48 Prickwillow Road, Roswell, Ely

History of Roswell

1939

Henry W Unwin, b 1881, agricultural carpenter, special constable

Ada M, b 1889

Hilda J, b 1916, shop assistant, Red Cross

Douglas J, b 1914, agricultural carpenter

John H, b 1922, agricultural carrier

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Michael Rouse recalls Roswell in his book ‘The Way We Remember It.’ His grandfather Henry Unwin had built it about 1932. the Rouses moved there at the outbreak of war from their home in Lynton Drive. The house was bustling with people and life. There was grandad Unwin, who had his agricultural woodworking business directly opposite, next to the original family home built by his father in 1880. There was grandma always off to the shops and quietly bustling around finding huge meals for everyone. And there were many mouths to feed. There was my mother, my father, my two uncles, my aunt, one or two evacuees.

Uncle John joined the Home Guard at the start of the War … eventually he was a Private in the Beds and Herts Regiment… 

It was late September 1944. At some time I would have been told. Uncle John would not be coming home again. he was in Northern Italy. His patrol led by a young officer was attacking a house called ‘Valergna’ when they were surprised by a German machine gun. … the officer and all twelve men in the patrol were killed….

Dad was not often left in charge of me. In fact for the earlier part of the War, before my first birthday he was stationed away. I have cards written to me from him when he was on the Isle of Tiree in the Hebrides in 1942 and from Detling in Kent in 1943. it was only from about 1944 when he was stationed at RAF Duxford that he was able to get home more often…

He [Uncle Cliff] was a gunner with the first Desert Force, the ‘Desert Rats’ under General Wavell, then under General Auchinleck when the force became the Eighth Army. Finally in August 1942 General Montgomery took command. Eventuallt Uncle Cliff left North Africa on VE Day.

The Rouse family returned to 5 Lynton Drive after WWII. They had let the house to RAF personnel during the war. Michael ha piano lessons with Mr Wills, later to become Dr Wills, organist at Ely Cathedral.

Arthur Wills, organist