Page 618 - Reading Mercury

COMPREHENSIVE PROPOSALS
A largely attended meeting was held in the Town Hall, Wokingham, on Monday,
convened by the Wokingham Town Council Sub-committee to inaugurate a scheme
for the protection of the public in the event of air raids with chemicals, gas and fire.
The Mayor (Alderman F.J. Barrett) presided, and said H.M. Government had
advised them to formulate schemes for their own area. Berkshire had a scheme
embracing different areas of the county. They were linked so that co-operation
between adjoining areas could be made in the event of any work being required in one
district or another. Wokingham Borough Council had had a committee running for
three or four months now and mostly concerned with linking up with the adjoining
areas in the county scheme. The time, they felt, had come when practical work should
be done with their own borough. This had been accomplished under the chairmanship
of Alderman Eustace, whose absence through illness, they regretted, and they hoped
that soon he would be better. They had been very fortunate in getting Dr. Smith to
come forward to talk to them. (Applause.)
A Very Important District
Dr. E.F. Smith said he would be the last person in the world to take any but a
serious view of this matter, but they must not get into a panic. Should we get involved
in a war, it was most unlikely that the enemy would say: “We don’t like Wokingham
and its inhabitants, we are going to knock it down.” But the town was in the centre of
a district well worth any enemy destroying—a very important district, including
Slough, Farnborough and Aldershot. The bomber, though more expert than his father
was 20 years ago, did not always aim at what he hit! One always liked to get rid of
one’s load. Quite likely, Wokingham might get hit in that way.
Dr. Smith proceeded to describe the three types of bombs—high explosive,
incendiary and gas. The incendiary was the most persistent. It did not burn out
quickly; water would not extinguish it. The gas bomb contained a heavy fluid which
gave off vapour. This, in a short time deprived a person of his senses of smell and
taste, so that he might walk again into the gas without being cognisant of it—a great
danger. Another danger—the fumes might lurk in a sheltered place for days. It would
be the task of the authorities to see that people were duly warned about it. An X 100
lb. Gas bomb would spray an area as large as Wokingham Market Place.
Room to which Family could Retire
The Government laid stress on the necessity of having a room in the home to which
the family could retire in a raid. Masks could be kept in store, but it would be better to
get in a sheltered place. First-aid hospitals—one for men, one for women, with say, 12
beds each would be necessary at first; later 70 hospitals in all. People were asked
whether they would be willing to earmark a bed for those hospitals. Bedding, etc.,
would be needed, so as to be used if and when required. A de-contamination centre
had already been reserved for the town—the old malthouse, now the indoor bowling
green in the Reading Road—offered to the council by the authorities last year.
People’s clothing and property would be decontaminated there from gas.
As it would be necessary to have people who could deal with casualties, St. John
Ambulance classes were being held weekly, and it was hoped they would be well
attended. Women volunteers, who would attend lectures on first-aid in chemical and
gas warfare, were also required.
Dr. Smith dealt with the covering of crevices and apertures so as to make a room gas-
proof; and also referred to the necessity of sanitary arrangements. The cellar was
difficult to get out from; a room on the second floor was preferable.

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