Catalogue description Ministry of Home Security: Research and Experiments Department, Registered Papers

The problem of fire research in wartime was essentially a study of the effects of incendiary attack and the means of combating them. As it was soon realised that the knowledge gained in wartime would have permanent value, the Research and Experiments Department engaged in comprehensive scientific study of fire raising, fire prevention and fire fighting. In July 1941 increased co-ordinating and supervisory powers in respect of fire prevention were given to the regional commissioners, other government departments with fire prevention responsibilities devolving them on their regional representatives. These changes and the dissolution of the Fire Prevention Executive Committee of the Cabinet led to a revision in October that year of the arrangements for providing scientific advice to the Home Office and the Ministry of Home Security on fire prevention problems, the functions of the chief scientific adviser on research and experiment being widened to cover fire fighting and fire prevention.

A new Fire Research Division (F Division) of the Research and Experiments Department was formed under Lord Falmouth in September 1941 to deal with fire problems calling for advice or research arising from the work of fire watchers, fire-fighting parties or works fire brigades. The division comprised Analysis, Research and Establishments Services Sections. In order to secure the fullest co-ordination of experimental activities and establish priorities, the Civil Defence Research Committee constituted a special Fire Research Sub-committee, with Lord Falmouth as chairman, in October 1941. F Division relied heavily on the reports of the Bomb Census Field Organisation and also collected basic information on fires not caused by the enemy. After the dissolution of the ministry, the division continued under the Home Office until it was transferred in April 1946 to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

The Technical Intelligence Section was formed at the outbreak of war as an intelligence and information unit, within the Research and Experiments Branch, constituting a technical inquiry service at headquarters and directing the operations of a field staff of 19 regional technical officers. In May 1940 it was designated the Technical Intelligence and Liaison Section. It grew into the Technical Intelligence Division (B Division) as a result of the expansion of its bomb census field organisation and was responsible for assessing the current civil defence situation on behalf of the department.