Our project identified five obvious areas of interest in the war locally. These were the arrival of the evacuees, the homefront, the bombings, the Raf in training and the arrival of American forces.

The Evacuees.
At the beginning of the War nearly three million people were transported from towns and cities to places of safety in the countryside. Most were schoolchildren,
The exodus from the cities was largely successful. However many of the receiving areas were overwhelmed. In some cases there were insufficient rations or even beds!
In Torbay evacuees were made as welcome as possible. Local schools swelled from the huge influx of children. Older children helped with the war effort, for example by working on the allotments. At Christmas time parties were held in such places as St Marychurch Town Hall. Gradually the new arrivals were assimilated into the local population.
Parents gave instructions to their children: 'Don't complain,' 'Grin and bear it,' 'Look after your sister,' 'Write home as soon as you can.'

The Bombings
The first raids to hit Torbay took place in the summer of 1940, while the last were in late 1944. Most were carried out by small fighter aircraft such as the Focke-Wulf 190 rather than by heavy bombers. On these “Tip and Run” raids they would fly in low over the sea and quickly drop their bombs. Their firepower wasn’t great but nevertheless over the course of the war a great deal of damage was done in Torbay.
In fact about 168 people lost their lives, 158 more were seriously wounded, and 332 were injured. A total of 137 buildings were destroyed and over 13000 were damaged.

The Homefront
At home, rationing encouraged ingenious cooking, eg mock, pineapple made from cooked turnip! Many people would supplement their diet with home grown vegetables, and once the Americans arrived there was always the chance of a ration pack!
In 1940 Lord Beaverbrook became Minister for Aircraft Production. He quickly mobilised the public to collect money and materials to build more aeroplanes. One outcome was probably the disappearance of pots and pans from houses all around Torbay as they were collected in to stores in Paignton and Vaughne Parade Torquay.

The RAF in Torbay
Over the course of the war some 50,000 cadets passed through basic training in Torbay. Local hotels provided accommodation and sites across the Bay became offices and classrooms. The Spanish barn at Torre Abbey became a gym.

American Forces.
America was reluctant to get involved in another European War but eventually after Pearl Harbour on 7th December 1941 they became fully committed.
In spring 1944 preparations for the invasion of France began. More than 60,000 US infantrymen and 35,000 seamen moved into Devon. In Torbay huge convoys began to arrive, directed by white helmeted military police,- “snowdrops”. Many of the men were quickly billeted in local homes while others remained in camps in the local parks. Communal canteens were also set up on open ground such as on the Green at Chelston.
Generally the Americans were known to be more well off than their English counterparts. They had plentiful rations and even had their own supermarket in the old coach station in Torwood Road. Most Americans spread their good fortune, handing out chocolate and gum to local children and helping others with spare rations.