UKHOMEFRONTS SALUTE TO HOMEFRONT ORGANISATIONS

WELCOME TO OUR PAGE SALUTING VARIOUS ORGANISATIONS WHICH HELPED TO WIN THE WAR ON THE HOMEFRONT.

During the early part of the Second World War the discovery of an aircraft which had crashed in the mountains was often a matter of chance, Royal Air Force stations near mountainous areas were left to make their own arrangements for the organisation of search parties and used whatever equipment was available to search for, and rescue.

The subsequent treatment and evacuation of any survivors proved to be both difficult and dangerous.

Early in 1942, one such search was organised by Flt Lt Graham the station Medical officer at R.A.F. Llandwrog IN North

Wales

It quickly became apparent to Flt Lt Graham that the equipment and personnel at his disposal were entirely inadequate to deal with aircraft crashes in the mountainous areas of Snowdonia, close to R.A.F. Llandwrog. With typical enthusiasm and a good deal of foresight Flt Lt Graham begged, borrowed and adapted whatever equipment he could and began training selected volunteers from R.A.F Llandwrog to undertake search and rescue operations.

The increase in wartime aircraft operations from 1942 onwards inevitably led to a sharp increase in the number of aircraft crashes occurring within mountainous areas.

This ensured that Flt Lt Graham and his volunteers, known as the R.A.F. Llandwrog Mountain Rescue Section, had far too many opportunities to put their equipment and training to the test.

Elsewhere in the

others had also recognised the need for some form of organised mountain rescue organisation.

At R.A.F Millom on the fringes of the Lake District the increasing number of aircraft crashes led to the setting up of an unofficial Mountain Rescue Section made up of 10 volunteers.

At R.A.F. Harper Hill near Buxton in Derbyshire Flt Lt David Crichton, the station medical officer, without any previous mountaineering experience, had gathered together a group of inexperienced volunteers to search for crashed aircraft. At one stage the Air Ministry received a grateful letter from the US Army Air Force, thanking them for the services of the Mountain Rescue Section at R.A.F. Harpur Hill who had rescued a downed American Pilot, this was the first time that the Air Ministry had heard that such a service existed.

The unofficial Mountain Rescue Sections at R.A.F. Llandwrog, R.A.F. Millom and R.A.F. Harper Hill were all formed entirely from unpaid volunteers who continued to perform their other duties as well as attending Mountain Rescue callouts and training exercises.

The Mountain Rescue Sections had to use whatever equipment and clothing they could find or adapt and the lack of specialised equipment in 1942 would seem unbelievable to any contemporary mountaineer.

On many occasions members of the R.A.F. Mountain Rescue Sections risked their lives going into the mountains in appalling conditions without adequate clothing or equipment to search for injured aircrew. Footwear in particular was a problem with only gum boots or standard issue “Ammo” boots available.

Likewise there was no specialist provision of cold weather clothing, only ordinary battledress, great coats and gas capes together with limited access to maps, radios, climbing or medical equipment.

It is hard to imagine the early R.A.F. Mountain Rescue personnel manhandling a general service stretcher along a knife edge ridge, in a gale wearing gas capes and gum boots.

Courageous, determined and highly motivated they may have been experienced well trained and well equipped they certainly were not.

Between 1942 – 1943 aircraft crashes became increasingly frequent and the need for a properly equipped and trained Royal Air Mountain Rescue Service quickly became apparent to several senior officers. In North Wales alone there were ten aircraft crashes in the latter half of 1943, five of these between November 8^th and December 26^th 1943. From the date of it’s inception in 1942 until the end of 1943 the R.A.F. Llandwrog Mountain Rescue team had rescued thirty three survivors from twenty two crashes.

Throughout this period Flt Lt Graham had identified weaknesses in the R.A.F Mountain Rescue organisations these included inadequate communications between unsuitable vehicles, unsuitable stretchers and difficulty searching at night or in poor weather.

Flt Lt Graham therefore drew up a proposal for establishing an official R.A.F. Llandwrog Mountain Rescue Team which would be properly equipped, trained and on regular stand by. Much to the annoyance of his commanding officer Flt Lt Graham repeatedly contacted the Air Ministry requesting official recognition for the work of the “unofficial” Mountain Rescue Sections together with demands for proper equipment and training.

By the end of 1943 Flying Training Command had decided that the service provided by the R.A.F Mountain Rescue Sections (now operating at several R.A.F stations throughout the

) deserved official status.

Four of the existing “unofficial” R.A.F. Mountain Rescue Sections, including R.A.F. Llandwrog and R.A.F. Millom were designated official Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Teams.

