A fascinating pictorial insight into the second world war has been donated to the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust in memory of a former soldier.
Carol Ferguson donated her father Bob Waller’s much-loved six-volume War in Pictures, published by Odhams, in memory of the former Signalman who served in Egypt with the Royal Signals in the 1950s and died in August 2022, just short of his 88th birthday.
The six books give an illustrated insight into the progress of the war, one year per edition. The red leather covers are gold-blocked, and each volume comes in its own slip case, making this a remarkable addition to the Trust’s growing library of books about the Battle of Britain and the wider conflict.
Bob Waller grew up and lived in Hilliard Road in Northwood until he married Jean, Carol’s mother, in 1977. Carol commented: “In the Battle of Britain [Bunker] museum in Uxbridge, there is part of a world war two bomb and a map of where it dropped in Northwood – just a few doors down from the address in my dad’s books.”
She added: “Bob’s mum and dad had a shop in Northwood Hills High Street not far away from the house, which they owned for over 30 years. I never met my grandad on dad’s side, but Daisy, Bob’s mum, worked in service as a young woman and then worked in the shop once they were married. Grandad was a spotter and fireman during the war and served on top of St Paul’s Cathedral.
“I have always lived in Hillingdon and went to school at St Andrews as an infant and we often were taken across the road to the camp and I especially loved looking at the Spitfire at the front.
“In later years I met a friend at secondary school whose dad, Fred Thomson, was a trumpet player in the RAF Band and was usually at the Remembrance Day parades and other official ceremonies with the Royal Family.”
The books will be treasured by the Trust and contain some interesting social history, including typewritten order forms which were sent to the buyer with each volume encouraging the reader to send off for the next one.
In memory of Robert Clive Waller, 05/09/1934 – 09/08/2022.
