Members of various Civil Defence services pose for a photo during an ARP exercise somewhere in Manchester in 1941.
We have four double-diamond helmets; three white helmets for Decontamination (DC), Casualty Service (CS) and Rescue (R) plus a yellow-helmeted Gas Identification Service (GIS). The Rescue Squad Leader also has a peculiar armband. The two gents are the right are from a Rescue Squad and the gentleman far left has a Civil Defence armband. A few bluette overalls are being worn by the Decontamination and Rescue Leaders and the gent on the far left. Image from the Manchester Libraries collection (CC BY 40).
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Outfits worn by ARP motorcyclists early in the war. The man's photos are dated as 1939 and the woman's as 1941 but the outfits look identical.
The man is wearing a Coat Waterproof (Pattern No. P.O. 13), Leggings Waterproof (Pattern No. P.O. 12), Gloves (Pattern No. P.O. 2) and Goggles (ARP Pattern No. 40) The woman wears a Jacket Waterproof (ARP Pattern No. 85) and Leggings Waterproof (ARP Pattern No. 86). Members of the Civil Defence raise their helmets in salute to the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, during a review in Hyde Park, 14th July 1941. Of interest is the white helmet belonging to a member of a London-based Stretcher Party. It has the letters S and P plus the emblem of one of the boroughs - most likely St. Pancras Borough Council with "S.P.B.C." letters above the borough's crest. He has also added, against regulations, chromed 'SP' letters to his epaulettes. Interestingly, nearly all the battledress blouses have the red-on-blue oval ARP badges on the breast pocket. Next to the man with the white helmet is a gentleman with an arched area title on the flap of his breast pocket. This is most certainly the PADDINGTON area marking. If only the photo had been taken from the other side so we could see the helmet markings... The coat of arms features the figure of St. Pancras standing on top of a helmet. The red roses and crossed swords on yellow represented the dean and chapter of St. Paul's Cathedral. The black and white saltire shield featured elements taken from the arms of historical landowners of the borough: the Dukes of Bedford's scallop shells and the Marquess Camden's elephant's heads. The motto is "With wisdom and courage".
Photograph of a Group Officer of No. 1 Overseas Column of the Civil Defence Reserve (CDR). He is being presented to the King following the stand-down of the Civil Defence General Services in 1945. A previous blog post provided details of the operation of this unit in Antwerp in 1945. It would appear that Newman is wearing a bespoke uniform. The battledress blouse, similar to an austerity pattern, is tailored and has black plastic CD buttons to the front closure, breast pockets and epaulettes. His trousers are tailored and omit the front map pocket, as seen on the gentleman to his right (our left). He is also wearing a British Army Pattern 37 belt. His insignia is very interesting: 1. CDR beret badge 2. Group Officer six-pointed star within a circle on his epaulette - see this page for ranks 3. C.D.R. Overseas Column shoulder title 4. Numeral 1 for No. 1 unit CDR 5. Screen-printed 21st Army Group group flash shield - see this blog post 6. Ribbon bar (I assume from World War One) 7. Standard embroidered CD breast badge The gentleman next to him is wearing the NORTHERN IRELAND area marking. I have added a new page to the Uniforms section for the waterproof cape.
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