| Level | Series |
| Reference Number (click to see whole series/group) | 15A13/15 |
| Extent | 148 items containing 525 photographs |
| Title | IMAGES OF WORLD WAR 2 EVACUATION |
| Date | 1939 - 1945 |
| Admin History | By 1937 it was recognised within the Bank that war would be inevitable. Due to a perceived increase in the threat of air raids, preparations were made to evacuate sections of the Bank away from London. By the time war was declared on 3rd September 1939, the Bank had put into motion its plans to evacuation departments to Staffordshire and Hampshire. The departments remained away from London until the war had ended. While away from London many of the staff provided voluntary labour to local farmers and to cultivating land which the Bank had leased, with the food grown provided to the staff canteen. The sites which the Bank used were:
Trentham Park and Barlaston Hall, Staffordshire: Trentham Park was used by the Central Clearing House as well as the Bank's Bill Office. The Dividend Accounts Office and part of the Dividend Pay Office moved to nearby Barlaston Hall in order to be near the Clearing House.
Overton: A site was acquired here for the printing works and the Dividend Preparation Office. It was near to the paper mill which supplied paper for banknotes in order to make the process of banknote printing more efficient.
Hurstbourne: The mansion at Hurstbourne Priors was leased by the Bank to provide accommodation for workers in the Accountant's department and some from the Establishment department. Hurstbourne Camp was built nearby to provide work space and further accommodation. There were eventually around 50 buildings in the camp over a space of 7 acres, which included a large office block of 50,000 sq. feet, 16 sleeping huts, catering and domestic offices and a canteen.
Whitchurch: Further accommodation was provided for staff in leased property and in local homes in Whitchurch. In particular, the Yews and the Lawn were leased for staff of the Dividend Preparation Office.
Foxdown: Foxdown House was leased by the Bank for £1 a day throughout the war. Foxdown Camp was built later than the others once it became clear that more space was needed, and eventually it consisted of 11 sleeping huts, a canteen, a recreation room, a sick bay and 20 other buildings.
[Source: 'A Domestic History of the Bank of England 1930-1960' by Elizabeth Hennessy] |
| Description | This series includes images showing Bank departments' evacuation to sites in Hampshire and Staffordshire during the Second World War. The images show all aspects of life including offices, accommodation, recreation, the local area, agricultural work and animal husbandry, home guard and ARP training and medical centres. Some of the images also include Montagu Norman's visit to Hampshire in 1941. |
| Related Material | See 4A40/2 for further photographs taken at Hurstbourne. See 15A13/1/4 for images of wartime activities and adaptations at Threadneedle Street during the Second World War, and 15A13/8/3 for images of Roehampton. |
| YearOpen | 2017 |
| Preservica_Universal_URL | http://boe.access.preservica.com/archive/sdb:collection|8a451ec1-fe47-4cc5-b21c-fdebd2ab7d94/ |