South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 25 September 1943
Lord Riverdale at Conisbrough
Local D.F.C. Presents “Wings” Plaque
Lord Riverdale, chairman of the Appeals Committee of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, visited Conisbrough on Saturday when the town received a plaque from the Air Ministry in commemoration of its successful Wings for Victory Week. Lord Riverdale attended specially to thank savings workers and the public of South Yorkshire for raising money for the R.A.F. Benevolent Fund during the “Wings” weeks. The plaque was presented on behalf of the Air Ministry by Squadron Leader J. H. Dunk, R.A.F., Conisbrough’s D.F.C. Coun. David Sheldon, chairman of the local National Savings Committee, presided.
Lord Riverdale revealed that the area had subscribed £1,953, and the Conisbrough urban district £186, to the R.A.F. Benevolent Fund. They were only able to have that gathering that day because the young fellows of the R.A.F. had put down 185 planes in one day in the Battle of Britain three years ago. “We owe them a debt we can never repay,” Lord Riverdale said. The R.A.F. Benevolent Fund hoped to be able to wipe out some of this debt, both now and after the war, by looking to the needs of the airmen and their families. The Fund hoped to be able to see to their education after the war and to help to find them suitable jobs. One of the greatest jobs they were doing at the present time was the visiting of relatives of casualties. If they were in need they were helped not only by expressions of sympathy but in a more practical way. Relatives of casualties had often been visited within 48 hours of receiving their bad news. The Fund stood at £3,250,000, and had now put its target up to six million pounds. (Applause.) “At the cessation of hostilities,” Lord Riverdale said, “not only will we look to the education of our airmen but to that of children left fatherless – children in all classes.” It would be a big task but he was sure they would succeed.
Lord Riverdale concluded by thanking everyone for the great part they had played both in their savings and their support of the Benevolent Fund. He was sure they would continue that support.
Mr. Arthur Pickles, secretary of the Rotherham Rural District Savings Committee, the Committee responsible for raising the largest amount in its “Wings” Week, replied. Mr. Pickles said that the Rotherham R.D. area had raised £1,300, and on behalf of the committee areas concerned he thanked Lord Riverdale for attending and thanking them for the work they had done “which is so near and dear to our hearts.”
Mr. T. L. Butler, Deputy Commissioner for National Savings, said the function was being held “to commemorate a great bit of work.” Conisbrough would present log books to the R.A.F., and he hoped that when they returned to the town at the end of the war they would have a long record of valiant service. As after every great battle, however, relaxation was not possible, and he hoped that in the new “Raise the Standard” campaign, Conisbrough would take stock of its War Savings.
Home Grown
Introducing Squadron Leader Dunk, Coun. Sheldon asked the gathering to let them know what they thought of Conisbrough’s own D.F.C. His answer was a great burst of applause. “Conisbrough has not to go outside for its D.F.C.’s” Coun. Sheldon said, “we grow them ourselves.”
Presenting the plaque to the Chairman of the Urban Council, Coun. Humphries, Squadron Leader Dunk said that the real reason of his being asked to attend was to give the public some idea of how their savings were being spent. The war might last months or years, that to a large extent depended on the civilian population, but he and his colleagues were certain that in the end the enemy would be irrevocably defeated. “We are also certain” Squadron Leader Dunk said “that that defeat will come in the end by an air bombardment on a scale hitherto unknown.” The R.A.F. was crippling German war factories every day, and some of their biggest works had been blasted off the face of the earth overnight. People in Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Berlin, and the dozens of other places blasted by the R.A.F. knew what air bombardment meant. The Germans had every cause for apprehension, for the R.A.F. was now in a position by day or by night to penetrate to the heart of Germany, and, what was more, to get away with it. (Applause).
Squadron Leader Dunk said that when the public heard of the R.A.F.’s losses of thirty, forty, and fifty aircraft after a raid, they should redouble their efforts, for although they could not restore their airmen’s lives, they had in the past gone short, worked hard and saved their money to buy new aircraft. “Men from all over our Empire have died,” Squadron Leader Dunk concluded, “so that when the final onslaught comes your husbands, fathers, brothers, and sweethearts will have an infinitely better chance of survival.”
In reply, Coun. Humphries said it gave him great pleasure to accept that handsome trophy in commemoration of Conisbrough’s success in raising enough to purchase a squadron of Spitfires. “In agriculture, mining and industry, we are proud of our war effort,” Coun. Humphries said, “and we are also proud of the nearly 2,000 men and women serving in the Forces from our area.” He hoped the people of Conisbrough and Denaby would not rest on their laurels but do even better if another campaign was called for. The town was very proud of Squadron Leader Dunk, and they wished him well.
Squadron Leader Dunk then presented a Certificate of Honour to Coun. Sheldon representing the Committee. Coun. Sheldon said he received the Certificate not for his own work but for that of other people. He thanked the public on the Committee’s behalf for putting their hands deep – “no district was more loyal or more generous.” Coun. Sheldon handed over the log books to Squadron Leader Dunk.
Half Million Within Reach
Mr. T. C. Campbell revealed that the amount saved in Conisbrough since the inception of the Savings Movement was £461,074. The most startling figure was that for every £1,000 raised, only 4s. 8d. had been expended by the Committee on publicity, etc. (Applause). The Committee was approaching its fourth birthday, and to celebrate would like to reach the half million mark. To do this they had to subscribe £39,000 in thirteen weeks.
Thanking the two visitors, Lord Riverdale and Mr. Pickles, Mr. J. Rowbottom, Assistant Commissioner, pointed out that he had it from Sir Archibald Sinclair himself that Lord Riverdale was the man responsible for the inauguration of the Empire Air Training Scheme which was now turning out thousands of the finest airmen the world had ever known. (Applause). He hoped that Lord Riverdale would reach his target as easily as Conisbrough had achieved its. Mr. J. H. Rawding seconded.
The visitors, and representatives of Savings Committees in the area were entertained to tea by the local Committee at the Star Hotel.
The sums contributed to the R.A.F. Benevolent Fund by the area were: Maltby £217, Conisbrough £186, Rotherham County Borough £150, Kiveton Park £40, Mexborough £40 and Swinton £20.