PEGSWOOD AT WAR.

   In September of 1940, the Editors Column of the Morpeth Herald announced: ‘There are those who say it will be Armageddon.’ It then follows with the quote: ‘The spirits and devils, working miracles, which go forth to the Kings of the earth to gather them to battle this day.’ Or, in short, World War Two had been declared. At that time, Jackson’s Garage in Morpeth could supply a two-seater car, complete and ready for the road, for £175. William Burn and Sons, also of Morpeth, could supply upholstered suites from £4-10 up to £35. In Pegswood, the Annual Flower Show was held in the concert room of the Pegswood Social Club, later described in the Morpeth Herald as: ‘A very colourful picture.’

   As 1939 drifted into 1940, it was reported throughout the Country, that armed men were patrolling the countryside looking for German forces and, in particular German parachutists. In early May these armed men were recognised and brought together by Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden as the Local Defence Volunteers (LDF), later to be renamed the Home guard. The LDF were poorly equipped, had no regular uniform and as one observer was to state: ‘They practiced their own quirky form of military drill’. This ‘quirkiness, was to remain with them and, exists into today’s world as they are still referred to as ‘Dads Army’. From May 1940 the LDF, later Home Guard, was legitimised by Churchill as: ‘…a new army out of nothingness.’ This localised force was to be made up of men, who for one reason or another could not join the regular armed forces. Among those reasons was that of the reserved occupations, employment that was of use to the war effort. Many of these men, therefore, came from the mining communities.

   As well as drilling and acting as a defence against possible invasion, the Home Guard, along with the Observer Corps, was responsible for the identification and reporting of enemy aircraft. However, these men were totally untrained for such a task. To aid these untrained members, little ditties were to be introduced. One of these being: ‘Of the Junkers 88 there is little to relate. Its small, that’s all’. Armed with this knowledge, the Home guard were expected to accurately identify a low-flying fast moving enemy aircraft. In these early days of the war, there were also panic attacks that led to much confusion as well as men being sent on wild goose chases. One of these occurred on the morning of July 6 1940. Parachutes were seen between Pegswood drift and Longhirst School. This could only mean one thing; the invasion had started. However, it turned out that it was only an errant barrage balloon and the Home Guard was stood down again.

   As the war moved on, metal became a precious commodity to the war effort. Morpeth Rural District Council joined in the campaign to collect all metal. Alderman Patton of Pegswood made an appeal to every householder in Pegswood stressing the need for the collection of scrap metal and hoping that every person would become a member of the ‘salvage army’ as it was dubbed. The women of Pegswood were also to play their part. Parcels were made up for both servicemen and for those already made prisoner. Parcels included among their contents; socks, gloves, balaclava helmets and packets of cigarettes. The Methodist Women’s knitting party helped with all the knitting. Whist drives were also held in houses of individuals as well as societies and were responsible for raising between fifteen shillings and a pound every night. Members and friends paid a penny per week and by December 1940 a total of £100 had been collected. In all the women’s section of the British Legion, reported that they had produced 151pairs of socks, 73 scarves, 58 pairs of gloves or mitts and 20 balaclava helmets.

   To further get the people involved in the war effort a scheme was launched to buy a Spitfire, the target being £15,000, the price of a Spitfire. It was at first proposed that people could pay around a shilling a week. The original idea had been for each person to pay ten shillings but this, it was decided, was too much to ask. In return for their donation the public would receive a certificate and a Spitfire badge; the organisation or district would then be named on the side of a Spitfire.

   Ashington was the first in the area to answer the call proposing that ‘their’ Spitfire should be named ‘Fell-Em-Doon’, this being an area in the west end of Ashington. While Ashington began their campaign in August it was not until September that Alnwick joined in then Morpeth. While the majority of Morpeth businesses gave an average of four or five shillings it was Mr George E. Hunt and his wife Dorothy, of Hogg’s Bakery Pegswood, who provided twenty-one shillings each. However, no Spitfire was ever named after any of these places so it is presumed that the target was never met and, ‘Fell-Em-Doon’ was destined never to enter battle.

   In wartime everything takes on a more serious slant. Three soldiers were seen lighting cigarettes outside Pegswood Social Club during the hours of darkness, therefore, breaking the blackout precautions. Two policemen, PC Givens and Special Constable Critchlow, witnessed the event and intervened. On being asked by PC Givens to extinguish the cigarettes, the soldiers refused. PC Givens then took matters into his own hands and ‘knocked’ the cigarette from the soldier’s mouth. A Sergeant Major then put in an appearance and gave the Police: ‘…some of the most abusive language he had heard for some time’. The Sergeant Major then made it quite clear that he would not allow his men to be: ‘…dictated to by the local constabulary’. To emphasis his point he then put a cigarette in his mouth and proceeded to light it. All he did was inflame the situation. The foursome were ordered to appear in Morpeth Court where they were ordered to behave themselves in public and, to pay eleven shillings and sixpence each, in costs.

   To increase goodwill between the Army and the surrounding area the Army organised a Military Sports Day to be held in Pipers Field, Longhirst. Among those taking part in the Pegswood team were: children’s team boys, Crawley and Scott. Girls, Carter, Hewitt and Beverley. Older boys, Thompson, Sexton and Charlton. Girls, M. Thompson, Hazel Brown and Alice Hogg. Providing musical entertainment was the North Seaton Colliery Band who played a selection of music.

   With the end of hostilities, a Victory Parade was held in Pegswood, September 7 1945. Beginning at the school, the parade was led by Morpeth Pipe Band to the Welfare Park with Mr William Elliot carrying the standard. Children’s sports and fancy dress were included with over eighty savings stamps being awarded as prizes. Among the many recipients were, Judith Lee, David Wilkinson, Tommy Kelly and John Luke. A special £1 prize was awarded to Margaret and Robert West for their model of ‘That Man’, which was later, placed on the victory bonfire. Mr Oswald Bailey gave the closing speech; emphasising special thanks toe the women’s branch, British Legion, for their work behind the scenes, and announced that £55 had also been raised.

   November 1945 saw the Annual Tea for members of the Pegswood bowling club. The tea was organised by the Welfare Committee and Mr William McPhail, Methodist Lay Minister, gave a speech. Mr Gilbert, Store Manager, presented the prizes with the Joicey Cup and the Nichol Cup both going to R. Kidd while A. Coppin was named Champion of Champions. The British Legion (women’s section) held its annual meeting where its President, Mrs Edna Hunt, announced that its mebership was up to 122 and it now had a bank balance of £10-3-10.

   Pegswood was never bombed by the Luftwaffe, shelled by the German Navy or invaded by the German Army. Apart from a few errant bombs and parachute mines going off in the district, life went on in Pegswood.  

RETURN.