In January of 1944 the Air Ministry recognised the need for the work of the R.A.F. Mountain Rescue Teams to be coordinated and accepted the need for specialist equipment and adequate training for the volunteers. rafm6

The Air Ministry therefore announced the official formation of Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service.

In 1943 alone 220 military aircraft crashes had accounted for 571 aircrew deaths on the mountains of

Britain

. There was therefore a rapid expansion of the R.A.F. Mountain Rescue Service and by February 1945 Mountain Rescue Teams had been established at R.A.F. Kinloss, R.A.F. Topcliffe, R.A.F. Wick, R.A.F Millom, R.A.F. Llandwrog, R.A.F. Montrose, R.A.F. Wigtown, and R.A.F. Madley Surprisingly the Team at R.A.F. Harper Hill remained “unofficial” until April 1945 despite having been operational for nearly three years by this time.

The Mountain Rescue Service Headquarters is based at R.A.F. Valley and supports the R.A.F. four MRT’s based at Kinloss, Leuchars, Leeming and Valley. Each team consists of 7 full time personnel and up to 30 volunteers. The unpaid volunteers give up their spare time for training on at least two weekends in four, as well as one evening a week.

Each team trains regularly with its civilian counterparts for the best possible cooperation and effectiveness.

Their high standard of training and fitness enables them to search difficult terrain rapidly and effectively in adverse conditions.

Apart from their mountaineering prowess R.A.F. MRT personnel are specialists of aircraft crash sites.

Once an accident site is located, they can provide first aid to any survivors, assist with evacuation and guard the area until crash investigators and assistance arrives.

WOMEN IN UNIFORM, FIRST IN THE WOMEN’S LEGION AND LATER IN THE WOMEN’S ARMY AUXILLARY CORPS (FORMED IN 1917), HAD MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO BRITAIN’S MILITARY PERFORMANCE DURING WORLD WAR 1.

AS THE POSSIBILITY OF WAR WITH GERMANY BECAME MORE CERTAIN IN THE LATE 1930’S CONSIDERATION WAS ONCE AGAIN GIVEN TO THE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN THE ARMY. atscollectingshells

THE FORMATION OF THE AUXILLARY TERRITORIAL SERVICE RECEIVED ROYAL ASSENT ON 9 SEPTEMBER 1938 AND IT WAS PLANNED TO RAISE 20,000 WOMEN VOLUNTEERS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 50. WHO WOULD BE ATTACHED IN COMPANIES TO TERRITORIAL ARMY UNITS.

ALTHOUGH THEY WORE UNIFORM, THE WOMEN OF THE ATS WERE NOT SUBJECT TO MILITARY LAW AND THEY WERE EMPLOYED AS ORDERLIES, COOKS, DRIVERS AND CLERKS WITH THE OFFICIAL STATUS OF CAMP FOLLOWERS.

ON GENERAL MOBILISATION THE RECRUITMENT LIMIT OF 20,000 WAS RAISED TO 40,000 BUT THE ONLY ADDITIONAL TASKS ENTRUSTED TO THE ATS WERE THOSE OF SIGNALS DUTIES, AND ALL OFFICERS AND OTHER RANKS REMAINED CIVILLIANS.

IN SPRING 1940 A NUMBER OF ATS TELEPHONISTS AND DRIVERS ARRIVED IN FRANCE FOR SERVICE WITH THE B.E.F.’S LINES OF COMMMUNICATION. AFTER DUNKIRK THE ACUTE MANPOWER SHORTAGE BROUGHT HOME TO THE ARMY THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ROLE WOMEN COULD PLAY.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ATS WAS RAISED TO 200,000 AND IN APRIL 1941 ITS MEMBERS WERE GIVEN FULL MILITARY STATUS ALTHOUGH ONLY A MODIFIED FORM OF THE ARMY ACT WAS APPLIED TO WOMEN.

THE AREA OF EMPLOYMENT IN WHICH WOMEN COULD BE USED WITHIN THE ARMY WAS EXPANDED TO OVER ONE HUNDRED OCCUPATIONS. INCLUDING MANY MORE SKILLED TRADES SUCH AS SERVICE AT SEARCHLIGHT, RADAR, AND ARTILLERY STATIONS.

THE ATS WAS NOT, HOWEVER, INTERGRATED INTO THE ARMY AND IT DEVELOPED ITS OWN ORGANISATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM BASED ON PLATOONS, COMPANIES AND GROUPS.

atsrangefinder PLATOONS CONTAINED FROM 23 TO 75 WOMEN, TWO TO FIVE PLATOONS MADE UP A COMPANY AND GROUPS WERE FORMED OF VARYING NUMBERS OF COMPANIES WITH THE PROVISO THAT EACH GROUP MUST HAVE A MINIMUM STRENGTH OF 250 WOMEN.

