I am once more indebted to David Evans (who’s not having a great time at the moment, so I’d like to wish him the very best and invite readers to join me in doing so) for finding and compiling this astounding list of Walsall Wood’s Air Raid Wardens.
David was inspired in his research by the recent article about the huge air raid shelter built in Stubbers Green at the outbreak of World War Two, the record of which I think surprised many of us. Since then, he’s been beavering away with Council minutes and other paperwork to bring us this remarkable list.
Are any of your relatives listed? There are also some wonderful occupations listed, including a local farmer’s chauffeur!
For a taste of what life was like in the area at the time, this article from a few years ago gives a taste.
Thanks to David for a remarkable addition to the historical record, and I hope his situation improves soon. Hang in there old chap.
If you have anything to add, please do: Comment here is welcome, as is mail to BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com and tapping me on the shoulder on any social media I hang out on.
David Evans Wrote:
Background
Compiled from Brownhills Urban District Council minutes:
On 26 May 1938 Air raids precautions committee held a meeting. It would now be possible to commence the training of Air Raid Wardens. The number of volunteers so far enrolled:
| Brownhills central Ward | 57 |
| Walsall Wood Ward | 153 |
| Shelfield and High Heath Ward | 41 |
| Norton Canes Ward | 62 |
| Total | 313 |
This number rose to 446 that summer. Auxiliary fire stations were approved for Norton Canes and Walsall Wood. In January 1939 the number of ARP volunteers had risen to 591 in the borough. In February 1939 a total capacity of shelters for 19,000 persons was recorded. In March 1939 the Air Raid precautions committee recorded that ‘…a further 60,000 sandbags would be received shortly.’
In July 1939 the council approved the ARP committee’s recommendation to build 8 permanent Warden’s Posts, including one ‘Near Conveniences, Walsall Wood’ and another ‘Corner House, Walsall Wood.’
I believe Walsall Wood’s Permanent Post was built near Brookland Road/ High Street junction, now a car park, and that the Auxiliary fire Station was built by this Post. The Corner House Post may have been at Shire Oak Junction, possibly on the covered reservoir (two sources, oral tradition). [This remains a bone of contention between me and David – Bob, laughing].
On 6th September 1939 the ARP committee held a meeting. ‘Evacuation. A letter dated 25 August 1939 was received from the Ministry of health stating that reasonable expenditure may now be incurred for evacuation purposes and that plans for reception should be pushed forward with all speed.’
Who were Walsall Wood’s Air Raid Wardens?
Fortunately the 1939 register is now accessible and, despite the corrections and annotations that this hastily complied register contains, we can find most of the Air Raid Wardens in the area.
The register was compiled on 10 October 1939 and has some blacked out entries as these people were still living a few years ago. We also find reference to First Aid, St Johns Ambulance and Auxiliary Fire Service in this register.
Lichfield Road, Walsall Wood
15 Charles Burns, engine driver at brickworks, ARP Warden
7 Robert Hayes, school attendance officer, ARP warden
49 Abraham Holyman, sheet metal filer, Auxiliary Fire Service
55 Enoch Painter, concrete maker, air raid shelters, Auxiliary Fire Service
55 Norman Painter, colliery hewer, AFS, Brownhills
Coppice Road
10 George Kemp, colliery fireman, ARP Ambulance, Staffs
30 Joseph Parr, coal miner ARP First Aid reserve
40 George Horobin, railway porter (van man) ARP, LMS Rly
42 James Lydall, bricklayer, ARP demolition (Aldridge)
66 John Parr, edge tool glazer, St Johns Ambulance Brigade
68 William Williams, colliery hewer, AFS BUDC
70 Alfred Clarke, colliery surface worker AR Warden (BUDC)
Lindon Road
129 John Halligan, colliery dispatch clerk and balloon barrage A.A.F
Brownhills Road
54 David Rowley, colliery wharf labourer AFS (colliery)
26A James Hollender, foreman (brickworks) First Said Superintendent BUDC
24 Sidney Collins, general labourer, colliery ARP (ambulance)
18 Arthur Hancox, plasterer, AFS volunteer
14 Samuel Warrington, colliery worker ARP ambulance driver
