A historical faction about a young woman selected and trained by the Special Operations Executive to be parachuted into southwest France to help the Resistance during World War Two
In 1842 John Bennet Lawes patented the world's first artificial chemical fertiliser, set up his own business and went on to make a fortune. When he sold it in 1872 he used part of the money to... More > establish the world's first agricultural research station at Rothamsted. This booklet tells of his involvement in the fossil diggings, thought by some to be dinosaur droppings, that were found across much of southern England and overseas.< Less
The Women of RAF Tempsford describes the roles played directly and indirectly by women and girls associated with the UK's TOP SECRET airfield, including the catering staff, WAAF, FANY, the locals and... More > almost sixty female secret agents flown out on important missions into occupied Europe.< Less
In the 1840s a bed of 'coprolites', thought by some to be fossilised dinosaur droppings, was discovered in the Cambridgeshire fens. Rich in phosphate it was much in demand by the nation’s... More > manure manufacturers. By the mid-1860s it was being dug up across much of central Bedfordshire. This book investigates the social, economic and archaeological impact of the fossil diggings in Sandy and Potton, small market towns between Cambridge and Bedford.< Less
In the mid-1840s a new industry started in southeast Suffolk, that of digging fossils. Known as 'coprolites', some thought them to be fossilised dinosaur droppings. Rich in phosphate they were much... More > in demand by the nation's manure manufacturers. By the 1846s the diggings had spread to Cambridgeshire, hertfordshire, bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Many thousands of men and women, boys and girls, got well-paid work in the pits but there were issues of in-migration, overcrowding and drunkenness. This book investigates the impact of the diggings on the church and its attempts to alleviate the social problems.< Less
In the late-1840s a new industry started in Cambridge - digging up fossils. Known as coprolites and thought by some to be fossilised dinosaur droppings, they were extracted in a large-scale open-cast... More > mining operation to be used as the raw material in the manufacture of superphosphate - the world's first chemical fertiliser. This book investigates the social, economic and environmental impact of the diggings in Fen Ditton.< Less
After the attack on Pearl Harbour the US joined the war and President Roosevelt allocated a USAAF Squadron to help the RAF in supplying the resistance in occupied Europe. Known as the 'Carpetbagges',... More > this squadron had to spend a month at RAF Tempsford in Bedfordshire UK (Churchill's MOST SECRET Airfield) learning how to fly without lights during the moon period to parachute supplies and secret agents behind enemy lines. This book details the origins of William Donovan's Office of Strategic Services and their work in Britain as well as providing accounts of their missions and the experiences of the Carpetbaggers at what they called 'The Tempsford Academy'.< Less
This book investigates the role played by William Donovan, the OSS mission in London and the Carpetbaggers, the US Squadron which was sent to RAF Tempsford to be trained by the 'Moon Squadrons'... More > before undertaking their own missions from Harrington. Not only does it describe the work of pilots and crew members, it also details some of the missions and gives insight into their social life. It includes the story of Owen Johnson and Elizabeth Devereaux Rochester, the first American agents to be parachuted into France, and Juup Kappius, Hilde Meisel and Ann Bayer, the first OSS agents to be sent into Germany before the invasion.< Less
Gamlingay Park in Cambridgeshire is not marked on today's Ordnance Survey maps yet in the 18th century there was a fine Georgian mansion, landscaped gardens, a labyrinth, statues, an ornamental lake... More > and two moon gates. It was built by Sir George Downing, one of the richest men in England, whose wealth was used to build Downing Street in London and Downing College in Cambridge.< Less
Bernard O'Connor has taught Geography, History, Religious Education, Citizenship and English in Britain, Australia, Taiwan and China. Now living near Cambridge, UK, he has researched many aspects of local history. His first publications were on the social, economic, archaeological and environmental impact of the 19th and 20th century coprolite industry in the UK, France, Spain and the United States. This was open-cast mining of phosphatic nodules, thought by some at the time to be fossilised dinosaur droppings. He has also researched and published work on RAF Tempsford, described as Churchill's Most Secret Airfield during WW2. From here the RAF's Special Duties Squadrons (and for a time the US Carpetbaggers) sent in over 600 secret agents and supplied the many resistance groups in occupied Europe.
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