THE INCENDIARY BOMB

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 132, 4 May 1940, Page 3

THE INCENDIARY BOMB

BRITAIN’S REPLY. VIRILE FIRE-FIGIITING SERVICE. (By D. X. IC. Bagnall.) The menace of (ho incendiary bomb to open towns and villages is a new factor in war. In this article, Mr Bagnall describes the measures which have been taken- in Britain to meet it—and, in particular,-gives an account of tho wonderful work of Britain’s ex- ' panded fire brigades, reinforced by the 200,000 members of the Auxiliary Fire Service. : Civil defence has become the fourth arm of Britain’s war machine—her answer to the new development of unrestricted warfare, in which the civilian shares the risks of the front line soldier. And of civil defence, one of the most important parts is the Auxilary Eire Service which has been formed to meet the danger of fire from the skies. This threat is a new one. The incendiary bomb is a new weapon. New, but not unknown, for something of its devastating effect in the homes of the people of -other countries, .where it has been employed with ruthlessness and even savageness by the same foe she now has to face, is known to Britain’s population. England is prepared. Her fire-fight-ing machine, probably the best equipped and most efficient in the world, will, it is believed, beat the bomb. In time of peace, Britain’s fire brigades were a model lor other countries. They consisted of the most modern appliances manned night and day by keen and capable men who, at TV moment’s call were ready to spend the last dunce of their strength and, sometimes, their lives, in saving life and property from the flames. They were not, as. in most European countries, a military or semi-military organisation. The essence of the service was that every man should rely upon himself in eases of emergency, though in ordinary circumstances he acted under the direction of his officer. The brigades cost the nation something like £2,500,000 a year. But in July, 1938, there was a new development. The threat that had been hanging over Europe like, a sword — the threat of a European war—had loomed so large that Britain had hastened to prepare for the event. Air raid precautions had already been born, hut in that month the Houses of I’arliament passed a measure, the first Fire Brigade Bill for over 40 years, which, among other things, authorised the Government to spend an additional £1,500,000 on fire equipment. The Auxiliary Eire Service was now provided for. To-day it is over 200,000 strong. Immediately on the formation of tlie Auxiliary Eire Service, volunteers came forward in their thousands. Young men from all classes of the communityearls’ sons, clerks and shopkeepers, artisans and labourers—eager to give their lull-time or part-time services to light fire gave in their names lor this new wing for Britain’s defence. Jhe service is now at full strength. •' EXPANSION OF SERVICE. An idea of how. the peace-time fire brigades have been augmented may be gained from- the fact that in one English town- with a population of just over 90,000 the original firefighting staff of 16 has swollen to a total of 500.-. Of this; number about half are full-time men. The two fire engines. of peace-time have received the :\ditiou of 30 of the now, specially designed trailer pumps, each a complete fire-fighting unit. Every one of these philips is constantly manned, ready for the word “l(ire!” When an ,air-raid warning sounds, a trailer pump will patrol every street in each of the. six sections into which this particular town has been divided, and it- will continue its patrol until the “All Clear” signal goes or until all danger of fire has been banished. At the central station trained men await a call for help. Sitting before large-scale maps of the streets, which hear coloured pegs denoting fire alarms, police boxes, telephone kiosks fire hydrants, patrol routes and other essential details, they wait to pul into motion the machinery that throbs :tt their finger-tips. Not only will they keep in touch with the patrolling pumps, but will, if necessary, be able to call in help from outside their own area. So well organised is the Auxiliary Eire Service system and so well trained the men that the pumps can be hauled from their sheds, shackled to their motor lorries and be on the road within two minutes of an alarm the men equipped with their gum boots, steel helmets, gas masks and oilskins. If the pump is already ' in position, fixed to the towing lorry, the unit can take t'he road in half the time Each man has his appointed task and his fixed place on the unit. To this place he rushes when the alarm sounds. He may be listening to a lecture; he may be spending a leisure period playing darts —lie may even be m bed ! Men on duty sleep ill their underclothes and trousers and have only to slip on jackets to be ready for the call. , On the scene of the fire the men are as quick to take up tlieir positions for attack. As a result, the pumps are handled with dexterity almost, bewildering to the onlooker. The pumps themselves are of three types. The auxiliary fireman may have to use a heavy pump which has a capacity of between 700 and 900 gallons a minute and a pressure of 1001 b per square inch. He is more likely to be manning a large or light trailer pump. The former lias a capacity of from 350 to 500 gallons at 1001 b per square inch pressure and the latter pu.nip has a capacity of between 120 and 180 gallons and a pressure of 801 b a square inch. 1 Here, then, is the equipment of the new fire service and the men it commands. It can be understood that Britain* awaits the worst the incendiary bomb can do with, calm assurance.