This Was Hatboro-Horsham, 1945

From the Public Spirit, Week of Aug. 15-21, 1945

Community celebrates end of war-

[Editor's note - In a national radio broadcast at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14, 1945, President Harry Truman announced that Japan had accepted the Allied terms of unconditional surrender, ending the fighting in World War II. The news set off joyous public celebrations that continued into Wednesday, known as V-J Day.]

Residents of eastern Montgomery county joined enthusiastically in the greatest spontaneous celebration in the history of the country a few minutes after seven o'clock Tuesday evening.

Pent-up feelings exploded. People erupted from homes, stores and factories, hitting the streets with a roar of joy and triumph the like of which had never been seen before.

Most of the celebration, which carried well on through the night, was of an impromptu nature. Dish pans, horns, dinner bells, anything to make a noise was brought into play to create a din which was augmented by the ringing of school and church bells, the blowing of fire and air raid sirens and auto horns. Cars were out by the hundreds, filled with laughing, shouting celebrants and trailing strings of tin cans and gay streamers.

Effigies of [Japanese Emperor] Hirohito and [Japanese Premier] Tojo were hoisted to the arms of electric poles, and others were dragged from the rear of cars, most of them bearing the sign "So Sorry."

Fire engines were run out and visited neighboring communities with their sirens tied down and bells clanging. Buses, trains and trolleys were jammed with crowds headed city-ward and bent on a night of gaiety. Everybody grabbed everybody else, shook hands, slapped each other on the back, or gave them a big hug and kiss as if it happened to be a comely maid or a man in uniform.

Despite the abandon with which the populace entered into the spirit of the occasion, there was a noticeable lack of drunkenness and disorderly conduct. Tap rooms were closed shortly after the President's announcement, and local police aided by the shore patrol from the Willow Grove Naval Air Station had little trouble with the crowds. Very little property damage was reported and there were no serious accidents despite the wild traffic conditions.

Horsham glider plant to lay off 450 workers -

G & A Aircraft, Inc. of Horsham has announced that its contract to produce CG-4A gliders will be completed by the end of this month, because the U.S. government has cut its order. Of the 800 employees at the plant, 175 will be released this week and an additional 275 within the next thirty days.

The decision to cut back the glider program was reviewed and approved by the Production Readjustment Committee of the War Production Board in Washington.

The committee is comprised of top officials of all procurement agencies as well as representatives of the War Manpower Commission, Maritime Commission and the Smaller War Plants Corporation. It reviews and passes on all proposed cutbacks and schedule adjustments for all war industries and considers all factors in each case before reaching a final decision.

A representative of the United States Employment Service stated that an effort would be made to channel displaced labor in other war work in the area as rapidly as possible.

G & A employees and management were congratulated by the Army Air Forces for the splendid contribution they had made to the war effort.

Advertisement -

FAMOUS MARKET...Fresh Meats--Low Prices...Full Line of Vegetables...We Buy All Kinds of Livestock...We Carry Full Line of Fresh Killed Poultry...J. Levin, 119 S. York Road, Hatboro...Phone Hatboro 0389.

Two Hatboro children stricken with polio -

Five more infantile paralysis cases, including two from Hatboro, were reported in the Old York Road area during the past week, according to local health department officials. They were all taken to Abington Memorial Hospital.

Seventeen poliomyelitis patients have been admitted to the hospital during the current outbreak of the disease.

Two victims were reported from Hatboro. Geraldine Kenlock, 4, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Kenlock of Edward Road, was examined at the hospital, but her case was found to be very mild and she was returned home for treatment there. Harry Bender, 10, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Bender of Madison Avenue, was taken to the hospital Sunday.

Bartholomew Brigidi, 7, of Willow Grove, was diagnosed Tuesday and admitted to the hospital.

The other two victims--both from Jenkintown--were admitted Friday afternoon to the hospital. They were George Lafferty, 11, of Leedom Street, and Alan Kiev, 4, of Hillside Avenue. The latter was returned to his home for further treatment.

As a result of the Lafferty diagnosis, Harry Hughes, health officer of Jenkintown borough, immediately ordered the entire 400 block of Leedom Street quarantined for two weeks. In addition, 12 boys known to have been playing with the Lafferty child, will be kept under special observation.

Friends hold meeting in Horsham -

Abington Quarterly Meeting of Friends assembled at 2 o'clock last Saturday at Horsham Friends meeting-house with more than a hundred persons present. Of the forty-one representatives from the eight constituent meetings, all but three answered to their names.

Reports from each Monthly Meeting in regard to a part of the seventh query in the Book of Discipline were given by Helen Satterthwait, Francis Richardson, Marian D. Hallowell, Elizabeth W. Hallowell, Walker Williams and Alpheus Barker.

Philip Jacobs from the office of the American Friends Service Committee gave a most interesting talk about the C.P.S. work, making all who listened to him see there is a responsibility to be shared in the financing of the camps. [Editor's note - Civilian Public Service camps were established during World War II as an alternative to military service for conscientious objectors.]

The burden has been heavy this year because there are dependents in the families of many of the men now in camp or on detailed service. One of such a group was present from the hospital unit at Byberry.

Clerks of the Meeting of Ministry and Counsel Committee, which met in the morning, were Edwin Coggeshall, of Collegeville, and Eleanor A. Stackhous, of Horsham. About forty Friends came to that meeting, bringing a box lunch, with Horsham Friends serving coffee and dessert.

Advertisement -

CARNIVAL...Horsham Fire Company, August 16-17-18 (NOTE - Dates changed on account of rain)...Easton and Horsham Roads, Horsham...Ground Award Each Night.

Hatboro and Horsham Happenings -

Staff Sergeant Herbert R. Tomlinson, Jr., of County Line Road, Hatboro, has won a commendation for "invaluable assistance" to the Army's veteran, hard-slugging 318th Fighter Group. The commendation came from Major General Robert W. Douglass, Jr., commander of the Pacific's Seventh Air Force, who awarded a Meritorious Service Unit Plaque to the air engineering squadron of which Sergeant Tomlinson is a member.

Ethel E. Golia, of Horsham, has been promoted to Second Lieutenant. She is at Rheims, France in the Army Nursing Corps at the 189th General Hospital.

Pvt. James T. Sharkey, U.S. Army, is spending a 30-day furlough with his wife, Marie, and children Karen and Jimmy, of Downey Drive, Hatboro.

A wire has been received by the parents of Lawrence V. Lindquist, of Horsham, that he has been transferred from duty in the South Pacific to California for special training. He has been in underwater demolition work on Maui, the Philippines, Leyte, Okinawa and other islands.

Bluejacket William McNamara, Seaman 2nd Class, of Pennypack Circle, Hatboro, has completed his recruit training at the naval center on the shores of Seneca Lake, N.Y. and has been granted leave. Upon his return to the center, he will be eligible for further assignment which may qualify him for a petty officer rating.

Sam Pearson is at the Horsham home of his parents on leave, after being with the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific.

Technical Sergeant Robert M. Henry, of Hatboro, was discharged Thursday from the service through the Separation Center, Indiantown Gap Military Reservation.

Sgt. and Mrs. William Roberts, of Horsham, have returned from their wedding trip. Mrs. Roberts is the former Evelyn Houpt of Glenside.

Mrs. Walter Rothwell returned home to Hatboro late Friday night after a visit of several weeks with her son, Lt. (j.g.) W L. Rothwell, and his wife at Monterey, Calif. While in the West, she went with them to San Francisco for a week.