Bourne Archive:
http://boar.org.uk/ariwxo3LSCBul13.htm Latest edit 26 Dec 2009
Interactive version ©2010 R.J.PENHEY
The Bourne Archive
Warfare
The number of Special Constables recorded as having performed effective duty this month was 3,880. Seven men completed their training in H.E. and I.B.; 13 in Anti-Gas measures; 7 in Police Duties and 22 in First-Aid.
|
Division |
No. sworn in |
H.E. & I.B. |
Anti-Gas |
Police Duties |
First Aid |
Proceedings under the Lighting Order |
|
Cleethorpes |
534 |
420 |
386 |
433 |
347 |
4 |
|
Gainsborough |
455 |
424 |
422 |
402 |
408 |
0 |
|
Louth |
459 |
365 |
387 |
270 |
297 |
3 |
|
|
647 |
360 |
450 |
361 |
274 |
0 |
|
Skegness |
349 |
227 |
241 |
225 |
235 |
0 |
|
Sleaford |
371 |
326 |
301 |
292 |
286 |
7 |
|
|
416 |
343 |
340 |
343 |
252 |
2 |
|
Spalding |
649 |
460 |
505 |
434 |
376 |
3 |
|
|
3880 |
2925 |
3032 |
2760 |
2475 |
19 |
The following members of the service have been thanked during the month of July :-
Special Constable H. Coupland of the Sleaford Division, for the initiative he
displayed in verifying and identifying a decoy enemy agent in a recent Home
Guard Exercise at Waddington.
Section Leader E. Derry and Special Constables
Walter Hunt, J. G. Sutton, J. B. Nelson and George Elsam
of the Sleaford division, for their services at the scene of an aircraft crash
at Stapleford.
Special Constables C. J. Fullforth and L. Gilling of the
Sleaford Division, for their prompt action at considerable personal risk, in
assisting to extricate the bodies from an aircraft which crashed and burst into
flames at Evedon.
Special Constable F. Goldthorpe of the Scunthorpe Division, for his services following enemy air activity near
Special Constable J. T. Gravell of the Scunthorpe Division, for his assistance to the Regular Police in dragging operations to recover a body from the River Corn at Epworth.
Special Constables G. E. Horry and H. K. Cranidge of the Scunthorpe Division, for their assistance to the Regular Police following an accident to a soldier at Crowle.
Special Constable W. E. Grayson of
the Sleaford Division, for his assistance to the Regular Police in tracing two
men who were reported to be acting suspiciously in the vicinity of Waddington.
Special Constable J. Hawley of the
Stamford Division, for his services in connection with several cases of cycle
stealing.
Special Constable E. R. Lacey of the Scunthorpe Division, for his prompt action in
extinguishing an outbreak of fire at the Goxhill
Brickworks.
Section Leader F. A. Mann and
Section Leader J. W. Sargeant and the members of
their respective sections in the Skegness Division, for their assistance to the
Regular Police in cordoning off an area, during the early hours of the morning,
in which a dangerous criminal was known to be at large.
Special Constable P. Masters of
the Scunthorpe Division, for his services in communicating his suspicions to
the Regular Police concerning a youth in possession of a bicycle which led,
subsequently, to the conviction of the boy and the restoration of the cycle to
its rightful owner.
Section Leader T. Phillipson and Special Constables G. Bonnett,
E. Drakes, W. H. Smith, H. A. Smith and G. Whelpton
of the Cleethorpes Division, for their assistance to the Regular Police in
controlling large crowds of sightseers and road traffic at the scene of a
recent aircraft crash at Kingerby.
Section Leader G. F. Smith and
Special constables J. Linley and F. Appleyard of he
Cleethorpes Division, for their services in bringing a difficult case of
attempted suicide to the police station and effectively preventing the person
concerned from inflicting further self injury.
Special Constables McDonald
Steven, Charles H. Stone and Henry Stone of the Scunthorpe Division, for their
services at the scene of an Enemy aircraft crash at Bonby.
Special Constable W. R. Wallwin of the Stamford Division, for his prompt action in
recapturing two youths who had absconded from the Hereward Approved School1, Bourne.
