A PLEA FOR THE WARDENS
Sut,—Mr. F. E. Seely has expressed what many of us in the A.R.P. service have been feeling for a long time but have not had the courage to express. Like him, I am one who served in the last war and, when things seemed to be likely to happen, volunteered for service as a warden and underwent training. I am now Head Warden of a large rural district which can truthfully be described as " sus- ceptible." Bombs have been dropped in our churchyard and the fabric of our church shaken. We are in the midst of a nest of
aerodromes—and are proud to be thus placed. I myself, although now well advanced in years, have, with the devoted aid of my wife, kept watch and ward ever since war broke out, and our telephone haS never been deserted day or night. But, and this is the irony of the situation, I have been less fortunate than Mr. Seely: I have never received the " Red " signals except as an act of grace on the part of the local police, with whom I happen to be on terms of friendship. Night after night we wardens have patrolled our area and received the thanks of farmers and others who have stock to guard. But, strange to say, we are regarded as fussy busybodies not only by Home Guards, the newcomers to our system of civil defence, but also by the ambulance and fire services. We do not, most emphatically, want " pips " on our shoulders, but we do most certainly want to know what we are supposed to be for.
For the rest we comfort ourselves by receiving heaps of quite irrele- vant literature on various subjects how to act under such and such circumstances, when, as a matter of fact, we are not allowed to act at all. We have no authority and can be ordered into our kennels by any Home Guard, ambulance man or special constable. What are we for?
I am speaking, of course, of wardens in rural areas—or at least in my rural area, which, as it is " susceptible," must, of course, not be mentioned by name.—Yours faithfully,
HEAD WARDEN.
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