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HTR DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY1S GOVERNMENT). T

SECRET. W.P. (4 , AL 1 2 t h February 1942.

WAR CABINET.

CARRYING OF GAS MASKS BY THE PUBLIC.

Memorandum by the Home Secretary and Minister of Home Security.

I attach a copy of a Report by the Home Defence Committee (H.D. (42) 5).

This Report was made at my request following the receipt of proposals from the C-in-C, Home Forces (reproduced as Annex I to the Report) that soldiers should no longer carry their gas masks when at their stations save on duty and in certain defined circumstances.

Having regard to the rubber situation, as well as the present disregard by the public of the injunction always to carry gas masks, I am of opinion that it will be better to follow the policy advocated by the C-in-C, Home Forces, subject to my having the assurance that the Government is reasonably likely to be able to give, a warning before the use of gas by Germany on any large scale. I believe that, when it becomes necessary to give the public such a warning, it will come with much greater force if the recommended relaxation has first been allowed.

I therefore ask the approval of the Cabinet to my adopting the policy recommended in the Report subject to my reserving judgment on the methods by which the public should be kept up to scratch on the regular inspection of respirators, until I can consult Regional Commissioners. It would be understood that this policy/ would only be put into operation in conjunction with a /similar policy for the Fighting Services.

H.M.

HOp: OFFICE. 12th February 1942.

\

WAR CABINET.

HOME DEFENCE COMMITTEE.

CARRYIUB OF GAS MASKS *

Report to the Minister of Home Security.

1". You have referred for our consideration the general question of the need, for the general wearing, of respirators in present circumstances. On the basis of a note put in by the . Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces, (Annex I) we considered at the same time the allied question whether service personnel should be relieved of the necessity to carry their respirators until the invasion warning "Stand To" is issued. In particular you have asked us to advise you as to whether there is a likelihood of large-scale gas attacks before invasion and, if so, whether adequate warning can be safely expected.

2 . Experience of the.enemy's methods indicates that, having selected an objective, he concentrates all his strength and efforts on it. While invasion remains a possibility it is highly improbable that he would reduce the very considerable surprise value of the gas weapon in invasion by using it in advance on an operation against this country of quite minor importance- This view is supported by strategical considerations. In the view of the Air Staff, the balance of advantage would be with the Allies if the Axis powers did begin the use of gas. They are of opinion that the likelihood of gas attack on this country unaccompanied by invasion is remote. In accepting this conclusion we have borne in mind the effect on the enemy's intentions of the knowledge that the public were not carrying their masks. We are satisfied that this would be outweighed by other and more important factors and would not affect the enemy's calculations, provided our arrangements for maintaining anti-gas efficiency are adequate.

3. No alteration of the. equipment of aircraft is needed for the use of gas bombs instead of high explosive bombs and the chance that an individual German air commander might decide to include a proportion of gas bombs in a bomb load contrary to the policy of his Government though possible is highly improbable. Clearly no warning of such an attack can be given, and although for the reasons set out above we consider such attacks unlikely, we are of opinion that it would be a wise precaution to require Civil Defence workers to carry *the.ir respirators when on duty. We understand that the possibility - of applying this rule to the police, particularly police on duty at night, is under consideration by. the Ministry of Home Security in consultation with the Home Office.

4 . We understand that certain transport drivers (both road and rail) are at present required by their employers1 to carry their respirators with them if their duties take them'from home at night. As a further safeguard against the isolated raid we consider that this rule should be applied to members of the public sleeping away from home.

5. Once invasion has been mountedy gas attacks may begin at any time with little or. no warning. For this reason we are of opinion that the instruction to carry masks should not be rigidly related to the issue of "Stand To" and we would suggest instead that the governing factor should be "when the risk increases again". This phrase might replace the words " a t . a l l times from

- 2 ­

'Stand to'" in the last sentence of paragraph 3 of the Memorandum by the Cornmander-in-Chief, Home Forces reproduced at Annex I to this Report. The necessary link between Service and civilian action might be achieved by synchronising the instructions to the civil population to carry or dispense with their respirators with orders to Service personnel. (See paragraph 8 ) .

6. It is vital that the proposed relief to the civil population should not impair in any way the efficiency of our anti-gas preparations and we attach great, importance to measures to ensure that respirators- are-periodically-tested and that the public are exercised in wearing and inspecting them. We have considered a number of suggestions to achieve these objects including ' ­

(a) the nomination of the first day of each month as 1"gas day'.'- when everyone (Service, personnel as

well as civilians) would be required to carry, --inspect"and test his respirator by actual use.

