Guide to World War Two Records Cover illustration: From a page of The Engineer, 6 June 1941 (D/EX1800/2) Berkshire Record Office 9 Coley Avenue Reading RG1 6AF Tel 0118 937 5132 Fax 0118 937 5131 Email
[email protected] www.berkshirerecordoffice.org.uk Using this Guide This is a guide to the sources we have at the Berkshire Record Office on World War 2. It is divided into the following sections: Air Raid Precautions (ARP)/Civil Defence Organisation Bombing Raids Evacuation Scheme Home Front Home Guard Remembrance The guide is arranged by place for towns and villages throughout Berkshire. Records that are not place-specific are grouped under ‘Berkshire’ at the beginning of each section. At LMA means the documents are at the London Metropolitan Archives and are not held at BRO. The reference listed after each entry is the document reference to quote if you would like to see that specific record. (Please note that some references are for more than one item). If you have any questions, just ask staff for advice. If you would like to visit us to carry out your research, please email or call us to make an appointment. See our Planning Your Visit leaflet for further information. Who Did What? During wartime many emergency functions were run by the Government. The two most important local councils in Berkshire at the time were Berkshire County Council and Reading Corporation, which were responsible for effecting emergency orders. These principal councils either carried out the orders themselves or delegated them to the other borough or district councils.