Guest DaveGaertner Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Are there any records of of fire watchers in Sheffield? My Grandmother (sadly long gone!) was one, and tells a story of a young lad who was killed while they were both on duty. Any help appreciated! Dave G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayleaf Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Are there any records of of fire watchers in Sheffield? My Grandmother (sadly long gone!) was one, and tells a story of a young lad who was killed while they were both on duty. Any help appreciated! Dave G I suspect not Dave.According to Mary Walton and Joe Lamb's book Raiders over Sheffield, it sounds as if there was no real organisation, as they say many shops and other places destroyed by fire could have been saved if there had been a firewatcher on duty. It sounds as if it was left to individual shops etc to provide their own cover. After the main raids local people were encouraged to set up a firewatch for their street, but this never got organised as the raids petred out. If there were any records Mary and Joe would have known, they were the City Librarian and Reference Librarian at the time, and the Central Library was the centre for public information in the war. If any records do exist, the Local Studies Library or Sheffield Archives will know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest plain talker Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 My late grandpa worked for Dormer Twist Drill man and boy, and during the war, he did firewatching duty,. (his was a reserved occupation, as well as the fact that he as partially hearing and had a tuberculoid ankle, so could not serve) He described being on the roof of the Dormer factory, squashed into a sort of metal torpedo shaped thing, with a slit, at eye height to peer through. It must have been terrifying, to be so confined, yet so exposed. I can't imagine how scary that must have been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DaveGaertner Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 Many thanks Bayleaf! Plain, I am in agreement with you, it must have been scary not knowing if the next one had your name on it! But they were hardy souls! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart0742 Posted December 6, 2008 Share Posted December 6, 2008 Many thanks Bayleaf! Plain, I am in agreement with you, it must have been scary not knowing if the next one had your name on it! But they were hardy souls! Did you see this link on the Air Raid Shelters Topic Picture Sheffield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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