(b)' the increased use^. on these daysof tear gas "-demonstrations and mobile- gas vans for testing

­respirators. :

We- - regard both these suggestions as valuable and recommend that they be very seriously examined. We understand that for a number of reasons it would be impracticable to enforce the rule that respirators;should be carried throughout a given day every month, but we feel that a relaxation should depend on prior approval-of adequate plans for.attaining the purpose'we have in. mind, in this paragraph; much might be done by suitable publicity

rin the :conditions created by the new policy. ­

7. We have considered the draft notice to the public annexed' to the'Memorandum prepared by the Ministry of Home / ':. Security. We agree generally with it, subject to- certain amendments which we have incorporated in the revise which we , append at Annex II. We consider that it should not be issued­until the arrangements for testing respirators by actual use

:referred to.in paragraph 6 are complete.. -­

8 . We were'informed that the broad policy set out in the Commander-in-Chiefs Memorandum (as amended in paragraph 4' above) is accepted by the Service Departments, -it is important that the -three Services should takd-common action to order that/respirators should be carried or dispensed with but they should be free at any time of emergency to take - immediate independent action.' We', understand that adequate machinery exists for consultation between them. : We^agree with the instructions for Army personnel suggested fey the Commander-in-Chief, and we recommend that they should be applied mutatis mutandis-by-the other Service Departments. '

9* Following is a summary of our conclusions:-:,/'-'.'.

(a). There is no reason to suppose that the enemy will use \ gas in attacks on this country until-invasion-occurs.^ The knowledge that respirators are not being carried' is very unlikely to affect the enemy's calculations.

(b) Advice to the public should be synchronised' with orders to Service personnel.

(c). All. civil defence workers on duty should be required to carry their respirators; the application of this rule to the police should be examined..

( d ) i t i s o f v i t a l i m p o r t a n c e t h a t t h e p r o p o s e d r e l i e f s h o u l d n o t r e d u c e t h e e f f i c i e n c y o f o u r a n t i - g a s p r e p a r a t i o n s a n d i n . p a r t i c u l a r s t r i n g e n t m e a s u r e s s h o u l d b e t a k e n t o e n s u r e t h a t r e s p i r a t o r s a r e t e s t e d p e r i o d i c a l l y . T h e M i n i s t r y o f Home S e c u r i t y s h o u l d c o n s i d e r t h e p r a c t i c a b i l i t y o f s e c u r i n g t h i s b y s u c h m e t h o d s a s t h e u s e o f t e a r g a s d e m o n s t r a t i o n s a n d m o b i l e g a s v a n s .

( e ) T h e d r a f t p u b l i c n o t i c e a s a m e n d e d s h o u l d b e i s s u e d w h e n t h e m a c h i n e r y f o r t e s t i n g r e s p i r a t o r s b y a c t u a l u s e i s r e a d y t o o p e r a t e . I t s h o u l d i n c l u d e n o t i f i c a t i o n o f t h e t e s t s a n d m e a s u r e s t o b e a d o p t e d .

( f ) T h e r u l e i n t h e C o m m a n d e r - i n - C h i e f ' s m e m o r a n d u m t h a t r e s p i r a t o r s s h o u l d b e c a r r i e d f r o m " S t a n d t o " s h o u l d b e a m e n d e d t o p r o v i d e f o r t h e i s s u e o f a n o r d e r a t a n y t i m e w h e n t h e r i s k i n c r e a s e s a g a i n . T h e i n s t r u c t i o n s s u g g e s t e d b y t h e C o m m a n d e r - i n - C h i e f f o r t h e Army s h o u l d b e a p p l i e d m u t a t i s m u t a n d i s t o - t h e o t h e r s e r v i c e s .

1 0 . We h a v e f o r w a r d e d a c o p y o f t h i s r e p o r t t o t h e C h i e f s o f S t a f f C o m m i t t e e f o r t h e i r i n f o r m a t i o n .

( S i g n e d ) S . F . S T E W A R T .

GREAT GEORGE STREET, S . W . 1 .

2 n d F e b r u a r y . 1 9 4 2 .

ANNEX I .

MEMORANDUM BY COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, HOME FORCES.

CARRIAGE OF GAS R E S P I R A T O R S .

