Cumbria at War, 1939–45

Ruth Mansergh

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN: 9781473877122
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Modern British History
• Index: History

"A comprehensive view of the important part Cumbria played in WWII, including a detailed look at the warships built in the Barrow Yard." — Firetrench The outbreak of war marked a new era for the people of Cumbria. Many young men and women enlisted in the Forces, while older people joined the Home Guard or became Air Raid Precaution Wardens. Children from cities were sent to Kendal to escape the threat of bombing raids, members of the Women's Land Army began to arrive on at the local farms, and Silloth airfield near Carlisle trained thousands of pilots from allied countries. The first sign of German interest in the important shipbuilding town of Barrow-in-Furness was in May 1936, when a rigid airship and passenger aircraft flew very low and slowly over the Furness rooftops. Vickers shipyard became a target for enemy bombing and eventually more than 10, 000 houses were damaged or destroyed by the Luftwaffe during the Barrow Blitz that took place during April and May 1941. Extensively researched, the book takes a detailed look at the ships built in Barrow, memorials in the city of Carlisle and towns and villages across Cumbria, and remembers the brave dead of Second World War. Overall, this is a poignant testimony to the momentous efforts, bravery, self-sacrifice and determination of the people of Cumbria during the Second World War, who sought to find normality in a reality so far removed from anything they had ever known. "In this fascinatingly good read, Ruth has captured the spirit and uncertainty of all Cumbrians in those stressful years." —Cumbria Family History Society

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• About the Author
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Chapter 1. Already War is in the Air Again
• Chapter 2. Pre-War Build-Up
• Chapter 3. Despite the Gathering of War Clouds
• Chapter 4. Industrial Revival
• Chapter 5. K Shoes’ 250,000 Pairs of Service Boots
• Chapter 6. This Country is at War with Germany
• Chapter 7. Take Special Care
• Chapter 8. Immense Sacrifices Demanded from All
• Chapter 9. Ashville’s Big Move to Windermere
• Chapter 10. Companies Evacuated to Cumbria
• Chapter 11. RAF Silloth’s Double Role
• Chapter 12. The One That Got Away, 1940
• Chapter 13. Barrow had not been Forgotten
• Chapter 14. 1941, Aside from Barrow Bombing
• Chapter 15. Three Unknown Merchant Navy Seamen
• Chapter 16. The Women’s Land Army
• Chapter 17. Hiring Fairs
• Chapter 18. 1942, Seeing it Through
• Chapter 19. 1943, Turning the Corner
• Chapter 20. 1944, Outline of Key Events
• Chapter 21. Kept Until 1944 to Celebrate a Special Occasion
• Chapter 22. 1945, The Last Year of the War
• Chapter 23. Prisoners-of-War of the Japanese
• Chapter 24. We Will Not Go to War
• Chapter 25. Victoria Cross Winners
• Chapter 26. What’s that Medal for?
• Chapter 27. Carlisle’s War Memorials
• Chapter 28. Memorials, a Selection A-L
• Chapter 29. Memorials, a Selection M-Z
• Chapter 30. Defence Architecture
• Chapter 31. Barrow-Built Vessels
• Chapter 32. Cumbria’s Significance in the Cold War
• Bibliography