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OXFORD HOUSE: THE SECOND WORLD WAR

The declaration of war saw the founding of two special Clubs at Oxford House:

• The war saw an increase in demand to allow girls to join some of the Boys’ and Men’s Clubs.  In 1940, a Girls’ Club was founded at Oxford House with the approval of the local women’s settlements.  Various activities were organised for the girls and, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, dancing was allowed where boys and girls were able to dance together.

• A number of Club Members were soon constricted for military service and were therefore unable to take part in the activities of The Clubs.  In order to offers these members with a link to Oxford House, The Unseen Club was formed for such men.  By 1941, ~500 servicemen stationed all over the world were members of this Club.  Members were kept informed of what was happening in Bethnal Green and in the various Clubs, as well as helping old friends stay in touch through a publication, called Club News from Bethnal Green.  At its peak, The Unseen Club had over 900 members.

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The early years of The Second World War saw the revenue of Oxford House fluctuate greatly resulting in the deficit carried rising markedly.  Despite this, the demands made on The House by the locals continued to increase with The Council doing its best to meet them.

The Site of the First Flying Bomb (V2) to hit London was at the Railway Bridge over Grove Road in Bow

The East End suffered badly from bomb damage during The Second World War.  Bethnal Green was close enough to The London Docks to also suffer much destruction and loss of life.  People were obviously terrified by the sound of bomb explosions and also of returned gun fire.  The sound of the new guns being fired from their place of installation in Victoria Park is believed to be one of the contributing factors that led to The Bethnal Green Underground Disaster of 3rd March, 1943 where 173 people were crushed to death.

Plaque at Bethnal Green Underground Station making the site of The Disaster

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By 1942, the deficit had risen to £5,720.  Oxford House arrived at this sum since it felt that it had to perform its duties immediately and consider payment later.  In addition, there was few personal and essential no time available to raise money or even maintain subscription lists.   The cost of running University House, which had grown in size, was also a large financial burden to Oxford House.   In addition, the effect of the air raids had had an influence on the revenue of the Excelsior Kinema, and in 1941, the Kinema had had to ask if it might forgo payment of its rent.

1943 turned out to a better year for Oxford House.  Firstly, enemy air raids occurred less often, which helped reduce the necessary expenditure of The House.  The workers of Oxford House also made great efforts to raise funds and were suitably rewarded.  The Excelsior Kinema was also able to pay its rent for the year, since people started going to the cinema once more.  As a result, the accumulated deficit, although still high, had fallen to £4,644.

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One of the direct results of the air raids was an increase in number of people made homeless with few or no possessions.  Where possible, the homeless moved in with family members, however, there were many where this was not an option.

Homeless after an Air Raid

Oxford House was involved in a number of services to help fill the needs of the local population during the war years.  Once again, The House served as a shelter during the air raids with room for some 300 people in the basement.  Oxford House also became a registered Emergency Rest & Feeding Centre and was involved in the evacuation of the children of the area.

Emergency Shelter at Bethnal Green Underground Station

Oxford House also served to house homeless people while they awaited rehousing.  In addition, the London Hostels Association working with Oxford House were able to open a hostel for 60 people at University House in Victoria Park Square.

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With the advent of air raids involving Bethnal Green, the bombing not only made a number of people homeless, but left bombed sites where buildings once stood.  This led to the formation of The Bombed Sites Producers’ Association, which set about converting these sites into allotments where people were able to grow vegetables for consumption.

A Group of Schoolgirls being shown how best to plant seeds
I expect that the school uniforms and the teacher’s attire were for the benefit of the photograph

The Association produced a regular bulletin and, in the June 1943 issue, it stated that it was now responsible for ~300 cultivated allotments and for a scattered farm of 4,000 rabbits, 2,000 chickens, 9 goats, a pony and 10 pigs.

A Group of Schoolgirls help prepare a flower garden for the growing vegetables

There seems to be some difference of opinion as to when the Association was formed.  According to one source, it was founded in March 1942 when a group of children under the guidance of an Oxford House resident had set about clearing away the bricks, rubble and other debris from a bombed site in Russia Lane, which was then readied for cultivation.  However, according to the book, A Green and Pleasant Land: How England’s Gardeners Fought the Second World War by Ursula Buchan, on the 21st September, 1941, the Duck of Norfolk, Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard, the 16th Duke (1908-1975), visited a number of allotments and back yards to inspect hens and rabbits.  This event was promoted by Mr. Roy Hay who persuaded the BBC to cover it and broadcast a piece about it during the evening.

Mr. Roy Hay shows a group of School Girls the best way to turn over the earth

Later, on the 17th June, 1943, The Queen (1900-2002) visited Bethnal Green and visited an allotments and combined farm where she apparently saw lots of animals including chickens, rabbits, geese, pigs, a pony and a goat, which apparently ate the Dig for Victory leaflets that were planned for distribution!  The animals were housed in sheds that had been constructed entirely from scrap.  The Queen was accompanied on her visit by Sir Wynham Deedes, a former Head of Oxford House, who lived in Bethnal Green for the duration of the War.

Top Left: The King & Queen visiting the East End
The remainder of the photographs show the bomb damage at Buckingham Palace

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Boys also took part in the making of Allotments  

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With the declaration of war, Women began to be called up and expected to do jobs previously done by men who were now serving in the military forces.  With this, a need arose for nurseries where the children of these women could be taken and cared for while their mothers performed these duties.  A Play Centre was opened at Oxford House for small children, and, in 1940, a Nursery Centre was opened at University House.  There was always a long waiting list for entry into both facilities.

