PONTEFRACT IN 1942

16th January 1942 - ARMY COMMANDERS DAY WITH HOME GUARD
The G.O.C. of Northern Command, Lieutenant General Eastwood, C.B.E., D.S.O., M.C., on Sunday spent a full day with the Home Guard in the Pontefract, Castleford and Hemsworth districts

30th January 1942 - NOTES AND COMMENTS
Nothing is known at the moment of the doings of "The Unique", the submarine "adopted" by Pontefract for its Warship Week campaign next month.

13th February 1942 - GIRLS CONTRIBUTION
The choir of the Willow Park Senior Girl's School, Pontefract, has received a letter from Mrs Churchill thanking the members for their contribution of £1-12s-6d. to the Red Cross Fund

20th February 1942 - CONFIRMED IN HOSPITAL
A member of the A.T.S. stationed at Pontefract, was confirmed privately in hospital on Sunday by the Bishop of Pontefract, the right Reverend T. Longworth

20th February 1942 - Shrovetide "Neet Aht" 
The members and friends of the Pontefract Miner's Welfare Youth Club, took part in a little "Reight Neet Aht" on Shrove Tuesday

20th February 1942 - WARSHIP WEEK PROMISES CLOSE RACE 
By Wednesday afternoon, the total investment made in War Savings in the Pontefract Warship Week, reached £100,000.

20th February 1942 - One Of The Four Oldest Schools In Yorkshire
February 13th, 1942, was the 150th anniversary of the grant of a charter by George III, from which The King's School, Pontefract, derives both its name and its resuscitation.

13th March 1942 - "Horace" Mystified a Pontefract audience
"Horace" talked for some thirty-seconds in Pontefract on Sunday, telling Daddy what he had for supper, and a crowded audience at the Alexandra Cinema was as mystified over the long recital as was Daddy himself.

24th April 1942 - New Stationmaster
Mr. F. Whitehouse, clerk at Cross Gates Station, has been appointed stationmaster at Baghill Station.

24th April 1942 - A.T.C. Week Success 
The Welfare Fund Week arranged by the Pontefract Squadron of the Air Training Corps, which closed on Sunday, realised nearly £ 400

5th June 1942 - Princess Royal Tours Pontefract
The Princess Royal spent some hours in Pontefract on Monday, when she made a tour of inspection of the Auxiliary Territorial Service training depot at the Pontefract Barracks

24th July 1942 - News of Two Brothers
Word has been received in Pontefract of the two sons of Mrs J.H. Willougby, of Prince of Wales Terrace.

24th July 1942 - War Worker’s Shopping Problems
A meeting of representatives of the food trades in Pontefract, convened by the Ministry of Labour and National Service, was held at the Employment Exchange, on Monday

24th July 1942 - Tennis Player Missing
Mr. and Mrs W. Nowell, of 7, Spink Lane, Pontefract, received official notice on Friday that their son, Private Harry Noel Nowell, aged 21, of the R.A.S.C. is missing in the Middle East

7th August 1942 - Railings To Go | Prisoner Of War
Pontefract is shortly to suffer the removal of any unnecessary iron railings, posts and chains, and similar decorations

7th August 1942 - Sunday Films For Pontefract
A new chapter in film entertainment in Pontefract will have begun this weekend with the introduction of Sunday cinema performances.

14th August 1942 - Prisoner in Hong Kong
Mrs Kettlegorough, of Newtown, Pontefract, has received official notice that her husband, Sapper Albert Kettleborough of the Royal Engineers, who was reported missing last December, is now a Prisoner of War in Hong Kong

14th August 1942 - Removal of Railings to Begin
A start is to be made from tomorrow in removing "all unnecessary iron and steel railings, posts, chains, bollards, gates, stiles, etc in the borough."

2nd October 1942 - A Prisoner Of War
Official advice has now been received by his family that Gunner Edward Bedford of the Heavy A.A. Regiment and of Willow Park, Pontefract, who, as already reported in the Express, has been missing since June 20th..

Years in Focus is researched by Maurice Haigh and reproduced with the kind permission of the Pontefract and Castleford Express.