By Alan Stone and members of the Shepton Mallet Local History Group
ISBN 0-9548125-0-6
£10.95 including P&P
Shepton Mallet and District during World War II 1939 – 1945.
Many photographs throughout. 198 pages.
Many towns may have published books of War memories but Shepton Mallet has produced a unique record. Over 100 people contributed memories of the town during the war and these have been interwoven into weekly summaries of the local news as it appeared in the Shepton Mallet Journal.
A wide variety of topics are covered throughout. The meetings and wrangles of the local councils, what was showing at the Regal Cinema or where they were to build the public air raid shelters. As well as containing memories of the Home Guard local historian Tim Wray has contributed a special study of the secret ‘Special Auxillary Units’.
The varied roles Shepton Mallet prison played during the war are covered throughout – storing the Magna Carta, what life was like for a British military prisoner and the executions by the Americans Military authorities.