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The Dental Surgeons, Miss Loretz and Miss Stewart, during
the early days of the war, worked as Superintendents at Ambulance
Stations and Stretcher Party Posts. Soon, however, in spite of
the evacuation, there was need for a good deal of dental service;
so Miss Loretz undertook the work, both in Brentford and in
Chiswick, and Miss Stewart was seconded to the Middlesex County
Council, which was greatly depleted of dental staff.
The Health Visitors and School Nurses (Miss Catherwood.
Mrs. Clarke, Miss Broughton and Miss Jenkins) undertook duties
as Superintendent Sisters at First Aid Posts. They worked in
shifts and at the same time did their routine work which was much
disorganised by evacuation. When qualified nurses could be
obtained for first aid posts, they returned to work reorganised
on a war footing, but always held themselves in reserve to serve
in Civil Defence Duties should occasion arise.
The remaining Health Visitor, Miss Bradshaw, went to
Hertfordshire as Health Visitor and School Nurse to evacuated
children. Further, Miss Catherwood and Miss Broughton did
much valuable work in helping to equip the War-time Nursery at
Clifden Road, Brentford.
Sanitary Inspectors.
Mr. E. Micklew right Chief Sanitary Inspector, in addition to
his official duties, was Ambulance Officer and Chief of Staff to
the Medical Officer of Health, and he did far more than his share
of the work. in fact, throughout the war he was a most conscientious
worker, and in addition to supervising the Ambulance
Service, of which we were all proud, he performed his duties at
the Control Centre through every "alert" during the 1940 blitz,
the February blitz of 1944, and the "V.l" attacks. During the
quieter periods, he spent many hours every night analysing, interpreting
and filing the innumerable circulars we were always
receiving. I have no hesitation in stating that I do not think
anybody in the Civil Defence Service worked more hours than
he did during the war. If there were such things as Despatches
in Civil Defence, he would most certainly receive an "Honourable
Mention."
Mr. L. C. Webb (who served throughout the 1914/1918 -war
with- the R.A.M.C.), Mr. T. M. Johnson and Mr. A. G. Robinson
all took duties as Superintendents in Ambulance Stations and
Stretcher Party Posts, but as soon as they could be replaced by
full-time officers, we were glad to get them back as District Sanitary
Inspectors, Their duties under war-time conditions were
often urgent and onerous and rendered difficult by shortage of
labour and material in attending to the sanitation of houses,
shelters and the examination of foodstuffs after bombing. In
addition, they had to do a good deal of clerical work. Mr. Webb
a,lso assisted in the work of the Bacteriological Laboratory.
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