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Kingswear at War, by David Williams, subtitled 'Life in the Devon village between 1939 and 1945'

Kingswear at War, by David Williams, subtitled 'Life in the Devon village between 1939 and 1945'

Kingswear at War, by David Williams, subtitled 'Life in the Devon village between 1939 and 1945'

Published by the Kingswear Historians in 2011, 167 pages. Paperback (N4263)

Kingswear is a small village in the South Hams area of Devon, and sits on the east bank of the River Dart, opposite the town of Dartmouth. This book provides a fascinating and immensley readable account of the village during the Second World War, and contains lots of personal accounts, memories and reminiscences from people who lived and worked in the area during that time.
As well as chapters on what life was like in the village during the war, there are also interesting accounts of the role played by Kingswear and the surrounding area in the war effort. Dartmouth and the River Dart estuary was the location of the 15th Motor Gun Boat Flotilla, which operated from the area between 1942 and 1944, and small boats from the Royal Navy frequently crossed the channel to carry out clandestine raids and missions on the German occupied coast of France. In addition to playing a valuable and important role in these efforts, Kingswear was also a key location for the Free French forces of the area, and this booklet details these accounts as well as many more! Chapters include:
  • Shops and Businesses
  • The Women's Land Army
  • The Farms
  • The Defences
  • The Motor Boats
  • The Free French
  • The Air Raids and bombings
  • The Scouts, School and Evacuees
  • The Railway and Ferries
  • Wartime Rationing
  • The Dartmouth Chronicle
  • Froward Point and Coleton Radar Site

The book is illustrated throughout with several small black and white photographs, and is a must read for anyone interested in the local history of this part of Devon, as well as people with a more particular interest in the role of the River Dart, Dartmouth and the surrounding villages during the Second World War.

The condition of the book is generally very good. The cover has some minor scuffs and blemishes, but the spine is tight and intact, and all pages are clean, intact, unblemished and tightly bound.

Condition New