1944 – Difficult times following the Second World War

The second World War ended the ambitions of a great many of the Harriers best athletes and left the club depleted of talent. With the clubs survival on the brink some hard working individuals stepped up and slowly built the club back to strength. The most notable of these were the “May” family, in particular Harry and Eva May, and the club’s longest serving member Arthur Head. They did everything from managing the teams, running the club, washing the club house floor (which at this time was just a large garden shed), and filling the tin baths with cold water for the athletes to wash themselves down when they came back from cross country runs. It was mainly due to their hard work that Dartford Harriers AC survives as an athletics club today. To commemorate the hard work of Harry and Eva May, the clock on the front of the Dartford Harriers clubhouse looking out onto the track bears their names.