Mayblooms and Cherrybobs Oral History Project: Air Raids and the War Years

Air Raids and the War Years The shock of the First World War impelled Hawthorn's residents to join forces and prepare for the worst together. Amidst rationing and suburb-wide blackouts, the community united with the Red Cross to help the war efforts - knitting socks, sending parcels, and constructing splints in the basement of the Hawthorn Town Hall. Listen to the residents' stories as they reflect on the sentiment of the time during the World Wars and the Hawthorn Town Hall's role in uniting a community together. Participants Ernest Dixon Mabel Holzer Walter Jona Archibald MacDonald Mary Sutherland Violet Turner Roy Tabe InterviewersJohn Hill Rene Papas Marianne Pierce Please consider the conversations in these recordings are of the time and contain themes of war, violence and mental health. Parental guidance is recommended for those 12 years and under. Image - Camberwell A.R.P. Sector B/10, 1942. Group photograph showing Air Raid Protection volunteers with helmets.