The Ministry of Home Security was a British government department established in 1939 to direct national civil defence, primarily tasked with organising

air raid precautions Air Raid Precautions (ARP) refers to a number of organisations and guidelines in the United Kingdom dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air raids. Government consideration for air raid precautions increased in the 1920s an ...

, during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The Ministry for Home Security was headed by

Sir John Anderson John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley, (8 July 1882 – 4 January 1958) was a Scottish civil servant and politician who is best known for his service in the War Cabinet during the Second World War, for which he was nicknamed the "Home Front Pr ...

, the

Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all national ...

and Minister of Home Security. The Ministry's responsibilities covered all central and regional civil defence organisations, such as air raid wardens, rescue squads, fire services, and the Women’s Voluntary Service. It was also responsible for giving approval to local ARP schemes and providing public shelters. The Ministry, run under the auspices of the Home Office, produced hundreds of leaflets that were delivered to the population and advised on how to deal with the impending air raids. It also managed propaganda poster campaigns, such as to encourage the carrying of gas masks and volunteers to join civil defence groups like the Fire Guards. In October 1940, Sir John Anderson was replaced by Herbert Morrison in a reshuffle precipitated by

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician of the Conservative Party who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. He is best known for his foreign policy of appeasemen ...

's resignation for ill health. With the Allied victory in Europe, the Ministry was disbanded in May 1945.

Background

Surprisingly, little had been done to defend against attacks on the civilian population during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, and a need for such measures was seen in the years before 1939, so that plans for the new Ministry were in place when war broke out.

Organisation

The ministry came into existence following the passing of an order within the Ministers of the Crown (Emergency Appointments) Act 1939. This order transferred to the Minister of Home Security the statutory powers of the

, the

Secretary of State for Scotland The secretary of state for Scotland ( gd, Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba; sco, Secretar o State fir Scotland), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the Unit ...

and the

Lord Privy Seal The Lord Privy Seal (or, more formally, the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal) is the fifth of the Great Officers of State (United Kingdom), Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and abov ...

. The former

was appointed the first Minister of Home Security and Home Secretary. The new department he headed combined the Lord Privy Seal's Office and the Home Office Air Raid Precautions Department (ARP). Additional staff were recruited from other government ministries as well as local authorities. The ministry also took over control of the Industrial Air Raid Precautions Division from the

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...

. The ministry was responsible for two key wartime issues. Firstly, the coordination of all the civil defence services provided by other departments. Secondly, the overseeing of its own central and regional services and local authority civil defence services (including the approval of all ARP schemes, oversight of local authority civil defence services, arranging, building and delivering air raid shelters, sounding of air raid warnings (from 1943), the supply of ARP equipment, and the co-ordination and supervision of the civil defence regional organisation, which included the Civil Defence Rescue Service, Air Raid Warden Service, Fire Guard Service, Shelter Service, Women's Voluntary Service and the Civil Defence Reserve. The ministry set up 12 civil defence regions, each with a regional commissioner that coordinated, from May 1940, all local authority services. A central Home Security War Room in London collated information from 12 regional war rooms concerning air raids, casualties and where necessary the movement of civil defence personnel between regions. At its inception the ministry was organised in five divisions: # Air Raid Precautions Department # Fire and Police Services Division # Regional Organisation Division and Home Security War Room # Inspector General's Department # Public Relations and Civil Defence Personnel Division

Ministry dissolved

With victory in Europe the ministry was dissolved in May 1945, with any residual departments and functions falling under the control of the Home Office.

Structure and responsibilities

Twelve commissioners, acting for the government, were appointed to manage twelve regions of the UK. Their responsibilities included providing air raid shelters and air raid wardens, gas identification officers, ambulances, and rescue operations. Millions of gas masks were distributed, and almost five million people were enrolled as fire watchers and firefighters. The Ministry also had the task of making preparations for the possibility of an invasion, including plans for the British national communications infrastructure being destroyed by enemy action. From 1939, there were twelve regional ''War Rooms'' and a national ''War Room''. From 1941, the Ministry's central war room was in the North Rotunda, Great Peter Street, London.

Ministers of Home Security

*1939-1940: Right Hon. Sir John Anderson MP *1940-1945: Right Hon. Herbert Stanley Morrison MP

Notable personnel

John Baker, Baron Baker John Fleetwood Baker, Baron Baker, (19 March 1901 – 9 September 1985) was a British scientist and structural engineer. Early life Baker was born in Liscard, Cheshire, a son of J.W. Baker and Emily Fleetwood. He was educated at Rossall Scho ...

- scientific adviser to the Ministry's Design and Development Section, 1939 to 1943 *

Moses Blackman Moses Blackman Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (6 December 1908 – 3 June 1983) was a South African-born British crystallography, crystallographer. Biography Moses Blackman (known as Morris) was born in Cape Town on 6 December 1908, the son ...

- scientific adviser, 1942 to 1945 *

Peter Floud Peter Castle Floud CBE, (1 June 1911 – 22 January 1960) was a British civil servant and official of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, administering missions in Egypt, Iran, and Albania. He was also an authority on Will ...

- principal of the London Regional Headquarters, 1939 to 1944

References

*'' The Second World War'' by

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

(six volumes, Cassell, 1948–1954) *''

Oxford History of England The Oxford History of England (1934–1965) was a notable book series on the history of the United Kingdom. Published by Oxford University Press, it was originally intended to span from Roman Britain to the outbreak of the First World War in fourte ...

'', Volume XV: ''English History, 1914-1945'' by

A.J.P. Taylor Alan John Percivale Taylor (25 March 1906 – 7 September 1990) was a British historian who specialised in 19th- and 20th-century European diplomacy. Both a journalist and a broadcaster, he became well known to millions through his televis ...

(

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 1965) {{Authority control Home Security Government agencies established in 1939 20th century in the United Kingdom 1939 establishments in the United Kingdom United Kingdom home front during World War II Emergency management in the United Kingdom