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A question was recently posed online about the origin and use of a type of lantern that is often sold as being ARP related. The lamps are actually called “Siege Lamps” and a boxed pair of lamps were issued to artillery gun crews so they could sight their gun at night. The lamps would be placed on posts and the angle of the gun barrel to the lamp determined. Then when a bearing was required the gun layer could use a lamp's position as a known bearing. The lamps continued to be manufactured during the second world war by T.E Bladon and have the W/I\D mark and examples are dated 1942. The lamps have been incorrectly described as for use in Anderson Shelters or also for showing the entrance to Public ARP Shelters. However, they have absolutely nothing to do with ARP or Civil Defence. Image and information Australian War Memorial.  A Siege Lamp - not an ARP lamp
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This rare ARP Emergency Water Tank cropped up on eBay in August 2022. Not too many of these have survived the 80+ years since the war.  ARP Emergency Water Tank This rare pin-back CAGS (Civilian Anti-Gas School) Civil Defence Instructor badge recently sold on eBay for the remarkable price of £260 plus shipping. This particular badge appears to be extremely rare (I've seen only a small handful in over 20 years) and this led to a bidding war for the badge.  CAGS (Civilian Anti-Gas School) Badge The Civil Defence Reserve were a number of regional and mobile columns that were created to be deployed quickly where most needed. A number of Regional Columns throughout the country were set up and Kent and West Sussex also had Mobile Reserve Columns (Kent's being the prototype column that others were later based on). By 1943, 14 Regional Columns had been created. Each column had approximately 200 personnel drawn from various Civil Defence disciplines (first aid, ambulance, rescue and decontamination). They were equipped with all the necessary tools and vehicles as well as motorcycle messengers. In 1945, an Overseas Column worked in Antwerp. I am indebted to Steve Taylor for the image below.  Civil Defence Reserve Regional & Mobile Reserve Insignia A very interesting portrait of a Chief Warden from Greenwich. Although aa chief warden he is not wearing a white helmet but has CHIEF above the W on his helmet (I assume this could be very early war). No usage of the red bar and diamond insignia on his bluette overalls but he has an armband declaring his seniority.  |
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