Aunt Gladys and a civil defence stirrup pump

Here Lorna's Aunt Gladys tries out a stirrup pump, with her husband Lawrence in his Civil Defence uniform* at her side. We believe that the photo was taken in 1942.

Aunt Gladys was the youngest of Lorna's father Albert's siblings. She appeared in this journal for the first time yesterday when we blipped her in the wedding party of Lorna's Uncle Percy L (another of Gladys' brothers) in 1914.

Lawrence was the second husband of Aunt Gladys. Her first husband Uncle Joseph, who was known as 'Nunkie' to Lorna and her cousins (according to the memoirs of Cousin Margaret), died in the early 1930s.

Lorna's Cousin Barbara was the only daughter of Aunt Gladys and Nunkie. Here it is possible to see a likeness between Aunt Gladys and Cousin Barbara (previously blipped on 19th August 2020, and 20th August 2020). Both Aunt Gladys and Cousin Barbara will feature later in Lorna's diary of the war - watch this space!

*There is more information about Civil Defence uniforms, and the role of the service's officers in protecting the public, saving lives, and mitigating damage to property during World War II at https://www.ww2civildefence.co.uk/.