Gas attack was the big fear at the start of World War Two; Germany had used gas during the Great War, so they were fully expected to do so again. Even before the war began millions of gas masks were already being manufactured; factories up and down the country stopped manufacturing their usual products and were put to war work of many kinds, including the production of gas masks for Walsall, though the subject was a bit of a sore point in the town. An incredible three months after the outbreak of war there were still people in Walsall who had not been issued with a gas mask. Even many of the children still lacked this piece of what might be life-saving equipment.
The threat of gas was a very real one; many veterans of the Great War suffered from the deadly, all pervasive mustard gas. So as soon as they got them the people of Walsall dutifully carried their gas masks everywhere - at least at the outset.
Extract from 'Nostagic Walsall', Memories Series, 1999.
| Reference: | 535 |
| Keywords: | Factories War World One Two Great Mustard Labour DORA |
| Archive Ref: | Nostalgic Walsall, Memories Series BCLM Library 1999 |
| Updated: | Sun 9 Apr 2006 - 15 |