Alan Foxall | Akateeminen Kirjakauppa

From the time of the Civil War - when the town barely existed - to the Luftwaffe bombing raids of World War Two, Redditch has had a long history of conflict. In 1794 the Worcestershire Yeomanry was formed, originally with the intention of putting down workers' riots in nearby industrial towns such as Redditch. Just over a hundred years later the Yeomanry of Redditch and District returned home to an unusually cool reception following their victory in the Boer War. The outbreak of War World One was greeted with enthusiasm by the town as a flood of volunteers rushed to join up. Until late 1915, Redditch hosted continuous recruiting meetings and parades and the local workforce became so severely depleted that the issue was eventually raised in the House of Parliament. Sadly many of the town's young men never returned home. Chamberlain's declaration of war in 1939 brought an influx of evacuees to Worcestershire and the industrial life of the town changed dramatically. Redditch became a significant contributor to war production as new factories sprang up and old factories were switched to war work in an effort to meet the increasing demands of the War Office.
Consequently the town was considered a viable target by the Luftwaffe and suffered severe bomb damage during the Blitz. When peace was eventually declared the town celebrated with street parties, carnivals and much rejoicing. Through a fascinating collection of photographs, the authors have created a vivid image of life on the 'home front' during both World Wars, when rationing, military parades, air raids and munitions work became a part of daily life. The book offers glimpses of familiar places during periods of intense social upheaval, presenting a compelling history of Redditch at War.