HIGHLIGHT of special wartime fundraising weeks was the daily marking of a Town Hall Square indicator showing how much the town was contributing.
During Keighley’s Wings for Victory Week – May 15 to 22, 1943 – this morale-boosting ceremony was performed by such notabilities as a rear admiral, an RAF group captain, the Deputy Commissioner for National Savings, and even Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal.
But the Monday was children’s day, with the square “packed to capacity” with schoolchildren. Young Pamela Reeday, from Lees Council Junior and Infants School, was chosen to read a short speech and mark the indicator, as seen here.
By this early stage of the week Keighley had already raised £473,914 towards a projected target of £750,000. By the end of the week the final total would be £1,453,147!
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