Defence Society minutes

Object Source: Davies, Natalia, PRG 925/1/6

Date of creation : 1933

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Format : Manuscript

Minutes of the inaugural meeting of the Defence Society, held on 25 February 1933, which was convened and chaired by Natalia Davies. Also included are the minutes for the meetings for 1 August 1939, 29 August 1939 and 19 September 1939. These meetings variously covered the causes and preventions of fires, fire drill practice, and talks on the respirator, the trench system and electricity and the misuse of domestic appliances.

Davies was attuned to events in Europe and convinced that the rise of Nazism would lead to war. This led to her decision to found the Defence Society. Initial membership was 12 but with the outbreak of war in 1939 it rose to 130 members. In her role of president she had access to current information from the British Home Office which provided the basis for her lectures on air-raid and poison gas attacks. Later classes included first aid, motor engineering, electrical work and fire drill. Use of fire arms was later added and from 1942 roof top watches against air attacks were maintained.