PARKS AT WAR: LONDON, 1939-1945.

London, England is a favorite tourist destination that draws visitors with its rich beauty, history, art, theatre, shopping, dining, pubs, and friendly citizens. Perhaps one of its most noteworthy attributes is ifs numerous national and local governance parks that are sprinkled throughout London proper and surrounding boroughs. Even during the periods of accelerated growth following the Second World War and England's relaxed immigration policy, the citizens of London and their leaders resist the temptation to consume parklands and commons to ease the need for housing space. Along with its many other unique qualities is the sense of pride and reverence demonstrated by London citizens for their parks and commons. Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens Park, Green Park, St. George's Park, Battersea Park, St. James's Park, Wandsworth Common, Tooting Common and other parks and commons are central in the daily lives of London area citizens. When a Royal Parks official was asked to explain the reverent Spirit of Londoners towards their parks and commons, she answered that perhaps the best explanation outside of the crowded living conditions is World War II.

THE WAR YEARS, 1939-1945, WERE YEARS OF UNSURPASSED DEVASTATION AND PERSONAL SUFFERING FOR BOTH THE ALLIES AND THE AXIS. Many of the major cities in Europe were heavily bombed, but few allied capital cities were more heavily bombed than London. Initially, the German Air Force, or Luftwaffe, bombed primary targets in and around London that were considered essential in conducting England's war efforts. Eventually, however, Hitler ordered the destruction of the city in order to demoralize its citizens and destroy the country's resolve to resist German invasion. Hitler thought that by forcing the British to surrender, he could acquire a base for even further world domination, and open a doorway leading to the absolute domain of the Western World. Over eighty thousand London area citizens died in the bombings, enduring 101 daylight and 253 night bombings.[1]

SINCE THE END OF THE WAR, HISTORIANS HAVE WRITTEN VOLUMES REGARDING NOT ONLY THE COURSE AND THE OUTCOME OF THE WAR, BUT OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS THAT LED TO THE FAILURE OF HITLER'S PLAN FOR THE DOMINATION OF THE WESTERN WORLD. Most would agree that with respect to the English, particularly the citizens of London, that Hitler grossly underestimated British resolve to resist and defend their homes and liberties. To those of us in the U.S., this spirit is significant. The failure to succumb to Hitler's onslaught not only delayed our entry into the war, giving us more rime to strengthen our fighting forces (which were still grossly inadequate upon our eventual entry), but it also guaranteed our military a land base from which to launch major offenses against the Nazis regime. Though the Lend Lease program was of significant assistance to the British, if is doubtful that Hitler could have occupied the island without sustaining substantial losses that may have permanently prevented his world conquest. Also, as one elderly war veteran remarked, "If he'd made it over, his lads wouldn't have wanted to stay long".

The significant role of London's parks in the war should not be underestimated. They were more than simple places to go to for escaping the realities of war. They helped feed families, provided a place to have a cup of tea and watch children being normal children, and gave us shelter during the air raids; their greenery was a pleasant change from the drab rubble of the bombings, and they were key to the defense of our homes.[2] The parks and commons also contributed to war production. One example is the day care program established in the borough of Wandsworth. To encourage married women with children to go to work, pre-school nurseries were provided. In July of 1942, the Battersea Council built temporary huts in Battersea Park and on Clapham Common. On average, these nurseries could take fifty children.[3]

The parks also played key roles in the waging of the war, other than freeing up women to replace male workers required for the armed forces. The parks and commons were key to the defense of the city. Many, if not most, had some form of defense activity, gun-sites, with light, heavy, and rocket batteries and anti-aircraft weapons. They were much in use by searchlight units.

Often parks would have one or more barrage balloons sited on them. Some had anti-tank ditches or obstacles, though they would have presented only a petty nuisance value to German armor. And some had radar and radio locations and sound listening devices, which looked like giant hearing aids mounted on turntables.[4]

Manufacturing war weaponry required a great deal of iron. One prime source was railing. Iron railings started to disappear, those from Battersea Park being some of the first to go.[5] The parks faced a new threat as railings were removed to turn into weapons or, more frequently, to lie for months in rusting and unsightly heaps. Work did not begin at Hyde Park till early December 1941; three miles of railing which it was thought would produce a thousand tons of scrap.[6]

The parks and commons were even key in combating espionage. London was frequently the first stop, and for some the final destination, of thousands of refugees from Occupied Europe. These individuals had to be assessed by counter-intelligence groups before being allowed into the general population or before immigration to the U.S., Canada, or other allied nations. In April 1941, a special center was set up at the Royal Victoria Patriotic Asylum on Wandsworth Common ... If there was the slightest suspicion about any refugee, they were sent to Wandsworth for further investigation.[7] Thirteen made the short trip across the roadway to Wandsworth Prison where they were executed for being German spies.