1 . C o n s i d e r a t i o n h a s "been g i v e n t o t h e v a r i o u s w a y s i n w h i c h t h e GERMANS m i g h t f i r s t e m p l o y g a s a g a i n s t t h i s c o u n t r y , w i t h a v i e w t o d e t e r m i n i n g w h e t h e r t h e p r e s e n t r u l e s r e g a r d i n g t h e c a r r i a g e o f r e s p i r a t o r s s h o u l d n o t h e r e l a x e d u n d e r p r e s e n t c o n d i t i o n s .

2 . I n o r d e r t o o b t a i n t h e m a x i m u m a d v a n t a g e f r o m t h e i n i t i a l u s e o f g a s , a n d t o l i m i t r e t a l i a t i o n b y u s a g a i n s t

t o w n s i n GERMANY, i t a p p e a r s p r o b a b l e t h a t t h e GERMANS w i l l b e g i n t h i s f o r m o f w a r f a r e o n , o r i m m e d i a t e l y p r e v i o u s t o , a t t e m p t e d i n v a s i o n .

S u c h a c t i o n w o u l d b e i n a c c o r d a n c e W i t h t h e m i l i t a r y p r i n c i p l e s a d o p t e d b y t h e GERMANS i n t h i s w a r . I c a n n o t o f c o u r s e s a y t h a t t h i s m e t h o d i s a c e r t a i n t y , b u t I c o n s i d e r i t s u f f i c i e n t l y l i k e l y t o j u s t i f y r e v i e w i n g o u r p o l i c y f o r t h e c a r r i a g e o f g a s m a s k s , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n v i e w o f t h e s h o r t a g e o f r u b b e r .

3 . I t h e r e f o r e r e c o m m e n d t h a t i n t h e i n t e r e s t s o f t h e w a r e f f o r t a s a w h o l e we a c c e p t a s m a l l d e g r e e o f r i s k u n d e r p r e s e n t c o n d i t i o n s , a n d e n d e a v o u r t o s a v e t h e w e a r a n d t e a r c a u s e d t o r e s p i r a t o r s b y c o n s t a n t c a r r i a g e . I t w o u l d b e n e c e s s a r y i n t h a t c a s e , t o e n f o r c e w i t h t h e u t m o s t s t r i c t n e s s t h e c a r r i a g e o f r e s p i r a t o r s b y e v e r y b o d y a t a l l

t i m e s f r o m "STAND T O " .

4 . I t i s s u g g e s t e d t h e r e f o r e , t h a t , a s r e g a r d s t h e A r m y , ­i n s t r u c t i o n s s h o u l d b e a s f o l l o w s :

( a ) A s o l d i e r w i l l C a r r y h i s r e s p i r a t o r .

( i ) A t a l l t i m e s i n F . S , m a r c h i n g o r d e r , ( i i ) A t a n y o t h e r t i m e o r d e r e d b y h i s

C o m m a n d i n g O f f i c e r ,

( i i i ) On g u a r d a n d p i q u e t s . (( i vi v )) A f t e r "STAND TO

( b ) A s o l d i e r w h e n a b s e n t f r o m h i s s t a t i o n w i l l t a k e h i s r e s p i r a t o r w i t h h i m . He n e e d n o t c a r r y i t , e x c e p t u n d e r t h e c o n d i t i o n s o f p a r a . 4 ( a ) a b o v e ,

5 . A s r e g a r d s t h e c i v i l p o p u l a t i o n , i t i s n o t e d t h a t , i n . t h e c o u n t r y a s a w h o l e , o n l y a s m a l l p r o p o r t i o n o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n n o w o b e y t h e i n j u n c t i o n t o c a r r y t h e i r g a s m a s k s w i t h t h e m . I t i s s u g g e s t e d t h a t a m o r e p r a c t i c a l o r d e r , a n d o n e t h a t w o u l d b e m o r e l i k e l y t o b e o b e y e d , w o u l d b e t h a t g a s m a s k s ­

( a ) s h o u l d n o t n o r m a l l y b e c a r r i e d , b u t s h o u l d a c c o m p a n y t h e i n d i v i d u a l i f s l e e p i n g a w a y f r o m t h e n o r m a l p l a c e o f r e s i d e n c e .

' ( b ) s h o u l d b e t a k e n o u t a n d i n s p e c t e d o n t h e f i r s t d a y o f e v e r y m o n t h .

