During the Second World War, Darlington had a number of industries that
were important to the war effort. With its historic links to the railway
industry, the town possessed several engineering firms, as well as a
number of companies that produced iron and steel products, and many of
these companies switched some or all of their production over to wartime
demands. The town also had an extensive rural hinterland and the farmers
of Teesdale were faced with a barrage of new demands and regulations
governing their vital work.
Many residents of the area served as members of the armed forces and
losses were grievous: the number of Darlington men killed while serving
with the RAF was particularly high, with the impact of these losses
spreading throughout the community.
Despite many setbacks, Darlington was very efficient in bring its Air
Raid Precautions and civil defence services up to full strength. With
Britain facing invasion in 1940, many older men in the area, along with
those younger men who were in reserved occupations, volunteered to serve
in the Local Defence Volunteers (later the Home Guard) and one man was
still serving at the age of 89.
Thankfully, Darlington did not see the heavy bombing that many other
communities in the North East of England suffered. However, there were
still a large number of accidents in the area caused by the blackout,
resulting in a number of fatalities. Locals also had to deal with
rationing and not all were willing to pull together, seeing the wartime
conditions, instead, as an opportunity to make illegal profits.