PARKS AND COMMONS ALSO PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN THE TRAINING OF CIVIL DEFENSE AND HOME GUARD PERSONNEL. Sizeable drills were held on Tooting Bec Common and on Clapham Common to prepare personnel for handling fires and other consequences of the bombings. These were held as early as 1939, before the bombing intensified. Prior to the Battle of Britain, Royal Air Force planes would pretend to drop incendiary bombs on the commons.[8]

As suggested earlier, the parks and commons played other essential roles during the war years, some which may not be seen as being directly related to the war. Yet conversations with survivors of that period suggest otherwise. In fact, one is left with the impression that it is these other roles, more than any other, that enabled the citizens of London to withstand Hitler's onslaught. Mr. Emory, Mr. Hedley, Mrs. Young, Mr. and Mrs. Batten, and others all mentioned that one of the key roles of the parks and commons was to feed citizens. This was accomplished by establishing allotments (garden plots) and a program known as "pig clubs". Early in the war, Hitler used his submarines rather effectively in cutting off both food and war material imports from around the world. This alone created a shortage of food, but the allotments were also critical to England's war waging efforts. The more food Londoners could raise, the less space aboard ship had to be taken up by food stuffs; leaving the space available for shipping of war material. The aim was to provide hall a million plots of land, which would eventually save 200,000 tons in cargo space.[9] The largest allotment in the borough of Wandsworth was in Battersea Park. It was four times the normal size and managed by a fireman from the Burns Road Fire Station. It is estimated that 6,000 of the approximately 30,000 allotments in the London area were in these parks. Even the gardens of Kensington Palace on the grounds of Kensington Gardens Park were turned into cabbage fields. Bushey Park had thirty acres under cultivation while Greenwich Park contributed four acres.[10] In truth, practically every park and common had allotments available to area citizens.

THE PARKS WERE USED FOR OTHER FORMS OF FARMING. PERHAPS THE MOST UNIQUE WERE THE PIG CLUBS. The first such pig farming cooperative was located in Wandsworth, but they soon sprang up in Battersea Park, King George's Park, Wimbledon Park, and in Hyde Park.[11] Typically, the pigs were sold for slaughter after six months, when the clubs would acquire more inhabitants for the sties. Though not as common place as the pigs, chickens and cows, sheep were frequently found to be feeding in the parks. Another popular park area, Kew Gardens, even devoted space for the raising of rabbits, pigeons, and bees.

Even with the confusion of the farming, barrage balloons, anti-aircraft guns, radar and listening stations, bomb shelters, and trenches, the local governance leaders and their park staff, as well as the Royal Parks personnel, were quite successful in their attempts to maintain some sense of normalcy amid the chaos of war. In 1942 the need for recreation was so great that it was announced that no more space would be made available in the royal parks for allotments. The significance of this announcement is realized when if is remembered that the citizens of London (and all of Britain) were rationing foodstuffs and clothing as long as nine years after the end of the war or until July, 1954. One survivor of the London bombings, Fred Emory, reported that without the parks and the recreation they provided, London citizens could not have maintained their sanity. He also stated that if nothing else, they gave people somewhere to go and relax and to forget the reality of war. Mr. Emory recalled one memorable trip to Tooting Bec Common, recounting the fear and excitement of being strafed by a Luftwaffe pilot, one flying so low that "I could see him smile." Nonetheless, even with the risk of being strafed or injured by indistriminate bombings or "doodlebug" (V1 rocket bombs) attacks, the parks and commons were still much safer and pleasant than huddling in shelters and cellars.

ADMINISTRATORS OF THE ROYAL AND BOROUGH PARKS ENDEAVORED TO PROVIDE A VARIETY OF RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THEIR PARKS. ?he parks were essential to London's "Holidays at Home" efforts. "Holidays at Home" was an effort to keep the citizens away from the coastal areas and to ease congestion in and around the invasion sites where D-Day preparations were underway. Another motive was to keep the capital a vibrant city, something thought to be critical for the successful waging of the war. To keep the city's work force productive, leaders realized that morale must be maintained and families kept together as much as possible. The parks and commons were key in this aim. Another goal, one even more essential to the successful conclusion of the war, was to maintain the morale of the hundreds of thousands of military personnel stationed in and around the London area, particularly the British and U.S. forces.

