Chesham's ARP
Mrs. Hilary Povey has sent in this photograph of a local Air Raid Precautions squad. She thinks
it's probably the St. John's Ambulance group, taken outside what is now Thomas Harding School. Of the
men in the middle, the one on the right is Don Stevens, Mrs. Povey's father. On his left, four along,
is Nancy Walters.
The job of the ARP was to warn of an impending attack and make sure that the blackout was being
maintained. They worked nights and would probably do a duty of three nights on the run.
Edie Hailey, a Chesham resident at the time, has been able to identify several more of those in the
photograph, as follows:
Back row:Win Seymour (4th from the left),worked at Shillaca's (?) handbag factory; "Birdie"
Rose (3rd from left) owned a butcher's shop in Waterside; Edie King?(2nd from left); Ted Attwood (1st from left).
Second Row: Evelyn Bangay (5th from left); Brian Oxley (6th from left);
Front row:May Narroway (1st from left); Marie Puddiphatt (5th from left);
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