An informative film about the British Civil Defence, this film documents how they had to change their system of rescue and defence because of the threat of atomic bombs. Using narration, it is explained that the shadow of war will always be a burden on Britain. Soldiers at war are shown, and injured men being carried off on stretchers. In Britain buildings are shown bomb damaged as the civil defence move the large piles of rubble. The civil defence need to be highly trained to be able to...

An informative film about the British Civil Defence, this film documents how they had to change their system of rescue and defence because of the threat of atomic bombs. Using narration, it is explained that the shadow of war will always be a burden on Britain. Soldiers at war are shown, and injured men being carried off on stretchers. In Britain buildings are shown bomb damaged as the civil defence move the large piles of rubble. The civil defence need to be highly trained to be able to rescue people trapped; otherwise they could become a victim themselves. A civil defence man is shown trapped while his friend is trying to pull him out. A large building is shown blown up, the civil defence are shown while the narrator explains that the method of operating needed to change because of the large task of covering a wide area. Women are shown in offices receiving information on bombed areas; they inform the correct aid department. The fire and ambulance service are dispatched, they arrive at the bomb site and spray the fire with water hoses. The front of a newspaper article is highlighted over a small section, taken from News Chronicles (London Edition) on Tuesday August 7th, 1945. Partial headline reads 'Atom Bomb on Japan'. The narrator explains that the new threat of atomic bombing on Britain needs people and the civil defence to prepare for the worst. A small scale housing estate is blown up to demonstrate the path and destruction of atomic bomb. The cover of an article is shown taken from News Chronicles (Friday, February), headline 'Britain decides - we make the H- bomb'. Using illustration, it is described what the different types of bombs there are (Hydrogen or Atomic), and what damage they can cause. Footage of bombs exploding, illustration shows how far people could be effected from and the types of injuries they could get. On the streets, the civil defence urge children and women into their houses, while leaflets are shown as to how to turn your house into a safe refuge in the event of an atomic bomb. The narrator explains that if an attack occurs then people should stay inside the house until it has been cleared by the civil defence. The meteorological service let off a weather balloon; this can be used to check if radiation is still in the atmosphere. In detail, it is described the different types of radiation and what impact they could have if they were used as a bomb. Finishes with footage of a collapsed building, a child is stuck under the rubble crying. The narrator highlights how it could get worse for Britain is the Atom bomb is used on us, because of this we need to prepare for the worse. Title - The End Title - Produced by Ronald H. Riley Written and Directed by David Villers Photography Jonah Jones Editing V. Savgovsky Sound Ron Abbott Animated Diagrams W.M. Larkins & Co. Ltd. Westrex Recording System at Merton Park Studios Ltd.