WW2 - Angmering's Civilian Volunteers


Introduction

As war broke out and Britain's men were called up by conscription, many of those unable to fight were determined to 'do their bit' and support the war effort by joining volunteer organisations.

In September 1939, just after WW2 had broken out, the UK Government compiled a Register which was used to produce identity cards and, once rationing was introduced in January 1940, to issue ration books. Information in the Register was also used to administer conscription and the direction of labour, and to monitor and control the movement of the population caused by military mobilisation and mass evacuation. It was designed to capture the details of every member of the civilian population on a specific date (i.e. 29 September 1939).

Many people in Angmering were in reserved occupations (such as horticulture), retired, or were over-age for military service or awaiting call up, but the Register also identified those men and women who had volunteered to assist the local community in some capacity in the event of air strikes or invasions. Those who had volunteered in some capacity are listed below. This is just a list of those who had volunteered by September 1939; no doubt many others volunteered during the course of the war. The list shows individuals' year of birth and the service to which they volunteered.

Many of the volunteers in Angmering were Air Raid Precaution (ARP) wardens. These wardens became the first link in a chain of ARP bodies that would include firefighters, rescue and first aid parties, ambulance crews and medics. They also patrolled the streets at night to ensure that no light was visible from houses that might assist enemy aircraft bombers. Their duties also included guiding civilians to a safe location or air raid shelter during an enemy raid. Angmering had just one air-raid shelter which was located in the bank opposite the village hall. There is no evidence that it was greatly used during the war and it was sealed up in the 1960s as it was being used by the youth of the village for “doubtful” purposes! Immediately north of the shelter was the ARP hut which can be seen in the photo below (small white building in far distance).

Adie

Eveline

1885

WVS

Adie

Hubert

1885

Special Constable

Alexander

Frederick

1876

Doctor, 1st Aid Post

Alexander

Katherine

1913

Land Army

Bagg

John

1907

1st Aid Red Cross (Worthing Council)

Blunden

Charles

1886

ARP Warden (East Preston)

Cheesman

Florence

1900

Part-time voluntary nurse

Cheesman

Stanley

1914

ARP part-time 1st Aid

Collins

Elizabeth

1875

ARP 1st Aid

Collyer

Catherine

1884

WVS

Cooper

Walter

1905

Auxiliary Fire Service

Cosh

Eric

1902

ARP Ambulance driver

Cragg

Howard

1917

ARP Ambulance driver

Cunnington

Leslie

1908

Billeting Officer (Civil Evac.). ARP Warden

Dales

David

1911

ARP Warden

Dales

Mary

1907

ARP Ambulance driver

Derbyshire

Phyllis

1909

ARP Warden

Francis

Jack

1905

Auxiliary Fire Service

Gibson

John

1909

ARP transport officer, Worthing RDC

Gordon

Violet

1881

WVS Worthing

Green

Jesse

1893

ARP 1st Aid Rescue party

Haughton

Murial

1896

WVS

Head

Jack

1902

Special Constable

Horsewood

John

1882

ARP Warden

Jameson

John

1880

Air Raid Warden

Knaggs

Maurice

1909

ARP 1st Aid

Lever

James

1889

ARP Warden

Locock

Lester

1892

ARP, Parish Head Warden

Mant

Louisa

1900

ARP Warden

Marpole

Richard

1912

ARP Ambulance

McCoy

William

1893

ARP Warden

McMullin

James

1922

ARP Messenger

Mills

Herbert

1906

ARP Warden, Worthing

Mowat

Charles

1876

ARP Warden

Parsons

Ronald

1916

Auxiliary Fire Service

Parsons

Thomas

1885

Civil Defence services

Peck

John

1900

Special Constable, Littlehampton

Pelham

Reginald

1903

ARP Warden

Pelham

Frederick

1895

Air Raid Warden

Pringle

Kenneth

1914

ARP Ambulance Rustington

Puttock

Basil

1910

Auxiliary Fire Service

Reeves

Albert

1894

ARP Warden

Rogers

Lilian

1880

British Red Cross

Rusby

Nell

1898

ARP Ambulance Service, Worthing RDC

Stubbs

George

1888

ARP Warden

Thair

Hilda

1910

Land Army

Warren

Claire

1908

WVS Worthing

Widdrington

Maria

1919

WVS

Wood

William

1905

ARP Warden

Wood

Grace

1905

ARP Warden

N A Rogers-Davis
October 2021


Page first uploaded: 01 October 2021