The Home Front in Halsall during WW2

Keep Calm & Carry On Poster

During WW2, people were needed on the Home Front to help out with all sorts of services and tasks. The Home Guard, Women’s Voluntary Service, the Nursing Auxiliary, St. John’s Ambulance, Special Constables, the Fire Auxiliary, ARP Wardens and the Women’s Land Army were just some of the services that the people of Halsall were involved in, often on a voluntary basis.

The 1939 Register for England and Wales which was taken on 29th September of that year records the voluntary work carried out by some of the residents of Halsall. However, over the following six long years, no doubt many more Halsall people were enlisted into such services. In addition, farmers and their families were obviously producing vital food and providing labour in the fields as well as donating what they could to those in need. Evacuees, mostly children from Liverpool,  were billeted at many homes in the Halsall area.

Ormskirk Advertiser 7th March 1940

For the purposes of this article, research into the 1939 Register for Halsall was conducted and the following table produced. Any resident who had become a member of the WVS, St. John’s Ambulance, Special Constables, Auxiliary Nursing Reserve, Auxiliary Fire Service and ARP Wardens were recorded on the 1939 Register. No mention was made of Land Army girls or Home Guard members. Evacuees are only occasionally highlighted and are listed on our 1939 Operation Pied Piper page.

The Women’s Voluntary Service was involved in the preparations concerning the care and billeting of children who were evacuated to the countryside during WW2. They also took part in the government’s National Salvage scheme as well as many other initiatives all of which are explained in the Royal Voluntary Services link 

Facts sheets about history of Women’s Voluntary Service.

On a more local level, Hilda Lethbridge (Biography)  G47M-Y9Q of La Mancha Hall in Shirdley Hill was the head of the Halsall Division assisted by Natalie Spence (Biography) G5J1-BRB of Halsall House, the Shaw ladies GKH6-V2B from Shirdley Hill railway station, Alice Dickinson 9JN3-B47 from the Scarisbrick Arms and Barbara Grimshaw G5JC-R9W from La Mancha farm.

WVS Article from Ormskirk Advertiser
WVS Article from Ormskirk Advertiser

St. John’s Ambulance Brigade provided medical services for both civilians and soldiers. Members were required to provide first aid training to ARP wardens or medical volunteers.

St John during the Second World War

Thomas Shaw KJ2J-HYL, the station master at Shirdley Hill railway station was a member of St. John’s ambulance. While his wife, Mary GKH6-V2B and daughters Norah GKH6-2YC and Cecilia GKH6-GFD  were WVS members. Another daughter, Edith GKHX-NG2was a state registered nurse and his son John GKHD-YN6 was a Sergeant in the RAF. John’s wife, Dorothy Shaw (Biography)  GKHD-6WF was a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and sadly lost her life on 6th February 1945, just months before the end of WW2. 

Hundreds of women were members of St. John’s Ambulance including Isabel Hannah GR2N-TB2 of Halsall Road whilst her husband Sidney GR2N-GVT was a grocer by day and an ARP warden (voluntary transport division) by night. 

Special Constable WW2 Poster

Special Constables were a volunteer police force that supplemented the regular police during WW2. They were mostly people whose age or occupation prevented them from joining the armed forces. Their responsibilities included enforcing blackouts, assisting with evacuations and air raids and visiting schools to teach children about gas drills or the danger of unexploded bombs for instance.

Henry Core senior MG4X-YK8, a blacksmith on Summerwood Lane was a Special Constable as was his son, Henry Core junior GGL9-KCT – the latter being a member of the Seaforth Division. Thomas Stirzaker G5V2-QLB of Renacres Lane, Shirdley Hill was a retired policeman who had worked on the streets of Manchester. Therefore, during the war he was listed as being in the Police Reserve.

Nursing Recruitment Poster

Auxiliary Nurses were women aged between 18 and 55 years old who had volunteered to work in nursing roles. Usually, they had no previous experience so received two weeks training in practical hospital work, first aid and home nursing. They worked in many locations such as medical aid posts, first aid posts and casualty evacuation trains.

Ida Lowe (later Lloyd) GPC1-3G4 who lived at Watson House, Summerwood Lane worked at Ormskirk hospital for the Auxiliary Nursing Reserve. She describes her time there …

Ida Lloyd, Nurse : BBC WW2 People's War
Ida Lloyd, Nurse : BBC WW2 People's War
Nursing Register 1947-1948

Ida fulfilled her wish and  qualified as an assistant nurse in 1947 and worked at Southport Hospital.

