大象传媒

My father, Eric Wilson was too old to be called up to serve in the Second World War, but he did war work at home. As well as his full time job, working in his fathers business, he joined the Police War Reserves. Many Policemen volunteered to join up in the early days of the war, leaving police forces accross the country undermanned. The Police War Reserves were given various police responsibilities for the durartion of the war to make up the lack of manpower.

As a child, my father told me of some of his experiences in Blackburn at this time. The story I remember best is of the nights he spent stationed up on Billinge Hill on the edge of Blackburn. At the very top of the hill was a small hut, where he had a telephone, local maps and presumably binoculars. It was his job to watch over the town and alert the Air Raid Wardens if any lights were showing in the blackout. Using his knowledge of the town and his maps he would try to pinpoint the source of the light and direct the wardens to the right place, so that they could make sure it was extinguished. Also if any bombs fell on the town he would direct the Fire Brigade and the Warden to the site to fight the blaze.

Not that many bombs fell on Blackburn, so he said, but it was a target as there was a Munitians Factory in Blackburn. Dad said it was not the first target for the German Bombers, they would go to Liverpool Docks, Manchester and Preston Docks first, only attacking Blackburn if they hit all the targets they wanted there first. I do not know how true this was.

He did say the nights up there on Billinge Hill were long, cold and lonely, and after a full days work, knowing he was working again the next day, very tiring. He had vivid memories of seeing the glow in the sky from the fires caused by the bombs that had been dropped on Liverpool, Manchester and Preston, and the thought that people were dying there, in those fires, upset him.

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