Audrey Hammon (nee Cobb) grew up during the war on her father’s farm, Millbank Farm, on the outskirts of Newchurch.
In 2006 she gave a sound interview to the Imperial War Museum as part of a project to preserve memories of living witnesses to the Second World War.
Audrey and her sister Eileen
There are two sections each made up of a number of individual recordings.
In the first, Audrey describes life on the farm and how war affected her daily life down to the very small things.
In the second, she describes the war going on around her, particularly the impact of the Battle of Britain, the nearby fighter airfield at Newchurch and the V1 bombs.
Audrey with her parents Albert and Louise and sister Eileen
Life during the war
Audrey describes where she lived and where it was in relation to the surrounding villages |
 |
Memories of life on the farm before the war |
|
Life in wartime – going to school in Ashford and the effect of war on education |
|
Life in wartime – trying to get to Dover to see her uncle and shepherding with her cousin Jimmy wearing tin hats |
|
Life in wartime – life at home, toys books, sweets and presents. Entertainments, including films in a local barn and dances in a small hall behind the pub. |
|
Life in wartime – the effect of rationing on food and clothes |
|
Life in wartime – the blackout, make-up, lipstick and hair styles |
|
About Audrey’s Uncle who lost an eye in the First World War |
|
The war in Newchurch
The impact of war-time regulations on the farm, land girls, corn stacks and threshing |
|
The threat of invasion and the history of the Royal Military Canal |
|
The Battle of Britain and planes crashing on farmland |
|
Memories of the Newchurch Advanced Landing Ground - recovering a crashed fighter – the B24 bomber that over-ran the runway – the billeting of two servicemen – shrapnel and shell cases. |
|
Doodlebugs – the destruction of a local house – their Morrison Shelter |
|
Americans stationed at Brenzett ALG and Mr Munn and his tricycle |
|
Spys, the fear of invasion, the secret hideouts of the defence volunteers, conscientious objectors and POW’s |
|
Feelings about the end of the war in Europe and life immediately after |
|
Comments about the end of the war in the Pacific, the atom bombs and feelings about the Japanese |
|
Photographs supplied by Audrey Hammon