The Sharrock sisters, Evelyn GJGG-S6P and Edith GJGG-WPG from the Saracen’s Head also worked as Auxiliary nurses during WW2.  Evelyn also qualified in 1952 as can be seen in the Nursing Register for 1950-1953.

Nursing Register 1950-1953
Scarisbrick, Halsall & Downholland Fire Engine ( credit Mary Ormsby)

The Auxiliary Fire Service (AFC) was formed in 1938 as part of the Civil Defence Service. Members were unpaid volunteers although if they were called upon to provide full-time service, they were paid a wage. Both men and women joined the AFC – women were often involved in administration duties. The role of the AFC was to supplement the work of fire brigades on a local level.

Auxiliary Fire Service – Wikipedia

If Halsall is anything to go by, it seems the volunteer firemen came from all walks of life. Edward Birch GNX7-1MC of Greenways, Cross Lane (as it was then) was a young, single 33 year old man of private means living with his parents. While just down the road at Malt Kiln Cottages, John Abram G3CL-LCV was a road labourer and over in Shirdley Hill, Aubrey Blundell Forbes G5K9-R7V of La Mancha Lodge was a shop assistant as was Arthur Moss GRM4-R7Z of The Kennels, Halsall Road (end of New Cut Lane). 

The Halsall Fire Engine, built in 1893, is on display at Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service Heritage and Education Centre in Bootle, Liverpool. It was named ‘The Countess’ after Gabrielle,  Countess de Casteja at that time.

Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Heritage and Education Centre

Air Raid Precautions Wardens (ARP)

Air Raid Precautions Wardens (ARP) were responsible for enforcing the ‘blackout’, provided first aid, organised emergency response, reported bomb damage and advised local people on air raid precautions. Women were involved in the ARP services through the Women’s Voluntary Service.

When the 1939 Register was taken, there were two women ARP wardens in Halsall: Anne Webster G526-GGD, a housewife who lived at Northmoor Farm, Northmoor Lane and Joyce Duckworth G52S-X97, 22 years old from Shirdley Hill who worked for her father in his newsagents and post office during the daytime.

Four of the men mentioned on the Register were farmers, working the land during the day and ARP wardens by night – Edward Banks KJLJ-D3G of Bangor’s Farm and William Swift LBFH-J6B of Tristrams Farm, Narrow Lane as well as Henry Serjeant KJ2J-CD4 of Whartons Farm and William Grimshaw GG5B-42V of Primrose Hill, Asmall Lane.

Ida Lloyd, Nurse : BBC People's War

Ida Lowe, in her memories written for the BBC People’s War website, says this of the blackouts and the ARP wardens…

BBC People’s War

For information regarding all Halsall residents who were recorded as having participated in Home Front services then click on their FamilySearch reference ( FS Link) in the table below.

 

More details available for Land Army girls, the Home Guard and Evacuees ( Operation Pied Piper) and their billets, on their respective pages on this website.

