Tallinn – Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom (Liikmekaart – Membership Card of the Association of Estonians in the United Kingdom)

This museum doesn’t make it easy to find out more about their treasures, the numbering system by items requires finding them on the phone they give you which promptly bounces around thinking a visitor has moved room. I’m all for the radical system of putting details about an object next to it, but there we go. Anyway, after persisting, there is much more to some of the exhibits at this museum than might be apparent. The Association of Estonians in the UK was founded in November 1947 and it still exists, publishing Eesti Hääl (Estonian Voice) for members and acting as a way of meeting other Estonians. This membership card is from Bourton, although this particular branch closed in 1948 when the Estonian agricultural workers left.

Unfortunately, trade unions in the UK were not all welcoming to the European Voluntary Workers who came to the country, in this case from Project Balt Cygnet, and they were described as “hostile” to the refugees. Manny Shinwell had an answer to that, he forced the workers to join trade unions even if they didn’t want to, which I suppose appeased the unions somewhat. Despite the trade unions seeking to harm the project, it was an exceptional piece of work from Attlee’s Government to tackle the post-war refugee problem and to help Estonians, and those from other Baltic countries. It also helped filled vacancies in the healthcare, textile and agricultural communities.