Thinkpiece 2:  Civil Defence and National Resilience

The world is becoming more dangerous, volatile and unpredictable.  Wars in Eastern Europe and the Gulf, terrorism and polarised politics, mean that our traditional defence mechanisms may well be tested sooner rather than later and found to be wanting.  An attack (punitive or disabling) on or within our homeland British Isles is becoming more likely and our traditional allies may be more reluctant to be involved and deter the enemy.  We should perhaps, reconsider our defences at home and review the concept of a modern Civil Defence.

The means to inflict major damage on the British Isles did not really exist until WW1 when naval and aerial bombing demonstrated that no-one was immune from attack.  It was recognised that casualties could be reduced by developing civil defence measures.  The range of significant civil defence structures erected during WW2 was immense.  Air raid shelters became commonplace and a network of Civil Defence Control Centres covering air raid wardens, fire watchers, water tanks and emergency water, food and medical supplies, sirens, black out provision and signage, was set up.  In 1945, the Home Office had the foresight to encourage local authorities to fund the establishment of Civil Defence Associations and in 1948 the Civil Defence Act established a Civil Defence Corps, organised and intended to manage and provide rescue services in areas affected by a national emergency.  After the detonation of the hydrogen bomb by the USSR in 1953, Government survival became a major priority and in the 1950s, those designing public buildings were encouraged to incorporate shelters.  By March 1956, the Civil Defence Corps had expanded to 330,000. Recruitment continued into the 1960s but the financial crisis of the mid 1960 led to the standing down of the Civil Defence Corps in 1968.  Civil Defence responsibilities were passed on to the Police Department in 1970 and the Planning and Emergency Fire Department in 1984.  It became the Emergency Planning Division in 1989.

The threat of aerial bombardment, nuclear or otherwise, remains a capability of our potential enemies but modern warfare techniques and capabilities have made the means and effect far more complex. The situation in Ukraine has shown the value of built-in shelter in high rise apartment blocks against conventional munitions but modern satellite photography, GPS navigation systems and the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and drones has created greater precision.  A school or hospital does not provide the protection afforded by a Geneva Convention!  The Police Force and where appropriate, the Armed Forces have plans for protection of traditional key points.  However, our modern communications and essential infrastructure, including water, sewage and flood control,  have become reliant on computer management and wireless technology, much of which is accessible to cyber experts wishing to create disruption.

Whilst the Government wrestles with the high costs and limitations of a comparatively tiny Armed Service (Regular and Reserve Army of c100k) and raising the capacity to produce munitions and delivery systems, perhaps consideration should be made to engaging the population in voluntarily contributing to a new civil defence capability which embraces all facets of our national existence.  Once a structure is set up, then the education needs to be focussed on both youth and adult society to do their bit in defence of the realm, which might be more acceptable than just giving them a rifle, a backpack and a uniform as our conscripts and volunteers were in 1914.

K.S.

Thanks to Historic England for background to the Civil Defence (from first World War to the Cold war)