Before the raids started, the warden was regarded with much amusement as a 'busybody' or as a 'Nosey Parker'. When the Blitz began everybody was glad of his/her help and consideration.
The warden was a reporter in the bombed area and all Civil Defence Services depended on his judgment. He must give the correct reports on where the bomb fell and what damage had been done so that the right number of services could be sent. When the bomb fell, he must be able to tell the Rescue Party where the bodies lay, living or dead, underneath the debris.
The warden must know his Report Form (see Archive Resources) off by heart so that he could give all his information in the proper order. The logical sequence of its items made it easy for telephonists to record on similar forms the information sent in by the wardens.
right: Gwyneth Johnson: ARP warden standing outside underground shelter at Washington Terrace (she was key holder), 500 yards from Wilkinson's Factory. To her right is her father Special Constable Inspector Joseph Stuart.
The warden must not only know the people but he must earn their confidence for they might have to follow him through deadly danger. The warden must see that that the bombed-out and unhurt people were taken to Rest Centres. If people were trapped and the Rescue Workers were not at hand, he must control the situation until expert help came.
Many of those involved at Wilkinson's remember the efforts of a local ARP warden, Mrs Ellen Lee, who lived on Tynemouth Road. She helped rescue 32 people from the shelter despite being badly burned about the face.
After a night on patrol in the sector during Alert periods he would go to his job the next morning or help to clear away debris. Sometimes the warden might have to disregard his own damaged house and his own family, and help other people.
The warden must know how many people lived in a house, how many people had died and how many babies or invalids there were. If some people went away for their holidays they must inform him before they went. He should know the number of occupants in each house on any particular night. Of course there were many wardens, male and female and each had a number of houses (usually his neighbours) with which he must be familiar.
Each area had many Warden's Posts (Blaydon had 22), each containing a rattle and bell, first-aid box and anti-gas clothing, and a telephone for communicating with the Report Centre. The rattle was a signal of the presence of poison gas and the bell was an All Clear signal. The warden had to know something about protection against everything, poison, gas, incendiary bells as well as first aid and reporting. He had no real power as a policeman had: he was an advisor of the people.
information from 'Civil Defence': East Modern School, Blaydon: 1946