Weekly War Diary for 1940 Extracted from the Wilts and Gloucester Standard by Peter Grace 6/1/40 Agriculture /Food Supplies Gloucestershire County Council [GCC] Panel of Part Time Rabbit Trappers Applications are invited from fully qualified rabbit trappers to be placed on the County Panel for recommendation to occupiers of rabbit infested premises who require their services. Remuneration will be paid by the occupiers who employ them. Applications stating age and qualifications accompanied by 2 testimonials or references to be sent to me not later than 20th January 1940. Richard L Moon Clerk to the GCC, Shire Hall Gloucester. Advert Entertainment / Dances Corn Hall Dance to Harry Smith’s Band. Dancelands brightest dances with brilliant all star bands. Every Saturday 7.30pm to 11pm admission 1/3d Comrades of the RAF Cirencester Branch Programme for January 1940 HQ Foresters Arms Queen Street Extraordinary General Meeting Wednesday January 10th 7.30pm - Agenda Election of Committee Members. Smoking Concert Saturday January 20th 7.30pm. .Social Evening Wednesday January 24th 7.30pm. Members are invited to bring friends to the Smoking Concert : Attention is directed to rule 6 re subscriptions. Weekly Dances in the Church Hall recommence tonight Friday 5th January 7.30pm to 11pm Advert Christmas / Retail / National Savings Advert Bailey Bros 2,762 Customers on Christmas Eve. That was the actual number of customers served in our store on Christmas Eve our record for a single day. How many we served during the Christmas bazaar we have not been able to compute – but they seemed as numberless as the stars in the Milky Way. We are grateful to everyone for their tolerance in this difficult time. In 1940 we shall continue to supply everything to wear and everything for the home under one roof on the same principles as before. In the days before us our resources and buying facilities should prove to the greatest value to our patrons…….. For we shall use them to maintain this firms policy of London’s lowest prices always. SAVE for Victory of course but also a little for those things you will need in the meantime. That’s just common sense . And the best way is by The Ace of Clubs. You’ll find the “Bank” in our corridor. Bailey Bros. Cricklade Street, Cirencester Phone 266 Transport Trains in Wartime Always use the ABC guide it contains the latest train services. January issue is now on sale price 2/- Give your newsagent a regular order to avoid delay. Report any difficulties the publisher 141 Fetter Lane London EC4 Advert Casualties / Assurance War and Life Insurance Death from war injuries on active service or not can be covered by additional premium payments according to the merits of the case. Write, phone or call on E H Morgan FCIB, Corn Hall Chambers Cirencester phone 308 Agriculture / National Service / Women’s Land Army [WLA] Chit Chat Column (not verbatim) The Army and Farmers. Farmers wishing to retain young key workers should apply to the County War Agricultural Executive Committee for form NS 100A to be filled in and returned by next Monday week. Applications only in respect of men who have registered but have not yet been called up. Men between the ages of 20 and 27 years are liable to call up. Agriculture is almost a completely reserved occupation but any of military fitness complete exemption is out of the question. There may be a postponement of 6 months where the young man is essential to the farm an no substitute can be found. Therefore farmers who apply must still look for substitute labour. There has been some reluctance to use alternative sources of labour on farms e.g. the WLA. The difficulty is that they have limited skills. It is possible that young men will be released to agriculture, those who leave school at 18 before they are liable for military service. Christmas / Entertainment / Evacuation Kemble Pantomime Trip Sunday School children, day school children, evacuees , parents and friends numbering well over 100 paid a visit to the Empire Theatre Swindon on December 27th to see the afternoon performance of Cinderella. The trip was arranged by the village Social Committee. National Savings Large Advert Have you formed a National Savings Group yet? Situations Vacant Farm situations vacant 8 Domestic situations vacant 23 Advert Agriculture /Retail Aubrey Rees wishes customers a Happy New Year saying difficulties in supply will doubtless occur so please place orders and enquiries now. Military / National Service /Rotary Orders for the Week Au Revoir The best wishes of Cirencester Rotary Club were offered to Rotarian Eric Cole at the Tuesday meeting by President Leonard Jones. Reference to Mr Cole’s temporary departure from the town appears below. Councillor accepts Commission We learn that Councillor Eric Cole FRIBA has