RTID v WLYR

[graingrover]

It’s ‘ We love you Rovers ‘ for me. What do you say?
I want it on a scarf please WLYR .. any willing knitters like our grandmas used to knit  ftp://for us in then days in. 1950's
Mind you I preferred the wooden rattles and rosettes !

[Dutch Uncle]

I remember those rattles Brian. When I was very young I think someone told me they were left over from WW2 when they were used as air raid warnings. Anyone know if that is true?

Edit: quick search says yes, but specifically warnings of gas attacks - they were used to warn people to put gas masks on. 

[idler]

I had a wood and metal one that I could barely lift and swing round until I was about ten. It was about 9” to a foot long with a metal frame. If the end had hit a kid while swinging it around it would probably have knocked them out.

[ForsolongaRover]

I had a wood and metal one that I could barely lift and swing round until I was about ten. It was about 9” to a foot long with a metal frame. If the end had hit a kid while swinging it around it would probably have knocked them out.

And of course painted red and white. I thought that they were very heavy to rotate, made of wood and I always thought my mate Dougie’s dad had made his. There were lots of them at matches in the 40s and 50s.
What were formerly used as Official WW2 Air raid sirens were used by factories to signal the start and finish of shifts down Wheatley way in the late 40s and 50s.

[i_ateallthepies]

My dad made mine, all wood not heavy at all but God it made a racket.  I used to stand at the wall on the Main stand side and give it a rattle and folk stood nearby would move somewhere else to stand   

[drfchound]

My dad made mine as well.
Painted red and white.
It turned up in a box in the loft a few years ago and I sold it on eBay.
I was very surprised how much interest there was when it was being bid for.