At the start of the war the Luftwaffe had four Luftflotten ("air fleets"), each responsible for roughly a quarter of Germany. As the war progressed more air fleets were created as the areas under German rule expanded. As one example, Luftflotte 5 was created in 1940 to direct operations in Norway and Denmark, and other Luftflotten were created as necessary. Each Luftflotte would contain several Fliegerkorps (Air Corps), Fliegerdivision (Air Division), Jagdkorps (Fighter Corps), Jagddivision (Air Division) or Jagdfliegerführer (Fighter Air Command). Each formations would have attached to it a number of units, usually several Geschwader, but also independent Staffeln and Kampfgruppen. Luftflotten were also responsible for the training aircraft and schools in their operational areas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luftwaffe
The Home Service Battalions were a force of the British Army in both World War I and World War II, intended for home defence and other duties. Those who joined these battalions were exempted from service outside of the United Kingdom.
During British re-armament in the mid-1930s, the Royal Defence Corps was disbanded and replaced by the National Defence Companies, a part-time force which was part of the Territorial Army (TA) and open to ex-servicemen between the ages of 45 and 60 years. The Defence Companies were mobilised during the week before war was declared, their role being the protection of "vulnerable points". In November 1939, two months after Britain's entry into the Second World War, the National Defence Companies were formed into battalions attached to Regular Army regiments and renamed "Home Service Battalions", to guard vulnerable points and prisoner of war (POW) camps in the United Kingdom.
The National Defence Companies of the Territorial Army were a voluntary military reserve force of the British Army, for the purpose of home defence in the event of war. Enlistment was limited to former members of the British Armed Forces between the ages of 45 and 60. The scheme was established in 1936, during rearmament prior to World War II. On the outbreak of war in September 1939, the National Defence Companies were called up for service and became the basis of the Home Service Battalions.
With the rise of Nazi Germany during the 1930s, the British Government came under political pressure to modernise and re-equip the Armed Forces. As a part of that process, Duff Cooper, the Secretary of State for War, announced the disbandment of the Royal Defence Corps and the establishment of National Defence Companies that were to be a part of the Territorial Army. In a statement to the House of Commons on 21 July 1936, he said that the companies would be formed on a county or city basis, each being linked to their local Territorial battalion. Enlistment would start on 1 September of that year, and was open to "ex-members of His Majesty's Forces, normally between the ages of 45 and 60 years". Their role was stated to be "to protect important points in Great Britain when war is threatening or has actually broken out, but members of the force will not be called up until these conditions arise, nor will they be called up on account of civil disturbance". Cooper stated that the national establishment would be 8,450 officers and men, "and I have every confidence that I shall have no difficulty in securing this number of men in a very short time".
The National Defence Companies were mobilised on 25 and 26 August 1939, in the week before war was actually declared. In answer to a question in the House of Commons on 26 September, Leslie Hore-Belisha, the Secretary of State for War, said that he had "in contemplation a change in the present method of manning vulnerable points". On 3 October, Sir Victor Warrender, the Financial Secretary to the War Office, announced that recruitment to the companies was "not open at present". In November 1939, the National Defence Companies were formed into battalions attached to regular army regiments; renamed "Home Service Battalions", they would guard vulnerable points and Prisoner of War camps in the United Kingdom throughout the rest of the war.
"In 1931, Hugh Trenchard was appointed as Police Commissioner Trenchard served as head of the Metropolitan Police until 1935 and during his tenure he instigated several changes. These included limiting membership of the Police Federation, introducing limited terms of employment and the short-lived creation of separate career paths for the lower and higher ranks akin to the military system of officer and non-commissioned career streams. Perhaps Trenchard's most well known achievement during his time as Commissioner was the establishment of the Hendon Police College which originally was the institution from which Trenchard's junior station inspectors graduated before following a career in the higher ranks.
