Let Thrift shopping thrive in 25!

beanielou

C_J said:

@Rosa_Damascena - I am very interested in the Sarah Helm book too! A person (long deceased now) in my family tree had told people she was in the SOE, arrested in France and interrogated at 84 Avenue Foch in Paris (the headquarters of the counter intelligence branch of the SS) then sent off to Ravensbrueck. However I can find nothing to corroborate this. There is an academic project at one of the Universities in Germany, and they are transcribing whatever records are still available, the website is interesting - https://www.ravensbrueck-sbg.de/en/history/1939-1945/

I have read a lot about the concentration camps & the books about the SOE agents, particularly the women. Also the amazing work that was done by those at Bletchley Park. It haunts me what happened to Alan Turing. 

I would have been straight to the gas chambers as a disabled person. 

sammy_kaye18

@beanielou
Also have a strange fascination with concentration camps and my great grandfather was held at a camp in Italy as a POW during WW2. He was held in Hut 9 in Campo PG 82 which is just south of a little Tuscan town called Laterina in Italy. I actually have a small card that he was allowed to send home (about the size of a credit card) and that was all the information he could send and then a document from an allied force who had given him clothing when he had managed to escape. it was from the Allied Screening Commission on July 18, 1947 (ill always remember that date as my birthday is July 17th but some years later!) It also gives me the names of the men who helped my grandfather. Id love to be able to track their families down but have no idea where to start! 

Brie

sammy_kaye18 said:

Id love to be able to track their families down but have no idea where to start! 

There's an MSEer that often talks on the Decluttering forum about the work she is doing on historical records in, I think, Switzerland.  You might ask her on doing research long distance as she's in California.  (weenancyinAmerica)
Alternative - there's an Italians in London group on FaceBook.  I don't know anything about it but if they are as helpful as those on Canadians in the UK group it's possible they might know someone who knows someone.....Or you could simply try dropping the names into FB search or even googling and see if you can link to someone still in that area with the same last name.

Meanwhile - I enjoyed reading Blond China Doll a few years back.  Filled in a big gap in my WW2 knowledge.  It's an autobiography written by the woman, Hannelore Headley, who ran my favourite book shop in my home town of St Catharines.  It tells the story of her family fleeing Germany and ending up in Shanghai for the war before eventually moving to Canada.  It's not great literature but it was interesting and made me wonder why I had never considered how she, with a pronounced German accent still, ended up living where she did.    

A Sad Goodbye To One Of Niagara’s Greatest Lovers Of Books | Niagara At Large

C_J

@sammy_kaye18 - I found this website which may be a good starting point, perhaps you could message the site's creator?

We've gone a bit off topic concerning chazzers, haven't we? I wonder if there would be any appetite for a family history thread?

Floss

C_J said:

@sammy_kaye18 - I found this website which may be a good starting point, perhaps you could message the site's creator?

We've gone a bit off topic concerning chazzers, haven't we? I wonder if there would be any appetite for a family history thread?

Almost certainly - is there already one in another forum area?

SandyShores

Floss said:

C_J said:

@sammy_kaye18 - I found this website which may be a good starting point, perhaps you could message the site's creator?

We've gone a bit off topic concerning chazzers, haven't we? I wonder if there would be any appetite for a family history thread?

Almost certainly - is there already one in another forum area?

I'd love to join a family history / family tree thread or forum.  I've done a bit of researching but its easy to go down a rabbit hole and get lost.  I'm not too bad going back to great grandparents, but finding it very difficult to pinpoint great greats especially with a very common name.  

weenancyinAmerica

If you find or start one, I would love to take part. I started my family history back in 1962. I have been doing it professionally since 1974. Basically retired in 2015 but been working on it ever since. @sammy_kaye18 - are the people you looking for Italian who helped him escape or from elsewhere? You might want to check the family histories already on Ancestry.com (free at the Family History Centres) for the surnames. Some of the family histories include stories so you could see if any of the people were near that part of Italy. A lot of units have written their own histories also. Good luck with your research.

Brie

Trying to track down a suitable place to set up a new ancestry thread - will report back asap.

sammy_kaye18

Sorry for taking us off topic. 

Anyway back to the chazzers - went into today but nothing great to report. Debated whether to buy another book but figured it would just get added to the bottom of my TBR pile so left it. 

Did pick up two little nail varnishes though for 25p each in a pretty sunflower yellow and a lilac which I plan to send to my friend in a little cheer up gift for her and then £1 on a small reel of solar powered fairy lights. 

sammy_kaye18

C_J said:

@sammy_kaye18 - I found this website which may be a good starting point, perhaps you could message the site's creator?

We've gone a bit off topic concerning chazzers, haven't we? I wonder if there would be any appetite for a family history thread?

Yes I have that website and that is the camp but I couldnt see any contact details. 
I will try looking on Ancestry.com like @w@weenancyinAmerica siggested. 

And Yes @weenancyinAmerica they are italian.