Digging For Victory |
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involved in the "Dig For Victory" campaign, with cabbages and
Brussels Sprouts being grown instead of flowers at the Grove Street end
of the park. The greenhouses were used for growing tomatoes, with
lessons in growing tomatoes being given to local people by the park's
gardeners.
Air raid shelters were built in the Arboretum in preparation for possible air raids
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Evening Telegraph, April 11th 1942 (top) Dig For Victory Week is
launched, other events taking place at other parks followed on in this
column.
Percy Thrower ( later to become well known as the BBC TV Gardener) gives advice on tomato growing at the event on Tuesday June 9th ( right). |
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Thomas Sydney (Tommy) Wells, Derby Parks Superintendent |
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June 1942 T. S. Wells announces a tomato growing event at The Arboretum (above). |
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Seeing in the Dark The restoration work has brought to light the results of some of the misinformation machinery that was in place to confuse the enemy. The landscape gardeners have been unearthing carrots which have been growing unnoticed since the war. The planting of vegetables was part of the Dig For Victory Campaign where parks and gardens were turned over for food production, but why so many carrots? The RAF had devised in-flight radar for their fighter aircraft, which had become very effective as night fighters. The reason for their effectiveness was leaked to the German Command as pilots eating a diet of carrots, which apparently improved night vision. However it was not only the Germans who were fooled by the leaked information, and the English public took to eating carrots to help them find their way during the blackouts.
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Air Raid Shelters in the Arboretum |
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Left: A surface built air raid shelter still exists close to Reginald Street Entrance This structure is now to be demolished by the end of February 2004 See a 1939 photo of deep shelters being dug near to Grove Street, in front of the Joseph Strutt Bowls Club (next to C. Aslin's bandstand.)
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Left, the Reginald Street
Air Raid Shelter is finally demolished, Wednesday October 20th 2004.
Copyright Christopher Harris 2002-2006 |
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