War Time
Researching in the local newspapers before and during the second World War we can see how the war affected village life.
Some mention has already been made in the school history pages and also a page has been given to the children who came to the village as evacuees. Details of the Village war memorial to be found in the churchyard and also the rolls of honour in the church, can be found elsewhere on this history site.
As early as 1938 preparations were being made in the village for the onset of another World War.
The Ripon Gazette dated 7th April 1938 tells us that a Air Raid Precautions [ARP] committee was formed at a meeting which was well attended in the village schoolroom. The West Riding Anti- Gas Officer gave an interesting address on Gas and how to combat it. Mr H. Bottomley. also addressed the meeting and appealed for helpers.
The next meeting was held, again in the schoolroom, and reported in the paper dated 21st April 1938.
Mr W.L. Trenholme. was elected Chairman and Mr F.Leathley. Clerk & Storekeeper.
Mr Sykes the visiting ARP officer gave a talk on Air Raid precautions and he answered questions. He informed the meeting that volunteers for First Aid work etc would receive instructions at the Kirkby Malzeard centre as it was impossible to secure lecturers for individual villages. Free transport would be provided. A vote of thanks given to Mr. Sykes by Mr. Trenholme.
Before the outbreak of war the Air Ministry had forecast that Britain would be exposed to sudden air attacks that would cause high civilian casualties and mass destruction from enemy night bombers.
Reported 29th Feb 1940.
A lecture on air raids was given in Kirkby Malzeard village hall by Mr. Grosvenor. of the Air Ministry.
The Chair was taken by Mr F.D.Moore.
ARP wardens and 1st Aiders from Galphay, Grewelthorpe. Laverton and Kirkby Malzeard were present.
He dealt at length about the method of attack by aircraft including high explosives, incendiary and gas attacks.
He said civilians best weapons against air attacks were intelligent foresight and preparedness and full confidence in forms of protection. Clearly it was commonsense duty of every householder or head of family or business to learn how to protect in case of air raids.
To counter this threat it was widely agreed that if man-made lights on the ground could be put out then the enemy would find it difficult to navigate and pinpoint their targets. It was believed that if Blackout controls were introduced, it would make the enemy bombers job more difficult. Indeed as early as July 1939, Public Information Leaflet No 2 (issued as part of the Air Raid Patrol (A.R.P.) training literature) warned civilians that everybody would need to play their part and ensure that the Blackout regulations were properly enforced during the Blackout periods.
On the 1st September 1939, two days before the outbreak of war, Britain was blacked out. The Blackout imposed on all civilians was absolute. No chinks of light, no see through curtains, no car headlights. Even the red glow of a cigarette was banned. Britain was plunged into complete darkness.
It was reported in the press in April 1940 that Mr Thomas Bain. a motorist from Grewelthorpe had been fined 10s [50p] for failing to screen off the headlight of his car. A powerful light was seen to be shining from the offside headlight – the diffusing screen had been removed. The accused said he had taken it off because of the fog and had forgotten to replace it.
Typical poster about The Blackout.
The local women were not to be left out. They organised themselves into groups preparing items for the soldiers at the front and also as a support for local Red Cross units.
In February 1940 the Ripon Gazette reported that the Kirkby Malzeard Working Party had sent, since Oct. 1939, to the Red Cross Depot in Ripon the following items. 52 towels. 40 abdominal bandages. 20 chest bandages. 10 pairs of bed socks. 10 pairs of operation stockings.
The previous week Lady Moore. Mrs Horton & Mrs Baker. had given knitted comforts to soldiers stationed at Kirkby Malzeard and to local boys with the forces. These included 35 helmets. 27 scarves. 36 pairs of gloves & mittens. 17 pairs of socks and 1 cardigan.
Donations of £12.5s and the proceeds from socials and whist drives amounting to £24.5s.7d were also sent.
Groups of knitters from Galphay in 1940 knitting comforts for the forces.
Fund Raising.
As the war progressed a huge amount of fund raising was undertaken by the villages in the Ripon district.
Social events were organised weekly, whist drives, knitting circles, dances, concerts, house to house collections etc.
All were reported in the Ripon Gazette each week.
