1940

During March, an exercise to test the response of the Brandon A.R.P was held. Three top ARP officials from West Suffolk were in attendance to observe the proceedings. Mr R.J. Woodrow (Parish ARP Organiser) and his staff held their HQ at the Flintknappers Club Room. Mr H. Edwards (Chief Warden) was in charge and along with Mrs H. Wentworth-Smith and Mr B. Olley (Women's and Men's Red Cross), held their HQ in the old School House. Police Sgt J.A. Adams and P.C. L. Johnson were in attendance throughout the exercise.

The first incident was situated at the Fox and Hounds on the Thetford Road. 2 casualties were caused by anti-aircraft splinters.

The second was situated at the back of the Ram Hotel. 5 casualties were caused by an enemy high explosive bomb.

The third exercise was west of Mile End and involved the response of the Police to a report of an unexploded bomb found in the ground.

Mr Creese (County Organiser ARP) announced he was very impressed at the common sense and co-ordination of the Brandon ARP members. Dr Roger (County Medical Officer) said he found the First Aid was excellent and he was also pleased with the spirit of the ARP members in Brandon.

Later in the month, Mr H. Edwards (Chief Warden) and Mr R.T. Wodrow (Parish ARP Organiser ) gave details of the distribution of babies' gas mask helmets and children's respirators.

"Go to your local Food Office or your District Nurse for a form for free, or cheap, milk if you are an expectant mother, or have a child under 5. Do not open new tins of fruit or vegetables this month - use fresh ones and preserve some for Winter. Try new ways of cooking rice. It is plentiful. Order a week's supply at once."

Ministry of Food THIS WEEK’S FOOD FACTS.
Do you throw away scraps of food rather than bother to make them up? Do you have odd snacks during the day? Do you eat just a little more than you need at mealtimes? In peacetime these indulgences matter not. In war time they matter vitally. We must save the Nation’s money and free the cargo space which is needed for munitions. Remember that this is not only a war in the air and on land and sea, but a war in the kitchen as well. On the kitchen front Save sugar. Stew apples with chopped figs - it’s a new way, a nice way, and you’ll need less sugar. THICK SOUP. Use the remains of to-days rice pudding to thicken to-morrow’s soup. EAT MORE PLUMS. Plums are in season now. Make full use of them and less of the tinned fruit, which should be kept for winter use.	REMEMBER. That if everyone in Great Britain wanted ½ oz of bread daily we should be wasting 250,000 tons of wheat a year, and that 30 wheat ships would be required to carry that amount. Listen in at 8.15 every morning for Kitchen Front news. RECIPE FOR CAULIFLOWER CHEESE. Divide a medium-sized cauliflower into small branches. Steep in salted water for fifteen minutes. Steam until tender, about 15 minutes. If you have no steamer put in a saucepan with a teacup full of salted water, cover with the lid and cook steadily until tender, about 10 minutes. Arrange in a shallow dish and if steamed season with a little salt. Sprinkle with one tablespoon of breadcrumbs mixed with three heaped tablespoons of grated cheese. Brown in the oven or under the grill. Serve piping hot. Stale bread baked in the oven and grated is excellent for this dish. If you boil the cauliflower, serve the water for soup or gravy.
THE MINISTRY OF FOOD. LONDON. S.W.1

Brandon WI would approach the West Suffolk Education Committee to erect air raid shelters for the children attending school.A whist drive organised by Mrs F. Edwards and Mrs J.W. Norton raised £2 12s 6d. The proceeds were to go to provide parcels for Brandon men serving abroad. Brandon W.I. member,Mrs G. Clarke offers the use of her shed, in Lode Street, as a collection point for old newspapers. Also in Lode Street, a dump is proposed for old bedsteads, cycle frames and other sources of metal. All metals were intended to be recycled and turned in war machinery, such as tanks and ships, (This was the Government's propaganda to get all Britains involved in the war effort, in truth very little scrap was actually used.) to help the war effort.Miss W. Neep arranges an 'Emblem' Day and raises £8 7s for the British Sailors' Society.

"In his sombre picture of the trials that lie before us the Prime Minister said: "Constancy and valour will be our only shield." I wish he had included hope among our defenders.

For a small minority a return to pre-war conditions may be incentive enough to maintain these virtues through the years of tribulation which Mr Churchill envisages, but a return to the discontent which caused the rise and near-triumph of Fascism will not be sufficient to maintain constancy and valour in the masses. That is why a fuller vision of a better future world beyond the mere liberation of the conquered nations is so urgently necessary before the winter, both for the starving and oppressed peoples of Europe and for bombed Britain.

Must we wait for the U.S.A. to enter the war before a democratic worldwide New Deal is held up to counter the Fascist New World Order?"