Campaign launched to save London housing estate railings converted from stretchers used in WW2 to carry injured civilians during the Blitz
They are a common sight across the south of the capital, but few realise their significance
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to save housing estate fences made from Second World War stretchers that carried Londoners injured in the Blitz.
They are a common, if overlooked sight in many developments in the south of the capital.
And now the Stretcher Railing Society is seeking to raise awareness of them in a bid to prevent councils from replacing them.
The society’s founder Rosie Shaw said: "They have a fascinating history that many of us are unaware of. We want to work with councils and conservators to try to preserve these amazing railings which are such an important part of our heritage.
“Some are now rusting, others have bits missing, a few have been badly damaged.
"The goal is to save the ones that can be saved. However, some councils do not know what to do with complex restorations.
“Our long term aim is try to get some kind of funding for conservation work. It would be a great shame if they were allowed to fall into disrepair.”
Around 600,000 of the stretchers were made, leading to a surplus following the end of the war.
This saw them used to replace railings across the capital that had previously been removed to be used in the production of munitions and war materials.
The stretchers were welded vertically together and fixed on poles, often sunken into concrete on a small wall.
The fences can be recognised by the two "V"s at each end, which raised the stretcher slightly off the ground.
They were made out of steel so they could easily be disinfected after a gas attack.
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Abigail Cornick, curator at the Museum of the Order of St John in Clerkenwell, London, which has one of the stretchers in its collection, said: “The fact they were made from a single material meant they could be made quickly and in high numbers."
Today, they can be found at Kennington Park Estate, the Glebe Estate in Camberwell and on estates in Deptford and Dulwich.
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