Twice Removed Series 3 Episode 2
Naomi Clifford, history writer and journalist, joins me to discuss life at home during the Blitz.
From food, to volunteering to entertainment, Naomi delves into the lives of those that lived through the Blitz. To what extent has the Blitz spirit been mythologised? How did experiences vary depending on your wealth, or lack of it? What do the diaries of those that lived through the Blitz reveal about life during this era?
Watch Naomi Clifford discuss WW2: Blitz Diaries
You can view all series and episodes of #TwiceRemoved on the Genealogy Stories YouTube channel.
Listen to WW2: Blitz Diaries
WW2: Blitz Diaries
You can listen to all series and episodes of Twice Removed on the podcast (of the same name), available on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify and more.
A Spotlight on Naomi Clifford
Naomi Clifford is a history writer and journalist. She has four books under her belt, and another, Under Fire, to be published in a couple of weeks. All of them have relied on genealogical research supplemented by archival work and the digging out of many many rabbit holes.
Under Fire, which will be published on 7 September by Caret Press, is an exploration of the diaries of June Spencer, a debutante and dress designer, who volunteered for the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service in 1940. She lived in Chelsea – in a crumbling old mansion – it has since been done up and Mick Jagger and Roman Abramovich are among its recent residents. Back then it was stuffed full of young people working on the home front or waiting to join the military.
You can find out more about Naomi and her work on her website here.
Resources
- For an interactive map showing where bombs dropped in London during the Blitz see here.
- For info on rationing in Britain see here.
- Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
- Pig Clubs
- For info on the protest at The Savoy see here.
- Recipe for Lord Woolton’s Pie
- For info on the uniform, insignia and equipment used in Civil Defence (including the Auxiliary Ambulance) see here.
- For more info on women in the RAF see here.
- For info on the Land Army see here.
- Enjoy this podcast on the Battle of Britain.
More #TwiceRemoved Episodes
#TwiceRemoved with Emma Jolly
Expert genealogist Emma Jolly shares her Black Country ancestor discoveries. Find out about this important industrial area of Britain. What were the lives of the people that lived there like?
#TwiceRemoved with Nathan Dylan Goodwin
In an episode packed with writing tips, Nathan Dylan Goodwin explores his own family history and spills the beans on how he became a genealogy crime fiction writer.
#TwiceRemoved with Naomi Clifford
What was life like for those at home during the WW2? Naomi Clifford discusses the Blitz diaries she discovered, the life of the woman who wrote them and explores the real lived experience of the Blitz.
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