Miss L. B. Davies

Memories of Totley

Reading Mrs Jess Sowman's letter in the September issue, prompted me to add my memories of Totley in war time. Having worked in Hertfordshire up to early 1940, I came back to Totley to help care for our mother who was in poor health. On November 6th, 1940 I was appointed by the Chief Constable, to be an Air Raid Warden. 

We lived at No. 3 The Crescent, and my first duty whenever the sirens went, was to go across to the Co-op store and unlock the shelter, which was the reinforced basement under the shop, to which I held the key. Mr. H. Woodworth was the warden who manned the office, which was over the 'garage' building to the left, top side of Cross Scythes, the siren was fixed above this building.

Having opened the shelter and switched a single 60 watt light on, I then had to run down Mickley Lane to Cherry Tree Orphanage to help carry the children on their mattresses into their shelter. On the night of the Sheffield Blitz, when l got back to 'my' shelter I found it filling with local residents. I can't remember how many people it was to hold, but I had to count them and report to a patrolling warden, a Mr. Bailey I think, who, when I had my full number, had to escort late comers to the next shelter which was at the Methodist Chapel, bottom of Totley Rise. 

My mother was too ill to go out, so we were issued with a Table Shelter, this was a steel contraption which was erected in a bedroom, with a mattress under it. On Blitz night, I kept running back to see if my parents were O.K. and found my dad had made big jugs of cocoa and collected cups and mugs which I carried across to the grateful folk in the shelter. I don't think cocoa was rationed at that time.

During the time I was Air Raid Warden, I also worked for Edward Bramhall, Hall Lane Farm, I did the milk round with Ida, his wife, driving the van, from which we carried one gallon or half gallon cans, along with a pint measure from house to house, pouring the house ration into jugs or basins. On very frosty days the milk used to freeze round the inside of the measure, then I would ask the housewife to pour hot water to thaw it, or they would have had short ration.

Towards the end of 1941, I was 're-directed' by the powers that be to work on the ARP Ambulances, as I already had certificates in First Aid and Nursing. I was based at Banner Cross garage depot. We used to meet the night trains bringing the wounded troops and take them to Rivelin Hospital.

October 1993