WW2 Civil Defence Uniforms, Insignia & Equipment
WW2 Civil Defence Uniforms, Insignia & Equipment
  • Uniforms
    • Bluette Overalls
    • ARP Wrapover Overalls
    • Tunic, Slacks & Skirt
    • ARP Wardens' Coat
    • Battledress & Trousers
    • Greatcoats
    • Ambulance Uniforms
    • Nursing Uniforms
    • Women’s Voluntary Services Uniforms
    • Hats, Berets & Caps
    • Footwear & Gaiters
    • ARP & CD Buttons
  • Insignia
    • Rank Badges
    • Breast Badges
    • Beret / Cap Badges
    • Area Markings
    • Shoulder Titles / Flashes
    • War Service Chevrons
    • Armbands
    • ARP Instructors' Badges
    • Incident Officer
    • Bomb Reconnaissance
    • Wound Stripes
    • ARP Whistle & Lanyards
    • Lapel Badges
    • Medals & Ribbons
    • Civil Defence Reserve
    • Miscellaneous ARP
  • Equipment
    • Documentation
    • First Aid
    • Gas Air Raid Warning
    • Hand-Cranked Air Raid Sirens
    • Fire Tackling
    • Anti-Gas Equipment
    • Rescue Equipment
    • Goggles
    • Lamps & Torches
    • Respirators (Gas masks)
    • ARP Penknife
    • ARP Water Bottle
  • Helmets
    • Helmets of the Home Front
  • Fire Guard
    • Fire Guard History
  • Resources
    • Books
    • Re-enacting
    • Buyers' Guide
    • ARP Memo 17
    • Civil Defence Pattern Nos
    • Uniform Sizes
    • Original WW2 Photographs
    • Re-enacting Photos
    • Fake & Reproduction ARP Badges
    • Civil Defence Corps Insignia
    • Links
  • Contact
    • About
  • Blog
  • Don't Click
  • Uniforms
    • Bluette Overalls
    • ARP Wrapover Overalls
    • Tunic, Slacks & Skirt
    • ARP Wardens' Coat
    • Battledress & Trousers
    • Greatcoats
    • Ambulance Uniforms
    • Nursing Uniforms
    • Women’s Voluntary Services Uniforms
    • Hats, Berets & Caps
    • Footwear & Gaiters
    • ARP & CD Buttons
  • Insignia
    • Rank Badges
    • Breast Badges
    • Beret / Cap Badges
    • Area Markings
    • Shoulder Titles / Flashes
    • War Service Chevrons
    • Armbands
    • ARP Instructors' Badges
    • Incident Officer
    • Bomb Reconnaissance
    • Wound Stripes
    • ARP Whistle & Lanyards
    • Lapel Badges
    • Medals & Ribbons
    • Civil Defence Reserve
    • Miscellaneous ARP
  • Equipment
    • Documentation
    • First Aid
    • Gas Air Raid Warning
    • Hand-Cranked Air Raid Sirens
    • Fire Tackling
    • Anti-Gas Equipment
    • Rescue Equipment
    • Goggles
    • Lamps & Torches
    • Respirators (Gas masks)
    • ARP Penknife
    • ARP Water Bottle
  • Helmets
    • Helmets of the Home Front
  • Fire Guard
    • Fire Guard History
  • Resources
    • Books
    • Re-enacting
    • Buyers' Guide
    • ARP Memo 17
    • Civil Defence Pattern Nos
    • Uniform Sizes
    • Original WW2 Photographs
    • Re-enacting Photos
    • Fake & Reproduction ARP Badges
    • Civil Defence Corps Insignia
    • Links
  • Contact
    • About
  • Blog
  • Don't Click

Searching For WW2 ARP, Civil Defence & Air Raid Warden Records, Photos & Documents

9/20/2019

4 Comments

 
I've been receiving a number of emails requesting how someone may go about researching a member of their family who was an air raid warden or in other ARP and Civil Defence services. The key starting point is their local archive usually at the library (or sometimes called a local history centre, local studies centre or archives centre). The online starting point would be the 'Search local archives' website.

