Midhurst WW2 Memoirs Publications

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The Midhurst WW2 Memoirs Project 

This long term project was documenting the life and times during WW2 of the Midhurst Rural District of West Sussex. Its story line comes from the memories of a young evacuee there from London. His own story line is used as the thread for the many remarkable and unexpected, back stories of the times.

WW2 was the most traumatic period for the Midhurst District. Change was major as the impact of the war took hold locally. The aim of the project was to leave a consolidated record of that period. To do that it was first necessary to pull together the knowledge that is already available for the prior 2000 year old  history of the rural Midhurst District. That foundation was needed to appreciate its place in things. One evacuee’s story is just one face of the story. It is used as the story-line on which the much larger back-story is threaded as the war progressed.

A collection of some 200 printed books and leaflets has been assembled as the project’s hard copy research base. These all have relevance to Midhurst events and objects.  Dating back decades, and only being in print, they are unlikely to ever be converted into digital files. The intention, when the project ends, is to gift these to the Midhurst Town as a local reference resource for use by future generations.

Lists of figures and an index, are included for each volume. The e-book versions can be searched to find topics but they do not copy out. 

The No1 Balloon Centre book details are covered in its own  page here,

Midhurst WW2 Memoirs: The Evacuee’s Story. Peter H Sydenham. Published 2018.

Some people wanted only a short guide to the evacuee's   time there,

This is the companion guide to the Midhurst WW2 Memoirs series of 4 books. It gives the main points of the personal story and then describes the follow-on from that event and how the books are being developed. The book publication ideas, p41 on,  are now out of date.

46 pp. 21 colour and 9 B&W images. 150 x 234mm x 3mm 

Contents

Abstract

What Luck - I got Midhurst  illustrated presentation

What the Lecture Started

The Book Series (as envisaged in early 2018!)

Book 1. Midhurst WW2 Memoirs: 1. A Place Close to My Heart. Peter H Sydenham. Published 2018

Midhurst, West Sussex is a small English town, much awarded for its natural beauty. During WW2 it was awakened from rural slumber when overrun with troops and evacuees. This series of 4 books, covers its WW2 life and times. It uses the author’s evacuee memories to guide the reader through many, previously untold, local back stories of that time. There having been no comprehensive history of the Midhurst district, most of Book 1 presents the pre-war 1000 yr history  giving a solid foundation for the project.

374 pp. 50 colour, 140 B&W pictures. 150 x 234mm x 25mm 

Contents

Midhurst WW2 Memoirs:  Introduction

1 Journeys Begin

2 Shaping Up

3 Good Outcome

4 Religious Influences

5 Catholics Lose Out

6 Under New Management

7 Unlocking Lives 

8 Freedom to Move

9 Poverty: A Crime You Did Not commit.

10 Man of 'Golden Deeds'

11 Improving the Quality of life

12 Haphazard Path to Beauty

13 Pre-war Lives

14 All Paths Lead to Midhurst

Book 2. Midhurst WW2 Memoirs: 2. ‘Evil’ Rising: ‘Good’ Awakening  Peter H Sydenham. Published August 2020.

This second book deals with formation of WW2. It did not just happen. 

It answers many questions; ‘who caused the war?’ Who were the Good and the Evil countries, and what were their long-term aims? Who resisted the Evil elements and what was their build up to the war over the last half of the 1930s? What kind of negative effects took place globally? Where were the Nazis in Britain before war on Germany was declared by Britain?

This book looks at how the people in Midhurst District reacted. Where were the wealthy estates? How did the growing presence of another war effect daily lives. What did families experience?

How did the British Government react being the most World’s most powerful, but declining, nation?

578 pp, 154 colour, 140 B&W pictures. 156 x 234mm x 25mm

Contents 

1 Storm Clouds are Forming

2 Nazi Germany; the First Arch enemy of Britain

3 Others of the Evil Camp

4 The Good's Responds

5 The Allies

6 War Approaches

7 Persons without Essentials

8 Money Makes the World go Around

9 Glimpses of a Then Possible Future 

10 Midhurst Life with War Imminent

11 Where the 'Other Half' lived in the District

12 Entertainment and Sport         

13 Some Local Memories

14 War Begins in Britain

Midhurst WW2 Memoirs: 3. Lowest Times (1940-1943)   Peter H Sydenham. Published August 2023.

Hitler was building his Third Reich. Inhumanity and antisemitism became the Nazi norm. Britain hastened onto a war-footing – sent BEF to France, asked Canada for caretaker troops, evacuated children from bombing, set-up personal air raid protection, started rationing, and created the Home Guard. 

Occupation would have been unendurable; imaginary life under Nazi rule is explored.

When London was bombed in 1940, Peter was moved to Midhurst. 

Being isolated geographically, Midhurst suffered little real hardship until Petworth and Midhurst were bombed. 

He then went to live with his mother in rural Easebourne, an exciting adventure playground.

484 pp. 280 colour and B&W pictures. 150x 234mm x 25mm   Local price £15. On online with delivery around £23. e-book version available. www.midhurstmemoirs.com for direct ordering from Peter Sydenham.

Contents

1 Rapid Preparedness

2 Evacuation of Children

3 Personal Memories of Wartime.

4 Dunkirk and Summer of 1940

5 Battle of Britain Begins

6 London Blitz

7 343 St Ann’s HillBillet

8 Occupation by Nazis

9 Enemy Activity in Sussex 

10 Midhurst Town a Target

11 Fund Raising

12 Time in Easebourne 

Midhurst WW2 Memoirs: 4 Hard Ending (1944 - 1950).  Peter H Sydenham. Published May 2025.

The military strength of the Allies increased when the US formally joined in early 1942. During 1943 an Allied front had opened into Southern Italy. Hitler’s leadership was slowing the German’s progress. The Allied sea-based invasion from England took place on D-Day 6 June 1944.

German forces in Europe were then on a hard fought, slow retreat.

Midhurst experienced several days of military movement to reach the departure points along the Southern Coast. Reports came in about the severe battles period, and the atrocities carried out by the Germans. Hitler revived his hate sending V1 and V2 rockets onto London. There was not to be a rapid surrender of the Nazi regime.

German forces and cities were bombed, and otherwise, were slowly overcome by the Allied forces. Victory in Europe VE day came on 8 May 1945. The Japanese gave up on VJ day 15 August 1945.

The aftermath in Germany was horrfic. Living conditions were so bad for them with everything decimated and employment difficult. It took decades for the World to get over WW2.

Peace was not as great as people had dreamt about over the war years!

456pp. 163 colour, 146 B&W pictures,

156 x234 xmm x 30mm

Contents  

1 Summary of Events to Date

2 Red Lion Street Home

3 All Around the World

4 D-Day Develops

5 D-Day at Last

6 Adrian Hill and the Sani.

7 World Events

8 Dad’s Bad Luck

9 Midhurst After D-Day

10 Restoration and New Horizons