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Somerset County Herald and Taunton Courier Saturday 16 Jan 1943
Page 6 Column 4 and 5
FIRE WATCHERS FINED
FAILURE TO DO DUTY AT TAUNTON
Five fire-watchers were summoned at Taunton Borough Sessions on Wednesday, before Alderman A. J. WEST (presiding) and other magistrates, for failing to perform fire-prevention duty.
The defendants and the decisions were:-
Ernest Walter LANHAM, 'bus conductor, Hatch Court Farm Cottage, Hatch Beauchamp, fined 5s in each of two cases.
Louis SOLOMONS, 'bus driver, 69, Wheatley Crescent, Taunton, fined £1 in each of two cases.
Charles Percy MITCHELL, fitter and turner, 1, Roman-road, Taunton, fined £2.
Leonard Owen OATEN, electrical plater, 105, Lambrook-road, Taunton, fined £2.
Victor Septimus O'BRIEN, instrument maker, 12, Pyrland-avenue, Taunton, case dismissed on payment of costs (4s).
The first two defendants, who pleaded guilty, were summoned under the Business Premises Order. The other defendants, who pleaded not guilty, were summoned under the Compulsory Enrolment Order.
'BUS COMPANY EMPLOYEES.
Evidence was given that LANHAM and SOLOMONS, who are employed by the Western National 'Bus Company, each failed to perform fire prevention duty at the Market House, The Parade, Taunton, on two occasions in October and November last year.
P.C. WEBBER, who interviewed LANHAM, said he stated that he was discharged from the Army on medical grounds on October 6th, 1940 suffering from kidney trouble. He took a doctor's certificate to the Ministry of Labour Office on December 16th.
He had been doing fire-watching duty about 12 months, and when he had been unable to turn out he had obtained a substitute except on the two occasions referred to in the summons. His wife suffered from nerves, and they had two children, aged eight months and four years. He lived seven miles from Taunton and had to cycle.
LANHAM handed in a medical certificate regarding his wife, who, he said, was taken very ill on the two occasions mentioned, and he could not leave her.
P.C. WEBBER said that SOLOMONS told him he did not go fire-watching on October 30th because he was on duty in a Western National 'bus office, helping the cashier until two a.m., and he started duty that day at 5 a.m.
On the second occasion (November 12th) he did not go firewatching because it was pouring with rain. He had also been on duty since 5 a.m. that day.
He had since applied for exemption on medical grounds.
COMPULSORILY ENROLLED.
MITCHELL and OATEN, who failed to attend for duty at the Memorial Schools, Mary-street, on December 12th, were represented by Mr. C. B. PARDOE.
Evidence was given that they came within the Compulsory Enrolment Order, having been released from fire-watching at their own place of employment.
For the defence, it was stated that defendants performed duty at the Memorial Schools depot when they received notice to do so, but they had not seen from the rota that they were posted for duty there on December 12th.
Mr. PARDOE stated that both men were working long hours on very responsible duties, and contended that it was clearly as the result of a mistake that they were taken away from their employers' premises to do fire-watching at all.
One of the men now did fire prevention duty at his place of employment.
In the case of O'BRIEN, P.C. MAUNDER said defendant told him: “I have definitely been ill, although I have been working on short hours. I have applied on medical grounds for exemption, but to date I have been unable to obtain the necessary forms.”
SUFFERED FROM CATARRH.
O'BRIEN said that he had suffered from catarrh for some years.
The Chairman said they thought that defendant should have obtained the medical certificate, which he had now produced, at an earlier date.
Evidence in the cases was given by Mr. F. C. SPEAR (fire guard staff officer), his assistant (Mr. H. W. ROWSELL), Mr. A. V. TAYLOR (fire guard depot superintendent), and other witnesses.
<NOTES: Leonard Owen OATEN son of Albert Edward OATEN and Ellen Mountstephens NICHOLS, married Winifred Violet or Winnie HAWKER>