BLENHEIM'S E.P.S.

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 241, 13 October 1942, Page 6

BLENHEIM'S E.P.S.

SATISFACTORY 0N PAPER NEED FOR TRAINTNG AND TRIALS, VISIT OF IMFOR'T'ANT OFF'ICIALS. The importance of trahiing and trials to obtain, and test efficieney in Blenheim's Emerg'ency Precautions Service was stressed at a meeting of E.P.S. personnel addrcssed last night in the Mumcipal ChamDers cy Colonel W. T. Churchward, Regional Commissioner, by Mr E. R. Neale, the Mayor of Nelson, vrho is District Controller, and by Mr W. C. Hamann, Deput-y Chief Engineer to- the British Ministry of Home Secunty, who is visting New Zealand in an advisory capacity. Both Colonel Churchward and Mr Nea-le said that Blenheim's E.P.S. a-ppeared to be quite good on pa, per, but they stressed the importance of more rehearsals in order to achieve the requisite efficieney and discioline.

Colonel Churchward, who said he was engaged in a tour cf his territory, which embraced the South J Island, with the object of examining progress in E.P.S. preparations, briefly described the general set-up of the emergency precautions scheme, and the duties of the different units. "As far as I can see the plan of the local organisation appears to be satisfactory," he said. "However, there is a need for a greater amount of practical work and of trials to prove that all units will operate and eo-operate in an emergency." AIR-RAIDS LIKE, BATTLES. The Commissioner gave the meeting an appreciatio.n of the war situation, and of leading opinicnsi tegarding the possibility of an attack on New Zealand, and in this connection he emphasised the important position of Blenheim, and of the need for this town, as well as for others, to be prepared for any eventuality. Dealing with the question of evacuation and dispersal. he said there would be no need for evacuation, but the most important requirement under Ncw Zealand conditions was dispersal in the event oi a raid. "In Blenheim, which is well spread" out, you alroady have quite adequate dispersal, and with, your home shelters you are as sa-fe as possible from anything but a direct hit — agaipst which it is im possible to give complete protection, at reasonable cost," he said. "You have the right idea here, but I think you need plenty of practice in order to get the units familiar with their duties. This work needs a lot of practice. Units should practice by themselves, and then you should have full-scale trials. These will reveal mistakes, and you will all learn how to work together. I can't lay too much stress on training. An air-raid is like a battle, and when you have be-en fully trained so as to be able to act automatically, then you can regard yourselves as being fit for the task you have to discharge," he proceeded. Colonel Churchward said it was necessary to aim at a standard of training and discipline as high as that in the Army — even if that standard was not quite achieved. Many old soldiers present would know the importance of discipline under an artillery bombardment, and this must be the aim of the E.P.S. services. He believed that we had the leaders — men capable of setting an example — and he felt certain that the women in the organisation would dispiay discipline, and moral courage to an even higher degree than the men if an emergency cccurred. SHORTAGE OF MANPOWER. The speaker said there was a shortage of manpower and womanpower in every activity in New Zealand and that shortage would increase as time went on. That position would have to be faced by E.P.S, organisations. The Army's needs had to be supplied and it could never get as many as it wanted. He felt that there were still a number of people who could be made available to the E.P.S. and he suggested several methods of bringing them in. In some cases, through ignorance of the regulations, people had not enrolled

and there were others who refused to serve. The police might help in those cases. It was found that the police in some places were most obliging, others were less obliging and some not at all. A street canvass to determine the manpower might be carried out by the wardens in their areas. All the units of the EP.S. would not be in operation at the same time and .some units could be trained for two 01* three hinds of service. Probably in a raid on Blenheim one or two areas might be blitzed. In that case about 50 per cent. of the personnel of other areas could be sent to assist. The wardens should be trained in first aid, the law and order section in rescue work, and traffic control also in rescue work. The evacuation units should also be trained in some other service. Rescue squads with good strong men in them were essential and the fire and works sections required' more people for rescue work. The idea was to develop backing up. PART WOMEN CAN PLAY. Colonel Churchward also made an appeal for the greater use of women and girls. He felt sure there were many hundreds of women both able and willing to give some service, but who were not yet enrolled in the service. In England women were now doing some of the heavy work in rescue squads and fire fighting. Colonel Churchward quoted Timaru as an example of the use in the service of women and girls. There, he said, 40 per cent. of the total E.P.S. personnel were women and girls. They were doing fire watching as a help to the fire service, traffic control in the streets — and it was the best traffic control he had seen. Also, of course, they were used largely in the medical services, and were also training to provide food and drinks for the homeless and refreshments for E.P.S. personnel after a blitz. He had no doubt that the W.W.S.A. organisation here would be only too willing to assist in providing women for this most important work. Arrangements had now been made for the Home Guard to give assistance, continued Colonel Churchward. Plowever, where there was a shortage of E.P.S. members the few must be more efficient. An invasion attack on New Zealand was still possible, but not probable, but on the other hand an attack from the air in the form of a raid, was possible at any time and it was absolutely necessary for the whole country to be prepared for any such emergency. ADVICE FOR BLENHEIM. "On paper your set-up looks quite good," said Mr Neale, "but from our experience in Nelson, I must say you can't tell what the scheme is like until you have trials. We have had five full-scale rehearsals in Nelson, and last week we had the first fullscale trial in the dark. Notwithstanding all the practice our city chairman described it as 'a poor shcw' — and we have had many more times the training that you have had." Mr Neale admitted that the test at Nelson had been made difficult by the fact that easualties had been arranged under sealed orders, and the services of a great number of ' their key personnel had been "lost." He suggested that a number of daylight trials be held in Blenheim, followed by a night trial. In this connection he offered to make a point of coming over from Nelson to witness the trials. There had, he said, ceen no trial here since the dislocation of the E.P.S. personnel due to Home Guard transfers. The speaker stressed the need for more wardens, and after inquiring about Blenheim's air-raid siren — about which he was told there had bten no complaints lately — he said that in Nelson they had no fewer than 14 sirens. Even then one of his wardens had not heard a recent trial alarm. Mr Neale concluded by stressing the need for keeping up enthusiasm in the organisation. "However much you may think a raid is unlikely here you must prepare. If anything does happen and you are not ready you are the people who will be blamed," he pointed out. The pitch of efficieney reached in Nelson had been favourably commented on by Colonel Churchward, and 'this had only been achieved through the enthusiasm of the wardens, who had paraded every Tuesday night. INT'ERESTING FILMS SHOWN. Mr Hamann showed a series of

lantern slides and films dealing with bombs and the effect of bombing in Britain, his object being to give E.P.S. personnel an idea of what they would be up against in the event of an air raid. He said the type of bombs that would be encountered here in an attack would be the Japanese high explosive type he had seen in Darwin recently. Against incendiaries it was, possible to make adequate provision with a highiy-trained fire service, and against high explosives the protection of the people could be carried out to a considerable i degree. Against high explosive 9 damage to buildings, however, there i was very little protection, and it was | only by a high pitch of efficieney j that the E.P.S. could minimise the I effect of enemy raiding. Mr Hamann, in conclusion, said he would like to lay stress on the fact that although there was a difference between possible attacks on New Zealand and attacks 011 Britain, a high. m explosive bomb in New Zealand was just as dangerous as it was in ~ Britain. ? The Mayor, Mr C. T. Smith, presided and welcomed the visitors and thanked them for their addresses. He also thanked Archdeacon D. Haultain for the use of a magic-lantern and Mr W. G. G. Cuddon for the use of a motion picture projector and for operating the equipment for Mr Hamann's lecture.