Provisional cost of Local A.R.P

The Period of Emergency

By Susan Hall

Trench digging behind Peartree Stores
Welwyn Times 29 September 1938

During 1938 the country thought it was going to war and through the Welwyn Times of that period articles appeared explaining such things as air raids, first aid and even the recruting of wardens and the digging of trenches took place.

By the middle of october 1938 the period of emergency was over, war had been averted and the following article appeared in the Welwyn Times on October 20 1938 page 1 about the cost of “the emergency”

“Provisional cost of local A.R.P. 

Sandbags twopence each in the Garden City

Wage returns and Haulage figures still to come

It is not yet possible to give the total expenditure incurred during the period of emergency in the Garden City as certain wage returns and haulage figures are not yet availabe.

The following figures were , however, before the council at its meeting on Tuesday:-

                                                                     £   s   d

set of shear-legs and lifting tackle                     21   3   6

Two dozen crow bars                                         9  12  0   

100 each, shovels, picks and forks                    68   0   0

100 sheets of galvanized corrugated iron            12  10  0

2,275 sand bags at 2d each                              18  19  2

12 cubic yards of sand                                       3   0   0

50 gallons white road enamel                            28   2   6

28 hurricane lamps with 10 spare glasses            5   3   0

24 danger lamps                                                9   7   0

Timber for trenches, etc                                     41  5   0

One 5h.p. syren plus fitting                                62  0   0

24 direction posts to shelters and trenches           2  0   0

Electric torches, etc                                               14  6

                                                    Total           282   4  8

Waterworks essentials                                     201   7  0

                                                    Total           483  11  8

Wages paid to the council’s men up to last Thursday totalled £93  16s  3d  including £11  10s  1d to the housing departments painters

Extra equipment for the Fire Brigade cost £47

The foregoing is described as a provisional list of expenditure on plant and materials of which almost the whole would ultimately be of use in the council’s normal work if and when A.R.P. are abandonedin more peaceful times”

This page was added on 03/01/2012.

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