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OXFORD HOUSE: A PERSONAL CONNECTION

My mother went to work for British Railways during the war and was required to drive a team of horses and cart and make deliveries in the City of London and around The London Docks.  She was based at the office and sheds that were to the left of Aldgate Bus Station, across the road from Aldgate Underground Station.  Today, the sheds and office have been demolished leaving the area as an empty space with a statue at its centre.

Children being evacuated from London

When my mother became pregnant, she was denied evacuation since her work for British Railways was considered necessary to the War Effort!  As a result, for the first few years of my life, I too was at the mercy of Dooblebugs and then the V2 Rockets.  Still, things could have been worse when you think that so many children, at this time, were in prison camps!

I was born in 1943, and after two months, my mother had to return to work and I went to the Nursery Centre at University House and remained there until 1945.  Believe it or not, I actually have a few memories of my time at The Centre.  I remember a woman telling me that I was supposed to be with The Tweenies and not with some other group of children!  I am convinced that this resulted in my not enjoying being labelled!

While I attended The Centre, Princess Margaret (1930-2002) came to visit and also to judge a Baby Show.  I am greatly amused about this, as I won the competition and was presented to the Princess, who, so I am told, took a great shine to me while giving me my prize.

As the reader can see, I was not an especially happy child at this time

I am told that I had no interest in the her since I had buried a possession in the garden and was more interested in retrieving it rather than spending time talking to this lady!  Seemingly, her visit was covered by a number of newspapers and a huge photograph of me appeared in one of the large windows of the Daily Express building on Fleet Street for several months.

My mother often had to work longer hours than her regular shift.  This caused her to be too late to pick me up at the Day Nursery.  Once it closed, unclaimed babies were taken to the local Police Station to await their mothers.

Railway Worker picking up her son at a Day Nursery after finishing her deliveries

Apparently, I was always the last child to be claimed, but my mother always found me well-cared for and the centre of attention!  My mother said that I was always surrounded by a ring of policemen who were laughing heartily at my antics.  They always plied me with biscuits and sweets once I was able to take solid foods.   Oftentimes this led to my face and hands being covered with chocolate.  They also liked to attempt to place one of their helmets on my head, but this only served to slip down and hide my face since it was too big for me to actually wear.  Naturally this caused the policemen to laugh even more!

Click here to hear the old Music Hall song, The Laughing Policeman

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On the 6th June, 1944 (D-Day), allied forces launched a series of landings on the Normandy coast, with the codename Operation Neptune,  to gain a foothold on the shores of Continental Europe and begin its liberation.  This was considered by many to be the beginning of the end of the Second World War.  Sadly for everyone involved, the movement forward towards Berlin and the defeat of Hitler and the Nazi Regimen (1933-1945) was fraught with setbacks along with the victories until the War in Europe finally came to its official end in countries West of Germany on the 8th May, 1945 (V.E. Day) and on the 9th May in countries East of Germany.  This difference was the result of the time differences between the U.S.S.R., the U.S.A. and Western Europe.

From 1940 until 1944, The Headship of the Council was held by Guy Clutton-Brock (1906-1995)  who ran Oxford House with the aid of a number of Conscientious Objectors.  He resigned as Head in early 1945 to take up a position working for the religious and educational rehabilitation of Germany.

During the Second World War Years, Oxford House appeared to be even more involved with the local neighbourhoods and, as a result, appeared to be more accessible to the people, although this had always been the aim of the Settlement.

Many saw these activities as signs that Oxford House was acting very much like a Community Centre.

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War Memorial in Cyprus Street, Bethnal Green

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OXFORD HOUSE: THE POST SECOND WORLD WAR YEARS

THE TIMES CONTINUE TO CHANGE

 In 1944, Oxford House began to make provision for the return of local Club-members who were currently serving in the armed forces.  This was done by launching a special appeal.  The monies collected were to be used for this purpose and also to help reduce the financial deficit.

Mr. john Illsley who was the Vice-Head of The Council from 1941 until early in 1945 when Mr. Guy Clutton-Brock resigned was appointed Acting-Head while a successor was sought.

By now, Oxford House was being seen by many as practically functioning as a fully-fledged Community Centre and this caused Mr. Illsley to comment on this:

My own feeling is that Oxford House has always been a community centre, but that we are now becoming widely recognised as such by the neighbourhood which we serve. Oxford House has endeavoured to cater for all sections of the community, although it is not always clear what the exact needs of the locality are going to be—not what they are, because we always have had to plan ahead.

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The end of the Second World War brought with it a number of changes to the routine activities of Oxford House and these included the following:

• with the demobilisation of the troops, membership to The Unseen Club began to lessen;

• although by now, The House had ceased to be used as a shelter, a number of women who had sought refuge here and had enjoyed meeting each other asked if they might continue to do so.  This was allowed and they began to meet three nights a week;

• the junior clubs, for both boys and girls, were re-opened;

• The Webbe Boys’ Club, which had shared the premises of the Men’s Club, now moved back to their own facility.  The building was in a poor state and in need of repair, which was undertaken mostly by the boys themselves;

• The Bombed Sites Producers Association now based in The House began to devote its attention to the provision of gardens around the Pre-Fabricated Houses, which were now beginning to occupy the sites of former allotments;

• The House had become the home of a number of local organisations and acted as Headquarters for the local branch of The British Legion.

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It is amazing to think that some 80 tons of bombs fell on Bethnal Green causing devastation throughout the Borough .  Fortunately Oxford House was not hit during the air raids.

In 1957, the authorities decided that the small houses of Mape and Derbyshire Streets, including the original Oxford House, should be demolished to allow replacement by a green area.  The area was completed in 1967 and was named Weaver’s Fields.

Weaver’s Fields with Oxford House in the background

To read more of the renovation and restoration of the area, I recommend the article :

Post War Regeneration of Bethnal Green by Ms Laura Newby of Oxford House

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