On This Day in Wembury — 16 February 1940
The Western Morning News reported that Mrs. Beatrice Ann Nicholas, of Windsor, Church Road, Wembury, was fined 10 shillings for using a headlamp mask that had been mutilated so the beam was no longer diffused in line with blackout regulations.
Reflection: During the Second World War, strict blackout rules were enforced to prevent enemy aircraft from spotting targets on the ground. Even a small chink of light from a headlamp could draw attention. This case shows how everyday routines like driving a car were tightly controlled, and how local people faced penalties for even minor infringements of national defence measures.
Source: Western Morning News, 17 February 1940
Curated and written by Wembury Waves using material from the British Newspaper Archive.
Entries are summaries and interpretations of historical newspaper reports.
Entries are summaries and interpretations of historical newspaper reports.