The day the gas masks arrived

When the War began, I was a pupil at the School in Dunns Lane. One morning, there was a feeling of excitement, when we were told that we would be taken down to the British Legion Hall, which had been taken over by the ARP as their headquarters (then behind Boots) to be fitted and supplied with gas masks.

By the time we reached there, the excitement had been replaced by nervousness. My turn to be fitted soon came and I found that I did not like the smell of rubber or the feeling of being closed in. Once the Warden was sure I had the correct size, he placed the gas mask into a cardboard box and told me I had to take it with me everywhere I went. Fortunately there were straps attached to the box, so that I was able to carry it over one shoulder. I, and most of my friends saved our pocket money so that we could buy leatherette covers to replace the cardboard ones.

I was so relieved that the occasion never arose that we had to wear them.