Rushden Research Group: ARP Info

From papers kindly given, now passed to Rushden Museum

Rushden A.R.P. Information

Urban District of Rushden
Air Raid Precautions
New Types of German Incendiary Weapons

Part 1
Three new type German Incendiary weapons are now being used.

Type 1		Similar to an ordinary 1 kg. I.B. with a more powerful explosive charge fitted in an extension to the nose instead of in the tail. Period between ignition of incendiary body and detonation of explosive nose is so far established to be up to five minutes. Total weight – 5 lbs. Over-all length without tail – 17 inches. Explosive extension may break off and detonate separately. As those bombs drop from containers they release a thin wire about 18” long attached at one end to metal disc about 2 inches in diameter. Wires may be found some distance from the I.B. and they give a clue to the type used.
Type 2		A bomb containing phosphorus oil and rubber in a casing similar to that of a 50 kg. H.E. which splits open on impact by the usual type of fuse and scatters sticky liquid contents up to 20-30 yards. The contents ignite spontaneously.
Type 3		A combination H.E. and Incendiary again in the same size casing as a 50 kg. H.E. this first throws out a pre-ignited firebomb of magnesium electron type, rack shaped like a large tumbler 2½inches at the base, 3¾ inches diameter at the top and 5¾ inches long, with some 60 metal containers about 2¼ inches long and of triangular section about 1 inch size containing a thermite type filling. This is followed immediately by the detonation of a 12lb charge of T.N.T. in the nose of the original bomb.

Part II
The following provisional precautions are advised pending further instruction.

Type 1

Bomb falling where it will not cause a fire should be avoided for 5 minutes. Reasonable safety distance 20 yards if lying down. In buildings this bomb will penetrate further than normal type. Where bomb may cause fire do not use sand mats unless they can be applied immediately. When bomb falls cover should at once be taken unless H.E. content has exploded. Attack with jet taking similar cover as for 4 lb anti-personnel bomb, e.g. brick wall. Remember incendiary and explosive parts may be some distance apart. Unignited I.B. of this type should be handled with care, stored horizontally and handed over to B.D.S.

Type 2

Take some initial safety precautions as for type 1. when bomb has burst and contents scattered attack with stirrup pump, buckets of water, sand etc. Remember phosphorus will ignite when dried out. Clothing or equipment splashed with this liquid should be kept thoroughly wet till removed from person. Any liquid lodging on skin should either be plunged at once into water or kept wet with a wet pad. Immediate First Aid treatment pending medical attention is as follows:-

Washing soda solution about 1 tablespoon to one pint of cold water should be applied liberally by sponging until all traces of phosphorus are removed. Apply non-greasy burn dressing to any burn. Grease or ointment may spread phosphorus.

Treat UXB of this type as 50kg. H.E. and apply some precautions.

Type 3

Incendiary parts do not contain explosives. The similar action for ordinary 1 kg. I.B. Treat UXB of this type as 50Kg. H.E. and apply same safety precautions.

Revised Method of Dealing with Incendiary Bombs.
Instructions to Fire Guards.

The enemy are now using a more powerful type of explosive incendiary bomb. Many of the incendiaries that they are dropping are of the old kind but any incendiary bomb may be one of the new explosive ones.

All incendiary bombs must therefore in future be attacked in the following manner.

1.		Bombs falling where they may start a fire. These bombs must be attacked resolutely but Fire Guards should make the utmost use of cover.
2.		The use of cover in attacking bombs

Where there is a stirrup pump No. 1 of the team should attack the fire with the jet from behind the best available cover. Cover must be substantial, a brick wall (4½ inches sufficient) Where there is not a stirrup pump handy or where the householder has to at alone, he should throw water through the door in the direction of the bomb. He must take cover just as if he were using a stirrup pump. The water should be thrown pint pot or tin can filled from a bucket of water. After seven minutes or when the bomb has exploded he should enter the room and extinguish any remaining fire.
When an incendiary penetrates to the ground floor, it will often be safer for the fire guards to attack it through the window from the outside in order to get the cover of the wall of the house. Wherever possible, the No. 1 should operate the jet in the prone position in order to reduce the risk of being hit by fragments. On no account should sandmats be put in the bombs. Lath and plaster walls, wooden doors or shields made of table tops etc. afford no protection from the larger splinters.
3.		Bombs falling where they will do no harm should be left to burn themselves out. Fire Guards should keep away from such bombs. On no account should Fire Guards try to put sandmats on them. When a Fire Guard has to pass a bomb burning in the open he should do so at the double taking the best available cover.
4.		The fire not the bomb should be first attacked by the stirrup pump team.
5.		Bomb lodging in roofs. Except where a building has an exceptionally strong roof, the new explosive bombs usually penetrate the roof and one of more storeys. Bombs lodging in the roof will usually be the old kind.
6.		All floors should be searched for bombs. In view of the greater penetrative power of the new explosive incendiaries, fire Guards, after an incendiary attack, should search all the floors of the building, including any basements.