Special Constable G. W. Wardle of
the Scunthorpe Division , for his services in reporting two youths for riding
cycles without lights, and his observance in regard to the sacks which they
were carrying, which resulted in a conviction being obtained for stealing
growing vegetables.
Section Commander C. Yates and
Special Constable H. N. King of the Sleaford Division, for their services at
the scene of an enemy aircraft crash at Deeping St. James.
ACTIVITIES OF THE
SPECIAL CONSTABULARY
A team of Special Constables
played and defeated a team of the Regular Police at Spalding
, in a bowls match. Bowls matches have also been played between the
Regular Police and Special constabulary at Bourne,
The Regular Police and Special
Constables of the Skegness Section joined in a social evening on behalf of the
Red Cross Fund. Melbourne Inman and Sidney Smith gave an exhibition of
billiards and snooker and, as a result of a collection, the sum of £12 13s. 0d.
was forwarded to the Duke of Gloucester’s Red Cross and St. John Fund.
A cricket match between the
Regular Police and Special Constabulary was played at Cleethorpes, resulting in
a draw. The Horncastle Town Section competed against a Warden’s Service in a
“Knowledge Bee,” the Wardens winning by two points.
The Lindsey Mobile Incendiary Bomb
Hut visited parts of the Gainsborough Division and a good number of Special
Constables attended to receive practical instruction in extinguishing fire. It
is to be hoped that all rural Special Constables will take every advantage of
the facilities so afforded for practical training which they will not otherwise
obtain.
“
1.
FIRE PREVENTION IN CORN GROWING
AREAS
As probably already known, special
measures are now being organised to prevent fire in the principal corn growing
areas of the country. These measures amount, briefly, to a watch being kept
during the danger period (i.e., from when the crops are nearing ripeness until
after they are harvested), The allocation of a large number of stirrup pumps
for the protection of ricks and farm buildings, the setting up of local crop
organisations to organise beaters, etc., and the dissemination of a special
crop fire risk warning, which means that the weather conditions are such that
special vigilance will be required.
This information will be passed
through A.R.P. and Police channels of communication to as many villages as
possible in the form of a message entitled “CROP WARNING.” Certain special
Constables who are on the telephone may be requested to receive this warning and
pass it to any local crop organisations which may be formed in accordance with
instructions which will be given them by the Superintendents. Is should be made
clear to all concerned, however, that this information relates solely to
weather conditions and is NOT an indication that an air raid is likely to
occur. The warning will cover a period of 24 hours. If, therefore, a similar
message is not received the following evening, it can be assumed that the
period of special risk has passed.
The present absence of daylight
attacks, even if it persists, which cannot be taken for granted, does not
necessarily mean that the danger of fires is limited to the hours of darkness,
for it is possible that the enemy may employ “incendiary leaves” (see Item 2
below), or similar devices, which, when dropped at night, become active during
the heat of the day. It is imperative, therefore, that a constant watch should
be kept by farmers and farm workers during the danger period.
The Police services will render
all possible assistance in this connection and all concerned are asked to be on
the look out for any incendiary objects, to collect any fragments of objects of
this nature which they may find and forward them to Headquarters for
examination by experts.
Those who reside in rural
districts are advised to procure for themselves implements such as brooms and
besoms to beat out fires, and to have them handy at all times. The following
suggestions for implements may be found helpful:-
(i)
A
small sack tied to a handle with a crossbar to keep the sack spread;
(ii)
A
piece of an old motor tyre fastened to a broom handle;
(iii)
Brooms
and besoms made of haze, elder or birch;
(iv)
Old
canvas fire hose; (Note – Fire Brigades have been authorised by Fire Brigade
Circular No. 73/1941, to supply hose which is useless for fire brigade or
decontamination work, to police of other genuine applicants, for fire beaters).
(v)
Metal
beaters from old tin which has been flattened out; Spades and shovels – the
longer and more springy the handles, the better.
Further particulars will be found
in the Ministry of Home Security’s leaflet “Fighting Fires in Crops,” which
will be available at police stations and elsewhere very shortly.