GROUPS WERE USUALLY FORMED GEOGRAPHICALLY TO CONFORM AS FAR AS POSSIBLE TO THE BOUNDARIES OF THE MILITARY AREA IN WHICH THEY OPERATED.

BY THE END OF DECEMBER 1941 THE OVERALL STRENGTH OF THE SERVICE STOOD AT 2468 OFFICERS AND 81,965 OTHER RANKS.

THE GERMAN INVASION OF HOLLAND AND BELGIUM FOCUSED ATTENTION UPON THE USE OF PARATROOPS. TO OCCUPY AREAS BEHIND THE ENEMYS MAIN DEFENCE LINES AND IT SEEMED HIGHLY PROBABLE THAT THIS FORM OF ATTACK WOULD BE EMPLOYED AGAINST BRITAIN.

AS A PRECAUTION ANTHONY EDEN, THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR, BROADCAST AN APPEAL ON 14 MAY 1940 FOR FIT MEN BETWEEN THE AGE OF 16 AND 65 TO ENROL IN A MILITARY ORGANISATION WHICH WOULD BE KNOWN AS THE LOCAL DEFENCE VOLUNTEERS (LDV). ldvphotograph

BY 20 MAY NEARLY 250,000 VOLUNTEERS HAD COME FORWARD AND BY THE END OF THE MONTH THE FIGURE HAD REACHED 300,000. THE FORCE WAS TO BE ORGANISED IN CONJUCTION WITH THE TERRITORIAL COUNTY ASSOCIATION AND CAME UNDER THE OPERATIONAL COMMAND OF THE C-IN-C, HOME FORCES.

ON THE 31 JULY 1940 THE TITLE OF THE FORCE WAS CHANGED TO THE HOME GUARD.

THE IMMMMEDIATE PROBLEM FACED BY THE HOME GUARD WAS AN ACUTE SHORTAGE OF ARMS, UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT. THERE WAS ENOUGH RIFLES FOR ONLY ONE-THIRD OF THE GUARD. THE REMAINDER HAD TO MAKE DO FOR MANY MONTHS WITH SHOTGUNS, SPORTING RIFLES, EVEN GOLF CLUBS AND HOME MADE PIKES.

THE HOME GUARD WAS UNPAID AND WAS REQUIRED FOR DUTY AND TRAINING ONLY AFTER WORKING HOURS.

THEY WERE ORGANISED AS BATTALIONS, COMPANIES AND PLATOONS. BUT THERE WAS NO FIXED SIZE OF THESE UNITS AND A COMPANY COULD BE 300 OR 400 MEN STRONG.

COMMANDERS OF UNITS WERE NOT COMMISSIONED OFFICERS BUT HOLDERS OF APPOINTMENTS AND EVERY MAN WHATEVER HIS RANK WAS SUBJECT TO MILITARY LAW AS A PRIVATE SOLDIER.

THE HOME GUARD WAS DISPERSED THROUGH THE COUNTRY AND EACH CITY, TOWN AND VILLAGE HAD ITS CONTINGENT. THERE DUTIES CONSISTED OF GUARDING IMPORTANT BUILDINGS, ROAD JUNCTIONS, RAILWAYS, FACTORIES AND PATROLLING COASTAL AREAS WHERE ENEMY LANDINGS MIGHT BE MADE.

ldvparade BY THE END OF JULY 1940 THE HOME GUARD NUMBERED 500,000 ALL RANKS AND DURING THE INVASION MONTHS OF THAT YEAR ITS PRESENCE AND ENTHUSIASM NOT ONLY HELPED TO INSPIRE THE POPULATION OF BRITIAN. BUT ALSO RELIEVED LARGE NUMBERS OF REGULAR TROOPS FROM THE DISTRACTION OF GUARD AND GARRISON DUTIES.

SOME AMERICAN RESIDENTS OF LONDON VOLUNTEERED FOR SERVICE IN THE LOCAL DEFENCE VOLUNTEERS. THEY THEN FORMED THEMSEVES INTO THE IST AMERICAN SQUADRON OF THE HOME GUARD, WHICH BECAME KNOWN AS THE “RED EAGLES”. SOME 128 AMERICANS SERVED IN THIS UNIT DURING THE WHOLE OF WORLD WAR II AND NOT ONLY PROVIDED THEIR OWN MOTOR VEHICLES BUT PURCHASED THEIR OWN “TOMMY GUNS”.