Who was Warden Holes?

Jo Smith

WARDEN HOLES

A search of the 1939 Register locates Harry E Holes living with his wife Rachel at the Holbury Pharmacy in Long Lane. Born on the 9th April 1903, he describes himself as a ‘Master Dispensing Chemist’. The later annotation of the record shows that he was a part time member of the ARP.

The author of the letter was RW BUDGE, the Senior Warden of the Holbury Sector.

The imprinted letter heading was:-

Chenewood House
Fawley

Again on the 1939 Register information about Mr Budge is recorded. He was Reginald W Budge, a Schoolteacher, living at Chenewood House, Long Copse, with his wife Amelia. He was born on the 30th August 1908 and the later annotation of the Register shows that he was a Senior ARP Warden.

The letter is an account of the bombing incident near the Hardley Battery at some time in WW2 and includes the information that the bombs that fell that night were the cause of the death of Special Constable Renyard.
A search of the death index for the New Forest between 1939 and 1945 provides the details of the death of Ernest W Renyard, aged 44 in the last quarter of 1940.
The search of the 1939 Register provides the following details for Ernest:-

Born on the 14th September 1896
Wife’s name was Winifred
They lived at The Forge, Hardley
Ernest was a Master Blacksmith
The later annotation records that he was a member of the Hants Special Constabulary

The list of Civilian Deaths in WW2 gives further details of Ernest.

This date of death pinpoints the time of the incident as prior to the 17th November 1940. A search of local newspapers may provide an accurate date.