2.
INCENDIARY LEAVES
The information
given below is strictly confidential and must not be communicated to the press.
The leaves are wet when dropped,
and as soon as drying is completed they burst into flame. The time of burning
is from 8 to 10 minutes. If dropped at night, they do not ignite until the dew
has evaporated the next morning. They may be in the form of a sandwich made of
celluloid wafers, with one or more holes in the centre or at the corners, while
others may be in the form of a single celluloid wafer with a phosphorous disc
fastened to it. The wafers may be 4 in. square by 1 in. ;
2 in. square or other shapes and sizes. Any such objects in fields should be
regarded with suspicion, and children especially should be warned against
touching or moving them.
Any individual “leaf” can be
easily extinguished, but large numbers might be dropped at a time, and the
resultant fires consequently difficult to control. It is therefore desirable
that they should be detected early in the morning when they are still wet and
can be removed to a place where they can burn harmlessly. They should not be
touched with the bare hand. Farm workers and others who are about in the early
morning should keep a sharp look-out for these leaves.
The leaves can be kept under water
with safety, and wetting will delay their bursting into flame.
The incendiary bomb, Bullet and leaf are
potential fire raisers in the countryside at any time and the danger period may
well extend beyond the harvest.
3.
DANGER OF HANDLING OBJECTS DROPPED
BY THE ENEMY OR USED BY H.M. FORCES
Renewed attention is drawn to Item
4 in Bulletin No. 7, as further accidents have occurred recently. In one of
them, a labourer picked up a 2” mortar bomb, subsequently handing it to another
man. The recipient thought it was harmless and gave part of it to his
ten-year-old son. The son later got hold of the other part and in trying to fit
the two together caused an explosion and was killed outright. All members of
the Special Constabulary are asked to give the widest publicity to the need for
surrendering to the Police any object, the nature of which is open to doubt, or
is believed to be a weapon of war. In this connection, an extract of Defence
Regulation 79 is appended hereunder for the information of Special Constables.
Offenders are liable to a heavy fine, and/or imprisonment:-
“If any person finds any articles
he has reasonable cause to believe :-
(a)
to
have dropped from any aircraft, or to have formed part of any aircraft, or of
the equipment of any aircraft; or
(b)
to
be the property of a member of any of the armed forces of the enemy, of to have
formed part of the arms, clothing or equipment of such a member, or to have
been, or formed part , of any missile discharged by a member of the armed
force; or
(c)
to
have been used or intended for use by a
member of any armed force and to have been lost or abandoned;
or receives any such article from
any other person whom he does not have reasonable cause to believe to be
entitled to transfer it to him, or from any member of the armed forces of the
enemy, he shall forthwith cause the article to be delivered to a member of His
Majesty’s Forces on duty, or to an Officer in charge of a Police Station, or,
if by reason of the size or weight of the article or other good cause, it
cannot conveniently be so delivered, shall report the nature and situation
thereof to such a member of officer aforesaid; and save as aforesaid no person
shall remove or tamper with any such article.”
4.
USE OF STIRRUP PUMPS FOR PURPOSES
OTHER THAN FIRE FIGHTING
Various suggestions have, from
time to time, been put forward for using stirrup pumps for purposes other than
those for which they were designed, which are the control of incendiary bombs
and the putting out of resultant fires. Amongst these purposes are, the spraying of shelters with disinfectant, the
spraying of vegetables and plants with insecticide, the decontamination of
materials and cleansing of persons. The use of disinfectant and insecticide
cannot be allowed as they will damage the hose, corrode and leave deposits in
the pump, thereby damaging the valves and interfering with their efficiency. At
the same time, it is desirable that pumps should be used and tested at regular
intervals to avoid deterioration, and there is no objection whatever to their
being used with plain water, at or near the place where they are kept for fire
fighting, for such purposes as cleaning motor vehicles or the windows of the
building where the pump is kept.
5.
