70 YEARS AGO.

Tees men patent gas bomb detector TWO Middlesbrough men were granted a patent for a device that would filter dangerous gases entering air raid shelters. Mr R E Cowell and Mr R Longhorne had invented the device because of feared gas bomb attacks should war break out.

Tar pit rescue men are rewarded SOUTH Bank men Thomas Woolston and John Davidson were each presented with an honorary testimonial parchment from the Royal Humane Society. The pair had rescued four bs oys who had fallen in a tar pit near Cargo Fleet while fishing for tadpoles.

Builders get to work on new sanatorium WORK had started on building Nunthorpe Poole Sanatorium, with a small army of 300 builders, in a joint scheme between Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Gateshead, Darlington and Hartlepool. It was expected to provide 300 beds for TB sufferers.

Sunken submarine detector invented A MIDDLESBROUGH man, William Purvis had a suggestion regarding locating sunken submarines accepted by ship builders Cammell Laird. The invention included a device for releasing a buoy to mark the spot. The invention came in the wake of the HMS Thetis disaster.

Women workers strike over manager sacking MIDDLESBROUGH women factory workers went out on strike over the sacking of their popular manager. More than 150 women at Prices Tailors in Dundas Mews downed tools and refused to work until he was reinstated.

Age bar stops veteran from enlisting A 70-year-old veteran was among the ex-service men who had offered himself for enlistment in the local National Defence Company at a recruiting rally in Middlesbrough. The maximum age was 55, so officials sent him home to Brambles Farm.