THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION: EASTERN REGION, No. 4. 1939-46.

The Eastern Regional Office of the Ministry of Information, had its home throughout the war, and during the few months after the cessation of hostilities, in the northern staircases of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, one of the oldest foundations in the University. The Master of the College was Sir Will Spens, C.B.E. who was also Regional Commissioner. From the birth of the office until October 31st, 1939, the Regional Information Officer was Mr Tom D. Copeman, Editor of the Eastern Daily Press, Norwich. Owing to national political controversy which finally led to the resignation of the Minister of Information himself, all members of the staff of the Ministry had to be dismissed after a few weeks’ service. A weekly Progress Report of October 4th, 1939* refers to the situation with the words: “As instructed by Mr A.P. Waterfield in his letter of September 29th, the whole of the staff has been given notice. By October 11th there were seven officers, one typist and one messenger left, as against a total, of 21 on September 30th. The Regional Information Officer had kept in close touch with the Regional Commissioner and many urgent problems concerning the morale of the public in the Region were dealt with as well as circumstances allowed.

After an interval, a fresh staff was collected and the new Regional Information Officer was Mr R. P. Winfrey, M. A. , LL. B., of Peterborough, Managing Director of a group of old-established newspapers in the Eastern Counties. His able and vigorous tenure of office lasted from November 20th, 1939, until 1946.The new staff was gathered slowly and when the peak of the Ministry's activities was reached in 1945, there were sections dealing with the following principal matters: Liaison between the civil authorities and the public and the American forces, Intelligence Service, Campaigns, Films, Public Meetings, Press liaison and Advisory Censorship; the reception and provision of facilities for visitors from overseas, the distribution of publications, posters, exhibition sets, picture sets & maps. There were, of course, many miscellaneous duties, too.

To return to the early days. Some idea of the atmosphere of the time and the diverse range of office duties is indicated in an early report which refers to general problems of Civil Defence, subversive propaganda from the ‘Stop-the-War’ groups, difficulties arising out of petrol rationing and food rationing; and of enemy agents and ‘rumours’. It is interesting to find that amongst those who gave advice on local policy matters was Professor G.M. Trevelyan, O.M., the Commissioner's Regional Intelligence Officer, Regius Professor of History at Cambridge University.

One of the first big tasks which the new office had to undertake was the issue of Press matter designed to persuade restless and unwilling evacuees from the London area to remain in the rather dubious reception areas during the Christmas holidays. It was a big temptation for them to return now that the excitement of the early moves by land and sea, had worn off. The general attitude of the Regional Press was one of suspicion of the Ministry's not very clearly defined activities and an early Progress Report, referring to evacuation publicity schemes, contains the words: “We feel they (the Press) cannot, however truculent they may be, refuse to publish messages from Mayors and leading citizens in London ......” (The reference was to a series of messages which were to be offered to newspapers circulating in the reception areas.)

As this ‘twilight’ war drew to its close and raiding became more widespread, the office became much busier. In a report dated February 7th 1940, reference is made to precautions, in the way of rehearsals, in conjunction with the Regional Commissioner, “concerning the possibility of preparing a plan so that this Ministry's Regional Information Officers may make under certain circumstances communications to the Press and public regarding air raiding....”

From time to time there were lighter moments, exasperating enough, no doubt, at the time. For example, this cri du coeur appears in a report in the spring of 1940: “Since my association with the Ministry I have had 200 - 2 -many novel experiences, but until this week I had never experienced the sensations which must be felt by persons who are confronted by bum-bailiffs entering upon the premises to remove the furniture, I was visited this week without notice, by the -------------------------, who insisted on removing my desk and if I had not managed to persuade them they would even have marched off with the carpets from the floor and other articles of furniture, leaving me with a chair, a table, a coal scuttle and a bent poker, I should be obliged if I could be informed whether this is usual departmental technique and if not, what steps I can take to prevent such incidents occurring again? (In fairness to the Department concerned, it should be stated that they were very apologetic about it. The deserted office was photographed in all its bareness, )

One of the first spectacular incidents in the air war on this side of the dividing waters occurred at 11.30 p.m. of April 30th, 1940, when a Nazi bomber on a mining expedition, skimmed the top of the gas works at Clacton-on-Sea and burst into flames. The explosion demolished two nearby houses, two people were killed and extensive damage was caused to property. This gave the Regional Office its first opportunity of studying the reaction of the public after a raid incident - something of an unknown quality in those days. Everyone acted calmly, of course, but afterwards there was an outcry about the failure of the air raid warning system and a reference to Clacton by name in the newspapers and on the wireless. Thus was started an unresolved controversy which lasted in various parts of the country throughout the war.