When Great Britain went to the War on September 3, 1939, the strength of the Metropolitan Police stood at 18,428, which was 900 officers short of full strength. Due to the increased responsibilities of the police war time, three reserve groups were mobilised. The first consisted of 2,737 ex-police pensioners who were re-engaged, a second of 5,380 Special Constables serving on a full-time basis for the duration of the war, and the third being 18,868 War Reserve Constables employed on the same basis as the Special Constables. On the same day as the Battle of Dunkirk, Scotland Yard issued a memorandum detailing the police use of firearms in wartime. The memorandum detailed the planned training for all officers in the use of pistols and revolvers, as despite the police being a non-combatant force, while the war was in progress they would be responsible for providing armed protection at premises deemed at risk from enemy sabotage and would assist the British Armed Forces in the event of an invasion. Due to these added roles, on 1 June 1940, 3,500 Canadian Ross Rifles and 72,384 rounds of .303 ammunition were received from the military and distributed among divisions. Thames Division were allocated the smallest amount of 61 rifles, and "S" Division the largest with 190. Fifty rifles were also issued to the London Fire Brigade and the Port of London Authority Police.
After staying stable for decades, crime rates in London soared during and after WW2, posing a new challenge to police. The chaotic conditions of the City under aerial attack were followed by crime, such as looting, and theft of goods and foodstuffs for illicit sales as black market rationed goods. This also fuelled the activities of criminal gangs who continued and expanded their activities after the war. By 1948, the number of recorded crimes in London had risen tenfold from the 1920s, to more than 126,000. By 1959 they had reached 160,000.
The original concept for the college was a military-style cadet establishment to train officers to enter directly at senior rank, instead of the traditional entry at the lowest rank of constable for all personnel. Trenchard's idea was that in future almost all officers above the rank of Inspector should be selected from college graduates, thus introducing a military-style officer corps. Candidates, of which there were to be about thirty every year, were selected by a competitive examination based on that for the Indian Police Service. Most of the candidates were already serving officers, although some were direct entrants from civilian life. Graduates were given the newly created rank of Junior Station Inspector.Cadets who were already serving police officers received an annual salary of £200 and direct entrants received £170. New Junior Station Inspectors were paid £300, rising to £320.
The college was founded upon a modern and scientific approach to training. There were forensic laboratories, detective training facilities, a police driving school and a police wireless school, as well as representations of a police court and a police station.The first course completed their training at the college in August 1935. The graduates then spent four months working as ordinary police constables at police stations in West Central London, four months at the various specialist departments at Scotland Yard, two months as Section Sergeants and two months as Station Sergeants. Although they were officially Junior Station Inspectors throughout this period, they wore the uniforms of the rank in which they were serving at the time and not until this twelve-month period was up were they entitled to wear inspector's uniform.
The second intake of 29 cadets passed out in December 1935, and the third intake of 32 cadets in December 1936. In 1937, the course was extended from fifteen months to two years, although only one intake ever completed this longer course. In August 1938, Major John Ferguson succeeded Halland as commandant. In November 1938 it was announced that the rank of Junior Station Inspector was to be abolished and in future all graduates were to be appointed to the rank of Inspector. Promotion above this rank was also reopened to all officers, whether college graduates or not.
The college was closed in September 1939.
After the war there was considerable debate about whether to reopen the college. Many considered the police did not need an "officer class" and were best-served by continuing to promote from the ranks. Eventually it was decided not to reopen it as an exclusive cadet college, but as the Metropolitan Police Training School for all entrants. The new National Police College, however, shared many of the principles behind Hendon.
"In the mid twenties the Plymouth Police were become very concerned
about the increase of mechanical vehicles on the streets. In one year there were 689 accidents in Plymouth with 349 people injured and 5 killed. A road safety film was commissioned which amongst other things showed the right and wrong was to cross the road and how to get on and off a tramcar safely.
Landmarks in this film are: Derry’s Clock, Hyde Park Corner, Wolseley Road and Greenbank Hospital."
