Cellar Collapse in Shrewsbury & Archaelogical Trench Collapse in Wroxeter, Shropshire.
June & July 1963.
Cellar collapse at Shrewsbury.
Mr. T. W. Lockley Assis(ant C.D. Officer (Rescue) who was directing CD.
rescue work is seen in middle foreground, looking towards left on site.
Photograph by the "Shrewsbury Chronicle"
At 9.48 a.m., on Friday, 28th June, C.D.C. Headquarters at Quarry Place, Shrewsbury, were notified that a wall had collapsed during demolition work at the General Market, Shrewsbury, burying a number of men, and that a Rescue Party was required urgently.
Mr. T. W. Lockley, the County Rescue Officer, went to the scene immediately and Hall Engineering Limited, Harlescott, Shrewsbury, were telephoned to ask if the members of the Rescue Party there could be released and sent to the General Market. At the same time, a Rescue vehicle, complete with its equipment, was brought to the scene from the C.D.C. garage at Longden Road.
As soon as they arrived, the Rescue Party got to work under Mr. Lockley's command, working alongside the Fire Service and demolition workers in an effort to locate one man who was still missing. Unfortunately, the body of the man was recovered.
This incident illustrates very vividly the value of the C.D. Corps in dealing with disasters of this kind in peacetime and the speed with which it can be got into operation in an emergency.
The Rescue Party consisted of H. Heath (Leader), W. Wilkes, G. Fearon, D. Miles and C. Wadsworth.
These men are all volunteers and were actually engaged in their normal work in the factory at the time the call was received. In less than 20 minutes they had been assembled, travelled three miles and started their lifesaving work.
Emergency Rescue Work at Wroxeter.
(From the European Boxwood and Topiary Society website)
Following very closely upon the tragic incident of the collapse of the cellar at the General Market in Shrewsbury, when C.D. volunteer Rescue teams were employed, another emergency call was received a couple of weeks later.
The help of CDC Rescue personnel was requested to assist in the extrication of two trapped Archaeologists (Dr. Houghton and Mr. Lawson.) who were working on excavations at the site of the Roman city of Viroconium, now the village of Wroxeter in Shropshire.
The County Rescue Officer, Mr. T. W. Lockley, was able to send Rescue equipment and a vehicle and with the assistance of Mr. T. S. Cole, the Senior Assistant C.D. Officer, and Mr. David Lockley, they joined with Fire and Police Services in a joint operation of a hazardous nature, which resulted in the successful release of both men from a very heavy collapse of loose sand and soil. One man was buried up to his chest and thanks to a sheet of corrugated iron falling across the face of the other casualty who was completely buried, a greater tragedy was avoided.
This was one of the many emergency peacetime ways in which the C.D. organisation in the County has been able to function and the service rendered was greatly appreciated by the Fire Officer in charge of the rescue 
operation.
Postscript.
A follow up article from Civil Defence magazine, nine months later, detailed a weekend course being held at Attingham Park near Shrewsbury (and Wroxeter). It was arranged by the University of Birmingham Department of Extra-Mural Studies and Shrewsbury Civil Defence Corps.
Safe methods of shoring trenches, earth removal, and other aspects of excavation were demonstrated using open archaeological trenches at Wroxeter. Those attending the course were also taught basic rescue techniques and first aid.
Dr. Graham Webster, leader of the dig at Wroxeter, set up the course saying that the recent accident brought home the risks run by volunteers, particulary when working in small groups. He added "I would like to see, on every site where amateurs are engaged, one person made responsible for safety, including rescue and ambulance work. Accidents do happen and although we usually get away with it, we cannot always rely on being lucky".
SOURCES:
Civil Defence diary, 1968.
Civil Defence magazine vol 15 no 9 p 10-11
Civil Defence magazine vol 16 no 6 p11
