Catalogue description Ministry of Health: Second World War Special Wartime Functions, Registered Files (LN and other series) and Papers

In 1938 the Home Secretary appointed a Committee (the Anderson Committee) to review the problem of transferring persons from areas likely to be exposed to continuous air attack. The Committee reported in 1938 (Cmd. 5837) A bound volume of the committee's unpublished papers is held in a confidential branch of the Library.

After the publication of the Committees report, the Government decided that the Minister of Health would undertake preparation of plans for evacuation in conjunction with the Lord Privy Seal as minister responsible for the co-ordination of civil defence - Local administration would be in the hands of local authorities. The Evacuation Division of the ministry was set up in 1938: to facilitate the administration of its civil defence services the ministry then created a regional organisation based on the civil defence regions.

Comprehensive plans were approved before war broke-out to secure the continued functioning of these services. Reserves of material and equipment were built up with exchequer assistance and schemes of mutual assistance worked out.

The Government's official scheme for dispersal and evacuating priority series from congested areas and distributing them more evenly over the rest of the country was put into operation on the 31st August 1939. A drift back to the evacuation areas followed the absence of bombing and a second evacuation scheme, restricted to unaccompanied school children was drawn up for implementation if bombing started. The scheme was put into operation in June and July 1940 and later increased in scope to include homeless mothers with children and all mothers and children.

Organised parties were again evacuated with the flying bomb attacks of 1944 and the danger areas altered.

The organised return of evacuees took place in May 1945.

The difficulties of people living in defence areas led to some financial aid.

The service was provided so that people made homeless by enemy action could be found food and somewhere to sleep immediately they were bombed out until they could return to their homes or be billeted or rehoused.

The service in embryo was based on Rest Centres organised by Public Assistance Authorities but after the September 1940 raids, the provision for the homeless was made a separate service operated by local authorities with government grant. A special Commissioner for the Homeless was appointed in the London Civil Defence Region and an inspectorate to deal with welfare and rehousing. Information and Administrative centres were set up, the Rest Centres extended and the work of voluntary bodies mobilised and co-ordinated.

The minister had power to requisition premises under the Defence (General) Regulations, 1939. It was delegated to local authorities who referred individual cases to the department. The power was used in the first instance for civil defence and billeting purposes. It was extended to rehouse families rendered homeless by bombing and for housing persons on work of national importance.

In 1939 the department issued Circular No. 1779 on the treatment of civilian deaths due to war operations. Subsequently numerous schemes were examined and instructions issued to local authorities on the identification and burial of civilian victims (including C.D. personnel) of enemy action. The schemes included arrangements for burial and funeral expenses, the disposal of property and documents of unidentified casualties, the provision of special mortuary accommodation by major authorities and the marking and upkeep of graves.

A proposal for the burial of civilian casualties in a "Garden of Honour" was considered but not adopted.

The Housing (Emergency Powers) Act, 1939, empowered local authorities to carry out repairs to dwellings damaged by enemy action. The Essential Buildings and Plant (Repair of War Damage) Act, 1939, covered repair of war damage to non-domestic buildings and plants essential to the civil population. These were followed by the Repair of War Damage Act, 1941 which was a more comprehensive measure.

The execution of the heavy programme of repairs in London, required co-operation between the Ministries of Works, Health, Labour and the War Damage Commission. This was effected by the London Repairs Executive which continued until June 1945. It was then replaced by the London Housing Committee under the aegis of the Minister of Health to integrate war damage repairs with other housing work.

Supplies for the war emergency services became so extensive, variable and difficult to get that central purchase became necessary as well as local purchase on the ministry's account.

A set of R.O.A.'s containing advice to Regional Officers of the Ministry mainly on the special war-time functions of the department is deposited in this series.

District Auditors were given special duties regarding emergency war services. The important files of the Chief Inspector of Audit who oversaw this aspect of the work of the auditors have been deposited in this series:-

(a) Emergency General - cover such subjects as check of emergency claims, A.R.P. and emergency hospital records, house repair accounts under the War Damage Acts, protection of L.A. records and their reconstruction if destroyed. The expenses of L.A. in re-housing the homeless and practically any other war-time expenditure was covered.

(b) Area Finance

Audit Officers were appointed as Regional Finance Officers and were empowered to requisition and disburse cash in any emergency. These powers were held by Audit from September 1939 until 31st December 1941.

(c) Billeting

Audit Inspectors were responsible for investigating billeting questions and the recovery of billeting expenses where applicable.