The following piece is taken from the Evening Telegraph of September 1945:-

Raunds Had 208 Raid Alerts

During the war Raunds had 208 alerts and 361 hours of duty were clocked. The shortest alert lasted two minutes and the longest eleven hours seven minutes. 

Raunds A.R.P was started at the end of 1937, its members being recruited from the British Legion and by the middle of February 1938 the organisation was fully trained and ready for anything.

The Chief Warden at that time was Col. V. H. Sykes, whose post was taken over by Mr. E. W. March in July 1940, when Col. Sykes was called upon to take over the Home Guard.

The Raunds and district wardens’ strength was 60, the district comprising of Stanwick, Chelveston, Hargrave and Ringstead.

The first and foremost task when war broke out was the issue of respirators and over 7,000 were issued and during the war they were checked five times.

The first bombs were heard on the night of June 18th-19th, 1940, these dropping at Keyston. The first warning was heard on the night of June 26th, 1940 and the first daylight warning on August 20th, 1940. The shortest alert was on February 3rd, 1940. (Ed -they may have the year wrong as this is before the first warning) 

Unexploded Bombs

Throughout the war a total of 208 alerts were received and 361 hours of duty were clocked.

All the bombs dropped were unexploded and were dealt with before they could do any harm. Without a warning seven unexploded bombs were dropped in an area from New England to Grange Park and later two were found on Great Ground, Station Road and another on Asberry’s Field, Brooks Road. None of these did any harm.

Ten high explosive bombs were dropped on the Stanwick Top Road.

Many of Raunds and district wardens volunteered for duty at Deptford, along with wardens from other places, but were never called upon.

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