First 3 Days of War - Manchester Town Hall

DIARY OF ALLAN HARTLEY - WORLD WAR II ANNOUNCED

He worked as Assistant at Treasurers Dept at Manchester Town Hall - aged 26 yrs

Friday 1st September 1939

This morning Germany invaded Poland. I heard it at 10.30 a.m. while at the office. We had just receive official intimation that Mulberry Bush basement was required as an public Air Raid Shelter. The town Planning office said they’d provide the reinforcements necessary but that we must clean the basement ready.
Lunched with Edgar Bailey and 2 others at the YMCA where we talked and talked. One was a regular Government supporter who didn’t think we betrayed Czechoslovakia!! There was a radio in the café which continuously gave forth information from the government re house lights, car lights, evacuation and so on. Today was the first day of evacuation. Joan (his older sister, a teacher) left home at 6.45 a.m. to accompany her children to Ramsbottom; when she will return we don’t know. Train services between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. have been curtailed to make possible this removal of 3,000,000 school children to places of safety. Bravin (?) has got 3 in Gatley, Gaskell 1 in Bramhall.
This afternoon arranged for important books to be in the basement permanently. The work generally seems to have gone to pot.
Tea in town then returned to the office to tell Lloyd Wynne that we could do the News sheet for September. He arrived at 7 p.m. and we were through by 8.15. It was necessarily a short issue with only essentials in it. Still we got it out together with lists of secretaries. On both sides of us A.R.P. and women’s services offices were humming with activity. Home to Gee Cross in Lloyds new car with lights covered with paper ready for black out. At Lloyds found all windows covered with black cloth most methodically. Mrs Wynne in a terrible state and thank god realises the Chamberlain wants moving as much as Hitler. If we hadn’t let things slide! They have grandfather in hospital which is an additional worry for them. Mrs Wynne blames it on the wickedness in the World. Left at 10 p.m. to find everywhere in complete darkness. The bus emerged from the darkness with only one light inside. Someone stood at the exit and shouted to passengers where we were as the bus proceeded. The Hyde-Stockport trains looked like illuminated trains with their rows of blue lights. Most incongruous. Home in darkness at 10.20. No precautions at home with result that at 11 p.m. local A.R.P. man came and asked us to conceal our lights. Aunty somewhat scared, puts lights out in kitchen and washes up in the dark. I go to bed in the dark.

Saturday September 2nd 1939

Down to the office with Ellison and his wife in the car. As an ARP official he is conscious of his importance: is confident we are doing the right thing but said that inefficiencies of democracy made one turn bolshie! This from Ellison!! He was talking confidentially all the way down, largely, I guess, to calm his wife, but he spoiled it all by pointing to a young soldier and his wife with the kiddy crossing St Peters Square, saying “Reminds me of 25 years ago!” and of course his wife recalls the 1914-18 tragedy immediately.
At the office I had the holiday funds to receive and pay in to the bank, seemed to be the only one working. Had a phone call from Arthur Underwood at 10 am. Poor fellow he was married last Thursday and had booked to honeymoon on Guernsey. He got as far as Southampton but learnt there were no plane or boat services so returned home, arriving in M/cr at Friday midnight. He wanted to know was he wanted at the office. I told him all leave was cancelled on Friday but that people were not being recalled from holidays. He may come in Monday. All the holiday fund came in normally and all appeared normal at the bank. The day seemed devoid of international news except lies and counterlies about successes and failures on the Polish frontier and air raids on (a) according to Hitler military objectives and (b) according to Poland on civilian population. Its remarkable how everyone right up to the Prime Minister expresses no enmity to the German people, or the German army but only to one man, Hitler and the nazi regime. Learnt that I have to come back at 9 tonight to pay at Park A, cleansing depot the men who have been filling sandbags all day. I’m told that 2.5 million sandbags have been filled in Manchester in 4 days.
Went out at 10.30 am for a coffee at Lyons with Page (later to become Sir Harry Page), Rothwell, Brasier, Lee to say farewell to Tidswell who was there in his signallers uniform and was reporting for duty. Much joking and laughter which is everywhere at present which is born of a kind of dread for the future and sound forced “more than somewhat”. Learnt what a “clip” of bullets and a “round” of bullets are.
Joined Ellison again at 12 at home with his wife and Gladys Bowden. Just the same talk with Ellison wish fulfilment talk that “Hitler can’t fight a long war” and “Don’t forget we’ve got the Navy”. Large crowds were gathered outside the 8th Ardwick barracks, troops were digging in the “Green” park, troops were drilling in the Gorton Council school playground, the barrage of lovely silver balloons was all around the town and the whole thing seemed unreal.
As soon as I got home I went down to the village for a new high tensions battery for the wireless which has now assumed a new importance with broadcasts on only two wavelengths, and news every half hour and broken up with gramophone records. All the government instructions re conscription, mobilisation, evacuation, air raid precautions are being plugged and plugged. Tonight for the first time the BBC programmed closed with the national anthem. It looks like the emergence of “Patriotism” again.
We had a card this morning from Joan that she and the children are settled safely and comfortably in Ramsbottom after a hard day.
Auntie bought some heavy brown paper today with which we covered the Hall and Stair lights. Auntie seemed a bit depressed in the gloom.
Caught the 8.2 train to London road through the balloon barrage and walked to the Town Hall through the gathering darkness. All the Town Hall windows are heavily darkened so that the place seemed empty but there was work going on within. A handful of pay clerks, some who weren’t needed, waiting to go out. Johnson. Carter and Rowlinson, all trying to be important but only succeeding in looking superfluous. Some of the clerks learnt they had to come down on Sunday as well for similar duty. Hurried through town which was now quite black, with my money, to catch the 9.25 from London road to Ashburys. It is really dark in town with only the flashes from the electric current of the trams to relieve the blackness. All shops, pubs are blacked out, and street signs and traffic signals on a minimum light. Saw no searchlights tonight, whereas the sky recently has been full of them. The tram of course had the dim blue light, a man and his child discussed with me and a woman the situation. All agree its got to come and that the present state in Europe can’t continue. They all think force is the only way out. To impose the English beliefs in peace on to Europe. When the boy chipped in as to how many tanks had been captured by the Poles, his father quietened him “Don’t you worry about the war. You’ll be all right. Anyway there won’t be another in your time” I pointed out that that was what they told me when I was five. At Ashburys I found I almost groped my way to the cleansing depot, where cleansing officials, whom I knew from the old days called those 16 men out of the darkness to their 9 s. 10 d. Talked lightly with PRP volunteers who have a depot there until it was time for my train home. Home at 11.15 p.m. to find Aunty with double curtains and tablecloths to the window. And so to bed.

Sunday September 3rd 1939

Arose at 10 am to learn on the wireless that at 9 am this morning Sir Neville Henderson informed Ribbentish that if there was no reply by 11 am this morning to England’s ultimatum of Friday night that England would be at War with Germany.
At 11.15 am the Prime Minister broadcast that as no reply had been received England was at WAR. He appealed to the people to be brave, believe in the righteousness of our cause and to listen to and obey the instructions that would follow from the government. He asked “God to bless us” as “Right will always prevail”.
Two balloons of the barrage are visible from our window, and the families opposite are feverishly digging a trench in the spare land behind their homes.
All places of entertainment have been closed and the assembly of people is discouraged.

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