Coming up at auction at South Dorset Auctions is a fabulous group of medals and ephemera belonging to Dr Horatio Sparling MBE. Dr Horatio Sparling was the local Divisional Surgeon for the St. John Ambulance before volunteering as a Medical Officer (MO) with the Civil Defence organisation at the beginning of the second world war. Based in East Croydon, the decorated veteran of the first world war received an MBE for his work saving casualties following a V1 rocket attack. His MBE was gazetted in December 1944. Amongst the lots are several photos showing Sparling in his CD uniform. His two-diamond, white helmet with M.O. and A.R.P. is most unusual. Also present is a photo of him wearing a peaked cap, but the cap badge is hard to discern.
Dr Sparling died in 1965 at the age of 77.
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Nicely done colourisation of a well-known photo of a couple of early-war ARP Wardens. Nothing on the helmets and one has the silver ARP badge and the other the Civil Defence 'rainbow' armband introduced in mid-1940.
This interesting photo shows six members of the Civil Defence Service posing for the camera. Five of the six are wearing the austerity pattern (ARP Pattern 57A) battledress blouses with exposed buttons. Only one appears to have a beret badge (it looks to be the silver ARP badge). Apart from the standard CD breast badge, the only other additions are first world war ribbon bars and lanyards. No shoulder titles, rank chevrons, area titles or war service chevrons can be seen. It's possible the photo was taken after the issue of new uniforms (probably around the middle of 1943).
I am indebted to David Priddis for sharing the below images. David's late father, John Edward ("Ted") Priddis, was a warden in Clapham during the war and took the three photos. The photos show bomb damage to the Wardens' Post at Atkins Road roundabout and local houses. He was not on duty the night the post was hit.
Ted Priddis was an electrical engineer and his position was considered a reserved occupation. He was turned down twice by the Royal Navy due to his occupation. He moved from Clapham to Digswell in Hertfordshire and then to Bushey, near Watford, where he was in the Home Guard (photo below taken on steps of the St. James Parish Hall, now "Falconer Hall", Bushey). He travelled to Germany shortly after the war ended to assist in getting the power supplies reconnected there. An interesting photo from Coltishall in north-east Norfolk. Possibly a stand-down photo (going by the five war service chevrons in evidence), the chap in the centre appears to have "D.A.O" on his white helmet with single black bar. He also has the three chevrons and a star which would denote a Depot Superintendent. He's with several ambulance personnel so perhaps DAO is Deputy Ambulance Officer or Depot Ambulance Officer; quite a rare helmet designation.
He and a few of the Rescue men also have a single six-pointed star on the left sleeve. I'm unaware of the meaning of this. The stars look the same size as those that would appear above rank chevrons. A local-specific award by the look. Image courtesy of John Parnell. |
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