Sunderland in 1939, when Wearside readied for war
A forerunner of the National Health Service had its first showing in Sunderland 85 years ago this month.
The Casualty Service was under way in 1939 and this Sunderland Echo archive photo shows more.
Treating patients in full protective clothing
Two men in full protective clothing were seen in the grounds of a town hospital where they were practising treating a patient.
An Echo report at the time said: “Rapid progress is being made in training members of the Casualty Service in the town.”
Catch up on 1939 life
If you want more of a taster of life in the war years, catch up on these stories.
In 1938, workers were pictured packing 3,500 gas masks into a storage space underneath Monkwearmouth Hospital.