A report of June, 1940, discloses a little of staff working difficulties. It says: “It has been a heavy fortnight regarding air raiding which has meant that the Press Officer has had a great deal of night work as well as burdensome duties during the day. On the night of 18/19th June the town of Cambridge was bombed. The Press Officer and myself had to work the whole of the period in the attic because the Department concerned, in spite of repeated representations and every kind of pressure being brought to bear on them, have failed to complete the work for strengthening our basement. It was an unpleasant experience as the German bomb completely demolished ten houses and killed nine people within a few hundred yards of these premises, I think it would be appropriate if representatives of the Department concerned were given a sample night of working under these conditions and then asked to give a truthful answer to the question - do you like it? The only truthful answer to that question would be “No”. It is a little unreasonable to expect other people to like it.”

As problems of evacuation became increasingly pressing, the picture of the Eastern Region coastline is vividly painted in a narrative of July 5th, 1940: “This report cannot close without reference to the new phase of the war which has come vividly home to this Region, Since the last report no fewer than eight coast towns, including Southend, the largest town in the Region (population 140,000 in peacetime), Yarmouth and other places have been notified by public advertisement that 92% of the population may have to leave at short notice, with a minimum of necessaries. These people are, therefore, faced with the possibility of having to abandon homes, their business (including any stocks they may have) destroying pets or domestic animals, and the less fortunate of them become, at any rate for a short time, persons without homes or occupations, supported by public assistance.”

“It is noteworthy that the public morale has in face of this threat, remained extremely staunch. Of course, there are glum faces, anxious enquiries and some degree of debate as to whether everything that could be done for them has in fact been done. Voluntary evacuation has already reached proportions varying from 30- 50% but so far as can be told there is no hysteria and actually less defeatism than has been met with in districts many miles removed from those affected by evacuation notices. However, officers of this Region are deeply conscious of the responsibility which this new phase of the war has placed upon the Region, possibly to a greater degree than any other, saving its South Eastern neighbour. Energetic steps are being taken to do everything possible to maintain the morale of the 201 - 3 -population concerned and, of course, the most important will be the rapid formation and functioning of local Information Committees, not only in evacuated towns but in the reception areas to which evacuees will go”.

As the prospect of heavier raiding or a German invasion became clearer, further emergency measures to enable the office to work without interruption were begin. A report of March 31st, 1941, contains the following: “A quantity of iron rations have been purchased and made up into packages. These packages are set aside for use of officers who may require to go to severely bombed towns, or whose duties in the event of invasion may take them to parts of the Region where food is not obtainable.”

London was heavily under fire and the Press Association's lines were interrupted. The Provincial papers were cut off. Some idea of the complex arrangements which had to be made by the office to give people the news, is contained in this extract: “At 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 11th (1941) the newspapers of Norwich and Ipswich, namely the Eastern Daily Press and the East Anglian Daily Times, reported that the Creed telegraphic communications from London had broken down as a result of the severe raid on London on the night of the 9th. The Regional Office was able to ensure a full news service so that both morning newspapers, together with their evening editions, the following day (the Eastern Evening News and the Ipswich Star), appeared in their normal form, and carried accounts of the London raid, which must have gone a considerable way towards steadying morale at a time of widespread anxiety..... It is of interest to note that in the absence of the Press Association news story from London it was found possible to prepare a preliminary descriptive obtained from a number of private sources. From 6 p.m. on Sunday the 11th until 3.30 a.m. on Monday, the 12th, the news took the following very devious route: Yorkshire Post London office by private wire to Yorkshire Post, Leeds; thence by telephone to Yorkshire Observer, Bradford; thence by private Westminster press wire to Nottingham Journal; thence by messenger to North Midland M.O.I.; thence by telephone to Eastern M.O.I. ; thence by telephone to Norwich and Ipswich independently. From 9.30 a.m. on Monday the 12th, the news took the following route: from Press Association, London, by various means to Birmingham P.A.; thence to Leeds P.A.; thence by Yorkshire Evening News line to Norwich and Ipswich and Cambridge (for the Cambridge Daily News).”

