DEFENCE OF BRITAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 August 1941, Page 4

DEFENCE OF BRITAIN

LARGE-SCALE EXERCISE. ATTACK ON THE BIRMINGHAM AREA. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY. August 10. A big-scale civil defence exercise in which the Home Guard, militaiy and civil defence services co-operated was carried out over a wide area of Birmingham and the Black Country during the weekend.' The attacking forces were regular troops, while Birmingham was defended by its Home Guards and a force of 1 relief troops composed of British, Free French, Dutch and Czechoslovak regulars. It was assumed that an enemy force of two divisions and two Panzer regiments was attacking Birmingham from the south-west and to help the invasion paratroops were dropped on the south and north sides of the city in the early hours of today. The Homo Guard severely harassed the enemy and when relief troops came to their assistance a good deal of ground which had been lost was retaken. The parachute troops proved very effective in holding up reinforcements long enough to allow the main column of invaders to advance to the city centre. One of the city’s main railway stations was taken by invaders and held till the arrival of relieving forces. At the close of the exercise, General Sir R. G. Finlayson, G.0.C., Western Command, who was in charge, expressed his satisfaction. “The exercise,” he said, “has taught us particularly the value of liaison between the military and civil services.”