EKCO at War

The EKCO workers at all the factories formed their own Home Guard companies, undertook strenuous drill to familiarise themselves with the possible battleground; they had their own security and A.R.P. services, fire brigades (under the National Fire Service), and did their spells of fire-watching.

EKCO (Southend) instigated a roster of firewatchers who would sound the air raid sirens around the site, as well as on the internal tannoy system, to give people ample time to get to their allocated shelters. They would keep a watch for incendiary bombs falling on the site, and direct the home guard and firemen to their location.

While the demolition was under way in 2008 of the main EKCO site at Priory Crescent in Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, access was given to the site to try and ascertain if any of the Second World War shelters still existed, and if they, did to try and get an idea of their extent, and where they were.
Further details:
https://beyondthepoint.co.uk/ekco-fac...

Historic documents and photographs relating to the EKCO Company were donated to Southend-on-Sea Borough Council after being discovered in the main office building being demolished, and scanned by the author. A formal handing-over took place in July 2009 at a grand family reunion, where Mr. Eric Cole’s relatives handed over the historic records to the Southend Council’s Executive Councillor for Adult Social Care, Health and Housing, Councillor Mark Flewitt, as the representative of the Cabinet.