didn't. Have quite a few quotes from families at the time, "where's our son" etc

    Interesting story on the first day of the war, a lady from Dulwich was on the Athenia and survived. Not military but a must for the book. First casualty was a lad on the SS Kafiristan a couple of weeks later

    I have a meeting with Southwark Pensioners in March

    Basher's story will appear for sure

    Thanks again

    Neil
     
  8. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    I guess you have already been through these for names etc -
    St Saviour's War Memorial - Wikipedia
    St Saviours Southwark War Memorial, Historic England
    St Saviour's war memorial, londonremembers.com
    Borough High Street war memorial rededicated, London SE1, 30 March 2014
    St. Saviour's War Memorial, Borough High St., Public Monuments and Sculpture Association
    Southwark War Memorial, Imperial War Museum
    Southwark, War Memorials Online

    TD
     
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  9. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    My father was conscripted from this home address in Peckham in July 1940. I have a copy of his call up papers. He served throughout the war with the 9th Battalion,Royal Sussex Regiment who ended up in India,Burma and finally Malaya,not returning until 1946.I know there were several other men from Peckham who were with the 9th.I have a great deal of info about his war.
     
  10. Hi and thank you for contacting me. If you are happy to impart a little information and a photo, I would be truly grateful and of course a thank you in the book

    I ensure you this a sincere project and one that excites me

    With kind regards

    Neil Bright
     
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  11. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Just did one minor trawl of the CWGC database for the 670 men who served overseas with the London Irish Rifles as my father did.. and only turned up one with a Peckham address and one with a Southwark one.. both died at Anzio/or from wounds suffered there but only one seems to have additional details that you might be "able to use"

    Rifleman Richard Canavan 7020650.. age 37.
    Rifleman Charles Owen 7022581 age 20.

    Their numbers might suggest that they went all they way with 1 LIR from Liverpool, via Freetown, Cape Town, Bombay, Basra, Kirkuk, Alexandria, Sicily, Camino, Garigliano river, to Anzio.

    Although LIR now have a Camberwell HQ in Flodden Rd, during the Second World war, their HQ was the Duke of York's in Chelsea.
     
  12. Thanks indeed. I have downloaded the three boroughs CWGC details by service. I am currently wading through Dunkirk and have about 4 1/2k words so far.

    War came quickly to Camberwell as there a lady from Dulwich on the Athenia who survived. I have been to LI barracks at Flodden Road a few years ago. Fascinating

    Thanks indeed again
     
  13. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Weirdly a few years ago - 10 years ago at least - I was in Phuket and I met a fella who had been a dispatch rider for the LIR in 1939/40 and he showed me a book about the blitz in Camberwell - it looked like it was privately published.. obviously the Camberwell/Lougbborough Junction area got absolutely pummelled.. for example, the church that my Dad was baptised in, Sacred Heart of Jesus, was destroyed I think.
     
  14. Hi again

    I have not come across this. I would suggest probably Lambeth. There was a book called Bolts from the Blue, generic SE/SW London. Lambeth or Southwark Archives both have this. Fairly useful although I didn't use it in my Southwark Blitz book

    BTW I'm a former resident of Blackfen

    Cheers
     
  15. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    My gosh - so the parishes South of the river remain every bit as defensibly parochial as those North - London is not so much a city as a siphonophore like a Poryugese man o war or a slime mould
     
  16. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    Neil,Will pm you re #10
     

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