accepted a Commission in the Royal Engineers and will leave Cirencester to take up his duties at once. In Mr Cole’s absence on military duties the business of Eric Cole and partners will be carried on in the care of Eric Hill who has been associated with Mr Cole for the past two years. Mr Hill in this time has become well known in Cirencester particularly with the Drama Club and next week is marrying Miss Dorothy Kitley at Newport. Christmas/ Temperance Movement Good Templars On Saturday members of the Newcombe Memorial Juvenile Temple met at the Temperance Hall where in place of the usual tea which was abandoned because of the Blackout, each member received a present. Medical Death Announcement Death announcement of Dr HFW Adams the former Medical Officer of Health [MOH] who died last Sunday aged 56. He lived at Hill Cottage Perrotts Brook. Crime / Blackout Cirencester Petty Sessions Magistrates imposed fines of 5/- on motorists who pleaded ignorance of leaving a vehicle otherwise than on the near side of the road during the hours of darkness. This new regulation came in force on 1st December. The defendants were David Edwards and Frederick Francis Smith of Cirencester Private John Michael Clark of RGH Frederick Beasley of Cirencester and Peter Elliott of the RAF. The latter was also fined 5/- for no front light showing on his vehicle. Lighting offences :- Joseph Donald Cole of Siddington 5/- fine for having a car with no lights. James Peter Caplin Prialex Rabon a soldier of Aldbourne 10/- for a similar offence. William Ayton of Siddington Road, no front on bicycle fined 10/- also 10/- for no rear light. Charles Edward Pike of London Road for a similar offence fined 5/- For no rear light Bernard Cook was fined 5/-. Thomas Low aged 17 admitted an assault on Audrey Florence Ockwell on the night of December 15th in the Black-out in Somerford Road. He was bound over for 2years under the supervision of a Probation Officer and is to receive treatment. Blackout Round About the Countryside by Ralph Arnold A long article on the Black-out includes the following points:- even a small light can illuminate a lot, countrymen are used to creeping about in the dark; town people are appreciating the stars for the first time; street accidents are common e.g. a dog walking to heel suddenly chasing a cat and knocking down an elderly pedestrian. There have been numerous household accidents with people moving around in the darkness rather than risk showing a light. Still it will make us appreciate the long Summer evenings. National Savings Since the National Savings new campaign was launched £1,500,000 has been saved every day. ARP Voluntary Cars Gloucestershire Emergency Committee agreed to pay insurance on volunteer’s cars and ½ d a mile while on duty. The estimated number of cars required is Controllers 25, Heads of Services 75, Officers in charge of depots 30, Wardens 100, WVS 20. Rationing / Food Supplies Ministry of Food Register Now for Meat You must register now to enable the Ministry of Food to distribute meat fairly to the shops throughout the country and assure you of your fair share when rationing begins. What you have to do. Put your name and address on the counterfoil at bottom of the meat page of the Ration Book NOW. Write on the inside front cover of your Ration Book , the name and address of your butcher. Take your Ration Book to your butcher and let him write his name and address on the meat counterfoil and cut it out. If you move to another district take your Ration Book to the local Food Office an the new district. The numbered coupons must not be cut out yet. This will be done by the butcher when you do your shopping after meat rationing begins. If you have registered before Christmas this registration was unauthorised. You may let it stand and it will be effective. Or if you wish you may register now with another butcher by recovering the counterfoil from the butcher who holds it and taking it to the butcher you now choose. You are free to use any butcher. You must register not later than Monday 8th January. Evacuation / Christmas / Entertainment Entertaining Evacuees Letters to the Editor Dear Sir – It has occurred to me that during this Christmas season much might be done by simple hospitality by entertaining small groups of evacuees two or three or more if there is room in your house. I entertained three in my home on Boxing Day and found it was greatly appreciated. I have discussed this with several since one of whom suggested I should write this letter. Edith M Andrews 88 Victoria Road ___________________________________________________________________________ 13/1/40 Advert Retail / Supplies Advert for Bailey Bros Bailey’s advert includes “Prices are going up!” rapidly but at Bailey Bros they are still at pre- war prices.