People

Local people have contributed their memories and stories to this project.  Some have shared with us a first-hand account of their wartime experiences in Tilty and neighbouring villages – Duton Hill, Great Easton, Little Easton and Broxted.  Others have written of the experiences of their parents or families during the Second World War.

Their stories and reports may be found below – click on the link below to open a new page.

Tilty and neighbouring villages:

Tom CowellTiltyAged fourteen at the start of the war, Tom was called up a week after his 18th birthday in 1942
Florence DanielsDuton Hill
Barbara De ‘AthTiltyBarbara was born after the war, but her parents were evacuated to Tilty, and she tells their story
Cecile DownTiltyThe daughter of the wartime vicar of Tilty, Cec was only two when the war began
Bon HarrisonDuton HillEight years old at the start of the war, Bon and his family were evacuated to Duton Hill
Shirley HoldenLittle EastonShirley and her sister, Bab Staines, were small children during the war, and evacuees in Little Easton
John PerryLittle EastonJohn was almost nine years old at the start of the war, and living with his family in Little Easton
David PickfordGreat EastonBorn in 1932, David was almost eight years old when the war started
Vernon StoneDuton HillBorn in Duton Hill, and a year old when the war started; childhood memories of wartime village life
Violet TippitTiltyViolet and her family were evacuees, who lived at Tilty Vicarage during the war
Barbara WatsonLittle EastonFour years old at the start of the war, Barbara’s family lived in Cherry Street, Tilty
The Home GuardGreat Easton, BroxtedPhotographs of local Home Guard, provided by Alf Wright

 

Further afield:

Roy BlackwellThree years old when war broke out; evacuated to Henham, then Elsenham, currently lives in Little Easton
Mike LongmanAged two at start of war; currently lives in Little Cambridge – demonstrates use of child’s gas-mask found in attic
Iris SpearmanLived in Epping during the war; wartime diary contributed by her daughter (Jane Pedley) who lives in Tilty
John StevensFather served with R.A.F. in Sicily; currently lives in Tilty
Linda WhiteFather served with Essex regiment; currently lives in Tilty