Home Farm Whaddon, Buckinghamshire, during the Second World War - Robert Excell
Mr. Ernest William Peverill of Home Farm, Whaddon
Ernest William Peverill farmed at Home Farm Whaddon from 1918 until 1953.
The farm was part of the Whaddon Hall estate and Mr. Tesh was the estate manager.
Mr. Tesh the Whaddon Hall Estate Manager
The farm was predominantly used for grazing cattle and sheep but during the Second World War the local War Agricultural Committee provided additional tractors to plough up the grazing land for crops.
Tractors ploughing meadows at Home Farm
Seeing five tractors at a time was then a very unusual sight.
Several soldiers working in connection with activities at Whaddon Hall were billeted on the family one of whom was a dispatch rider – hence the motorcycle.
Mr. George Brind on a dispatch bike.
Soldiers billeted at Home Farm with Mr. Peverill and his daughter
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Incredible to read Roy’s interest for butterflies was fostered by Leonard Tesch, founder of the Amateur Entomology Society! I’m interested too in what happened to him, and if he was interned – does anyone know? Was there general suspicion because of his German ancestry or were the family treated alright by the village? Which house did the WH estate manager live
I too live in Dorset and my Mother could well have worked at Whaddon Hall in the war, not sure where she was housed but she was linked to BP and is now listed on the roll of honour. Lovely to find out more about this place.
I was a boy of 11yrs in 1939 as war was declared.
Mr Peverill had two daughters Daisy (pictured) and
Flossy a bit older as I recall.
Mr Tesh was the estate manager and German he and his wife had a daughter Sheila. He inspired my love and interest in butterfly’s of which I still have a collection taken in the village and surrounding woods. I believe the Tesh family were subject to interment because they were German, if so, I wonder what happened to Sheila being about 12-13 yrs at that time.
I Now live in Poole Dorset with my wife Rita who is
from Tomintoul in the Scottish Highlands.
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