Genealogy Chat

Hi I’ve just managed to find a 1939 electron registration and my gramp Alfred Henry Cook is listed as a ARP warden for the village of kings Stanley in Gloucestershire. Does anyone know if you can look at any ARP records .
Hope your all having a lovely evening , regards Neil

A couple of questions and answers found by googling "ARP warden records" -

http://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/forum/topic12941.html


http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/bomb-census-survey-records-1940-1945/ Look at point 7

There are more.

Thank youb

My father was in Restricted Occupation during the war in our home town, so was at home the whole time. The 1939 Register shows him as ARP Warden, but he never talked about it, and we did not find any medal after he died.

My brother would have known if there had been a medal as he was 11 when started and out at work by the time it ended, and he never mentioned anything either when we talked about Dad.

My father was an A.R.P warden during ww11 as he was in a reserved occupation. He didn’t get any medals but I still have the original whistle he was issued with.

Our house was an ARP post

We had an asbestos plaque on the front wall of the house for many years after the war ended

Dad worked at the Woolwich Arsenal so was doing essential war work but also worked shifts so mum took a Red Cross course and became a bomb watcher .
When the air raid sirens went she would go out into the road to watch for bombs and try and gauge where they had dropped and would go to see if she could assist with care of people as they were dug out of the buildings .

She could be out for several hours but would still carry on looking after the home and family during the day

I remember seeing her in her tin helmet

My gramps name was Alfred Henry cook but quite often just called Harry , he was born in 1908 in Swindon but lived his early years in tetbury Gloucestershire when married he moved to a little village called kings Stanley in Gloucestershire. I was surprised to see a tiny village had an arp warden and wondered why he was never called up to serve in the army , he worked as a builders carpenter .
Thank you all your replies

He could have had a minor medical condition which precluded him.

My father wasn't in a reserved occupation, but did have a minor heart defect & flat feet. He was due to be conscripted into the Royal Signal Corp. The summons was withdrawn after his medical.

Reserved Occupations in WW II: Various carpenters listed on page 8.

http://anguline.co.uk/Free/Reserved.pdf

Anyone serving in the ARP would have been entitled to the Defence Medal. They were sent out in little brown boxes after the war. There would have been no names or identification numbers stamped on them. There were no central records kept of who did their bit unfortunately but local record offices may have lists covering their areas.
Whilst not in uniform, ARP workers were entitled to wear a little silver ARP badge that would indicate they were doing their bit. Anyone found wearing one that wasn't entitled to could be fined.
Sadly, you can buy these solid silver badges on line for about £5. The Defence medals are very cheap to buy as well.

ARP in villiages -every villiage had one ,mainly to insure the total blackout rule was adhered to, also there was a chance that a viliage couldn't be exclude from a stray bomb as many enemy planes discharged any loaded bombs anywhere to conserve homeward bound fuel ......….it was the local councils who enrolled them. not military.

Many villiages did get hit by a bomb in ww2
.
Any outstanding deed by an ARP did get awarded the George Cross and will be mentioned in the Gazette.