Herald - Issue 421

v SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE HERALD v 31st March 2022 • The HERALD • Page 15 are pleased to announce they have opened a new branch on the Waterside Off the shelf service from the trade counter and telephone sales desk with FREE local delivery to: Totton & the Waterside, New Forest, Lymington and Southampton Just off Hardley Industrial Estate at Units 22 & 23 Glenmore Business Park, Lime Kiln Lane, Hardley, Southampton SO45 2AR Open: Monday - Friday 7.30am - 5pm Email: southampton.manager@eegroup.co.uk Telephone: 023 8202 7610 Independent Electrical Wholesalers Scan for directions Waterside Carpet Cleaning PROFESSIONAL CARPET CLEANING! Using Prochem Equipment and Materials • SPOT/STAIN TREATMENT • Fully Insured 023 8066 0878 07747 037756 or 07770 337917 www.watersidecarpetcleaning.com Second World War when distant alerts were heard. The school staff all decided against this advice and continued to take children to the shelters on every single alert they heard. is situation would result in some complaints from parents. In February 1941, it was discovered that 19 gas mask cases were defective which was raised with New Forest Rural District Council. ere was another close call in July 1941 when an incendiary bomb penetrated the dinner room roof. Again, it was quickly extinguished, with minor damage to chairs and tables. All throughout this period there continued to be almost daily air raid warnings with children being schooled in the shelters. This wasn’t always easy for the teachers to manage… or for the children to cope with. In the Hythe School ‘Punishment Book’ which lists children who had been disciplined, there’s a rather sobering entry. A child named S. Mossman was given 4 strokes of the cane for “rough conduct in the shelter” . By 1942, the local Home Guard battalion were using the infants’ room for evening meetings. e headteacher disdainfully reports how they’d le it in a mess, with cigarette butts found on the oor the next morning. But by now, air raid warnings appear to be getting less frequent, particularly as the entries move into 1943. School is still disrupted, but you can tell that the tide has started to turn. en on 8th May 1944, the head teacher writes: “Victory in Europe was announced by BBC at 9pm last evening. Today and tomorrow will be public holidays”. If you have New Forest and Waterside accounts of WW2, I’d love to hear from you. In June I’m hosting an exhibition on the history of RAF Beaulieu at East Boldre Village Hall. Details can be found on: rafbeaulieu. co.uk or you can email me on: mheighway@ hotmail.com A familiar must-have for children during WW2 Continued from page 14 e next New Forest Militaria Fair will be on Wednesday 6th April from 7pm to 9.30pm in the Colbury Church Rooms, Deerleap Lane, Colbury (near Ashurst) SO40 7EH. ere are stalls o ering a variety of militaria items, and these events are an ideal venue for dealers, collectors and enthusiasts to get together to buy, sell, swop, exhibit and talk about all aspects of militaria. All are welcome and admission is £1. Anyone who would like to pre-book a table at £6, should call Dave Curtis on: 07903 600865 or: 023 8178 1324. Forest Militaria