January 1941. Dallowgill had a house to house collection organised by Mr. A.Frankland. & Mr. W. Trenholme. They collected £7.12s.6d. A similar collection was made in Laverton by Mr. F.Ellis. A social was held in the village and another £3.8s.6d was raised making a total of £11.1s.0d. for this small community.
February 1941. A Whist Drive in Grewelthorpe raised £2.12s.6d for the Sailors & Airmen Families Association.
June 1941. Whist Drive in Grewelthorpe organised by the knitting circle to raise funds for distressed areas.
At Christmas 1943 A Christmas gift of £1 was sent to each of the Grewelthorpe men and women [about 49] who are serving with HM Forces.
March 1944. Mr & Mrs. W.Harrison. of Oak House Grewelthorpe held a whist drive in their home to raise funds to buy cigarettes for our forces overseas.
April 1944. The local WVS held a whist drive in Grewelthorpe to raise funds for Christmas parcels for forces.
April 1944. There was a big drive to raise funds for the “Salute the Soldier.” week. Firstly there was the usual whist drive organised by Mr W. Harrison. for the forces fund. During the interval Mr J.F.Reid. introduced the Vice Chairman of the Ripon & District Salute the Soldier [S.T.S.] committee. He was Mr H.B.Revill. He addressed the gathering and he suggested that a committee was formed in Grewelthorpe to discuss raising funds for STS. The target for Ripon District was £125,000.
A meeting was held later in the month and the target for the STS fund in Grewelthorpe was fixed at £1,000. It was agreed to co-operate with the school savings group and a campaign will be opened on Children’s Day by Mr & Mrs Reid. on the village green. The Salute the Soldier week was to end on May 13 1944.
In fact the village surpassed itself by raising the magnificent sum of over £2,000.
There were Egg Collections made in various villages for the local hospitals. The Grewelthorpe collection in 1944 was organised by Mrs Dalton. 1,117 eggs were sent to Ripon & District hospital including 182 eggs from Ilton. Mrs & Miss Tennant. collected and packed the Ilton eggs. Mrs Jackson & Miss Carr. packed the Grewelthorpe eggs.
Kirkby Malzeard, Laverton & Dallowgill collected 1,275 eggs for the Royal Bath Hospital in Harrogate. They also made £10.9s in subscriptions.
Galphay & Azerley collected 276 eggs and £1.12s.6d. The matron of the Harrogate hospital wrote a letter of thanks.
A public meeting was held in April 1944 in the school and it was agreed to raise funds for the return of all Grewelthorpe members of HM forces . This was to be called “Forces Appreciation Fund.”
The Chairman of the committee was Mrs. Chapman. Collectors were chosen to make house to house collections and Mr & Mrs Harrison. kindly consented to add the present “Forces Fund” to this new fund. A Garden fete was held in August 1945 when £60 was raised. This fund continued raising money until it was finally closed down in September 1945. In the 18 months of activity it had raised £440. 5 members of H.M. Forces who had been discharged before August 1944 each received £3. The next of kin of Private T.Moore and Private Leonard Lonsdale who died on active service each received £7.10s. It was decided that on their next leave the 48 men & women from Grewelthorpe would each be paid £7.10s and that £50 would be kept in the bank to fund a special homecoming celebration.
Report in Ripon Gazette 2nd January 1947.
A welcome Home dinner and entertainment for the men & women of Grewelthorpe who served in the 1939/45 war was held in December 1946. This function was made possible by funds raised from efforts promoted by Mr & Mrs W.Harrison of Oak House, Grewelthorpe. An excellent dinner was held at the Hackfall Inn and the company included friends and representatives of various bodies in the village. The dinner was followed by an entertainment in the school, to which members of the forces invited a friend or relative. The company enjoyed a programme presented by Joe Greaves the Yorkshire comedian and the Wallis sisters supporting artists. The vicar Rev. W.A.R.Goss in thanking those responsible for the Welcome Home, said he was glad to see so many of the men & women home again and entering into the life of the village. He also referred to those who are still serving at Home or Overseas who could not be present. Major Hinton, on behalf of the Army and for the Navy, thanked Mr & Mrs Harrison and all who had made possible the Welcome Home.
