Civil Defence Association Memorial Service, 9th October 2021.

 Civil Defence Association Memorial Service, 9th October 2021.

The Civil Defence Corps and Auxiliary Fires Service  1949-68 memorial.

Yesterday, Helen & I went to the Civil Defence Association Memorial Service at The National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.  At the request of the committee, we went in our Cold war Civil Defence Corps uniforms. 

The service was attended by members of of the Association,  British Civil Defence and the Joint Civil Aid Corps.  The Chairman, Colin Harmsworth, gave a summary of his vision for the future od the CDA.

An eulogy to Patrick Stanton was read. Patrick was one of the Association's founders and the Chairman for many years.  I only met him once and corresponded with him by email a few times but he was very supportive of our Civil Defence Corps reenactment.  On hearing of his life in Civil Defence work in the UK and abroad, I can only wish I could have talked to him more. A true hero.

We then went to lay wreaths in memory of all the past Civil Defenders in the Civil Defence memorial grove.

  

The Standards waiting to parade down to the memorial area.

Wreath laying at the 1939-45 Civil Defence memorial and the Civil Defence Corps and Auxiliary Fires Service  1949-68 memorial.

Wreath laying at the Fire and Rescue Service memorial.

 

The 1939-45 Civil Defence memorial and the smaller memorial to animals in CD service .

 

Members of the Joint Civil Aid Corps at the 1939-45 Civil Defence memorial.

After the wreath laying, we went to the local Royal British Legion at Alrewas for an excellent buffet.

Just before we left the National Memorila Arboretum, A gentleman came up to us and asked "When did they re-establish the Corps?" He had seen Helen & I in Civil Defence Corp uniform.  Sadly, we had to say that it was still disbanded but its spirit lives on. We had a brief chat about his recruitment and exploits in the Intelligence and Operations sub-section before he had to leave to catch his coach.

These links: The Civil Defence Association,  the Joint Civil Aid Corps  and British Civil Defence will provide more information on these organisations and their work.