On this 80th anniversary of D-Day, we remember those who fought on the beaches and in the skies over Normandy in what is widely regarded as the beginning of the end of World War II.
The First and Second World Wars were still fresh in the memories of the people interviewed for the Survey of English Dialects (SED) in the 1950s and 60s, with rationing still in place until 1954. While some of those interviewed for the SED were exempt from conscription because they were farmers or coal miners, 129 of them served in the First World War, called the Great War by the fieldworkers who made notes on the informants’ lives.
In this article, we’ll be sharing some of the poignant stories and memories captured by the Survey, offering a glimpse into the lives of those who experienced the war years first-hand.
