THE TOWN OF KETTERING
Nestled away in Northamptonshire, the town of Kettering has an ancient history, tracing back to a Romano-British settlement in the 1st Century A.D. The modern town rose to prominence thanks to the Industrial Revolution, becoming a center of the boot and shoe industry and the construction of major railway connections.
The country-side is dotted with many regal manors and estates, including the renowned 17th century Boughton House, its French architectural design earning it the title “The English Versailles”.
Today, Kettering remains a prosperous town with a population of 53,229. The continued improvement of railway makes it a popular home for London commuters.
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LIFE IN BRITAIN DURING WORLD WAR II
In the opening years of the war, Britain had faced down a devastating onslaught of German air raids during “The Blitz”, killing over 32,000 civilians. But, contrary to Hitler’s intent to break the morale of the British people, the attacks united the nation against a common enemy. With the help of new radar technology, the Royal Air Force successfully fought back the Luftwaffe, preventing a Nazi land invasion of Britain.
For the people of England throughout the remainder of the war, blackouts, air raid drills and rationing were part of the daily routine.
“There was the blackout to contend with - there were no street lights, house windows had blackout curtains, shop windows were unlit, no advertising signs were lit, the buses and trams had the windows almost covered except for a small round hole so you could see where you were and the lighting was subdued which also applied to the trains. Any vehicles that were allowed to run (petrol was rationed to only essential use) had to have masks on the lights which made driving at night hazardous”.- Don Hibbard
Over 1.5 million American troops arrived in England, starting in 1942. With average salaries more than five times that of a British soldier and no living expenses, the Americans quickly gained reputations for throwing parties and spending extravagantly, a boon to an economy damaged by war. Such social activities hastened the spread of new musical styles such as blues and jazz, and would ultimately lead to nearly 70,000 weddings between British women and American soldiers.
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FASCISM IN BRITAIN
Britain was not immune from the wave of fascism that sept over Europe in the decades before World War 2. Led by the young politician Sir Oswald Mosley, the British Union of Fascists was founded in 1932 and initially faced sizeable popular support, claiming up to 50,000 members and the early support of the Daily Mail. As it grew in extremism and increasingly violent attacks on protestors, support waned, with the parties death knell proving its ties to the Nazi Party once war broke out.
After the outbreak of war, the BUF was formally banned and many of its leaders, including Mosley himself, were arrested. Many remaining party members continued to exist as interior threats to the war effort, seeking to spy and sabotage on behalf of the Nazis. But not all was as it seemed. Recently declassified Security Service files reveal an operation
