大象传媒

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Sometime during 1939 we had to go to get gas masks. They were issued and fitted in a large room to the rear of the 鈥淐ycles and Wireless鈥� shop in High Street North, opposite Albion Street (now Oxfam). The masks came in a cardboard box to which most people fitted a length of string to carry it. A factory at the end of Matthew Street / Albion Street, I believe it was called 鈥淕rice and Young鈥�, had manufactured gliders until the start of the war and at this time produced a neat gas-mask case with solid wooden ends, the sides and base were formed from a piece of thin ply-wood. They had a solid hinged lid and catch to fasten them. They were painted silver and came with a canvas strap. Mine lasted until the end of the war!

At various times during the war, we had to return to the 鈥渄epot鈥� for our gas masks to be 鈥渦pdated鈥� by the addition of extra filters, which would protect us against 鈥渘ew gases鈥�. The depot would also repair masks that had a cracked 鈥渨indow鈥�, usually caused by small boys throwing their masks into horse-chestnut trees to dislodge conkers.

My father was a member of the 鈥淭erritorial Army鈥� and was called up for service a few days before the outbreak of war. He was the Company Sergeant Major of the 鈥淒 (Dunstable) Company鈥�, 5th Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment. They had their H.Q. at the Drill Hall in Victoria Street at the top of Clifton Road. On calling up the company, it was necessary to billet some of the troops with local families, as the hall was too small to accommodate all of them. My father was billeted to his own home!

On the 3rd September 1939, the Prime Minister announced the start of the war and shortly afterwards the air raid warning was sounded. My mother told me many times that I had immediately said, 鈥淲here鈥檚 my gas-mask?鈥� After some minutes, most people in Edward Street where we lived, went to their front doors to look out to see what was happening. A few doors away, opposite the top of Regent Street, part of a house had been converted into an 鈥淎ir Raid Warden鈥檚 Post鈥�. The wardens eventually emerged from behind their sandbagged doorway, dressed in yellow gas-proof suits with hoods, military style gas masks and Wellington boots. They each carried a large rattle that made a loud rasping sound when it was swung round and round, this was the signal for a gas attack.

I cannot remember ever seeing them dressed in these suits again during 鈥渙rdinary鈥� air raids although they did use them for special demonstrations, which were held on 鈥淭he Square鈥� in High Street South later on in the war.

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