I would be grateful for any suggestions concerning the following issue.
One of our searchers recently received a letter from the Armed Forces
Personnel Administration Agency. He was told he would have to obtain proof
of his civil defence service during WW2 in order to receive the Defence
Medal and that he should apply to the local authority where he served.
Apparently he worked as an ARP Messenger for Oxford City Council.
As far as I am aware the chief responsibility for organising civil defence
measures during WW2 rested with the counties and county boroughs who
appointed ARP Controllers and Sub-Controllers amongst other personnel. I
have seen the minutes and reports of the responsible committees and civil
defence files and records of some authorities. The latter do occasionally
have lists of personnel but the survival of these records is erratic.
Similarly personnel records of these bodies have not always survived.
Can anyone suggest a solution? I wondered if, for example, returns of
personnel were made to national agencies e.g. the Home Office or Ministry of
Home Security.
Chris Gilliam
Oxfordshire Record Office is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. A CARN ticket is required for looking at original documents. This can
be obtained by bringing an official document with name, address and
signature (e.g. driving licence, bank statement and credit card) and two
passport-sized photos. Booking is recommended.
Oxfordshire Record Office is a section of Cultural Services in Oxfordshire
County Council. This message is intended only for the addressee, and OCC can
take no responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained
therein, nor should the message be held as having any legal validity
|