CALL FOR RECRUITS IN NEW BRIGHTON

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23248, 7 February 1941, Page 6

CALL FOR RECRUITS IN NEW BRIGHTON

The recent partial black-outs had proved that it would be necessary to have extra voluntary traffic officers should there be other sudden blackouts, said the chairman (the Mayor, Mr E. L. Smith) at a meeting of the New Brighton Home Guard committee. He said that men would also have to be trained in transport generally to act during black-outs when they would help in controlling the traffic. A traffic committee was set up with Cr. C. V. Lester as chairman and a transport evacuation committee was formed with the Mayor as chairman. Mr R. T. Marriott was appointed secretary to the general committee. A Returned Soldiers’ Association and public recruiting committee was, also formed with Mr L. F. Ebert in charge. The chairman said that the roll number was 125, but the average attendance on parade was 70. The people would have to "wake up” and do their duty by enlisting in the Home Guard. An active canvass was being made by the local Returned Soldiers’ Association committee to secure a total of 250, which was the minimum number with which New Brighton could do. There was a tendency among the junior members of the community to leave the duties in the Home Guard to older men, but that could not be allowed to go on. The active campaign which had now opened was a call to the younger men of the borough to join up.