Wartime evacuees
Born under a Morrison table in the blitz
By Donald Archer
The two photos are of my twin brother Derek – the fair-haired one – and myself with Mr & Mrs Wentworth in WGC in May 1944.
We were born in February 1941 in Wembley, under a Morrison table shelter during the blitz. When the ‘doodlebugs’ started falling in 1944 we were evacuated, together with our mother Eunice. Our father Will was an Inspector in the Metropolitan Police so stayed behind, but visited us whenever he could.
I don’t know anthing about the Wentworths apart from their name. But I assume it was an official billeting, and I wonder if any records still exist, or if any older residents recognize them.
This page was added on 24/06/2011.
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Hi all, I have stumbled across this page searching ‘Newfields’ in Welwyn Garden City around 1945. We are looking for names either O’Brien or Murphy at number 71. Please let me know if this rings any bells to anyone.
With best wishes
James,
You are right. Your uncle Toby did work at De Havillands as did my Dad, Bert Palmer. They were great friends. We lived at 39, Newfields throughout the war. Both Toby, or Spud as he was often known to friends, worked long hours during the war at the aircraft factory producing the Mosquito planes. Sometimes they stayed at the factory for up to 72 hours at a stretch. Toby was a lovely man. He and his wife had two daughters. I remember one being named Isobel. I was ten years old when the war ended. I can still see Toby and Dad studying form before filling in their football pools coupons. Brian Palmer
Just found this site and it has brought back many memories of my visit to WGC. My Aunt and Uncle lived in Newfield (Number 2) I was only 9yrs old and never been out of Scotland at the time, thought it was a wonderful place, and strangely enough 50 yrs later I found myself reminiscing about the place. My Uncles name was Toby Murphy and I believe he worked at the Dehaviland factory.
Mr & Mrs Wentworth lived for many years at No.1 Newfields. Jack Wentworth worked at De Havillands post war so may also have been engaged there on war work. My parents lived in Newfields during that period and also took in an evacuee (a girl called Rose) so I think the twins would have been part of an official allocation of children brought out from London to avoid the bombing. The Wentworths were long term residents in Newfields and had two boys of their own from the late 1940s early 1950s. Jack Wentworth later had a greengrocery/fruiterer business run by his eldest son, firstly in Hatfield and later in Hertford. My mother was sent a crested scroll signed by HM Queen (later Queen Mother) thanking her for helping with the evacuation. Presumably Mrs Wentworth would also have had one. The photo is taken in their back garden in Newfields.