ANTI-GAS PRECAUTIONS – CLEANSING
OF CONTAMINATED PERSONS AND CLOTHING
Arrangements are now being made
between local authorities and senior naval officers, army commanders and R.A.F.
station commanders for an exchange of information regarding available
facilities and plans for mutual exchange of information regarding available
facilities and plans for mutual assistance in the event of blister gas being
used. The Government’s instructions for the conduct of uninjured civilians
contaminated by blister gas are that, in general, they should take off splashed
outer garments at once, and then go home or to the nearest private house or
other place where they can get a wash. If they are more than five minutes form
such a place, it is the duty of the Police and the Wardens Services to tell
them what to do and, if appropriate, direct them to the nearest public
cleansing centre.
The service departments have
agreed that any sailor, soldier or airman, who is contaminated when away from
his unit, shall act in accordance with the above instructions for the conduct
of civilians and, conversely, that service cleansing centres shall, where
practicable, be made available to civilians. If a member of the armed services
changes his clothes at a private house, he will report to his nearest unit then
return the borrowed clothes as soon as possible. If a civilian or any members
of the police or A.R.P. services changes his clothes at a service station, a
small supply of civilian spare clothing will be available which will, of
course, be returned to the service concerned through the local authority.
6.
MARKING OF GAS CONTAMINATED
VEHICLES AND GOODS
Arrangements have been made with
the service departments for the use of a standardised label to indicate goods
(other than clothing) and vehicles (other than railway rolling stock), which
have been contaminated by poison gas. The word “CONTAMINATED” is printed across
a gummed label, size 5 in. by 2¾ in., oval in shape, and coloured yellow with a
bold purple or violet diagonal cross on it. The size has been chosen so that it
may be stuck on a “tie-on” label, if necessary. Stocks of these labels have
been printed and supplies are being issued to scheme-making authorities.
It is not intended to alter the
system of marking already adopted by the railway companies, vis., a label
marked “GAS”.
When the tyres of vehicles have
been decontaminated it is desirable that they should be marked with the word
“GAS,” as a warning that they should not be handled unnecessarily. The marking
will be done with any suitable paint and no special colour is laid down.
7.
WEARING OF RESPIRATORS IN THE
PRESENCE OF AMMONIA
Attention is drawn to the official
advice which has been given in A.R.P. Handbook No. 1, that Service, C.D. and
General Civilian Respirators are not designed to give protection against
ammonia. There is reason to believe that this fact is not always fully
appreciated, and as the use of respirators in concentrations of ammonia may
give rise to serious danger, the following additional information on the
subject is given.
It has been established that
respirators give a certain degree of protection against immediate danger from
ammonia, but that when they are worn subsequently the ammonia is liberated from
the container in concentrations which may give rise to serious discomfort and
even danger. This effect is produced even when gas-free air is drawn through
the container, but, if it should occur in the presence of a war gas, the wearer
is completely deprived of protection, since he will be unable to wear the
respirator because of the ammonia given off as he breaths through the
container, and so will be exposed to the full effects of the war gas.
Respirators should not, therefore,
be relied on for protection against ammonia, but if, in emergency, they have to
be worn while escaping from an area seriously affected by ammonia, e.g., where
refrigeration plant is damaged, they must be returned to Headquarters as soon
as possible with a label affixed thereon, so that the containers may be
changed.
[facsimile
signature] R H Fooks.
Chief Constable.
________________________________________________________________________
J. W.
Ruddock & Sons Ltd., Printers, Lincoln 11930
Commentary
From early in the Second World War, after the Fall of France, special constables (part-time volunteer policemen) in Lincolnshire were informed of wartime developments and their morale maintained, by a small (typically 8 pp. 215 x 139 mm) booklet, issued to them by Lincolnshire Constabulary. It appeared monthly.
Each issue opened with a résumé of the activities of the previous month, the one mentioned in the title. That is the part of Bulletin 10 which is transcribed above.
1. ^ The Hereward School was in the former Ministry of Labour camp on the southern half of the Stray Pastures, now Forest and Woodland Avenues, with part of Beech Avenue, near Bourne Wood.
Links to other issues of the Bulletin
and Instructional Pamphlets.