Zeppelin Squawkers

Entrance to Waterlow's Printing Works, Dunstable c.1920 [Z1306/36/6]

Tuesday 15th February 1916: Despite opposition from some of its members, the Watch Committee of Luton Town Council has recommended that the town should install electrical apparatus known as a “squawker” to warn of the approach of hostile aircraft, and the machine is already on order. Opponents of the “squawker” pointed out that the hooters had blown at Leighton Buzzard last week after a report was received that aircraft had been seen on the North-East Coast. The result was a great commotion with the hooters bringing everyone into the streets, despite the advice of the Home Office that people should stay indoors during a bombardment, this being far safer than being outside. Nevertheless, it was recognised that a number of large towns were finding these alarms effective, allowing them to extinguish lights before Zeppelins arrived overhead. The inhabitants of Luton would need to be educated to understand that if the “squawker” sounded they should stay indoors and put out the lights, and warnings given that the alarm would sound at fixed times to ensure people were familiar with it. It was agreed it would not be sounded if Zeppelins were actually overhead due to fears that the noise could precipitate an attack. The recommendation of the Watch Committed to install the “squawker” was accepted.

At Dunstable the Emergency Committee has made arrangements that when warning of the approach of hostile aircraft is received Messrs. Waterlows printing works will give three 30 second blasts on their hooter, to be repeated at minute intervals. Householders must they extinguish all lights visible from the outside. All windows, skylights, and fanlights much be obscured and any flashlights used must shine on the ground only. As in Luton, concerns were expressed that people would run outdoors instead of staying in comparative safety inside, but here, too, the Committee’s actions were approved. A suggestion that Messrs. Bagshawe's horn should also be sounded was welcomed by the Mayor.

Source: Luton News, 17th and 24th February 1916

Luton Lighting Order in Effect

Park Street, Luton 1912 [Z1306/75/10/52/2]

Friday 28th October 1915: Luton Town Council has successfully applied for a Lighting Order and this came into effect last Saturday. The kerbs at corners leading off the main road have been whitened, as have parts of lamp posts and tramway poles to make them more visible to pedestrians. The Rural Dean has given notice to the Anglican Churches that evensong should now start at 5.30 instead of 6.30 and the Free Church Council has also agreed to bring evening services forward to an earlier time. The railway companies are expected to close collections at an earlier hour so that their warehouses can be closed and the lights extinguished.

On Tuesday evening the Council discussed a request by large manufacturers for a time limit to the Order. If lighting up could be allowed until 6pm they could close from 1 - 2pm for dinner, drop the tea hour, and close for the day at six. However, the Mayor believed that the Council did not have any power to vary the Order, which restricted lighting from one hour after sunset until one hour before sunrise. In any case, to allow lighting until six would be very dangerous as it would soon be dark at four o’clock, or even earlier on foggy days, and the enemy would then have two or three hours to strike while the town was lit.

Not everyone has been complying with the Order and steps will have to be taken to compel those who have not fallen into line to do so. Jewellers were said to be setting a particularly bad example, and a number of shops in Park Street were infringing the Order “in the most shameful way”. Numerous complaints had been made to the Town Clerk about one factory, which was “nothing more nor less than a lighthouse beacon to any aircraft that liked to approach Luton”. On Monday night there was one shop in Chapel Street where no attempt had been made to obscure the lights, and while the Wesleyan Chapel was dark the Wesleyan School had its lights full on with no blinds or curtains drawn. The door was wide open allowing light to go right across the street. 

Source: Luton News, 28th October 1915

Luton to Apply for Lighting Order

Chapel Street, Luton 1908 [Z1306/75/10/10/4]

Wednesday 20th October 1915: Luton Town Council have taken the decision to apply to the Home Office for an order under the Defence of the Realm Regulations for controlling public and private lighting. Efforts have been made for some time to reduce lighting in the town voluntarily but these have proved ineffective. When asked by the police to restrict their lighting the town centre businesses did so, but turned them back on the next night or even soon after the police left. It was felt that some shopkeepers would be glad to have a compulsory order which would make everybody fall into line. Factories and even places of worship were also to blame, with the Non-Conformist chapels in Chapel Street and Castle Street both having big outside lamps in use.

The lighting order will regulate shop, factory, railway, street, and private house lights. All street lighting would be prohibited and interior lighting must be screened to that no bright light can be seen from outside. The only outside lighting permitted would be that deemed necessary for public safety by the police and military authorities. Breach of the order when it is introduced will be punishable by a fine of up to £100 or imprisonment for a maximum of six months. The intention is that the order will be rigidly enforced and offenders cannot expect to escape with nominal fines.

Source: Luton News, 14th October 1915

In the Event of Invasion

Church Road, Wilstead 1914 [Z1306/134/6/1]

Saturday 8th May 1915:  A meeting has been held at which plans were made for an emergency scheme covering the villages of Cople, Willington, Cardington, Eastcotts, Wilstead and Elstow, to be put into effect in the event of German invasion. In each village a deputy has been appointed to the head of the Emergency Committee, Mr John Arnold Whitworth. Each deputy is to be sworn in as a Special Constable and to take complete charge of his village, appointing four men under him to take charge of live stock, tools, transport and food stuffs. Each will be required to carry out the following duties:

Live Stock – cattle, sheep and horses not required for transport are to be driven to Wilstead, enroute for Haynes, Millbrook and Woburn Sands. The man in charge should select a staff capable of driving and also destroying and rendering unfit for human food any animals the military requires to be destroyed. Horses fit for transport should be collected at the village centre.

Tools – the man in charge will require a staff with axes, ropes, saws, picks and spades for felling trees, making roads, filling ditches, collecting and fixing barbed wire or such other duties as the military may require. He will need to work closely with the man responsible for transport; together they should load up tools and wire and take them to the nearest centre.

Transport – all transport material should be collected at the nearest centre. Where required this should be loaded with items collected by the man in charge of tools.

Food Stuffs – a staff must be found to burn and destroy any supplies which are ordered to be destroyed, or to load such supplies as may be required to be moved.

Owners of motor cars and motor cycles should be asked to bring them to the nearest County Police Station, with as much petrol as they can carry. Mr Whitchurch wishes to be advised of the number of Boy Scouts or Special Constables required in addition to the local staff, who should be used as much as possible. The village deputies have been asked to impress upon the farmers the need to brand their stock for identification purposes.

Source: Notes made by John Arnold Whitchurch [WW1/EC1/3]