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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Roger Marsh of the ‘Action Desk — Sheffield’ Team on behalf of Ernie Holmes, and has been added to the site with the author’s permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

These memories are taken from a special edition of a newsletter kindly submitted by Longstone Local History Group. It was edited by Liz Greenfield and published in Autumn 2002. Longstone was a village which sheltered evacuees and was comparatively unaffected by air attack, although the night sky was often lit by the fires of the Sheffield Blitz.

Longstone Local History Group - `There were exercises on the moor' Home defence remembered

by
Ernie Holmes
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Other parts to this story are at:

Introduction: A7887487

Roy Finney’s Story: A7887784

Frank, A and S Hurst: A7888396

Flames of Sheffield: A7888657

Molly Thornhill’s Story: A7888882

Tony Greenfield’s Story: A7889133

Martin Simon’s Story: A7889557

Stella Holmes’ Story: A7889971

Burma servicemen Remembered: A7890492

Norman Hoare’s Story: A7891004

Norman Hassal’s Story: A7891202

Women’s Institute: A7891888

One family’s War Part One: A7892562

One Family’s War Part Two: A7893534

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Mr. Plowright was in charge. He was the captain along with Captain Wood. Bill Bowers was a sergeant as was Mr. Coniham. We trained at Longstone Hall and did guard duty in the Institute. The Rifle Brigade came from Retford on manoeuvres. There was an accident at the bottom of Standhill when one of their cars took a bend too fast and ended up in the field. One or maybe two men were killed. Stella had to phone the station at Retford to inform the authorities. Some of the soldiers stayed in the buildings at the Red Home. some were at Pick-a-Crow and some in Monsal Dale,

The Home Guard did exercises on the moor. I was with Tom Hurst and other members of the group. We were doing a surprise raid on Woods’ Farm which the RASC (Royal Army Service Corps) from Bakewell army camp was supposed to be guarding. We had to creep up on our stomachs to within 50 yards of the building. We could see that the soldiers were relaxing and having a good time. We threw a grenade and there was panic everywhere.

I remember small bombs being dropped in a small green lane between Wardlow Mires and Hucklow. We went up there afterwards to pick up bits of shrapnel. We were members of the AFS (Auxiliary Fire Service) and Tom Hurst and Bernard Sales were with us. Our station, at the bottom of Flaxdale, had a stirrup pump and a tender with a water pump, which was worked by pumping two handles. These were supplied by the fire service at Bakewell. Mr. Alexander, the fire chief at Bakewell, used to come up to give us training. The markers on the wall indicated the distance to the hydrant and also the size of the water main. We had exercises, like a mock incendiary attack, at the church. Gladys Robinson and Dora Hurst were in the fire service at Bakewell.

My dad used to drive for the railway. He always had to take the spark plugs out of the vehicles at night so they could not be stolen.

Lesley Blackwell worked at the D P Battery. He used to cycle down at night to read and recharge the submarine batteries. One foggy night the army trucks followed his small rear light. Leslie wanted to lose them so at the top of Slater's hill, he rode down the footpath. The trucks tried to follow only to find it was far too narrow.

There was a searchlight battery stationed at Wheel Farm, Taddington.

Pr-BR

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