Air Raid Wardens

In response to your request for information on personal experiences during WW2, I wonder if the following is of interest to you.
At the outbreak of the war, I was aged nine, my grandfather was in the local Air Raid Precautions Warden group and together with my father, prior to call-up, patrolled the road between the two houses — a block of twelve terraced— on a regular basis at night when we had a permanent Air Raid Warning in operation. Virtually 6.0pm to 6am every night.
Grandfather lived in the end house next to a woodworking shop fitter’s factory, which was soon bombed and left partly derelict. On the corner of this building was the remains of an office, which, after cleaning up was used by the Wardens as a rest area between raids of bombs, landmines and incendiary bombs. There was a working electric point and, with water from grandfathers house, tea could be brewed and the odd cakes or biscuits consumed, supplied by neighbours.
Soon after the establishment of the room, it was decided to approach the neighbours for assistance in providing the necessary equipment and sustenance for the Wardens, so, being a rather tall ten year old, I was asked if I would call at all the houses in the road every week to obtain one penny per household per week, giving in return a raffle type ticket as a receipt for the donation. I recall no one refused to pay up although some were in the beginning reluctant, until at some time or other, their house was the subject of an incendiary crashing through the roof and setting fire to the woodwork. Sometimes actually penetrating the lath and plaster wall and burning in the wall between the rooms. The Wardens came running with buckets of water, sand, stirrup pumps, axes etc, word soon got around that the Wardens were doing a good job and were worthy of the contributions requested. Some gave up food coupons to provide goodies on ration, tea, sugar etc
The ‘office’ I recall was fairly cosy with an electric bowl fire and a couple of old armchairs with a bit of ancient carpet on the floor — all mostly supplied by the neighbours — who called in at odd times with some extras.
The room was never locked and obviously not always manned as people were at work during the day, but nothing appeared to ‘disappear’ and the local lads, of whom I was one, respected the property, possibly due to me being ‘in charge’ when at home from school, especially as already mentioned, being one of the tallest.
This set-up continued until the end of the’ Blitz’ — father being called up in 1942 and his wife and kids being evacuated to Lancashire in 1943 to the war end.

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