Dart History
Kingswear At War I
n the December/January edition of By The Dart, I outlined the overall coverage of the book as well as highlighting some specific stories as told to me by the Locals. In this article I hope to offer a taste of some of the other aspects of life in the village at the time.
Together with the colossal effort that the Women’s Institute put into fundraising, they also had an extraordinary skill in providing community support and immense ability at uplifting spirits. This was always interspersed with the infamous WI teas and cakes. Some things don’t change! An example of their fundraising skills appears on page 30 where the Kingswear WI and Parish Savings Group raised nearly £3500 in one week in 1944. This was their part of the combined Dartmouth and Kingswear Salute the Soldiers Week. £3,500 at that time equates to about £410,000 in today’s earnings! The regular monthly WI meetings usually had a guest
speaker talking about the war effort, such as Harold Clayton of MTB fame, or ‘lantern slide’ shows of someone’s trip abroad. There were also regular talks on jam making and clever recipes that could add tweaks to old favourites, yet still relying on the very limited variety and quantity of food available on ration! Mrs. Francis Fenner was Kingswear WI’s President and sometime Chairman throughout the war and well liked in the community. Her reports in the WI records suggest she was very much in charge of the cause and offered wise and profound words. In her annual report for 1941 she wrote that ‘we shall endeavor to continue, to the best of our ability, to maintain health, strength and good spirits in the village, until one day, which we trust will not be far ahead, when victory and peace shall come’. Girl power happened in the fields as well. The
Women’s Land Army provided an enormously capable effort (a surprise to some doubters!) on our farms. Hilda Wallace was born and brought up in bomb ravaged Liverpool and recounts her remarkable adventure as a naïve teenager to blacked out Devon and eventually to Kingston Farm. Her story starts on page 34 of Kingswear at War. This proved to be a wonderful period
Liz Hearn in WLA uniform Free French Medal
Reflections on his book by David Williams - part 2 Hilda in 1943
of her life as her account explains. 64 years later we were able to arrange a return visit for her, which proved so successful. She has been to see us 3 times since then! She still recognizes the buildings and layout of the lane and her bedroom in the
came undone, the shafts of the 2 wheeled rake stuck in the ground and she was catapulted forward and off the cart! We learned a little of the Motor Boats in the last article. The presence of the Free French had an enormous impact on the scene at the time. They demonstrated extraordinary feats of courage, provided valuable local knowledge of the Brittany coast for the raids that were to take place and were a definite hit with the locals. A number of weddings were to follow! The Free French arrived on the Dart from Le
“Talking to the locals about these
years was a humbling experience and a great privilege”
fascinating old farmhouse. Elizabeth Hearn was also a land girl whose farming experience started in Lincolnshire before her family moved to Redoubt Hill in Kingswear. She learned the hard way how to deal with horses and carts! The wagon she was in charge of had been incorrectly harnessed. As she progressed the harness
Havre after the German invasion of Normandy. Leon Cocquerel was a port tug boat Captain and one of the French sailors to stay in the Dart. L’Aube and L’Isere were two of the tugs to escape the German clutches. Leon earned high praise from the Authorities and was decorated for his acts of bravery. His
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