BRITISH ARMED FORCES

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25608, 24 September 1948, Page 7

BRITISH ARMED FORCES

EMERGENCY RESERVES PLANNED

ANNOUNCEMENT LIKELY IN COMMONS LONDON, September 22. The First Lord of the Admiralty (Lord Hall), replying to the defence debate in the House of Lords, said that an announcement was likely to be made in the House of Commons to-morrow about new developments in the reserve policy of all three services. It was intended to establish an emergency reserve consisting of men who had previously served in the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines and who would volunteer for immediate recall in the event of an emergency. Such volunteers would have to undertake training in peace time. They would be screened by the Ministry of Labour to ensure that they could be ■released from their civil employment when required by the Navy. A similar announcement would be made in relation to the other services.

The Government was in daily touch with its expert advisers. Appreciations and plans prepared by the chiefs of staff in the light of the ever-changing world conditions were constantly before the Government.

Viscount Bridgeman, opening >the debate on defence in the House of Lords, complained that there was no real sign that defence preparations were being stepped up to deal with a fnajor crisis. “I wish the Government had brought to defence the same bold, confident approach as to nationalisation,” he said. “We may have more people under arms than ever before in peace time, but we have never had so few units in the field force—which are the units ready for battle.” Lord Moynihan said that the world situation meant that Britain had to ask herself if she were really ready. “If the first bomb of the third world war dropped this afternoon, have we sufficient forces?’’ he asked. Lord Teynham hoped the Govern‘ment would restrict the sale of destroyers and cease breaking them up unless they were absolutely beyond repair. He advocated more high speed escort vessels because most of the last war’s escort vessels would be powerless in another war against the newlydeveloped high-speed submarines. The. Earl of Bathurst said that there were thousands of Army fighting vehicles rotting in dumps throughout England. Lord Hampton said he thought that Britain should be prepared for the dropping of sabotage parties, possibly fifth column activities and large-scale attempts at airborne landings. He also urged a resurgence of the Home Guard.