Slough was seriously affected by World War Two. Men of fighting age were "called up" to serve in the armed forces all over the world, while some were closer to home.

'By the 2nd World War Mum and Dad had 12 children, but 3 died very young…. I was in the Pioneer Corp (RSVP) in Clacton…. I worked in the cookhouse for a year then I was discharged due to my poor eyesight. Our brothers; Jim was a Sergeant in the Artillery, Sid was a Sergeant-Major in the Duke of Cornwall - Dad's regiment, Alf was in the London Irish, Dick was in the Anzacs, the Australian and New Zealand Corp and Jack was in the Gordon Highlanders. Our neighbours called us the Clark Army.'
Bill Clark

As a centre of heavy industry, many of the factories on Slough Trading Estate stopped making their usual products and started to make bombs, aircraft parts and other items necessary for the war. However, as most of the men went away to war, the women had to take their place.

'At 17 I had to leave Mars and do work of National Importance. I worked for High Duty Alloys who made aeroplane parts. I also worked for a subsidiary of High Duty Alloys called Magnesium Castings and Products, a foundry company on Slough Trading Estate. The conditions there were not good; we had to stoke up furnaces with coal.'
Nancy Harris

Not all the factories on the estate were producing armaments. The Mars factories were still producing their famous chocolate bar.

Life in Slough was dangerous. The vital work done in Slough's factories made the estate a prime target for German bombs.

'My husband Bill and I moved from Elliman Avenue to Oatlands Drive, Slough, the day that war was declared, we lived there for 53 years…. I was making a steam pudding for Bill's tea when a bomb dropped onto Slough Trading Estate. A friend and I went to look and saw that it had fallen onto Ideal Capseals. Afterwards I went back to finishing the steam pudding.'
Thora Trevorrow

When the war ended in 1945, it was a time of great celebration throughout the country. In Slough…

'Our family had a party, us boys went around the streets singing "In the Quarter Master's Stores" and all the neighbours came out to join in. Mum prayed that her six sons returned home safely at the end of the war, and she felt very fortunate that we all did.'
Bill Clark and Rose James

Thanks to Hilary Blanchard who allowed us to take these reminiscences from her book, "Our Memories".