From the pages of the Down Recorder, May 18, 1941 REFUGEES � Downpatrick Board of Poor Law Guardians on Saturday discussed the woeful outpouring upon the countryside of poor Belfast folk, driven by the fear of a recurrence of deadly air attacks. The result has been the overcrowding of dwellings, some of them primitive enough, besides the massing together in improvised lodgings, all to the danger of public health. Mr. Hurst said that Mr. McCoubrey, the member for Ballynahinch, was apprehensive, like himself, of an outbreak of disease before the summer ended, what with the congestion, no proper sanitation, wells dipped into with old cans, overdrawn and liable to pollution by users hitherto accustomed to taps, and now throwing rubbish about. Herding in droves was to be seen at Drumaness. That was not good either for those concerned or the neighbourhood. Mr. Wightman praised the Women�s Voluntary Society, and his tale of Killyleagh being full up was duplicated by Mr. Cleland in regard to Killinchy, where from 32 to 40 persons were to be found in some houses, and a hall had been requisitioned. An order should be issued prohibiting more importations. Mr. McEvoy spoke of Killough as similarly ill off. It did not have police, and they were badly needed. Mothers seemed to have no influence over their children, who were running about wrecking the place. Mr. Caher told of the Ministry refusing to permit entry into six Tyrella houses, empty but furnished. In one case the police had to be brought before a man with a ten-roomed house could be induced to admit refugees. Undoubtedly some of them were hard to deal with. Their habits were appalling. Had the Belfast health authorities been neglectful? If owing to their hurried exit refugees could not be expected to arrive clean, that was no reason why they should continue not to be clean. Mr. McKenna said that the poorer people of Annsborough had to bear the brunt, in spite of vacant houses in the area. Some farmers had come to the rescue by giving over buildings. Rent profiteering had been nipped in the bud. The Workhouse Master stated that whereas the normal number of children in the workhouse was anything from 16 to 20, the previous night there were no fewer than 61. CASTLEWELLAN � At Downpatrick Rural Council�s meeting on Saturday Mr. Hugh McAleenan, civil engineer, in a letter addressed to Mr. F. McKenna, councillor, set out that despite all the expenditure of public money there was little improvement in Castlewellan�s water supply. �On April 23 I took the fire brigade out for practice. The first hydrant we tried in the lower Market square was completely dry. From another at the barracks the flow could not fill the barrel for the stirrup pump in any reasonable time. The filters are only capable of dealing with about 2,000 gallons per day, and the consumption is about 50 per cent above this. �The town is absolutely starved most of the time. We cannot get any assurance from Hitler that he will wait any longer, so we must fall back on the Council. If fire broke out we could do nothing.� Mr. Munce, the Council�s engineer, convinced that something was radically wrong, said he would visit Castlewellan on Monday; and he was empowered to purchase new hydrants if necessary. KILLYLEAGH � On his leaving to join the R.A.F., Mr. F. J. Perry, of Killyleagh school, was presented by Mr. R. N. Greer, principal, on behalf of the teaching staff and pupils, with a suitably inscribed solid silver cigarette case, filled with precious �smokes.� Mr. H. Brown, J.P., chairman, Revs. J. C. Boggs, S. Eaton and S. Mann, and Messrs T. Stevenson and J. H. Wightman, J.P., spoke of Mr. Perry�s estimable qualities, and hoped he would soon return, his duty done, victory accomplished. Mr. Perry assured them that he would take away happy memories of the nine years spent at Killyleagh, where he had made many friends amongst all sections of the community. Then the National Anthem was lustily sung. The Union Jack was hoisted in the grounds during the ceremony. LOUGHINISLAND � Second-Lieut. George Kerr Lorthwood and Private Cyril Reynolds were killed near Loughinisland on Tuesday. An Army vehicle in which they were travelling crashed over a road embankment into a field. Two others in the vehicle were seriously injured. Yesterday a motorcyclist, Lieut. Richard Percival, a native of Lancashire, was killed at Lisburn in collision with a military lorry. NEWRY � Currency is given to details of border cattle smuggling in the vicinity of Newry. The Government are determined to suppress it. No one (Lord Glentoran has said) can be allowed to endanger the whole of the cattle in his neighbourhood in order to gain two or three pounds. Nor is there any good (he went on) in sending deputations pleading in each case, on behalf of offenders, �He is a decent man.� If they want to see him, they must go to the Crumlin! ARDS � Fourteen defaulting Ards cottagers have been warned by the Rural Council that unless they till their plots they will be served with notices to quit. Are they impervious to the fact that feeding stuffs cannot now be imported? Garden and farm have now a new value. To the farmers the Ministry of Agriculture repeat their urgent advice to grow green crops such as cabbage and kale and to make grass silage. CARRICKNAB � Yesterday at Newcastle petty sessions, three male N.A.A.F.I. canteen workers who were accused of loitering late on May 6 near Francis Smyth�s fowl house, Carricknab, were each ordered to pay �1 to the Belfast relief fund. PORTAFERRY � Mr. H. A. Campbell, manager of Portaferry branch Northern Bank, is being transferred on his promotion to the bank�s Newtownards branch. SAINTFIELD � The vicar of Saintfield, Rev. C. M. Gorman, was the speaker at the Mothers� Union festival service in Down Cathedral on Wednesday.

Dear Nan, Go raibh maith agat. It was very interesting reading the old newspaper articles, especially about the bombing in WWII. Beannachtai, Mairead (Margaret