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3
War-time Services in the Public Health Department.
The story of the effect of air raids on the Borough, though it cannot
yet be told in statistical form, is one which, on examination, emphasises
the important part which extemporisation played in building up the
ancillary services, particularly the machinery for carrying out First
Aid Repairs to houses and the Homeless Persons Service.
The provisions made nationally to deal with the effects of enemy
air raids prior to August 1940, were concerned primarily with dealing
with casualties and the services incidental to these functions. The
special problems of building up an organisation to ensure the rapid
repair of war damaged houses and the care of homeless persons, was
clearly not visualised; and yet experience has shown that these two
services represent, in total, the major problems arising from air raids.
The Borough of Tottenham is, I think, unique in that the executive
control of these two war-time services, together with those of the Casualty
Service and provision of War-time Nurseries for children of working
mothers, is vested in the Medical Officer of Health.
(1) The Ambulance and Casualty Service in this area has followed
closely the pattern laid down for such services throughout the London
Region, a description of which has been given in the Annual Report
in previous years. In the efficient and smooth running of this service,
Mr. Stanley Brown, my Staff Officer, has rendered invaluable assistance.
An opportunity is also given me here to acknowledge the valuable help
rendered by the part-time medical practitioners undertaking various
aspects of Civil Defence work in charge of First Aid Posts, Mobile Units,
as Incident Medical Officers, and in Tube Station Shelter supervision.
In the training of personnel Dr. R. H. Smythe, M. C., Sen. Asst. S.M.O.
has devoted much spare time and energy to this work.
(2) First Aid Repair of War Damaged Houses is a service which has
been built up on an individual basis with experience as the only guide.
The principle of dividing the Borough into zones has been adopted in
connection with this work, and under the personal direction of the Chief
Sanitary Inspector, Mr. J. B. Smith, ably assisted by all the Sanitary
Inspectors, the work of assessing damage and supervising building repairs
has been carried out, it is believed, with efficiency and satisfaction to
all concerned. In the earliest stages, the co-operation of local builders
was sought and willingly obtained, a procedure which has proved
eminently successful. A survey of the resources of materials in the
warehouses of these local builders was made, and these resources proved
to be sufficient to provide an adequate reserve for carrying out the type
of work required.