To protect the population against the ill effects of air attack, the Civil Defence Service was initiated in Great Britain by the Home Office in 1935. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for security and order A department was formed called Air Raid Precautions, from which, in 1938, the ARP was organized. Air Raid Precautions (ARP was an organisation in the United Kingdom set up as an aid in the prelude to the Second World War dedicated
The ARP services included:
- Report & control of incidents;
- Messenger & Warden service; Rescue,
- repair & demolition;
- Anti-gas service;
- Casualty
- (including First Aid Parties, ambulance, Emergency Mortuary) services.
A support service was founded also in 1938 called WVS (Women's Voluntary Service), and in 1941 the Fire Guard service (intended to report fires and deal with individual incendiary bombs) was set up. The WRVS (formerly the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service, known until 1966 as the Women's Voluntary Service) is a voluntary organisation concerned with The WVS had many functions but was best known for its work in running and operating the Mobile Canteens and Rest Centres.
Associated with the ARP, but independent in organisation were:
- the Police, including the Auxiliary Police;
- the Fire Services, both National Fire Service (NFS) and Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS):
- the Health Services. The National Fire Service ( NFS) was the single Fire service created in Great Britain in 1941 during the Second World War; a separate National The Auxiliary Fire Service ( AFS) was first formed in 1938 in Great Britain as part of Civil Defence Air raid precautions.
Initially members of the ARP were supplied with arm bands and a steel helmet, but by 1941 most member had a blue battledress, or overalls. Branch and rank were painted on the steel helmet, usually by letters and rings ("W" for warden, "R" for Rescue).
References
- Brown, Mike. Put That Light Out!: Britain's Civil Defence Services at War 1935–45. Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0750922109.
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic