THE
OUTBREAK OF WAR WAS A TRULY MOMENTOUS DATE
IN THE HISTORY OF LISBURN
PRAYERS
FOR PEACE IN TOWN
SUNDAY,
September 3, 1939 was one of the most momentous dates in the last century in
Lisburn.
It
was the outbreak of the Second World War and practically everyone in Lisburn had
their wireless sets turned in on the Sunday morning when it became known that
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was to broadcast.
His words would inform the public whether there would be peace or war.
Immediately after, hearing the fatal words, many people left for church where
special reference was made to the outbreak of the war against Germany.
Prayers for the return of peace were offered in First Lisburn Presbyterian
Church there was a period of silent prayer.
During the morning the town and surrounding areas experienced one of the biggest
thunderstorms for many years.
The vivid lightning and loud rattles of thunder seemed to be nature's way of
protesting against the fearful calamity which had befallen Europe.
Telephone wires and houses were struck at Pembroke Lodge, Dunmurry.
There was an emergency meeting at the Lisburn Air Raid Precautions Committee on
the Sunday and it was decided to man ARP Headquarters in the Barrack Yard.
A staff under Captain Walter Irvine, the chief warden for the district, was on
duty all night.
The
other stations were manned earlier in the week and there were six ARP sections
in the town as follows:‑ ARP Headquarters, Barrack Yard, wardens Mr W.
Kain, Mr 1. McCarthy and Mr S.W. Gracey.
Goto
Top
Infants School, Longstone Street, wardens Mr. W. I. Baillie and Mr. A. R. Harris.
Intermediate School, wardens Mr. J. Lowry and Mr. H.R. Russell.
Barbour Children's Playground, wardens Mr. Gilliland and Mr. T. H. Walker.
Rear of Fort House, Low Road, wardens Mrs. J. Crothers and Mr. G. S. Moore.
It was decided to begin working on Monday at building trenches for shelter
against air raids in suitable districts and 25 men were enrolled on Monday to do
that.
Completed
However,
on Tuesday the men were paid off as the work could not be completed.
When matters were more settled the work was to start.
The blackout in the town reached new heights of efficiency as the week
progressed.
The Air Raid wardens, with the support of the police, visited different houses
in the town and advised occupants as to complete blacking-out.
Cars,
too, were given special attention by the police.
The work of blacking-out the town began on the evening of Friday, September 1
and a short time after word was received from Stormont the black-out as far as
the public thoroughfares were concerned was complete.
There
would be no further street lighting until peace came six years later.
Goto
Top
Saturday
was one of the busiest days in Lisburn for the purchase of black material.
One
shop alone sold thousands of yards of black paper and queues to get into the
premises were the order of that day.
From
Sunday night the Air Raid wardens patrolled the town as well as manning the
various sections and were on look out for any glimmers of light from houses.
Mill
sirens no longer sounded in the .town now and were only to do so in the case of
an air raid.
It
was felt that sounding the mill horns may be the only means of letting the
public know that an Air Raid was imminent, so every one was told to be ready for
that signal. At that stage the public locally had not got
The
work of blacking-out the town into the habit of carrying their gas began
on the evening of Friday, masks with them, but the habit was September 1 and a
short time after to be formed in time. word was received from Stormont the
black-out as far as the public thoroughfares were concerned was complete.
Stage
The
schools in Lisburn were going ahead with the ordinary programme and at that
stage there was no word of evacuation of the children.
The
schools' football league proposed carrying on as in other seasons and all
their programme of matches would only be stopped if evacuation of the children
was decided upon.
Generally
speaking the outbreak of the war was taken calmly in Lisburn and once recruiting
started in earnest there was little doubt that the men of Lisburn would show
that they stood were they always stood.
A
Food Control Committee was set up and was stated that when the time came food
distribution to people would be strictly controlled.
Mr
John. D. Barbour, chairman, said at the out set of the monthly meeting of the
Lisburn Urban
Council
on Monday, September 4, 1939, that they met for the first time under the very
severe stress and probably with heavy hearts through the situation that had
developed in Europe.
It
was not necessary for him to remind anyone who sat around the table that their
duty,first and foremost was to the crown to do all they possibly could, each
and every one of them, to back the organisation the imperial Parliament had set
up.
Goto
Top
Duty
It
was their bounden duty by every word, deed and thought, to back that
organisation.
Lisburn
from its earliest days had been known as a loyal town.
All
petty squabbles, personal feelings and any small things of that kind must to
be put to one side and they must remember they were active members of the
British Empire doing everything they could to further the cause.
Let
it be said of them, he said, that when the blessing of peace came again that
Lisburn had done its duty.
Goto
Top
