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St Margaret's ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Log. Volume 2. 24 July 1940 - 2 November 1940. Pages 1-9
St Margaret's ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Log. Volume 2. 24 July 1940 - 2 November 1940. Pages 1-9
St Margaret's ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Log. Volume 2. 24 July 1940 - 2 November 1940. Pages 1-9
St Margaret's ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Log. Volume 2. 24 July 1940 - 2 November 1940. Pages 1-9
St Margaret's ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Log. Volume 2. 24 July 1940 - 2 November 1940. Pages 1-9
St Margaret's ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Log. Volume 2. 24 July 1940 - 2 November 1940. Pages 1-9
St Margaret's ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Log. Volume 2. 24 July 1940 - 2 November 1940. Pages 1-9
St Margaret's ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Log. Volume 2. 24 July 1940 - 2 November 1940. Pages 1-9
St Margaret's ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Log. Volume 2. 24 July 1940 - 2 November 1940. Pages 1-9
St Margaret's ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Log. Volume 2. 24 July 1940 - 2 November 1940. Pages 1-9
St Margaret's ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Log. Volume 2. 24 July 1940 - 2 November 1940. Pages 1-9
St Margaret's ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Log. Volume 2. 24 July 1940 - 2 November 1940. Pages 1-9
The second of nine volumes of the St Margaret’s ARP logs. This volume covers the period from 24th July 1940 to 2nd November 1940 and reflects the considerable increase in enemy activity above and around St Margaret’s during the Battle of Britain which officially started on 10th July 1940 and ended on the 31st October 1940.
The Air Raid Warden Service was set up in 1937 dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air raids. The St Margaret’s ARP Post was set up in the Cliffe Hotel in St Margaret’s at Cliffe High Street. The Chief Warden was Major Hornsby until his retirement in February 1941 when Charles Groves, who was also the Cliffe Hotel proprietor, took over in a voluntary capacity.
Given St Margaret’s proximity to the French coast air raid warnings figure prominently in these logs. These warnings were colour coded which is how they are recorded in the log. They are as follows:-
‘AIR RAID MESSAGE YELLOW’ A PRELIMINARY CAUTION that raiding aircraft are approaching the UK. Sent to recipients on the district warning list of districts in which raiders appear to be heading. This message is only a preliminary warning and was confidential. It was neither to be passed on from one district to another nor to be conveyed to the public.
‘AIR RAID WARNING RED’ An ACTION WARNING that raiding aircraft are heading towards certain districts that may be attacked within from five to ten minutes. Sent to recipients on the direct warning list of districts threatened. Message passed by telephone to certain authorities on the warning list, who will sound the Air Raid Warning.
‘AIR RAID MESSAGE GREEN’ RAIDERS PASSED. Raiding aircraft have left districts warned or no longer appear to threaten those districts. Sent to all recipients of an ACTION WARNING. Message passed by telephone to certain authorities on the warning list who will sound the RAIDERS PASSED.
‘AIR RAID MESSAGE WHITE’ CANCEL CAUTION. Sent to all recipients of the PRELIMINARY CAUTION (whether they had received the ACTION WARNING and RAIDERS PASSED or not). This message was confidential. It was to be passed on only to those who had received the PRELIMINARY CAUTION.
‘AIR RAID MESSAGE PURPLE’ Means EXTINGUISH ALL LIGHTS.
Along with pages of the log are copies of messages pasted in the log sent by, for example, the local Police to the ARP Post or messages between the ARP Post and DRC (Dover Rural Control) reporting matters of interest (bombs dropped, shell fall, damage reports, casualties etc.). These messages are included in the order they appear in the log.
This item features pages 1-9, 24th July 1940 to 2nd August 1940.
ARP Warden, Charles Groves continues his informal narrative of the progress of the Battle of Britain with pencil notes in the log :- Page 8, ‘Invasion barges ready Hitler’ and ‘Decided to intensify air attacks Hitler’
For the rest of Volume 2 see also items 5515 – 5529
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