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Air raid warning for Sheffield.


cat631

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Don't panic, I'm not expecting a replay of The Sheffield Blitz.

In the early sixties I remember the air raid warning sirens were sounded, it was a test to ensure they could be heard throughout the Sheffield area and residents were asked to inform the authorities if they didn't hear it. Would anyone know if the warning system is still in place and maintained for immediate use?

Some years later, a school was demolished in the Rotherham area, it stood on the site of the present filling station at Canklow roundabout. Most of it was knocked down apart from the original entrance which was left standing for a long time. I enquired why? and was told the entrance housed an Air Raid Siren that could not be removed until a replacement had been installed elswhere. Could this be true?

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I worked with an electrician in the early 1990s and he was in charge of the local air raid sirens quite soon before that. There were still lots of them on top of government buildings in sheffield and he had to test them periodically.

As far as I remember, he left the job to move to a different commercial job, so there was a high probability that the sirens continued to be maintained in working order after that time.

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I can also remember an air raid siren being tested in the norfolk park area. This would be around the time of the film Threads 1983 so it was a little scare'y. These sirens were mostly made by Gents of Leicester and were also called the Carter siren. The sound from these things was eerie and i bet people who went through WW2 remember them well.

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In the early sixties I remember the air raid warning sirens were sounded.

 

Didn't realise you were an authority on air raid sirens cat.

 

Can you tell me this: The English Steel Corporation siren, that used to wake all Grimesthorpe up in the 50's and 60's every morning at 7.30am , was it the "warning" or the "all clear" ?

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Don't panic, I'm not expecting a replay of The Sheffield Blitz.

In the early sixties I remember the air raid warning sirens were sounded it was a test to ensure they could be heard throughout the Sheffield area and residents were asked to inform the authorities if they didn't hear it. Would anyone know if the warning system is still in place and maintained for immediate use?

Some years later, a school was demolished in the Rotherham area, it stood on the site of the present filling station at Canklow roundabout. Most of it was knocked down apart from the original entrance which was left standing for a long time. I enquired why? and was told the entrance housed an Air Raid Siren that could not be removed until a replacement had been installed elswhere. Could this be true?

 

Yes I remember the sirens, in 1962 I was pregnant with my first baby. We were living at Mam and Dads, I was sleeping in and Mam was shopping. Well I heard these sirens going, and got up in an hurry. I thought oh god a war's started and everybody's deserted me, it's a wonder I didn't go into labour. When I finally found Mam she told me it was only a practice :rant::)

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Didn't realise you were an authority on air raid sirens cat.

 

Can you tell me this: The English Steel Corporation siren, that used to wake all Grimesthorpe up in the 50's and 60's every morning at 7.30am , was it the "warning" or the "all clear" ?

 

Hello Walt. I didn't realise either I was an authority on air raid warnings, you've made me feel quite important. No, I'm not going to try and describe the sounds except to say. 'The all clear was continuous'.

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