Mr D.J.Leathley spoke on behalf of the Air Force. The school had been gaily decorated for the occasion. After the entertainment a dance was held and the Merrymakers Band of Dallowgill were in attendance and this brought a memorable evening to a close.
MERRYMAKER’S BAND.
In the book “Dallowgill through the Ages” by Lilian Chandler we learn that this band was started in 1944 when Gladys Howell. bought a small accordian and joined Stan Pickles on the piano for social evenings in Dallowgill school. Ken Spence bought drums in 1945 and they started playing for dances and social events in Dallowgill and surrounding villages. During the time of petrol rationing they had an allowance to transport the band. They charged £3.10s per evening. £1 for each band member and 10s for Mr Howell’s transport. They were still playing in 1986 with different drummers and George Baier on the saxophone.
June 1944. A house to house collection made £2.16s.8d for the Soldier’s, Sailor’s, Airmen’s Families Association.
The fund raising did not stop with the end of the war in May 1945.
There was a Bombed Churches Fund. In November 1945 the sum of £20.13s was forwarded to this fund from Grewelthorpe and Dallowgill. A concert in Dallowgill had raised £10.16s.
In August 1945 there was a Victory Week. Grewelthorpe joined the celebrations of the victory over Japan. Thanksgiving services were held on the Thursday and the Sunday. A victory tea and sports were held on the Wednesday. Tea was served in a room kindly lent by Miss S.Scott. Mrs F. I’Anson & Mrs. H. I’Anson & Mrs Clarkson. organised the tea and afterwards there were sports held on the village green. Mr.J.E.Thorpe presented each child with 6d. A village outing was held on the Sunday.
Grewelthorpe residents serving with the forces.
Recorded in April 1941 in Ripon Gazette. Sgt MacDonald of Spring House, Grewelthorpe husband of Mrs. N. MacDonald. The Air Ministry posted him as missing from April 10th. They had been married only a short time.
Reported July 1941. In the latest Honours List appears William Jackson Coldbeck. of 206 Squadron RAF who was awarded the DFM. Sgt Coldbeck age 20 is the son of Mr & Mrs William Coldbeck of Middlesboro. and Grandson of Robert Coldbeck of Grewelthorpe. Since the appointment of Honour he has been promoted to Flight Sgt.
In the Ripon Gazette January 13th 1944 it was reported that 3 service men were back home on leave from service in the Middle East.
Private George Nesom. R.T.C. the son of Mr & Mrs W.Nesom. of Grewelthorpe had escaped from an Italian POW camp after being in Italian hands for 15months. He was captured at Tobruk and taken to an Italian POW camp with 4 fellow prisoners. He escaped on September 13th 1943 and he had walked 350-400miles and was only 1.5 miles from allied lines when he was captured again by the Germans on 4th October. He escaped again on October 12th and this time reached the allied lines. It had taken him 11 days. During the last few months in captivity food problems hsd become more difficult as the Italian transport was bad and the Red Cross parcels weren’t getting thro’.
Private Nesom fought in Eritrea, Egypt & Libya.
Driver T.Moore RASC. had been abroad 3years and had fought with the 8th Army all thro the Africa Campaign & later in Italy.
Driver H.Harrison R.E. had spent 2 years abroad with Persia & Iraq forces for about 1 year and with the Middle East force for about the same length of time.
Reported in Ripon Gazette 6th Jan 1944. H.M. Cruiser Jamaica. Much interest has been aroused in Grewelthorpe on hearing about the cruiser Jamaica [ one of the crew L.A.Garner A.B Radar] Fired the torpedoes which finally sank the German Battleship Scharnhorst. His wife & daughter who live in Grewelthorpe are eagerly awaiting news.
Driver R.Bain. 1943.
LAC T.Bain. 1943.
Private A.L. Taylor. 1944.
Signalman R.G.Cole. [RCS]1944.
Sgt. J.Nesom [RAF]. of The Ryddings, Grewelthorpe. 1944.
Wedding of Sapper H.Harrison [RE] & ACWI F.Lodge [WAAF]. both of Grewelthorpe in 1944.
Updated January 2009. To be continued.
If you have any memories of life in Grewelthorpe during either of the World Wars please get in touch.