However, I have searched through a number of these in the London area and details about an individual who may have served are generally absent. Unless they were a senior member (along the lines of an Incident Officer) then it's unfortunately highly unlikely the archive will have much more detail than their name appearing on a list of wardens (but even that is difficult to come across).

Finding details about an individual at these archives is therefore generally not going to happen. The archives do hold minutes of council meetings and some have letters from individuals but overall finding out about one person will not be possible. A few archives may have lists of wardens and the post they occupied but I have only seen one such list so far and it was for just a period in the summer of 1941. 

Some areas do have active local history groups that can assist research but again the likelihood of finding any detailed information on one person is unlikely.

There is also the National Archives but their search engine often directs a user to the local archive. They hold numerous ARP and Civil Defence records but these are generally related to governmental business. 
4 Comments
Alan Bright
9/10/2020 17:31:59

Hi,

Can you help me please?
I'm trying to find info/photos of the ARP HQ in Bessingby Playing Fields, Ruislip in 1940/1941.

I'm trying to help a friend find who his actual father was (his mother, now deceased would never tell him). His birth (Dec 1941) was the result of an affair, and both his mother and the father were in the ARP at the time (she was an Ambulance attendant).

His mother was renting lodgings in Linden road, Ruislip, and the putative father was living in Bessingby Road - just minutes away from each other and therefore they probably were both stationed at Bessingby playing fields.

It would enormously helpful to find a photo of them both in the same shot (almost a miracle), but any info or guidance you can give me on the ARP based there would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Alan

Reply
Website owner
9/10/2020 17:47:06

First port of call is the local archives for Ruislip at https://archive.hillingdon.gov.uk/history you will need to visit them and look at all their ARP & CD records. I'm afraid getting information on individuals will prove next to impossible though but you may strike lucky. Next try the local history groups (search on Google for these). They may be able to assist. If you get a name you can look at the 1939 Register which will give the address and occupation of individuals. After that you can cross reference family trees on some of the genealogy websites. I doubt you're going to get the photo you seek.

Reply
Norman King
2/23/2021 19:46:29

I don't think your comments help very much, but at my age(81) having never seen my father, only on a photograph
It makes things practically impossible, but I have to try.
I know he was in the ARP, I think in the Nottinghamshire
Area, when a bomb exploded while he was trying to get his
People into the shelter. He was injured was hospitalised and subsequently died of his wounds
That's about all I know. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thankyou.

Reply
Website owner
2/23/2021 20:33:10

You'll need some more detailed information if you want any chance of finding information. Without knowing the exact area your father worked it's going to prove immensely difficult to find any information.

You could try searching for his name on Google and adding ARP, e.g. "John Smith" "ARP" - the inverted commas make the search engine search for those exact keywords. You may get a lucky result. If you have an approximate area, add that in inverted commas as well. e.g. "Nottingham". You should know the year and possibly month/day of your father's death so you may be able to further narrow the search, e.g. "John Smith "ARP" "Nottingham" "1942". Alter Nottingham to other localities to widen the scope.

Some casualties are recorded in local papers but not many have been digitised and scanned for searching alas.

Best of luck

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Send me items to blog about via my contact page

    Categories

    All
    Armband
    Badge
    Book
    Document
    Equipment
    Fake
    Film
    Game
    Helmet
    Insignia
    Medal
    Photograph
    Poster
    Sign
    Uniform
    Vehicle

    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018

    RSS Feed

Home
Uniforms
Insignia
Equipment
Helmets
​Fire Guard
Blog
​About
Resources
​Buyers' Guide
Site Map
Contact
This website is advert free.
Please support its annual running costs by making ​a small donation. Many thanks 
Donate
Copyright Craig Smith  © 2018-2021