THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: Congregations carry gas masks to church for the first time

The News Letter reported on this day in 1939 that the war had made itself evident in churches across Britain the previous day.

Men in uniform formed part of the congregations and men, women and children all carried their gas masks to service.

Arrangements to deal with the congregations in the event of an air raid warning were also in operation, reported the News Letter.

At St Paul’s Cathedral shelter was prepared in the crypt and similar provisions were also made in other churches throughout the city of London. Sermons contained many references to the hostilities.

These included the Dean of St Paul’s (the Very Rev W R Matthews) at St Paul’s Cathedral.

He said: “We are evidently living at a turning point in the history of the world. This war is the end of an age and the beginning of a new one. The real issue of this conflict is what kind of new age should it be.”

The Rev G H Woolley, VC, assistant master at Harrow School, at Westminster Abbey the previous day had said: “Let us not fight with bitterness. We fight not so much against the German people but against the system. We must see to it that we remain such people that when this war is over there can still be friendliness.”

Meanwhile, in a pastoral letter which was read in Roman Catholic churches Cardinal [Arthur] Hinsley, the Archbishop of Westminster, said: “However much one may individually be disposed to give our cheek to the smiter and our body to the persecutor, we cannot stand idly by and allow our neighbour to be enslaved or ruthlessly done to death.”