The article transcribed below appeared in the Merthyr Express 80 years ago today (25 May 1940)….
SCHOOL CELLARS AT CYFARTHFA
SUGGESTED USE AS SHELTERS
A suggestion that some of the cellars at the Cyfarthfa Castle should be used as air raid shelters for pupils attending the Cyfarthfa Girls’ Secondary School in preference to the scheme of dispersal to the woods nearby, was put forward by Miss A.C. Davenport, B.Sc., the headmistress, at Wednesday’s meeting of the Merthyr Higher Education Committee.
Mr Andrew Wilson, J.P., the vice-chairman presided.
Miss Davenport said that she would like to use some of the cellars to accommodate the pupils in the event of an air raid, but she understood that permission to do so would have to be obtained from the Museum Committee. Parents were asking what arrangements were being made for the safety of the children, and she was very anxious about it. She had been advised that the cellars were the safest place, and she would like to give the girls practice in order that they would be calm and assured if an air raid did take place.
The school was about 10 minutes from the nearest house. It was either a question of sending the pupils out into the surrounding district or finding accommodation for them in the cellars, and she believed the latter course to be the better.
Mr B.J. Williams pointed out that the heads of the secondary schools were given an open hand to make their arrangements for the safety of the children. As far as the cellars under the museum and school were concerned, he could assure Miss Davenport that anything that could be done, would be done.
Mr Andrew Wilson: I understand that some of the valuable exhibits from the museum have been placed in these cellars.
Miss Davenport: Yes, I suppose they are more valuable than the human lives above.
Mr D. J. Davies, M.A., B.Sc., the headmaster of the Cyfarthfa Boys’ Secondary School, said that he supported Miss Davenport’s suggestion. If there was any accommodation in the cellars which was not required for another purpose he believed the schools should be allowed to use it. There were, however, about 300 girls and 300 boys of the schools and there would not be enough room for all of them in the cellars, but a hundred of the smallest pupils could be sent down there. He was quite prepared to let the girls use the corridors in the boys’ school. They had adopted the scheme of dispersal but he thought that the Castle provided such a target that dispersal to the woods would not be safe. He believed that the schools should be given assistance to dig trenches for added protection.
After further discussion it was decided to refer the matter to the special committee dealing with A.R.P. in schools.
A follow up article appeared in the Merthyr Express on 1 June 1940….
Cyfarthfa Cellars Not Fit For Shelters.
MISS DAVENPORT’S REMARK CRITICISED
A statement made last week at a meeting of the Higher Education Committee by Miss A. C. Davenport, B.SC., headmistress of Cyfarthfa Castle Girls Secondary School, on the provisions made for the pupils of her school in the event of an air raid evinced a reply from Mr F. T. James, chairman of the Museum Committee, at Tuesdays meeting of Merthyr Corporation.
The Mayor (Mr J. W Watkin, J.P.) presided.
It will be recalled that Miss. Davenport told the Higher Education Committee that she would like the use of some of the cellars underneath the Cyfarthfa Museum to accommodate the pupils during an air raid, but she understood that permission had to be obtained from the Museum Committee before that could be done. Mr Andrew Wilson, who presided at that meeting, said that he understood that valuable exhibits from the museum were stored in the cellars, and Miss Davenport replied that “she supposed that they were more valuable than human lives above.”
Referring to the matter on Tuesday, Mr F. T. James said that he had seen in the Merthyr Express that Miss Davenport had stated that she could not agree to the dispersal scheme system and would rather accommodate them in the cellars. She alleged, said Mr James, that the Museum Committee thought more of the storing of exhibits than the lives of the children.
“That is a most unwarrantable thing to say about my committee,” said Mr. James, who added that if it was desired to use the basement it could be done. If there was any committee to blame for not providing refuge for the girls, it was not the Museum Committee.
CELLARS NOT FIT
Mr Lewis Jones, chairman of the Higher Education Committee, told the Corporation that Mr W. T. Owen, M.A. (director of education), Mr A. J. Marshall (borough engineer) and he had visited the Museum that day, and after giving the matter due consideration he did not think that the cellars were fit to put the children in. If they put 200 children there it would be a “Black Hole of Calcutta,” and he could not recommend taking the children there. He would much prefer to see the children go into the woods near by. There was also a corridor in the school which could be used, and would be much safer than the cellars.
Prominent local historian, Joe England, editor of the book ‘Cyfarthfa School: The First 100 Years’ has confirmed that the cellars of the school were never converted for use as air-raid shelters, and luckily, Merthyr never actually had any need for shelters.
Many thanks to Tracy Barnard for transcribing these articles.