( c ) a f t e r t h e i s s u e o f a w a r n i n g t h r o u g h t h e B . B . C a n d t h e p r e s s , s h o u l d b e c a r r i e d b y e v e r y b o d y a t a l l t i m e s a n d m a l l c i r c u m s t a n c e s .

A 5 O V EC h ^ o o T h w o r d e r s w o u l d o f c o u r s e b e c a n c e l l e d I fC h e m i c a l W a r f a r e s t a r t e d i n a n y t h e a t r e o f w a r .

ANNEX I I

DRAFT NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT GAS MASKS

, ' - T h e w a r w i t h J a p a n w i l l a f f e c t t h e s u p p l y o f r u b b e r a v a i l a b l e i n t h i s c o u n t r y ^ T h i s f a c t w i l l c a l l f o r m u c h g r e a t e r c a r e i n t h e u s e o f g a s m a s k s b y t h e w h o l e p o p u l a t i o n a t h o m e , s o a s t o r e d u c e t h e r a t e o f d a m a g e a n d r e p l a c e m e n t a n d c o n s e r v e s u p p l i e s ^

i

A m a i n c a u s e o f d a m a g e i s t h e s h o c k a n d b u m p i n g t h a t i s i n e v i t a b l e w h e n g a s m a s k s a r e c o n t i n u a l l y c a r r i e d a n d t h e G o v e r n m e n t b e i n g o f o p i n i o n t h a t i t w i l l b e p o s s i b l e t o g i v e s o m e h o u r s w a r n i n g a t l e a s t o f t h e p r o b a b i l i t y o f l a r g e , s c a l e g a s a t t a c k , i t h a s t h e r e f o r e b e e n d e c i d e d t h a t t h e b e s t c o u r s e f o r t h e p u b l i c t o a d o p t i n p r e s e n t c i r c u m s t a n c e s i s n o t t o c a r r y t h e i r g a s m a s k s a t a l l t i m e s , b u t t o l e a v e t h e m a t t h e i r p l a c e o f r e s i d e n c e w h e r e t h e y c a n b e r e a c h e d e a s i l y i n c a s e o f n e e d . ANYONE SLEEPING AWAY FROM HOME SHOULD CARRY H I S MASK WITH HIM,

T h i s d o e s n o t m e a n t h a t t h e r i s k o f g a s - a t t a c k i s r e g a r d e d a s p a s t . On t h e c o n t r a r y t h e C i v i l D e f e n c e s e r v i c e s a r e c o n t i n u i n g w i t h f u l l p r e p a r a t i o n s a n d t r a i n i n g i n a n t i - g a s m e a s u r e s , i n c l u d i n g d e c o n t a m i n a t i o n a n d c l e a n s i n g a n d t h e p u b l i c l i k e w i s e s h o u l d k e e p i n m i n d t h e i n s t r u c t i o n s a n d a d v i c e p r e v i o u s l y g i v e n .

I t f o l l o w s t h a t w h e n t h e y a r e n o t b e i n g c a r r i e d , g a s m a s k s s h o u l d a l w a y s b e k e p t i n a p a r t i c u l a r p l a c e , e a s y t o r e a c h , b u t a w a y f r o m t h e r i s k s o f k n o c k s a n d m o v e m e n t . T h e y a r e t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l s who u s e t h e m a n d w h o s e l i f e m a y d e p e n d o n t h e m . G r e a t c a r e s h o u l d b e t a k e n t o e n s u r e t h a t t h e y a r e i n p r o p e r c o n d i t i o n a n d t h e y s h o u l d b e e x a m i n e d e v e r y t h r e e o r f o u r w e e k s t o s e e t h a t t h e y a r e i n g o o d r e p a i r . A n y d a m a g e s h o u l d a t o n c e b e r e p o r t e d t o t h e C i v i l D e f e n c e w a r d e n .

I F RISK OF GAS ATTACK INCREASES, THE GOVERNMENT WILL I S S U E A WARNING AND FROM THAT TIME MASKS MUST BE CARRIED UNTIL FURTHER N O T I C E .

( N o t e : D e t a i l s o f t h e m e a s u r e s f o r e n s u r i n g t h e m a i n t e n a n c e o f a d e q u a t e a n t i - g a s p r e c a u t i o n s w i l l b e i n s e r t e d w h e n t h e y h a v e b e e n

:" d e c i d e d u p o n ) . '