Whilst Leicester itself suffered some bombing during the War, the University College was spared. Despite this good fortune, preparations for potential bombing needed to be put in place, to try and keep those who lived and worked in the University College safe if the worst were to happen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This involved practical changes to the structure of the buildings; developing safe locations that could be used as air raid shelters, often requiring the reinforcing of walls (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/ARP). The archive contained a sample of black-out material, as black-out curtains were created and fitted, and heating was introduced to the basement underneath the Domestic Science Hostel so that it could serve as a refuge (ULA\/AD\/H2\/4\/5). The equipment records of the University College record the fitting of Air Raid Bells (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/ESEQ\/6), and provisioning of shelters.
Lists of fire watchers were drawn up (ULA\/ADM\/4\/2\/FWS) consisting of staff and student volunteers. Insufficient staff could be found to cover college holidays, and occasionally individuals were found to be absent from their posts. Despite this, when the call went out for volunteers to serve shifts at local primary schools (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/ARP), helping to evacuate were it to become necessary, many people signed up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This eagerness to help can also be seen in correspondence from F.L. Attenborough (ULA\/AD\/A8\/1A) \u2013 His son David wished to enlist in the A.A. Battery of the Home Guard. However, this request was refused by F.L. Attenborough, both because David needed to study for his exams, and because he would then go away to university. Despite all the preparations made, Leicester was itself much less badly affected than several other areas of the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Considered a relatively safe location, various groups found themselves evacuated to Leicester. Initial plans to relocate University College Hull (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/HULL\/1940) were abandoned after a rapid flurry of cost estimates, but students from King\u2019s College of Household and Social Science were evacuated to Leicester, sharing the University\u2019s premises (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/KCHSS) for six years. (For more information on this please see this exhibition<\/a> hosted by King’s College London). A number of refugee students also joined the college (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/R\/REF), many with reduced fees or free places. At the same time, courses were supplied for a range of soldiers from Canada and America (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/CAL, ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/CDA), alongside for the British Auxiliary Territorial Service \u2013 the women\u2019s branch of the Army (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/ATS). Generally such agreements seem to have gone well, although there was an issue with American soldiers regularly missing class as they had to \u201cbuy their cigarettes and candy from the U.S. Army\u2019s travelling store every other Thursday\u201d, a task which would often take the whole afternoon. Despite this, the courses appear to have been popular and well received. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Throughout the war, and in the years immediately following it, many items were rationed. Ensuring a working fire pump required requesting fuel from the Ministry of Fuel and Power (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/FGP), and a similar request was needed to heat the greenhouse (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/GRE). Paper supplies were also limited, with advertisements in newspapers being reworked and unnecessary words removed in order to try and fit within strict size limits, and with only limited repeats (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/Adv\/G\/2). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The supply of academic dress was also limited, as material for robes was in short supply (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/GOWN). Academic robes also initially needed clothing coupons \u2013 8 for a standard robe, and 32 for a Doctor\u2019s Robe and Hood. However, this was later relaxed, and therefore the only difficulty lay in ensuring a supply of the material. During this time, often orders were only partially fulfilled.\u00a0Meanwhile University railings were removed for the war effort (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/R\/RAI), leaving only those around the allotments in place. Much of the University’s green space was used to grow food (see poster below for Government encouragement to be self-sufficient). Damage to buildings could also cause problems in getting supplies, with some confusion over accounts held with Eyre & Spottiswoode publishers, as \u201cthe whole of (their) premises were destroyed by enemy action\u201d (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/E) and so it was unclear which of their orders had been fulfilled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the constant threat of bombs, new arrivals and limited resources, the University and individuals within it formed strong friendships during the war. F.L. Attenborough\u2019s private correspondence (ULA\/AD\/A8\/1A) reveals both his support for the Polish Children Rescue Fund, and his concern for securing a ballet scholarship for Helga Bejach (one of two Jewish refugee sisters taken in by the family). <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Typewritten](\"https:\/\/staffblogs.le.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/files\/2021\/03\/ULA_AD_A8_1_A14i-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a>Evacuations and Postings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The University College played host during the war to the BBC (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/BBC), with an aerial mast being constructed in the college grounds, and rooms being rented. Furthermore, the Station Director of the BBC took advantage of the wealth of knowledge surrounding him, arranging for talks by members of college staff (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/BBCT). Between 1942 and 1944, the University was also the host of Commandant R. Foulquies, the local Free French Representative. Far from the University being emptied by the hostilities, it ended up with a wide range of people calling it home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such was the demand for these courses, that often only limited numbers could be supplied. After the war, the college played host to returning accountants and others whose qualifications may have lapsed during the fighting (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/HVS\/1936). This helped local businesses resume their operations following the de-enlistment of their workers. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSupplies<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>
<\/h2>\n\n\n\nInternational Friendships<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There was also clear friendship between Attenborough and Captain Dawes of the American Forces, thanking him \u201cfor the two volumes of songs you have sent me. At the moment I am not sure whether I ought to be grateful or not because from early morning until late at night I am hearing about \u201cThe Cowboy who wanted to be buried on the Prairie\u201d or \u201cWho Done \u2018er Wrong\u201d\u201d (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/CDA). These gifts and connections between staff and their visitors show a sense of connection across countries. Both before and after the war, there were attempts to encourage students to spend time abroad \u2013 with discussion with Dr. Kurt Blohm of the Deutsh-Englischer Kreis regarding summer camps during1938, and a decade later the Foreign Office enquiring about the possibility of British Students spending a semester in Germany (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/GER). There was also a request to supply Chinese Universities with books in 1939 (ULA\/ADM\/4\/1\/CUAB), part of an ongoing Chinese-Anglo relationship. Over the following years, connections between the University of Leicester and other universities abroad have only strengthened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n