Let Darkness Fall - A Century Ago

The appeal below was published in January 1915:

We are requested to issue the following appeal respecting the lighting arrangements at Grimsby and Cleethorpes:-

Lighting of Houses and Shops – special appeal by the Mayor of Grimsby and the Chairman of the Cleethorpes District Council.

Sir,

Our sailors are protecting us from attacks from the sea; our soldiers are ready to shield us from any form on land; but to guard ourselves from onslaught from the air is largely in our power. It is from the air that we in Grimsby and Cleethorpes have most to fear if we have to fear anything at all, and against that invisibility is undoubtedly our greatest protection.

The local authorities are doing their best to blot out Grimsby and Cleethorpes from view from the sky at night, but it is almost useless extinguishing street lights unless shops and private houses – especially the latter – take measures to prevent any light whatever from being seen outside, upstairs and down, front and back.

It will be in vain to lament after damage has been done and people possibly killed. What we ought to do is to absolutely darken every one of our houses, and do it at once. It is a duty we owe to ourselves as well as to our fellow towns-men, women and children, for it must be evident that it will be hard for an airman to hit a town which he cannot see.

Of course, opaque green blinds are the most efficient light screens, but everyone cannot go to the expense of these. Really, the cheapest plan to prevent light from being seen through any window is to make a thin wooden frame to fit inside each window between the ordinary blind and the window, and then to fasten thick brown paper across the screen. This screens the light most effectively, and if fastened to the window frame with a hook or turn-button, can be taken down during the days and put up at night with no trouble at all.

Remembering our geographical position on the East Coast, and desiring to avoid, by all means in our power, any possible calamity in Grimsby and Cleethorpes, we earnestly appeal to every householder in our respective districts to somehow or other render his house invisible at night, and not to lose a single day in accomplishing this.

Signed

J.W. EASON (Mayor of Grimsby)

WM. GRANT (Chairman of Cleethorpes Urban Council

Article from the Hull Daily Mail, published 30 January 1915

British Newspaper Archive on www.findmypast.co.uk