Monday 27th June, 1938

My grandfather, Cyril Kenneth Penman, qualifies as an Air Raid Warden on the same day two British cargo ships are destroyed by warplanes involved in the Spanish Civil War at Alicante and Valencia.

In Parliament this leads to questions about the practicality of equipping merchant ships with anti-aircraft guns “…in the event of war.”

Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resists saying,

“The British Government have considered this matter. A good many difficulties arise in connection with it, and I am informed that the fitting of merchant vessels with antiaircraft guns would require structural alterations.”

Bromley, the borough within which Keston lies, is at 59 square miles the largest geographic part of London. South East of the city center it is partly within the county of Kent, whose southernmost point is just 20 miles from France.

The Air Raid Warden Service is established in 1937 as the UK begins to prepare for war. In 1938 gas masks are distributed to the general public given that received wisdom dictates that chemical weapons will be a key feature of any future conflict.

Air Raid Warden responsibilities and training include administering first aid, investigating unexploded munitions and putting out fires. Each warden is responsible for about 1,000 people in a specific area. They offer advice and patrol at night, enforcing blackout rules intended to make population centers hard to see from the air.