A team from the University of Oxford is embarking on a project known as "Their Finest Hour," supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, to create a national archive focused on World War Two.

The initiative involves collecting stories, photographs, and objects from the war, which people can share at various events.

Among the remarkable items brought to an event in Gosport was a British passport with an intriguing history. The passport, which belonged to Walter Hutchinson, bears visa stamps from locations in Latvia and western Russia in the late 1930s. Notably, Walter's occupation has been crossed out, an unusual sight on a passport. Valerie Cope, his granddaughter, expressed her desire to uncover the reasons behind his visits to those countries and the significance of the substantial amount of money mentioned in embassy notes.

Stephanie Cunningham, the joint event assistant, emphasized the importance of preserving these first-hand accounts as they are gradually becoming scarcer. She noted that many people attending the events are concerned about where to turn to safeguard these stories for future generations, particularly if the younger generations lack interest in preserving them. This project seeks to ensure that these valuable accounts do not fade into obscurity. Starting from June, all these stories, photographs, and objects will be accessible on the "Their Finest Hour" website for the public to explore. Photo by Maxime Gtn, Wikimedia commons.