My gas alert rattle you picture is not “from the trenches”, it’s the one issued in 1939 to Little Thetford Air Raid Wardens, thankfully never used, to warn the village of a gas attack. It was kept at our Church Farm (the A.R.P.post) together with the other two warning devices, bell and whistle for start and end of raid, used immediately the A.R.P.telephone message came through from Ely, “A.R.P. Warning Red” (wardens cycle round village sounding whistle); in Ely a warbling siren, and the end “A.R.P.Warning White” (wardens cycle round village ringing bell); in Ely a continuous siren. Sometimes we heard the Ely siren first and stood by the phone for the call.