EMERGENCY PLANNING 1915THE GERMAN INVASION THREAT
The Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Lord Lincolnshire attended the July meeting of Buckinghamshire County Council and made a speech full of suggestions as to what the country would be expected to do in the event of hostile landing on the East Coast.
1. Posting and distribution of emergency notices
2. Reception, the care of and passing on of refugees from the East
3. Receiving and passing westwards cattle driven from the East
4. Arranging rest and food camps for cattle driven westwards
5. Hospital arrangements at specified places for sick and wounded removed from the Eastern counties
6. Reserving and keeping free from traffic certain main roads required for military use
7. Arrangements for registration and branding cattle in the county
8.Arranging and equipping stations for live stock in the county
9. Removal or destruction of the same if specifically ordered
10. Arrangements for removal and destruction of boats, launches etc on the River Thames, in accordance with the scheme prepared by the Thames Conservancy.
11 Precautions against hostile aircraft and signals for giving warning of their approach
12. Collection of motors, bicycles, carts, carriages, horses and harness, petrol etc
13. Removal or destruction of same if ordered
14. Removal or destruction of food supplies if ordered
15. Collection of tools, picks, shovels etc required by the military
16. Collection of working parties in charge of foremen, the policy of the Government being to encourage ever able bodied man to task his part in the defence of the Realm
17. A general census of all the above is the hands of police, together with lists of flour mills and granaries etc
18. Reservation of certain roads for ordinary traffic and of other roads for driving cattle.
19. Generally to advice the civil population in Buckinghamshire to remain cool in the their homes and to pursue their ordinary avocation, and with regard to owners of local cattle, to register with the police, obtain brands and await orders. It is anticipated that local cattle will not be removed
He went on to praise the of the four thousand special Bucks constables and Bucks Volunteer Defence Force now numbering 2,700 men (a force no doubt originally established to meet the threat of the Swing rioters)
Uxbridge Advertiser
July 23rd 1915
Photo:
The last air raid of London in World War One WW1 at Sydenham Road junction with Fairlawn Park, Sydenham, South London, 19th May 1918 killing 12
