Civil Defence Department

The Civil Defence Department was a governmental agency within the Home Office of the United Kingdom responsible for civil defence. The department led to the establishment during 1957 of the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation. On the run-down of civil defence in 1971 the department was replaced by the Home Defence and Emergency Services Division of the Home Office.

The senior official of the department was the Director-General of Civil Defence, also known as the Inspector-General. It oversaw 12 Civil Emergency Regions.

Administration +Senior Officials of the Civil Defence DepartmentOfficeMemberTenureDirector-General of Civil DefenceGeneral Sir Sidney Kirkman, GCB KBE MC 1954–1960Director-General of Civil Defence TrainingWing Commander Sir John Hodsoll, CB 1948–1954Inspector-General of Civil DefenceWing Commander Sir John Hodsoll, CB1938–1948Lieutenant-General Sir William Stratton 1960–1962Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Merton, GBE KCB 1964–1968SecretarySir William Brown, KCB CBEc. 1944Deputy Under Secretary of StateF L T Graham-Harrison, CB 1963–1974Under SecretaryHarold Emmerson1940–1942Oswald C. Allen, CB CBE

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