Forest Town Hostel was opened on May 27th 1944 to host the Bevin boys; men conscripted to continue the vital supply of coal during the war. The site had many used over the decades including hosting epileptic children, and a police training centre.
At the end of World War Two the site came into use again to house many Displaced Persons who came to work in the UK via European Voluntary Workers schemed to support vital industries in the post war years. In 1956 the site again became a place to house those seeking sanctuary, with a number of Hungarian refugees recruited by the Coal Authority housed at the site.
You can read more about this fascinating history in the book Forest Town Hostel 1944 – 1959’ (2002) by Malcolm & Pauline Marples, available in Inspire Libraries. Excerpts are also available using the links below
Many thanks to the authors Pauline Marples and Malcolm Marples for sharing this informative piece of research with us
ceenotts.co.uk 