Hanover during the war, Margaret Morris and Gladys Winser provided food for the troops who were billeted around Brook. Margaret also ran the shop. It was worrying times for these two girls alone at Hanover. A search light was positioned under the washing line at Hanover, but the Rev Kirkbride ordered it to be moved. It was moved just over the road into Mr Hookeys field. There were no air raid shelters in Brook, so it was a case of “hope for the best” Margaret and Gladys would crouch down under the telephone which was hung on an inside wall. There was not much time to sit and think about what might happen, they were kept busy providing hot food and drinks.

The Royal Fusiliers camped in the barn next to Hanover, were always ready and waiting for them to open at 8-30, so that they could have their breakfast of Sausage eggs and chips. Sausages were not rationed during the war. During a snowy spell, soldiers working on the Coastal defenses, waited with frozen fingers for Hanover to open, so that they could get warm with hot food and drinks. Canadian soldiers from Brook House were known to sit outside Hanover waiting for it to open. Sadly most of those were killed in Alamein.

Although food was rationed, country people did not fair too badly, the farms provided milk and eggs, rabbits were plentiful, and everyone grew vegetables. At Hanover they did a swap with Lithgow's of Freshwater, icing sugar for castor sugar, so they could still provide cakes,