Occupation Road
21 William Lees(?), butcher and National Pigeon Service
25 Clifford Perrins, mechanic, colliery service, ex RAF Officer (see military records;David)
25 Annie Perrins, First Aid volunteer
25 Bessie Perrins, record clerk , ARP BrownhillsUDC
27 Fred Arnold, ARP Instructor, Aldridge Brickworks, ARP Instructor BUDC
27 Gladys Arnold tailoring machine button-holer, First Aid Services
31 James Langford, colliery boiler fireman . AFS Walsall Wood colliery
35 Robert Ruddock, colliery wagon repairer, St Johns Brownhills, ARP
Friezland Lane
80 Frank Walker, Ambulance driver and ARP Service, BUDC
Commonside
48 Thomas Swain, assurance agent, enumerator
46 Francis Broadhurst, plastic moulder, AFS Streetly works
Lindon Road
49 Clifford Perrins, coach painter. Ambulance voluntary, BUD
63 Philip Pope, senior canal toll clerk, Birmingham Canal ARP scheme
65 Alfred Jackson, senior canal clerk , Birmingham canal ARP scheme
50, Nellie Foster, unpaid domestic duties, ARP First Aid volunteer
56 Harry Heath, colliery hewer, ARP First Aid BUD
Pauls Coppice Post Office
Arthur Horobin laundry manager , ARP emergency ambulance driver
Silver Street
George Bywater, colliery shot firer, special constable no 3119
ORIT register:
Salters Road
56 Jabez Shaw, burner in brickworks, ARP warden BUDC
70 Jim Arblaster, coal hewer, AFS Brownhills UD
94 Joseph Harrison, heavy lorry driver, AFS Brownhills UD
100 William Freeman, Co-op milk deliverer, Auxiliary Fire Service Brownhills UDC
102 Sidney Arrowsmith, coal hewer, Auxiliary Fire Service, Brownhills UDC
Brookland Road
100 Thomas Percival, motor haulage contractor, Staffs CC Special Constable no 854
116 Victor Nicholls, builder’s labourer, Auxiliary Fire Service Brownhills UDC
Coronation Road
14 Percy Bickley, navvy on air raid shelters, Air Raid Warden at no x Post Brownhills UDC
23 Randolph Mycock, coal hewer, ARP Warden
38 William Evans, master window cleaner, ARP whole – BUDC
57 Harold Dunning, plastic moulder at Bakelite factory Brownhills –
61 Leslie Jones, labourer at steel works, ARP First Aid Post, BUDC
Stewart Road
2 Charles Mills, colliery worker ARP voluntary worker BUDC
Oak Road
19 Thomas Danks, labourer at brickworks, Air Raid Warden
20 Clive Lydell brickworks labourer, ARP First Aid, Brownhills UDC
Brook Lane
49 Elizabeth Remblance, chauffeuse, ARP ambulance driver, BUDC
59 Thomas Belton, butcher, constable in Staffs special constabulary
65 Thomas Dixon, motor haulier, ARP, Auxiliary Fire Service
54 Thomas Arnold, gardener, First Aid section ARP, BUDC
Lichfield Road
18 Charles Higgs, newsagent ARP warden, BUDC
32B Austin Walker, insurance agent. ARP warden, County of Stafford
48 Frank Litherland, engine fitter, ARP Auxiliary Fire Service BUDC
58 Clifford Jones, bricklayer burner ARP Auxiliary Fire Service BUDC
64 John Lewis, bricklayer’s labourer, ARP, BUDC
84 William Yeomans, wireless dealer, ARP warden, BUDC
86 Joseph Blakemore, excavator driver. special constable in Staffs Constabulary no 853
96 James Bayley, electrical engineer, part-time ARP ambulance man and driver BUDC
ORIA register:
Shire Oak
Lichfield Road, Sandhills (from Chester Road down to Barracks lane)
6 Harold Brooks, drapers collector, ARP warden, Brownhills UD
51 Henry Harrison, chauffeur (to Mr Lane) special constable no 1752
Chester Road, Shire Oak
177 John Bywater, milk roundsman, AFS BUDC
131 Harold Blakemore, Lancashire boiler stoker, ARP decontamination Aldridge UDC
Lindon Road
254 Thomas Glenn, mechanic, full time ARP Warden ( motor mechanic)
Friezland Lane
61 Mary Curley, AFS 40 company roll w/6382
ORIS register:
Salters Road
27 Harry Whitby ARWarden BUDC
67 John Wright, painter, Air Raid warden, Brownhills UDC
153 Elizabeth Jolly, (69 yrs ) Air Raid Precaution decontamination squad, Staffs CC
161 William Oakley, labourer, air raid warden BUDC
165 Thomas Cross, gravel digger, air raid precaution demolition squad, BUDC
169 Arthur Parr, auxiliary fire service, BUDC
Brookland Road
42 Harry Roberts, Stafford County Constabulary
48 Walter Pinches, pork butcher, Police War reserve
76 Bernard Stokes, haulier, special constable
Vigo Road
26 Arthur Doody, labourer, Police War reserve
26 Evelyn Doody, first aid volunteer
Aldridge Road
26 Samuel Hyde, miner, ARP volunteer
28 Harry Reynold, brickworks, Auxiliary Fire service BUDC
Castle Road?
