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Attendees for one of the courses run at the Civil Defence School at Eastwood Park, Falfield in Gloucestershire wear their gas respirators (gas masks) for a group photo. There is a mix of General Service Respirators (GSR) and Civilian Duty Respirators (CDR).  Civil Defence School Attendees, Falfield
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During the Second World War, the British Red Cross Society offered training courses via the Civil Defence training colleges, some related to ARP and Civil Defence matters. Below are scarce ribbon bars for the Anti-Gas Training Instructor C.A.G.S. (Civilian Anti-Gas School) and Anti-Gas Training Instructor A.R.P.S. (Air Raid Precautions School). To date, it is unknown if L.A.R.P. and L.A.G.C. versions were also available. I am researching the types of Civil Defence-related medal ribbon bars issued by the BRCS during the war, so if you have a list or examples to share, please get in touch. I'm aware that the BRCS issued Red Cross Nursing and Red Cross First Aid ribbon bars with wartime years (1939, 1940 etc). The image of the medal and CAGS ribbon bar is courtesy of a regular contributor to this blog.  British Red Cross Society Anti-Gas Training Instructor C.A.G.S. Ribbon Bar  British Red Cross Society Anti-Gas Training Instructor A.R.P.S. Ribbon Bar Paper ephemera relating to air raid shelters is highly collectable. Air Raid Shelter Tickets issued to households were easily discarded at war's end and examples now command high prices. The example below, issued by the City & County of Newcastle Upon Tyne was for access to a surface shelter for residents living in Colston Street. Located in the west of the city, Colston Street was a terrace with no room at the rear for a shelter. To accommodate residents, brick shelters with concrete-slab roofs were built on the road (i.e. surface shelter). A Shelter Marshal would know residents and allow access to these shelters. The ticket here sold on eBay for over £150 (January 2025).  Newcastle-upon-Tyne Air Raid Shelter Ticket Most of the badges that instructors could purchase following the completion of a training course are quite common (ARPS, LARP & LAGC) - except for the almost impossible-to-find C.A.G.S. Instructor variant. The below L.A.G.C. (Local Anti-Gas Course) locally trained silver badge was recently sold on eBay for £80 (incl. shipping); quite a high price for this particular badge. If you can find one, the price of the rare CAGS badge must be in the low- to mid-hundreds.  L.A.G.C. Civil Defence Instructor Badge Most local authorities issued certificates to Civil Defence volunteers and full-time staff following the end of the Second World War. Below is an interesting example of a part-time volunteer in Willesden's Report & Control Service as part of London Region Group No. 6. Willesden was part of Sub-Group C within Group 6 along with the boroughs of Acton, Ealing, Southall and Wembley plus the urban districts of Bushey, Harrow, Ruislip-Northwood and Uxbridge.  London Region Group No. 6 Civil Defence Certificate |
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