Guy Fawkes

[Khaki]

I  presume that for the duration of the war that Guy Fawkes celebrations and or the selling of fireworks were prohibited, especially when air raids started, has anyone seen any proclamation

relating to that.

 

khaki

[mancpal]

Were fireworks generally available during that period? 

 

Simon

[Kath]

Shipley Times and Express 29 October 1915

Coventry Evening Telegraph 03 November 1916

The Scotsman 30 October 1917

[mancpal]

Blimey! Thanks for that, I’d somehow imagined they hadn’t reached the masses so early.

 

simon

[Khaki]

Thanks Kath, 

Excellent search results,

 

khaki

[depaor01]

To this day, Irish law prohibits the possession and use of fireworks by the general public as we inherited the 1875 explosives act which remains in force today.

 

Dave

[IRC Kevin]

Barrow News of 17 October 1914

[Khaki]

Thanks IRC Kevin,

Interesting news clipping, thanks

khaki

[DavidOwen]

A file at TNA would suggest restrictions were in place (sadly not yet digitised) http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4752404

 

David

[NigelS]

My suspicion is that anyone involved in manufacture & production of fireworks in the UK pre war - I doubt they would have been imported as frequently then as they are today - with expertise in pyrotechnics and handling explosives would have become heavily involved in munitions production in some way.  Certainly the case with Wing Commander Frank Brock, RNAS of the Brock Fireworks family who developed many incendiary type devices used during the war (Brock Bullet, flares, smoke screens etc) with the deployment of the latter being one of the reasons for his involvement in the Zeebrugge raid where he lost his life. The history of the Brocks company given on its website http://brocksfireworks.com/our-history makes no mention of what it did do during the war but with 'amongst the more memorable have been the Official Peace Displays in 1919 and 1946 to mark the end of World War I and World War II' , does indicate a reasonably prompt return to its normal, pre-war business.

 

NigelS

[The Scorer]

A side issue would have been whether bonfires would have been allowed, even without firework displays.

 

I see that IRC Kevin's find from the Barrow News of 17 October 1914 (post 7) has the line "lighting of bonfires in defended harbours or proclaimed areas" which indicated that they were restricted. Even though there were air raids, was there a blackout regime everywhere during the First World War?

 

Slightly off topic for this Forum, there's a mention of bonfires during the Second World War in one of Stephen Done's "Inspector Vignoles" Detective series. The book is set in the late 1940's around the time of Bonfire Night, and says that Stalin had replaced Hitler as the "Guy of Choice" on Bonfires, indicating or suggesting that they were allowed during wartime, despite the blackout.

[poacherbold]

From the Defence of the Realm Manual. 6th edition. p 126.

 

"Prohibition on displaying lights, use of fireworks, &c. Oct. 23 1917.

26.  No person shall without the permission of the competent naval or military authority, or some person authorised by him -

(i) display any light or make or keep burning any fire in such a manner as to serve as a signal, guide, or landmark ; or

(ii) ignite or otherwise make use of any fireworks or other similar device ;

and if any person acts in contravention of this regulation he shall be guilty of an offence against these regulations. (a)

              Reg. 26 revoked Nov. 25, 1918.

 

(a) Maximum Penalty under Reg. 26. - No sentence exceeding 6 months imprison with hard labour can be imposed for a contravention of Reg. 26 if the offender proves that he acted without any intention of assisting the enemy. See Reg. 57, p. 197.

 

Reg. 57. A person found guilty of an offence against these regulations by a court-martial shall be liable to be sentenced to penal servitude for life or any less punishment, or if the court finds that the offence was committed with the intention of assisting the enemy to suffer death or any less punisment, and the court may in addition to any other sentence imposed order that any goods in respect of which the offence has been committed be forfeited :

 

Provided that a sentence of detention barracks shall not be awarded for an offence under these regulations and that no sentence exceeding six months' imprisonment with hard labour shall be imposed in respect of any contravention of Regulations 12, 13, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28a, 53, 60, and 61 if the offender proves that he acted without any intention of assisting the enemy or, in the case of Regulation 27, of causing any such disaffection, interference or prejudice as is mentioned in that regulation.