First nameFamily name Birth DeathAddressOccupation Service FS Link
CuthbertAckers19031969Bangor's GreenFarm labourerARP WardenGXGX-L7V
EdwardBanks18811957Bangor's FarmFarmerARP WardenKJLJ-D3G
JohnBlundell19081981Gregory LaneJoinerARP WardenGPF3-M2Z
Robert A Bradshaw19061947Dicconsons Ln.Engine driverARP WardenGPQG-3KV
Joyce AdaDuckworth19172004Renacres LaneShop AssistantARP WardenG52S-X97
JohnFreeman 19051986Heathey LaneHorsemanARP WardenLBFZ-1YS
Leonard Fuller19061991Halsall RoadMarket GardenerARP WardenG4WW-ZBS
John Gradwell18821964Summerwood LnWheelwrightARP WardenGJKP-HZ2
Thomas Gradwell18921959Summerwood LWheelwrightARP WardenKJ2Y-6GP
WilliamGradwell18891955Summerwood LWheelwrightARP WardenLTJW-DKM
WilliamGrimshaw18871964Primrose HillFarmerARP WardenGG5B-42V
SidneyHannah18921953Halsall RoadGreengrocerARP WardenGR2N-GVT
James Johnson1890New Cut LaneMarket GardenerARP WardenGB23-QMC
James Leatherbarrow19111987Renacres LaneLabourerARP WardenG5JH-4BS
William HMorgan19051974Dicconsons Ln.Mech. FitterARP WardenGPQ5-8SS
WilliamPrescott18941975Summerwood LFarm labourerARP WardenG6T3-17M
John TRawsthorne18971974Dicconsons Ln.GardenerARP WardenGPQG-LYQ
Richard JamesRimmer18971961Cross LaneLabourerARP WardenG7K1-DNK
PeterRimmer 18931969Renacres LaneCivil ServantARP WardenGPTN-GZP
HenrySerjeant18891973Wharton's FarmFarmer ARP WardenKJ2J-CD4
Charles Shacklady19061977Heathey LanePaviorARP WardenGDNT-5ST
WilliamSwift 18931976Tristrams FarmFarmer ARP WardenLBFH-J6B
JohnThrelfall19011968Gregory LaneProduce Merch.ARP WardenLKKX-7W1
Anne Webster18821954Northmoor FarmHousewifeARP WardenG526-GGD
WilliamWitter 18911972Renacres LaneRoad labourerARP WardenGGZK-2CY
John BoltonAbram19051995Malt Kiln Cotts.Road labourerAux Fire ServiceG3CL-LCV
Edward HardingBirch19061983GreenwaysPrivate meansAux Fire ServiceGNX7-1MC
AubreyForbes19131986La Mancha LdgShop AssistantAux Fire ServiceG5K9-R7V
ArthurMoss 19081987Halsall RoadShop AssistantAux Fire ServiceGRM4-R7Z
Florence R Aspinwall19001995Halsall Road Domestic DutiesAuxiliary NurseGR2Y-DB6
AnnieBiggs19181972Halsall RoadShop AssistantAuxiliary NurseGR2Y-R7Z
IdaLowe1913Watson HouseDomestic DutiesAuxiliary NurseGPC1-3G4
EvelynSharrock19122005Saracen's HeadDomestic DutiesAuxiliary NurseGJGG-S6P
EdithSharrock19181996Saracen's HeadDomestic DutiesAuxiliary NurseGJGG-WPG
Edith Shaw 19141992Shirdley HillState Reg.NurseHospital NurseGKHX-NG2
Thomas Stirzaker 18781958Renacres LaneRetired PCPolice ReserveG5V2-QLB
JosephAspinall18881951Gesterfield FarmFarm BailiffSpec.ConstableK4YF-XVW
HenryCore18761961Summerwood LnBlacksmithSpec.ConstableMG4X-YK8
HenryCore19061979Summerwood LnBlacksmithSpec.ConstableGGL9-KCT
JobGrimshaw18921944La Mancha FarmFarmerSpec.ConstableKJ2Y-6GW
Thomas Hesketh18881965Cross LaneFarm labourerSpec.ConstableG33R-H5G
JohnHigson18891972Renacres LaneMarket GardenerSpec.ConstableKJ2J-CDX
WilliamOswald18911965Glebe FarmDairy farmerSpec.ConstableGKJF-2M3
John McLeodOswald18981973Glebe FarmDairy farmerSpec.ConstableGKJF-WK4
JohnPark18851943Northmoor LaneProduce BuyerSpec.ConstableKJ2J-C9G
Charles Prescott18921947Small Lane SthLabourerSpec.ConstableKJLH-49K
James Singleton18861980Halsall RoadFarm ForemanSpec.ConstableKZH1-QHG
ThomasSutton18941965Summerwood LCanal rangerSpec.ConstableGNZN-573
JohnWebster18831943Northmoor FarmFarm BailiffSpec.ConstableLYBZ-7BF
FrederickWhiteside18891957Halsall RoadButcherSpec.ConstableGR2J-7Q7
Isabel MayHannah18991988Halsall RoadHousewifeSt.John Amb.GR2N-TB2
Thomas Shaw18791961Shirdley HillRail.Sta. MasterSt.John Amb.KJ2J.HYL
Alice Dickinson19111988ScarisbrickArmsDomestic DutiesWVS9JN3-B47
BarbaraGrimshaw19202006La Mancha FarmDomestic DutiesWVSG5JC-R9W
Hilda Lethbridge18751951La Mancha HallPrivate meansWVSG47M-Y9Q
MaryShaw18841968Railway StationDomestic DutiesWVSGKH6-V2B
Cecilia Shaw19111984Shirdley HillShop AssistantWVSGKH6-GFD
NorahShaw19171989Shirdley HillClerkWVSGKH6-2YC
Natalie Spence19091988Halsall HouseDomestic DutiesWVSG5J1-BRB