AIR RAID PERIL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 August 1939, Page 5

AIR RAID PERIL

PRECAUTIONS IN LONDON “NERVE CENTRE’’ TESTED. REHEARSAL IN HOLBORN. Wardens in protective clothing and steel helmets were patrolling the streets around London University and other parts of Holborn on a recent night Waiting for “incidents” which would test their air raid precautions traihing. It was a full rehearsal of the part to be played in an air raid by the communications services and control centre at the Town Hall. Only two posts were fully manned: one at St. Giles’ School House, the other in a basement of the tower of London University, provided rent free by the Senate.

Realism is hard to obtain in a warden’s exercise, but the wardens were fully tested by the experiment. Be tween 8.15 and 8.30 a motor-car toured the wardens’ beats distributing photographs of damage actually done in London and Spain by air raids. The wardens had quickly to study these and then report to their posts in regulation form the damage shown. The irifofmritiOri was then telephohed io the Cohtl’bl centre at the Town Hall, Which Was called on to deal with 12 major cases of damage in under 20 minutes. This number represented bombardriieht aS heavy as any likely to be experienced; but the organisation stood the test admirably. Uniform messages despatched. Wardens and communications personnel had been trained in the giving and taking of messages on forms designed to eliminate every superfluous word and to ensure the right order of reporting. Few queries arose, thanks to this, and less than three minutes elapsed between the ringing of the telephone for the incoming message at the control centre and the despatch of instructions to air raid precautions services needed iri the “damaged” areas. In those three minutes the message went through the regulation procedure: the telephonist passed the filled-in form to a supervisor, who passed it through a hatch to the man in charge of the map. The nature and location of the damage was marked, the message numbered and passed to the representatives of the departments of the medical officer arid the borough surveyor, Who decided in doubtful cases which serViebs should be sutriirioried. The friesSagri then reached the key mah of the Whole pi’OceSs, whose job it is to fill iri the form from whifch instructions woUld be transinitted to fire, police and other services. This done, and an entry having been made in a log, the message was passed back through a hatch on the other side of the room to a line of telephonists waiting to transmit instructions to the air raid precautions services. “DAMAGED” AREAS MAPPED. After six or seven minutes the map began to assume a sinister appearance. Wardens' reports showed that the junction of Bloomsbury Street and Great Russell Street was completely blocked, that Drury Lane was impassable at one end, and that considerable damage had been done in Seven Dials. The exercise drew attention to the vital importance of keeping fire and ambulance services in .’touch with all road damage, especially during a night raid. It was also suggested that wardens in London might be placed on high points, such as the tower of the University, to Watch for fires and other damage. inside the control room and wardens posts was no confusion, such as one has seen in other communications exercises, There Was a minimum of paper and of chatter; emergency lighting had beeri pi’Ovided, ceilings strutted and all openings blocked up. Many, of the personnel on duty were women, although posts were under the charge of men head wardens. After the exercise wardens not taking part, to the number of about 150 assembled in the training school, and were tested With quick and tricky questions. NEW ZEALAND HOUSE REHEARSAL. The warning clang of a bell in the main hall was a signal last week at New Zealand House for the staff to lake shelter in the basement, which has been strengthened as a precaution against air raids. The basement win dows have been bricked in to .counter the blast of falling bombs and the various sections have been made gasproof. The members of the staff filed down from all floors and had taken up their positions within a few minutes. There are many buildings in London which have adopted similar precautions, and instructions have been posted telling the staffs what to do in case of air raids.