When the Second World War was declared in September 1939,
Northamptonshire was better prepared for the years that followed than it
had been twenty-five years earlier. Lessons had been learned from the
First World War, and people were far more aware of the impact modern
warfare could have on their lives. Through film, press and radio, they
were able to monitor the events in Europe in a way unprecedented by any
previous generation, which led to a greater understanding of world
politics and a realization that the rise to power of Adolf Hitler would
have predictable repercussions. So, when Prime Minister Neville
Chamberlain addressed the nation after Germanys armies had invaded
Poland, war, for many, had already become inevitable.
But what exactly did this mean to the people of Northamptonshire, and
how did they react to the threat of invasion? What were the consequences
of the conflict on the Home Front? How did Northamptonshire's towns and
villages function through six years of grinding warfare? These
questions, and many others, are examined and answered in the pages of
this book.
This is the story of those who were there; the people who never accepted
the possibility of defeat, who coped with rationing, blackouts,
conscription and aerial bombardment, and then welcomed London's evacuees
and greeted the American Air Force with open-armed hospitality.
Using military events as a background, this book relates
Northamptonshire's story, from the parts played in the war effort by the
shoe industry, the Northamptonshire Regiment, the Home Guard, the ARP
and to, of course, the people.
