WARDEN’S RECOLLECTION OF AIR RAIDS IN LONDON

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28397, 2 October 1957, Page 2

WARDEN’S RECOLLECTION OF AIR RAIDS IN LONDON

A vivid description of the bombing of London and of the conditions under which the inhabitants lived, was given by Mrs D. M. Cleary, the wife of the British High Commissioner, in a talk to members of the Overseas League yesterday afternoon. Mrs Cleary served as an air raid warden

“The older people and others who had to stay in London were simply marvellous and did not know the meaning of fear. Day and night the mournful wail of sirens announced the approach of enemy bombers and although nerves were stretched to breaking point there was never any sign of fear or hysteria,” said Mrs Cleary. Those wishing to be air raid wardens had to undergo a fairly extensive period of study including lectures on poisonous gases and how to deal with the effects, how to use a gas mask and how to deal with the different types oi bombs

“I do not know why the last subject was included because no matter what the kind of bomb was the effect was almost the same, although knowledge of fire bombs proved useful During the training with gas masks we had to descend into a cylinder filled with gas and work with our masks on so we would know what it felt like,” Mrs Cleary said. Trainee wardens had to learn to climb in and out of windows, jump considerable distances without injuring themselves and had to pass a first aid examination Series of Signs

“We had to learn a series of signs which were placed on the forehead of the injured, often with lipstick, to indicate to the doctors.

nurses and ambulance attendants what the patient's injuries were, and to prevent a patient’s tongue from lodging in his throat and suffocating him.” she said. Artificial respiration was another subject taught to wardens, said Mrs Cleary, and as a result hundreds of bomb victims who might have died were saved

After passing an examination the warden was allotted a base which often consisted of a wellbuilt cellar. Each warden was given a certain area of streets and worked in four-hour shifts As soon as a bomb fell in the area a report was made to the base with all the relative information The fire brigade, rescue squads, ambulances and bomb disposal squads were then summoned, if required, by telephone. Mrs Cleary took up her post just before the first raids began on London. “I well remember the first time the siren went and in spite of all the intensive training I was trembling at the knees. I went to the base where everyone was greatly excited but trying to look calm. However, it proved to be a false alarm,” she said Almost Continuous Soon after the raids were almost continuous and at first there were few anti-aircraft guns to retaliate against the bombers which came over in wave after wave. At right nersons could only travel about by dashing from shelter to shelter during the infrequent lulls ir the bombing. “Bunners were employed >n take messages to the central base which could not be telephoned. One of these was a boy of 16 who had been evacuated to the country but because of poor treatment at the home to which he was sent he returned to his mother in London. “He worked all one night when the bombing was particularly heavv, heloing to put out fire bombs and carrying disnatches. He said to me in the mnrnin”. ‘I was all right, wasn’t I?’ That question indicated the spirit of the people of London v’bn were determined not to show anv kind of f'»ar.” Mrs Cleary said When a warden went on dutv he had to make a patrol of his area and find out where evervone was so that in the event o< a bomb exnlodin” the rescue workers would know if anvone was trapped in the wreckage of buildings and the best way to reach them Time after time nersons showed incredible brav«rv in rescuing survivors, said Mrs Cleary. “Looking back on it now it was a continual nightmare of tension, vet the neop'e just carried on.” Mrs Cleary said.