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Air Raid Precautions (ARP) records WW2

Q

Quibell

proper brummie kid
Further to my research into my mother, Norma Olive Quibell, born 30/03/1920 in Handsworth, I understand that she was a member of the Air Raid Precautions during the second world war in Birmingham.
Will there be any records relating to individuals in the ARP, showing duties and perhaps specific events. ??I
As before, any information would be much appreciated. Thank you.
 
Quibell said:
Further to my research into my mother, Norma Olive Quibell, born 30/03/1920 in Handsworth, I understand that she was a member of the Air Raid Precautions during the second world war in Birmingham.
Will there be any records relating to individuals in the ARP, showing duties and perhaps specific events. ??I
As before, any information would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Click to expand...
I found Norma Quibell in the 1939 Register - annotated with her married name Mackenzie. But there's no annotation or note about ARP. Her occupation is shorthand typist, so perhaps she took notes at meetings? Reports would be sent to headquarters.

Finding individual ARP records I'm afraid is very difficult. There are no national records of individuals available only departmental records. Some Local Authorities kept records, but I can't see anything in the Birmingham Archive Catalogue.

Could I ask how you know your Mother worked in ARP as this may help us find something?
Stokkie
 
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I remember houses with the letter P painted somewhere on the premises being very visible. This enabled neighbours or anyone else to make use of a stirrup pump to make out an incendiary device or small fire.
Maybe this was what was referred to in the original post.
 
Radiorails said:
I remember houses with the letter P painted somewhere on the premises being very visible. This enabled neighbours or anyone else to make use of a stirrup pump to make out an incendiary device or small fire.
Maybe this was what was referred to in the original post.
Click to expand...
The letters SP (stirrup pump) are still visible on the wall of a house in Endmore Grove, Erdington.

SP.JPG
 
Quibell said:
Further to my research into my mother, Norma Olive Quibell, born 30/03/1920 in Handsworth, I understand that she was a member of the Air Raid Precautions during the second world war in Birmingham.
Will there be any records relating to individuals in the ARP, showing duties and perhaps specific events. ??I
As before, any information would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Click to expand...
Any relationship to Max Quibell, born 1940’s?
 
I think that the usual marking was "SP" but was abbreviated to "P" if there was insufficient room on a gate or similar structure. Some of us silver haired oldies were about at the time. :cool:
 
Stokkie said:
I found Norma Quibell in the 1939 Register - annotated with her married name Mackenzie. But there's no annotation or note about ARP. Her occupation is shorthand typist, so perhaps she took notes at meetings? Reports would be sent to headquarters.

Finding individual ARP records I'm afraid is very difficult. There are no national records of individuals available only departmental records. Some Local Authorities kept records, but I can't see anything in the Birmingham Archive Catalogue.

Could I ask how you know your Mother worked in ARP as this may help us find something?
Stokkie
Click to expand...
Hi Stokkie. I clearly remember my mother telling me about this when I was in my teens. I had been asking about her , and her family during the war as grandad, a silver smith, had been in a reserved occupation. I had just learned for some reason about Dad having got out of Dunkirk had ended up in Italy, so asked the , " what did you do in the war mom ", question. I'm 74 years of age, but still remember the conversation.
 
Quibell said:
Hi Stokkie. I clearly remember my mother telling me about this when I was in my teens. I had been asking about her , and her family during the war as grandad, a silver smith, had been in a reserved occupation. I had just learned for some reason about Dad having got out of Dunkirk had ended up in Italy, so asked the , " what did you do in the war mom ", question. I'm 74 years of age, but still remember the conversation.
Click to expand...
Thank you Quibell. That seems pretty clear that she did have an ARP role. I don't know how reliable the 1939 Register is at recording ARP responsibilities. The final column 'instructions' is blank, but appears to be cut off and we can't see any more of the right-hand page.

Perhaps she minuted a confidential committee? People were told they had a life time duty of secrecy - no-one spoke about what they did at Bletchley Park until the 1970s. Civil Defence continued after the war and like ARP public information continues to be limited.

If she continued working at Cyclo-Gear then perhaps this was a work responsibility like fire watching?

Another possibility is The Women’s Voluntary Service for Air Raid Precautions which became the WVS. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Voluntary_Service
 
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