One of the most popular programs was the open-air dance, the majority of which were held in the royal and borough parks. A favorite performer was Fred Hedley and his band. Fred, a personal friend of such greats as Ted Heath, Stan Kenton, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and a frequent BBC performer himself, stated that he was frequently hired by the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the London County Council to perform in the parks for both military and civilian personnel. He reported that the dances were beneficial for him in other ways. As a member of the Home Guard and a resident of an area of London that was heavily bombed, he saw his performances as a way to personally escape the realities of the war and as another way to contribute to the war effort.

The citizens of London, as reported by Ziegler, had "a need to dance that above all consumed every level of London society" and the perceived safety of the parks and commons made the dances the most popular of the activities.[12] Elsie Young recalled "happy summer evenings in the parks listening to the bands."

After the initial months of the war, the decision was made to reopen the London Zoo, located on the northern edge of Regent's Park and the south end of Primrose Hill. Attending the zoo was a popular activity for London citizens, as demonstrated by the average daily attendance in August 1940 of 18,000.[13] There are reports that the chimpanzees were major contributors to the morale raising efforts and even more entertaining after languishing in the enforced solitude that was imposed during the brief closing of the zoo.

The London County Council and the borough councils organized a variety of recreational activities in the parks and commons and these efforts were not only supported by the MOD, but were viewed as essential to England's resistance to Hitler's aggression. In Wandsworth every open space had its fair or fete ... At King George's Park, athletic meetings were held as well as providing other sporting facilities.[14]

Perhaps one of best descriptions of the contributions made by the parks and commons of London is provided by Jacqueline McCabe in her 1992 dissertation addressing Battersea Park.

DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR MOST OPEN AREAS OF THE PARK WERE REQUISITIONED. The cricket grounds, football pitch, and hockey pitch were laid out as 32.182 acres of allotments, a piggery, and a barrage balloon site. There was a half- acre experimental radio station and trenches were dug on many of the game areas. The old horse ride was used as a dump for bomb debris and ambulances were parked on the Carriage Drives. The running track became an anti-aircraft gun site. There was also a day nursery built near the south boundary of the park to enable mothers to leave their children during the day and join the war effort.[15] The McCabe description and the personal recollections of Mr. and Mrs. Batten, Mr. Emory, Mr. Hedley, and Mrs. Young best explain the reverent and protective sentiments of the over 50 segment of the London citizenry, and perhaps their willingness to tolerate a level of taxation that most U.S. citizens would resist. Fortunately, U.S. citizens have never had to rely on their parks and open spaces to not only provide recreational services, but national defense, protection from aerial attack, and foodstuffs for the prevention of widespread starvation as well.

The London County Council and the MOD both realized the importance of recreation and parks, both directly and indirectly, in the defense of London and all of England. Taking steps to guarantee that even during the most intense periods of bombing and the rime of greatest threat of German invasion that the original intent of the parks and commons was not forgotten was a priority.

The youth of Britain thus inherited a rich heritage, one which current leaders of government are intent on preserving. Though most historians have not given the role of the parks and commons the attention they deserve, it is of little doubt that many would give Britain some credit for preventing Hitler from acquiring a base to mobilize towards the west. Even citizens of the U.S. should feel some sense of gratitude for the Nazi's being deprived of such a massive land base from which a prolonged and potentially devastating Atlantic campaign could have been waged. Hopefully when Americans visit London and take leisurely strolls through one of its many parks they will take a moment to pause and give thanks for the roles they played in preserving our way of life.

References:

[1.] Ziegler, P. London at War. London: Mandarin Paperbacks, 1996. P.337

[2.] Fred Emory. Personal Interview. October 1998.

[3.] Shaw, A. and J. Mills. We Served. Wandsworth Borough Council, 1989. P.42

[4.] Fred Emory. Personal Interview. October 1998.

[5.] Shaw and Mills. P. 18.

[6.] Ziegler. P. 182

[7.] Shaw and Mills. P.39.

[8.] Shaw and Mills. P. 12

[9.] Shaw and Mills. P.37.

[10.] Zielger. P.44.

[11.] Shaw and Mills. P.38

[12.] Ziegler. P.51

[13.] Ziegler. P.91

[14.] Shaw and Mills. P.44

[15.] McCabe, J. Battersea Park: An assessment of the condition of this nineteenth centry public park and a review of options for strengthening its historic character. Unpublished dissertation, 1992.

David Jewell is a professor and former chairperson of recreation and leisure studies at SUNY College at Brockport in New York. In his 20 years at Brockport, he has made numerous trips to England. During the fall of 1998, he spent time in the borough of Wandsworth and spent a part of his time interviewing survivors of the WWII bombings for his article "Parks at War" (p. 74). On previous trips, he noted the deep respect and reverence on the part of older British citizens with respect to their parks and commons. Jewell has also taken a number of his students to England for summer study programs and continues to work with Brockport's Office of International Education in addition to his duties in his department.