EMERGENCY

During the winter of 1939/40 the R.I.O. was in close touch with the Regional Commissioner's Office and conferences were held to plan for an emergency. A scheme for securing means of communication through the Region in the event of dislocation of the telegraph and telephone service was discussed with the police authorities. Loud speaker vans in the Region were contacted and arrangements were made for them to be available for use when needed.

Enquiries revealed that there were in the Region 33 licensed vehicles fitted with public address equipment and 9 unlicensed vehicles similarly fitted. The vehicles were left in possession of their owners who lived at places which conveniently provided effective coverage for the Region. The Mobile Film Unit cars were wired for loud speaker equipment and were maintained in a fully serviced condition. 500 petrol coupons were earmarked for the provision of additional supplies in an emergency and were distributed in the Region.

In June, 1940, bombs were dropped in many areas of Lincolnshire. The Press Officer visited areas affected to test the reaction on public morale. No serious material damage was caused and there were no casualties. In spite of some criticism of the Government, A.R.F. arrangements, etc., etc., there appeared to be no serious alarm or despondency.

During the year arrangements were made with the Local Information Committees for Emergency Sub-Committees to function in case of raids. Official notice boards were distributed through the Secretaries of Committees and supplies of posters were stored in many centres.

Arising out of the intensive raid on Coventry on November 14th the R.I.O. and the Press, Meetings and Committee Officers visited Birmingham on November 26th to confer with Ministry Officials of the Midland Region on the impressions gained after the raid and the lessons to be learned from the operation of the Ministry's Departments under emergency conditions.

On the night of November 19/20th there was a sharp raid on Leicester and the E.I.O. was requested by the Local Authorities to call out loud speaker cars and announcers to broadcast messages in various damaged areas of the city.

On January 4th, 1941, a meeting of Honorary Secretaries of L.I.C.s was held to discuss ways in which Committees could help in any emergency arising through aerial bombardment. The meeting was presided over by the R.I.O. who explained the functions of Committees in emergency matters. The Hon. Harold Nicolson, M.P. 147 -2-parliamentary Secretary to the M.O.I., was also present.

Action was taken by the R.I.O. to implement the recommendations made in the plan Mark II for use in emergency. A series of personal visits were paid to the chief towns of the Region with the object of earmarking suitable alternative emergency officers, discussing arrangements for the dissemination of information, ascertaining local preferences on desirable forms of publicity, and to ensure that there existed a just and happy understanding amongst Local Authorities of the functions to be performed by the Ministry in the event of a crisis. The Emergency Officer consulted Secretaries of L.I.C.s on the provision of mobile vans and the recruitment of announcers and messengers. The Assistant Press Officer discussed with the Regional Officers of the Ministry of Health and the Assistance Board the subject of emergency publicity. Arrangements were made with a billposting firm for a 24 hour emergency service in any town in the Region.

In May, 1941, Town Clerks in “Target” towns were visited with a view to the selection and appointment of Emergency Information Officers. Within a fortnight the Committee Officer accompanied by a representative of the Ministry of Health, visited Scunthorpe, Leicester, Peterborough, Grantham, Derby, Grimsby, Chesterfield, Mansfield and Lincoln. The R. I. O. met the Principal Regional Officer and other Regional Officers representing A.R.P., Police, Assistance Board, Ministry of Health, to discuss emergency publicity and following this a conference of E.I.Os was called at which the R.I.O. presided. The same Regional Officers were present with the addition of the Notts. County A.R.P. Officer and Mr. R. Clement of the National Council of Social Service, who spoke on the imperative need of information after a severe raid. Later notes on emergency publicity and on the operation of emergency arrangements before and after a heavy raid were prepared for E.I.Os.

Nottingham experienced a sharp raid on the night of 8th May. Much damage was done to commercial and house property, and the death roll in the City and adjacent Urban areas rose to 200. On the instructions of the Regional Commissioner, the Local Authority opened an Information Centre at 8 a.m. on 9th May. The Officer on night duty at our Regional Office was in constant telephonic communication with the Regional Commissioner's office during and immediately after the raid and on the instructions of the R.I.O. loudspeaker vans were summoned to stand by on the morning of 9th May. One arrived at 8 a.m. and two more before 10 a.m. The R.I.O. and other Officers of the Regional Staff responsible for certain emergency functions reported for duty before 8 a.m. The first official 148 -3-notice announcing the normal functioning of local passenger transport services, the opening of an Information Centre, and the cancellation of a Gas exercise previously arranged for 9th May, was immediately drawn up and broadcast by the Regional Information Officer over the Rediffusion Service after the 8 a.m. news. This announcement was repeated at 10 a.m. other announcements made similarly on the instructions of the R.I.O. included warning to people to avoid areas made potentially dangerous by unexploded bombs or severely damaged buildings and a notification that the Information Centre would continue to function on Sunday, 11th May and subsequent days. No call was made on the Ministry's Loudspeaker Vans on the 9th or 10th May, but on Sunday, 11th May, a request came from the Notts. County A.R.P. Control for a van to tour villages on the east of Nottingham warning people to boil water because contamination by sewage was suspected. A van with driver and announcer was despatched at 4 p.m. and spent five hours making the announcement in 12 villages and intervening hamlets. Altogether, 65 miles were covered in this way and a very useful service was performed.

Local press publicity was secured for the appointment of E.I.Os. in June, 1941, and by that time they had been provided with information about supplies of posters in their district and given examples of the type of publicity which had been found necessary in heavily bombed areas. They were then ready for their organisation to be tested in the exercises arranged by Local Authorities. Such exercises were held in several towns during the following weeks. The need for an adequate messenger service, large scale street maps and some simple means of identification for M.O.I. personnel was then proved.

Plans were made with the Regional Commissioner's Office for large-scale exercises. In September a combined military and Civil Defence exercise was held but it was restricted in character and from an M.O.I. point of view involved nothing more than stationing a liaison officer at Regional H.Q. Following this, it was arranged with the Regional Commissioner's Office that exercises code-named “Beta” should be held in various localities. Ministry loudspeaker vans, recently received from London, were used for the first time in the Beta Exercise held at Grimsby on October 9th, 1941. It was later decided that owing to the lack of commercially owned PA equipped vans in Grimsby, a Ministry van ought to be stationed permanently in Grimsby. This was done in November.

The whole of the Regional Office staff took part in the Victor II Exercise from the night of 14th February to mid-day on the 19th. Two officers were appointed promoters, other officers acting as operational staff.

Towards the end of 1942 the R.I.O. spent a great deal of his time in explaining emergency information duties to E.I.Os appointed in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire. In Derbyshire conferences were held with the Chief Constable and A.R.P. Officials as it appeared difficult to obtain suitable persons for the post. It was suggested that the Chairmen of Invasion Committees should act as E.I.Os. The briefing of these County E.I.Os made complete the arrangements in the Region for dealing with raid emergencies.