AT a recent meeting of Thurrock Local History Society, the first of the season, members welcomed back museum curator Michelle Savage, who gave an insight into WW2 through the eyes of Thurrock people, acknowledging the work done by various museum volunteers, who are still doing further research.

Her talk was based on a diary and stories from members of the public and objects donated, also Thurrock Goes to War by Roger Reynolds and Jonathan Catton.

Michelle began with a diary kept by Barbara Halls, a teenager at the start of the war, writing about preparations for war, including the issue of gas masks.

Grays swimming pool and the beach were closed, with blackout regulations enforced. Some friends were evacuated from Tilbury to Great Yarmouth. She described air battles as 'thrilling' and searched wreckage for 'finds'.

Women also searched for parachute silk, turning it into nightdresses and wedding dresses. Some even struck up friendships with German prisoners of war. Barbara was an avid cinema-goer – a bomb fell behind the cinema and her house windows were shattered.

Germany targeted large towns and cities, Thames Haven was hit, Thurrock being a target using the Thames as a guide. There was much destruction of homes, buildings and factories across Thurrock.

Michelle told members about several local men and women who served in the war, some of whom are included in this report.

Chadwell-born Peter Tunstall joined the RAF, was captured in the Netherlands after a forced landing and eventually interred at Colditz.

He was told that your first duty is to try to escape, which he did. He sent secret notes written on tracing paper, hidden between two photographs and was court martialled five times. He became an actor and published his memoirs in 2014.

The SS Lunula

In April 1941 the SS Lunula hit a mine at Thames Haven Wharf and was on fire for five days.

Coalhouse Fort was resurrected. Wrens were situated there, doing degaussing work (electrical current cancelling out ship's magnetic field, thus avoiding mines), using semaphore or morse code to attract ships for degaussing.

They were billeted in the Old Vicarage. When one held a birthday celebration there the landlord was in his coffin! Leading Wren Christine Lamb was awarded with the Legion d-honneur on the 80th Anniversary commemoration in 2025.

Bert Lee was in Egypt in 1941, serving with the Dessert Rats. After Pearl Harbor was attacked America joined the war and were involved in the Far East. George Croft was sent to Singapore, forced to surrender and sent to Thailand for work in the infamous Thai Burma Railway.

Sadly he died of cholera in 1943. Lucy Butter studied at Palmers, became a nurse and served in Hong Kong. She was sent to a crowded prison camp and formed a committee. It was not until 1944 that her parents received their first news of her.

On 4 February 1944 the Blitz ended and Thurrock morale was high. The Tilbury Hotel was bombed, but only one person died - the bell was salvaged.

Thurrock played a pivotal part in D-Day preparations (Operation Overlord on 6 June 1944). Parts of PLUTO (Pipe Line Under the Ocean) were constructed at Tilbury and towed Mulberry Harbour. This supplied fuel for military vehicles in France, also fresh water for the troops.

War on the Western front was over on 8 May 1945, but not in the Far East. After the USA dropped two atomic bombs on Japan they surrendered on 15 August 1945 – VJ Day. However, there were many men still in prison camps, awaiting reunion with their families.

Michelle gave members a very informative and well-researched talk, bringing back sad memories for many who were present.

The next meeting is on Friday, 17 October at St John's Church Hall, Victoria Avenue, Grays.

The meeting will start with an Extraordinary General meeting at 7.30pm, followed by a talk on The History of Gunpowder and the Purfleet Royal Gunpowder Magazines by Paul Housnell and Jeff Skillman – visitors are welcome.