Family Of Four: 47 - Disturbed Nights
...In one way, for us it was unfortunate that he reached the position of Second-in-Command for his Adjutant was almost stone-deaf. There were warnings of Zeppelin raids given from time to time, in the dead of night, and the household could never escape these warnings as the Adjutant would call Daddy up on the telephone, lately installed by his bedside, and Daddy's bellowed shouts of question and answer sounded through the house so that all were awakened....
Mrs Vivien Hirst recalls wartime nights.
Mrs Hirst's memories were gathered into a book, Family Of Four, by her nephew, Raymond Prior.
In addition to all these exacting duties, from the start Daddy joined the Volunteer Defence Force. He entered into their exercises with his usual enthusiasm, attending camp, and became Assistant Adjutant.
We were very proud of him for in his smart uniform he looked dapper and businesslike. Daddy enjoyed every minute of his service and found it a great relief from the Tribunal.
In one way, for us it was unfortunate that he reached the position of Second-in-Command for his Adjutant was almost stone-deaf. There were warnings of Zeppelin raids given from time to time, in the dead of night, and the household could never escape these warnings as the Adjutant would call Daddy up on the telephone, lately installed by his bedside, and Daddy's bellowed shouts of question and answer sounded through the house so that all were awakened.
Daddy used his judgement, and if he regarded it as likely that the Zeppelin was heading towards our district we arose, slipped on our dressing gowns and bedroom slippers and made our way into the dining room. The fire was re-lighted and stirred into life, tea, milk, and biscuits collected from the kitchen, and Daddy's last act before going on duty was to lift, with the help of the maids, the heavy, black oak table and place it against the middle window, so that any glass displaced by blast would thus be prevented from injuring us.
When my first fear of danger had passed I quite enjoyed these disturbed nights. We sat in semi-darkness, the curtains firmly drawn together to keep in the firelight, flickering cosily, and making the scene appear to be quite ordinary. We talked comfortably together, and I am sure I had no real notion of what danger might lurk outside.
Daddy's first duty was to run as quickly as possible over his allotted area, shin up the lampposts and put out one light after another, until the streets grew dark and would be unseen from the sky.
The lamps were each lighted individually at that time, lamplighters being employed who carried long sticks with a lighted tip. Each man would start on his round well before dark in order to pass along the streets before they were plunged into complete darkness. As he came to a lamppost he would pause, crane his neck and raise the stick high, and with an expert movement he would flick a pane of glass upright and insert the lighted tip. Suddenly a glow from the gas mantle spread a circle of light around.
One morning I walked into the house and the cook came running to me. "Miss Vivien, the Master has had an accident, I wish you'd go up to him; he is in his bedroom. He says he is all right, but his head is bleeding."
Fear clutched at my heart. "Goodness! what has happened?" I asked.
"He has fallen off his horse on to the road" she replied. I turned round the bedroom door, noticing Daddy's blood-stained jacket laid over a chair. Daddy was at the wash basin in his shirt sleeves, bending over laving his forehead. On hearing me he drew himself up, grasped a towel and looked towards me, the blood welling up and making a broad channel down his face.
I gave one horrified look, and burst into tears! Daddy laughed heartily, and first aid had to be suspended for a while as he drew me on to his knee, explaining that the injury was not serious, until big drops of blood fell upon the two of us and I hastened to help Daddy bathe the wound and tidy everything up.
Daddy had a great love of country life, and when staying with Uncle and Auntie in Malton, in past years, had enjoyed nothing better than accompanying Uncle Raymond on his rounds on horseback to the farms to collect orders for the flour mills from the farmers. In this way he had learned how to ride, and had been delighted when the chance of a mount came his way on some service activity.
