Page seven of the Western Mail & South Wales News, Cardiff, Friday 15th of June 1940

Disgrifiad

Image © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

The third column of page 3 of this issue has an article announcing public meetings in Splott and Ely seeking volunteers for the ARP service. We know that there was a disappointing response to this request because on the 22nd of June the Western Mail reported: "the small attendances at those meetings of people in Ely and Splott must be taken as an indication of an apathy which is incredible".

Immediately above this is an article about trade union complaints about members of the ARP service making repairs. The leader of the ARP committee commented "that he hoped trade unions would co-operate in making A.R.P. organisation as efficient as possible. "It must be remembered," he added, "that we are at war." "

"After World War One, military experts predicted that in any future war there would be large-scale bombing of the British civilian population, resulting in huge casualties. In April 1937, an Air Raid Wardens' Service was created. By the middle of 1938 about 200,000 people were involved, with another half a million enrolling during the Munich Crisis of September 1938. By the outbreak of war there were more than 1.5 million in the ARP (Air Raid Precautions), or Civil Defence as it was later re-named." (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/timeline/factfiles/nonflash/a6651425.shtml, accessed 19/2/17)