大象传媒

'Put out that light' Not very often heard around our way - perhaps we were good with the blackout - but it was just as important in Trowbridge - especially as we were in the path of the German bombers going to and from the Midlands and other cities such as Bristol. My dad was in the A.R.P. and I can still remember him in his heavy coat, helmet, and complete with a heavy torch. In the day we would sometimes play at wardens - putting on his helmet! These memories however start with one of those amazing coincidences. My dad in the first World was in the Royal Flying Corps -he was based in East Anglia. One of his jobs was loading bombs under the wings of the WW1 bombers. He was in fact also one of the founder members of the Royal Air Force joining this on the day it was formed. By the time of the second World War he was living in Trowbridge - and also in the same street was the gentleman who had been his Commanding Officer -and had also moved to Trowbridge. Now he was to become leader of the ARP for the Union Street area and once again my dad served under him - together in two World Wars. Perhaps it was because of this that our house was chosen to display the nightly rota for fire watching. As children we were proud of this - and we were in charge of one of the stirrup pumps! My dad was also very proud of the tomatoes he grew in our small back garden and I seem to remember the pump was used more for the rearing of those plants than active war service. We were certainly experts in using it during the day. As well as fire watching for the street dad was regularly on duty for Ushers Brewery - who had a large range of buildings with roof tops which needed to be protected. Looking back it is hard to see how these gallant men worked both night and day - on firewatching and their daytime jobs. As the war advanced and the danger of bombing grew less the senior officers of the A.R.P. decided that more night-time exercises must be held to keep the men in practice. One night the area adjoining our house was chosen for a 'raid' As we watched from a window a small quantity of imflammable material was deposited and the pump party went into action to extinguish the blaze. Almost immediately another 'bomb' was dropped outside of the Chapel next door. Silhouetted against the light of the flames we watched the A.R.P going action. This was however more like a scene from Dad's Army. Instead of the hose being directed at the fire my dad caught the full force. He spent the rest of the night in saturated clothes, contracted pneumonia and ended up in hospital. He made a good recovery but it was too late for any more fire watching and this was effectively the end of his active service on two World Wars.

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