大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Pam Riding of Kirklees Libraries on behalf of Mrs Farrow and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
My parents were brought up in Gawthorpe and we lived there until 1942, when we moved to Luton.

I was 8 years old when war was declared. I suppose at that age I didn鈥檛 really understand what was going on, but I remember grown-ups talking quietly and taking great interest in the news on the wireless.

My Dad was the Engineer at Harrops Mill in Gawthorpe and when the war came he joined the A.R.P. (Air Raid Warden). He got a tin hat with the initials A.R.P. on the front and of course the inevitable gas-mask, to be carried everywhere.

The powers that be, chose the mill to fix the air raid siren. I think it was on the mill chimney, but not sure about that. My Dad was given the responsibility of sounding the siren when necessary.

We had a special telephone fitted in my parents鈥� bedroom and when there was an air raid imminent the local Ossett Telephone Exchange would ring through with a specially worded message. E.g.: Air Raid Warning Yellow 鈥� Stand-by. Then later Air Raid Warning Purple and if the message was Air Raid Warning Red that meant to blow the siren. (Short blasts for an Air Raid, a long wail for the All Clear.)

The message for the 鈥淎ll Clear鈥� was Air Raid Warning Green.

Quite often our area did not get the 鈥淩ed鈥� warning, but Dad had to stay awake just in case the signal came through, or until the 鈥淎ll Clear鈥� message was given.

Quite often he was awake while the rest of the people in the village were still sleeping. He lost quite a lot of sleep during this time, but he never complained and went to work next day as usual.

Also Gawthorpe had a lucky escape during this period. A bomb dropped quite near the Gawthorpe Water Tower, but luckily no damage or casualties. We went to look at the crater in the field nearby the morning after.

My sister was born at Moorlands Maternity Hospital in Dewsbury, on June 9th 1944. The then Mayor of Dewsbury presented all the babies who were born there during that week with a National Savings Certificate value Fifteen shillings. Quite a sum in those days!

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