WW2 1940-44 Very detailed Manuscript Journal by Lady in Ryde, Isle of Wight.

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This is a 10" x 8" (25 x 20 cms) journal kept by a lady living on the coast in Binstead, Ryde on the Isle of Wight during World War 2. It starts on April 9th 1940 and ends on October 20th 1941. It then has 2 pages dated October 31st 1943 and then a final 3 pages from D-Day to June 26th 1944. The gaps are due to the author being in hospital for some long time first in the Ryde County Hospital and then in St. Bartholomews, St.Albans. (a large collection of postcards to her and from her to her mother also now listed on ebay). It is neatly and well written by someone who had various magazine articles published (see her diary for 1935 also now on ebay) and so is a very literate person.She records the progress of the war with her observations on day to day events in the locality but also rationing, shortages, prices, etc and the war in general from newspapers, radio and rumour. In total there are 58 pages of script.Here are some snippets from 1940 which will give a flavour of the journal.April 9th (1940) "Seventh month of war and no signs of abatement, in spite of private bets as to its termination in June. A further class has just been called up - a class in which defective eye-sight, etc is no bar."April 29th "St. Georges' Day has come and gone, and with it the long awaited and much discussed Budget. This touches the working man severely. Rises on beer and tobacco etc. and an increase of 1d on letters and postcards (1/2d for the one 2d for the other). Paper is rationed to a greater extent. Thinner newspapers and magazines.""Pacifist orgnizations are gathering up and down the country. Sellers of "Peace News" continue to be arrested."June 23rd. "But, we are told, the Battle for Britain has just begun. Can Britain hold the fort for another six months? We are to expect raids, and parachute descents on vast scales.""Taxes continue to rise. Soon a cinema tax will be introduced - 3d on 9d seats, 6d on 1/3d.""With the internment of Italians went the organ grinder, the only one on the Island. He provisioned for his monkey, donkey and dog, and stored his barrel organ until brighter days.""The balloon barrages are still high over Portsmouth and Southampton. The "Gracie Fields" was the first passenger steamer to be lost. It went at the evacuation of the B.E.F. from Dunkirk. So the little Island which is Britain is bristling with hidden batteries - waiting for the onslaught which is bound to come."June 28th. "The Black Watch is on the Isle of Wight: tanks chase through copses.""Matches scarce.......no iced cakes in future with exception of wedding cakes. Women who give up gold wedding rings for the country will receive rings of inferiror metal in exchange.""America still steadfast to non-intervention."August 12th. "This morning we have experienced a fierce battle. Waves of dive-bombers descended upon Portsmouth. Looking out we saw an escaped balloon from the barrage drifting like a silver coin in the blue sky. A German bomber, hit by rifle shot flew so low over the house that one might well have observed the pilot. A few minutes later this same plane crashed in the sea off Ryde beach. ...... Speed boats traversed the water in search of survivors from the planes. We saw the hulk of the German bomber drifting in the blue water."September 13th. "...Churchill ...warned that invasion must be prepared for during the week or so to come. Thousands of little boats, he said, are massed on the other side of the water."October 13th. " Princess Elizabeth broadcast a message to evacuated children. Her first broadcast in which Princess Margaret Rose joined. Is it that this was the first message of a future Queen to her future subjects?"November 6th. "President Roosevelt has been elected for the third session.""We can prepare for the years 1944-45, for it will be a long and costly war.""watching an air battle today I noticed the enemy planes giving off streams of vapour....""Today whilst in the cinema the brea... read more

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