Recruiting For Civil Defence Units To Begin In Britain

Chronicle (Levin), 15 November 1949, Page 5

Recruiting For Civil Defence Units To Begin In Britain

(N.Z.P.A.-

—Reuter.

Copprtght)

Received Tuesday, 9.35 a.m. LONDON, Nov. 14. Recruiting for civil defence units to deal with "new formjs of attack" wiil start tomorrow, the Home Secretary, Mr. J. Chuter Ede, announced today. The units eoncerned are thB civil defence corps, auxiliary fire service, national hospital sei*vice.res.erve and special constahulary.

Mr. Ede made the annonncemfent at a Press conference. He said." "This does not mean war is iiiore likely. It is, however, the commonsense way of.enstiring that our system of nacional defence is compiete. Civil defence is an essential fourth arm, and the training and organisation of a body of men ana women capable of carrying out civil defence duties cannot be left to last-minute improvisation when trouble actually occurs." The civil defence organisation ot the 1939-45 war was not retained 1 because it was realised that civil defence of the futnre might haye to cope with vastly increased possibilities of destruction, said Mr. Ede. "Planning for the creation of a fresh civil defence organisation to deal with the effecjs not only of well-known forms of attack, but also of new ones, began almost immediately after the war. It is being greatly facilitated by the work of the civil defence joint planning staff on which all interested Government departments are represented." Mr. Ede said that in addition to the two civil defence training schools already operating, a third

fccKooi was to be dpehed hbout April, 1950. A civil; defence staff c'oilege vvoiild opOh befdre the enfl of this year. The college would provide training and study in all aspects of higher direction and conduct of civil defence operations and administration. "The civil defence corps, auxiliary fire servicfe and national hospital service reserVe will want recruits to be tramed in peace foi wartime service. The special constabulary wants recruits to assist the regtilar police in peace as well as in an emergency. Uniforms will be pr'ovided as dtackly ^as possible* and members will have badges. They will not be paid during training, but will receive reasonable out-of-pocket expenses." Mr. Ede said the Government did; not eohsider thar the atom bomb had eliminated all possibility of coping with air attacks. "I do not know if atom bbmbs are ever likely to be used against us or, if so, in what numbers. The atom bomb has not removed the possibility of those forms of attack against which civil defence was so useful last time." *-■>