TESTING times bring out the best in people, and that certainly was the case in South Reading during World War II.
This photograph shows the team of residents who volunteered to report and deal with any incendiaries which had been dropped in the area standing outside St Agnes church on Northumberland Avenue.
The Whitley firewatchers featured both men and women and carried out their checks every night on a rota basis.
David Turner, Whitley Community Museum curator, explained: “The volunteers were not part of the Corporation who had their own compulsory volunteer team.
“The larger companies in the area had their own fire watcher teams. The CWS printing works in Elgar Road was one of those companies.
“Little is documented about the work these vital fire watchers carried out so having this photograph in the museum’s collection does mean these selfless volunteers will never be forgotten.”
According to resident Daisy Hut, most of the participants were either old men, young boys or women who had not been called up to fight in the war.
With over 4,800 followers on Facebook, the Whitley Community Museum is an accessible online and in-person resource.
The group serves as a platform for residents past and present to share memories through photographs and comments.
It also allows group members to reconnect, with members reacquainting themselves with friends and schoolmates from decades ago.
The museum held a Whitley Way Back When event at the Community Cafe on Northumberland Avenue earlier this year to showcase its photographs and exhibits in-person.
For more information, search: Whitley Community Museum on www.facebook.com