Note the above instructions cancel previous instructions.

Instructions to the Public.
The Public are asked to help the Fire Guard by themselves taking the following precautions.

Free access to rooms.

Householders should remove door stops from the floors of all rooms and anything which would prevent a door being fully opened. It will then be possible for the Fire Guard to deal with a bomb in any part of the room, while himself remaining at the doorway.

The drawing of black-out curtains during incendiary attacks.

When incendiary bombs begin to fall, householders should extinguish all lights and draw back the black-out curtains in all rooms. This will reduce the fire risks for their house and will often enable the Fire Guards to deal with an incendiary bomb from outside the window. This will give the Fire Guard the protection he needs if the bomb happens to be one of the new kind of explosive incendiary bombs.

Where a house is left unoccupied at night, either because the occupier and his family are sleeping in a shelter of for any other reason, all lights should be extinguished and the blackout curtains drawn back.

Council Buildings,
Rushden.
18th September 1941.

Civil Defence – Wardens Service.
Urban District of Rushden.

To Each Warden.

The Minister of Home Security desires it to be known that the enemy may use incendiary ‘leaves’ for the purpose of setting fire to woods, heathlands, stubble and growing crops. All wardens should, therefore, know how to recognise these ‘leaves’ and what to do to render them harmless, and to be able to advise the public accordingly.

It is, however, particularly requested that publicity in this matter shall not be given through the press or printed matter. The Minister of Home Security will himself take the necessary steps to deal with general publicity.

The leaves are wet when dropped, and as soon as drying is completed they burst into flames. The time of the burning is from 8 to 10 minutes. If dropped at night, they do not ignite until the dew as evaporated the next morning. They may be in the form of a sandwich made of celluloid wafers, with one or more holes in the centre of or at the corners, while others may be in the form of a single celluloid wafer with a phosphorous disc fastened to it. The wafers may be 4” square, 4” x 1”, 2” square or other shapes and sizes. Any such object in fields should be regarded with suspicion and children especially should be warned against touching or moving them.

Any individual ‘leaf’ can be easily extinguished, but large numbers might be dropped at an time, and the resultant fires consequently difficult to control. It is, therefore, desirable that they should be detected early in the morning when they are still wet and can be removed to a place where they can burn easily and harmlessly. They should not be touched with the bare hand. Farm workers and others who are about in the early morning should keep a sharp look-out for these leaves.

The leaves can be kept under water with safety and wetting will delay their bursting into flame.

The incendiary bomb, bullet and leaf are potential fire raisers in the countryside at any time and the danger period may well extend beyond the harvest.

M.S. Boyd - Chief Warden.
F.G. Deane - Deputy Chief Warden.

Civil Defence – Warden Service.

Urban District of Rushden.
Council Buildings
Rushden
20th Sept 1941.

To each warden.

Visit of Chief Constable.

Dear Sir,

Captain R.H.D. Bolton, newly appointed Chief Constable of the County, will address wardens at the British Legion Hall on Thursday next 25th September at 7.30pm. the address will include description of the Chief Constable’s experiences during the raids on London. General Gage, Liaison Officer will also be present. It is expected that all wardens will attend.

Lectures

A series of lectures (revised course) will commence on Monday 29th September at 7.15pm at the British Legion Hall. The lectures will continue on Monday of each week until the course is complete and at some of the lectures which will be given by the County A.R.P. instructors, the newly appointed District A.R.P. Officer will also be present. All untrained wardens must attend and it is also requested that as many trained wardens as possible will avail themselves of the opportunity of attending these lectures which will, especially owing to their revised matter, act as a refresher class. The officials of the British Legion have kindly loaned their hall to the wardens’ service for the purpose of this course of lectures in order that there may be sufficient room for the number that is likely to be lectured.

Yours faithfully

M.S. Boyd Chief Warden.
F.G. Deane Deputy Chief Warden.

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