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15 October 2014
WW2 - People's War

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The Day War Broke Out

by theashbournelibrary

Contributed by听
theashbournelibrary
People in story:听
Audrey Woodward, Dick and Nellie Woodward
Location of story:听
Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Background to story:听
Civilian
Article ID:听
A3335717
Contributed on:听
27 November 2004

The Day War Broke Out

I well remember the day War broke out.

My mother, father and friend, Joan, seated ourselves around the wireless in readiness to hear the then PM, Mr Neville Chamberlain, announce what was inevitable 鈥 that Britain was at war with Germany. Despite the fact that this had been expected for several weeks, when it came it was something of a shock and I can remember feeling very tearful and somewhat frightened.

It was a brilliantly sunny morning, so I walked part way home with Joan taking a course that passed the Drill Hall on Cokayne Avenue, where local Territorials were 鈥榮pit and polishing鈥 their armoured vehicle in a very different mood from ours 鈥 more like 鈥渓ets get at them, we will show them鈥. Little did they realise what was to come for the next six years!

That night we went to bed much as usual, but sad at heart. We had hardly done this when 鈥 鈥榣o and behold鈥, the air raid siren sounded. We hastily part dressed and hurried downstairs into the back room.

Now my father, Dick Riley, the local undertaker, was also a special constable and for months had been attending training courses and various lectures, including what action to take should there be a gas attack. As he had lightly experienced gas in the first World War, he took this training very much to heart and accordingly had already taken time sealing every nook and cranny of this room, including the windows, with brown sticky tape, so there was only the door to be attended to in order to give a gas proof room. In the room there was already a bucket of water, the garden syringe and an old blanket at the ready. The blanket was hastily fastened over the closed door and battle commenced by my father with the garden syringe of water to soak the blanket. After several minutes hard work the blanket was saturated, water was all over the floor and dad stood back to admire his efforts with a great look of satisfaction on his face.

This however, turned to one of positive dismay when almost immediately, much to the relief of my mother, the All Clear sounded. To this day I still believe my father was disappointed that his work was not tested to the limit and 鈥 oh dear 鈥 his language at having to clean it all up! I can honestly say he never put the wet blanket to the test again!

Memories from Mrs Audrey Woodward, nee Riley, living then in Compton, Ashbourne, Derbyshire

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Air Raids and Other Bombing Category
Derbyshire Category
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