Tape 192
This talk was given at a meeting of the Witham History Group on 13 May 2002.
Fred Nash’s talk was about the Archaeology of the Second World War in Essex and Witham.
He was then the Military Archaeologist at Essex County Council.
The original recording of this talk is held at the Essex Sound and Video Archive. To listen to the recording, please contact them at ero.enquiry@essex.gov.uk or 033301 32500.
Not transcribed.
Dear Witham History Society My name is Donald (Don) Morrison and I lived in Witham from just after birth to the year 2000 when I had to move to Norfolk for family reasons at the age of 52. I have written my life story most of which is about my time living and working in the Witham and local area. I still have many family members living in Witham as well as many friends. I would have to edit my life story for publication but wondered if it would be of interest to the society. The time frame is between the early 1950’s up to 1999. The other thing that I wonder if you would be interested, probably more than my story, is trying to put faces to names on the Witham war memorial. I have four relatives whose name appears and I could give you photographs and some personal history on them. (Lest we forget).
Hello Don
Thank you for getting in touch. You’ve done well to write your life story – so many people intend to do so but never get round to it.
The Witham History Group is not meeting at the moment. When it does, it has monthly talks of an hour or more, on a range of historic subjects, but as many local ones as possible.. Would you be interested in giving a talk – I am sure they would love it. I’ve no idea when we’ll start meeting again, nor how many speakers, if any, are already on the list. But I could give your details to the Secretary (maybe you could send me contact info.)
It would certainly be very interesting to have details of your relatives from the War.
Memorial, thank you, especially if it would be OK for me to put them on my website.
Just one query – you didn’t live near Hatfield Road, by any chance ? It’s just that there is a bit of a discussion on Facebook about a ruined house that the kids used to play in while the estate was being built in the late 1960s or 1970. Apparently it wasn’t Ivy Chimneys, or Ivy Chimneys Cottages, or Witham Lodge. It’s not on any maps. Just a long shot !