Amongst the numerous campaigns carried out by the office were those to recruit war-workers and the women's services. It was complicated, often unremunerative, work and the office feeling at the end of a long succession of drives in the various towns of the Region is contained in this sentence from a report of October 3rd, 1941: “At the conclusion of the week at Southend arrangements were once begun for the campaign in Cambridge - the last, thank God! Advance Press work had been going on for some time. New shop premises have been secured. Complete operative units from Pye Radio works have been obtained. They will work in various shop windows with their full equipment and machinery. Shopkeepers have once again been most helpful in supplying premises. On the Wednesday, arrangements have been made for the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Atlee, to address a mass meeting in the town, and at the opening of the Week a visit will be paid by Col. Walter Elliott and the G.O.C. Eastern Command. Indeed, it is rather feared here that if any more prominent and distinguished people visit us during the campaign, we may be in danger of emulating------------------- (A reference, this, to a town in another part of the country where, despite a huge effort, very small results were obtained.) This, of course, does not mean that we would not welcome any visitors from Malet Street who can spare the time to come to Cambridge next week.”

Norwich, that beautiful and historic capital of East Anglia, was often raided. The first of the Baedeker raids, and others which followed, are noted in a report of May 6th, 1942: “On the night of Sunday-Monday, 27th April, the city of Norwich was heavily attacked by the enemy. Contact was made with the Emergency Information Officer and other officials in Norwich and it was ascertained that the city was able to undertake its own necessary services without outside help. Two loudspeaker cars were however in attendance and ready for use.”....

“On the night of Wednesday-Thursday, 30th April, Norwich was again heavily attacked, and once again contact was made in the very early morning 202 - 4 -with the Local Authority and the Ministry's Emergency Service was immediately put into operation. By arrangement contact is kept at all times with all members of the Regional staff operating in any part of the Region, and it was possible in the early morning to telephone to several members of the staff who were in the vicinity of Norwich. They reported at once at the Civic Centre with loudspeaker cars. The D.R.I.O. also left Cambridge with two loudspeaker cars and attended the emergency meeting of the Local Authority. The Ministry's Services were put into use about noon and have been used daily since and at the moment of writing this report there are still Ministry loudspeaker vans operating in Norwich and giving certain instructions.......”

“The spirit of the people of Norwich cannot be too highly praised. They have stood up to a very severe attack remarkably well. The effect of a concentrated attack on a relatively small place is very ruinous, as there is no-one in the town who has not himself suffered in some way or does not have a friend, or acquaintance who has been killed or injured. Nevertheless, those people to whom we spoke, though suffering from the effects of two nights’ raiding, showed no sign of lowered determination. At nights there has been a considerable exodus from Norwich, many people clearing out and sleeping in the surrounding villages or even in the open. The general attitude to this has been that if these people had no duties to perform they were doing a wise thing as they were reducing the number of potential casualties, and no objection was heard on any side to the exodus. In no case did we hear of people who were fire-watchers or roof-spotters or wardens joining the exodus or failing to do his or her duty.”

“It should, I think, be added that the members of the Regional staff, including three driver-projectionists, who were called upon in the early morning to take immediate action did so with exemplary speed and efficiency, In every way they worked well and were a credit to the Ministry. The local helpers were not quite so effective but it must be borne in mind that they had come through two nights of heavy bombing while the others had not. Another point is that our film and other Ministry cars were all ready and on the road to Norwich within minutes of the decision to send them, while earmarked cars which we asked for took a considerable time to get ready and off. This, it is perhaps fair to say, may be due to a combination of circumstances which will not occur again, but there can be no doubt that if this Ministry is ever in a position to have a sufficient fleet of cars of its own our position will be a much happier one. A mobile squad of University undergraduates whose services were enlisted about six months ago was called upon to help and four of them were used. These young men proved reliable and efficient, and during term time can be a valuable support to us.”

As the war years drew on, the domestic side of office arrangements became increasingly difficult. Late in December, 1942, occurs the following: “For the last two months the Regional Office has been without regular cleaners and charwomen. The girls in the office have been coming in early in the morning, cleaning out the office themselves, washing floors, lighting fires and carrying the coal up three flights of stairs before starting their day's work. While every effort is being made to obtain cleaners, so far unsuccessfully, I feel this point is worth mentioning as the staff has most willingly taken on this extra and somewhat unpleasant job and there has been no complaint.”

The American invasion of East Anglia is dealt with in detail elsewhere in this report. Bombing gave way to V1; V1 to V2. Then came the defeat of Germany. Then the months of the Japanese war in which the anxiety of East Anglians was especially acute as so many local men had been prisoners from the time of Singapore. So to the Atom Bomb, the weapon which brought the hostilities to an end and provided a turning point in history. Cambridge scientific research played its part in bringing this shattering invention into being. A final progress report of August, 1945, refers to this fact in a two-line paragraph - a typical example of British understatement.

“Assistance was given to Headquarters in securing follow-up material in regard to the atomic bomb research in Cambridge.”