10 – Aspley, colliery, Police War reserve
Castle Road?
11 James Woollaston, miner, ARP volunteer
69 Grace Jillings, ATS 1stSouth –
69 Dorothy Jillings, 21stCompany WAAF
Castle Road
2 Wilfred stokes, ARP volunteer
16 Reginald Cope, labourer, brickyard, Voluntary ambulance driver, ARP, BUDC
44 Annie McDonaugh, St Johns Brigade, Walsall Nursing driver
50 Roland Percival, painter, voluntary AFS BUDC
50 Evelyn Percival voluntary AFS worker
Holly Lane
59 Edward Langford, colliery, voluntary air raid warden BUDC
51 William Bowker, miner, air raid warden, BUDC
7 William Richard, assurance agent, special constable
1 John Clayton, colliery electrician, auxiliary fire service
1 Ronald Clayton, transport driver, ambulance driver ARP, BUDC
Lichfield Road
124 William Bullock, miner, First Aid volunteer, BUDC
ORIR register:
Beech Tree Road
45 Joan Kirk, part-time ambulance driver
47 Norman Cooper, brass founder, voluntary first aid at ARP Post
47 Ethel Cooper, voluntary first aid at ARP Post
51 Henry Wagstaff, planning engineer in plastic works, ARP
21 Jarvis Beswick, Police Constable
21 Peggy Beswick, volunteer first aid, Walsall Wood
28 Reginald Morrey, Police constable no 174
Beech Tree House, Beech Tree Road
Francis Roberts, medical practitioner, ARP Staffs County Council
56 Charles Cope, coalminer, special constable, Wednesbury
60 William Jones, insurance superintendent, Air Raid Warden, BUDC
79 Albert Maguire, assurance agent, special constable
77 Percy Foster, electrician, ARP first aid volunteer
63 Harry Morgan post office junior clerk , ARP telephonist and messenger
King Street
9 Agnes Davies, nurse ARP first aid post, BUDC
Queen Street
36 Clarence Hollender, works ARP warden Aldridge tool and engineering, Aldridge
26 Bernard Leese, motor driver, auxiliary fire service Brownhills UDC
Boatman’s Lane
21 Alfred Mason, girder plater, ARP, St Johns ambulance brigade
High Street, Walsall Wood
5 William Woollaston, hairdresser, ARP warden
? Joseph Crutchley, blacksmith, ARP warden part-time
Jerusha Crutchley, ladies’ hairdresser, first aid voluntary
29 Arthur Whitehouse, outfitter, tailored goods, boots and shoes, First aid Post duties, Stafford County Council
45 Cyril Thacker, air raid shelter constructor, ARP warden
Hawthorn Tree Inn, Benjamin Bailey, publican
Walsall Road, Walsall Wood
79A Agnes Jacques, ARP BUDC
83 John Nicholls, labourer, ARP, Stafford CC
109 Hosea Sylvester, Police War reserve
ORIO register:
Walsall Road, Walsall Wood
112 George Wall, colliery hewer, ARP senior warden BUDC
100 George Litherland, AFS no 108600, leading fireman BUDC
Hall Lane
36 John Baker, miner, voluntary ARP warden, Staffs CC
52 John Harper, bricklayer, ARP warden BUDC
151 Arthur Till, bricklayer, Bhills AFS
High Street, Walsall Wood
Red Lion Inn William Burton publican, ARP warden, Brownhills UDC
30 Frank Harrison, wholesale tobacco traveller, ARP, first aid, Walsall Wood
40 Patricia Barratt, St Johns Ambulance brigade
58 William Hall, miner, ARP no 6 Post Walsall Wood
Coppice Road
75 Arthur Craddock, wholesale master grocer, AP volunteer, BUDC
81 James Hodgkiss, bricklayer, Brownhills ARP warden
Camden Street
3 Arthur Stanley, brick and tile setter, Brownhills ARP ( P.T.)
7 Fred Weston, wholesale grocery deliveries, part-time ambulance driver, BUDC
41 Samuel Nutting, bricklayer, ARP Brownhills UDC
26 Harry Eardley, miner AFS no 108601 Brownhills
30 Joh Harrison, rail layer in coal mine St Johns Ambulance, no 358411
34A John Riley, Brownhills UDC plumber and Staffs Police special constable
34A Winifred Riley, ARP driver BUDC
Black Cock Inn
William Thorpe, licensee, ARP warden
Green Lane
22 William Merrick, coal hewer, ARP warden BUDC
34 William Rowley, cowman at farm, special constable
Grange Farm, Green Lane
William Ward farmer, ARP work voluntary
David Evans, November 2018