Wartime papers documenting Dorking's role as refuge from Nazi oppression to be made publicly accessible
University of Surrey's project reveals local stories from 1938 to the end of the Second World War
Documents revealing E.M. Forster and Ralph Vaughan Williams' efforts to aid refugees during WWII in Dorking will be accessible online, thanks to a new University of Surrey and Dorking Museum initiative.
The Dorking and District Refugee Committee, starting in 1938, played a vital role in aiding people fleeing Nazi oppression.
From housing to employment and medical support, the committee was instrumental during a troubling era.
Its records hold significant historical value, shedding light on solidarity and response to crises.
Led by Professor Constance Bantman and Dr Beth Palmer, the 'Accessing Refugee History in Surrey' project is funded by the Community Foundation for Surrey.
Constance told us about the significance of getting the papers online
"There can be multiple readings. See, I've read them three times and every time I find something new. But what is really unique is that the archives of the Dorking Refugee Committee have been preserved and this is very much a minority example."
Constance added what two parts of the papers stood out to her in particular
"There are two aspects for me. It's first the advocacy and the lobbying, really. The letters from the committee to the MP for Dorking, sort of nudging him to advocate on behalf of those refugees, particularly after the war, when many of them were threatened with forced repatriation to Germany.
The other side, which is probably the most moving, is the care which went into supporting these individuals. So the famous story, or perhaps one of the prominent stories, is one of a young child called Eric Reich, who arrived aged 4. His parents had been killed in Auschwitz.
You can see throughout the war for him, and for many children the care, the attention that went into his religious education, his education, finding jobs, their schooling, sometimes buying them musical instruments so they could develop their skills and making medical appointments. So it's a really modern version of care."
The project aims to develop a searchable web-based archive, making records publicly available and providing teaching resources.
A launch event is slated for 2026 to unveil this important digital archive.