The Story of Sheffield at War by Margaret Drinkall

Author:Margaret Drinkall [Drinkall, Margaret]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, World War II, Europe, Great Britain, General
ISBN: 9781473884328
Google: h4gTDgAAQBAJ
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
Published: 2016-11-30T00:24:49+00:00

Mrs R.C. Marples of the WVS.

Some women preferred to join the WVS which provided them with more traditional roles. They volunteered to help out serving tea in train stations and buffets or comforting the homeless after they had been bombed out. It may seem to be yet another lowly role, but these women worked tirelessly when needed for very long hours. On the day after the raid of 31 August 1940, Mrs R.C. Marples, a group leader, worked twenty-four hours straight in order to deal with the bombed-out casualties. She had reported for duty at the Ridgeway Road Emergency Feeding Centre at 5 am and very quickly organized twenty other women so that when the homeless arrived they found tables of food and drink laid out for them. Although very tired after her long day’s work, Mrs Marples told a reporter that:

One or two wept for the loss of their houses, but I did not see one person who had any sense of hopelessness or despondency. They knew that they would be properly looked after. One of the babies did not take to the milk supplied at the centre, and so one of the officers sent out for ordinary milk and arranged for it to be delivered to the centre every morning until the family had been billeted.

The need for women to replace men who were being called up increased as the authorities searched to find the kinds of industry in which women could take over. In January 1940 it was decided that women could work as laboratory assistants and the appeal was received with much enthusiasm. It had been judged that ‘women were more suited to this kind of work, which many girls do particularly well, because it contains intricate measuring and delicate weighing operations.’ It was announced that training would be given in various laboratories across the city and the women would have to attend courses at the Applied Science Department of Sheffield University. Many women were also employed at the Fleur de Lis club which served as a recognized rendezvous for men and women of the armed forces. The building on Fargate had been a public house of that name before being rented out on a temporary lease by the City Council. The intention was to provide reduced-cost meals at the centre, where the slogan was ‘Hot Meals for Sixpence’. The club was opened by the Lord Mayor, Alderman J.A. Longden on Friday, 15 December 1939 and had been the idea of the Sheffield Christian Temperance Association. A reporter visited the Fleur de Lis and said that visitors could order beans on toast with tea for 6d and slices of bread and dripping would only cost ½d. The building was also equipped with comfortable rooms with chairs, sofas and a roaring fire, available for servicemen and women to make themselves at home. With the provision of books, magazines and such luxuries it was hoped that all persons in uniform would have a welcoming place to go in Sheffield.

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