The Third World War: August 1985

by John Hackett

  All authorities down to and including parish/community level are directed to prepare and update emergency plans for approval by government inspectors. These plans should provide for the appointment of a controller and emergency committee with the necessary powers to run the parish/community and co-ordinate survival measures in emergency for a considerable period.

  1984

  International tension is growing. There is talk of a possible world war. NEV step up recruiting and training. Most rural parishes are equipped and ready. Less than 40 per cent of urban communities are prepared.

  The government holds a national civil defence exercise in August with simulated emergency alerts and trial evacuations. Existing evacuation plans are modified to a more flexible system. The lessons of the exercise are that law and order may be a major problem.

  A new government booklet, Civil Protection in an Emergency, is issued to local authorities down to parish/community level, to government and local services, and to the NEV and voluntary bodies.

  1985

  In the summer international tension, less in the early part of the year, is again acute.

  20 July. In response to its recognition that the Warsaw Pact is mobilizing NATO begins to put Allied armed forces on a war footing. The USA prepares to airlift troops to Europe and loads war equipment on to shipping.

  The UK government issues Emergency Phase 1 warning and distributes a Civil Protection booklet to all householders. Radio and TV broadcasts and newspaper articles advise the public how to behave and survive under attack. Evacuation plans are explained. The orderly evacuation of school children is to start on 22 July. Plans for petrol and food rationing are announced. The Stock Exchange is closed.

  All community councils and local authorities convene extraordinary meetings and update emergency plans. Councils confirm appointment of controllers and emergency committee members. Final preparations are made to put emergency plans into operation.

  II: Extracts from the Emergency Diaries kept by three English communities, recording the course of events in sixteen critical days, 4-20 August 1985

  4 August

  Branscombe, a village in Devon, pop. 400

  All times are according to British Standard Time.

  0900 Emergency Diary opened. BBC has reported Warsaw Pact forces advancing into West Germany — only conventional munitions (incl. chemical) reported used so far. UK Govt declares State of Emergency (Phase 2).

  0920 District Controller confirms State of Emergency locally. 0931 Chairman Parish Council directs activation of Branscombe Emergency Plan (BREMPLAN).

  0940 Branscombe Emergency Committee (BREMCO) takes over Holt House (a private dwelling) as Emergency Control HQ. Instructions issued to establish Feeding and Rest, and Hospital and First Aid Centres.

  0950 Report received that already 4,000 holiday-makers and refugees are in the parish and more arriving at approx fifty per hour. Controller asks police in Seaton to divert refugees. Reply negative (have no authority and we are already overwhelmed with problems in Seaton and Beer).

  1005 In agreement with Chairman Parish Council, Controller blocks roads into Branscombe with bulldozers leaving Gatedown Lane open with Control Post at northern end.

  1200 PM broadcasts to the nation. State of War exists but we will not be first to use nuclear weapons.

  1400 Meeting in Village Hall. Chairman Parish Council and Controller speaks to villagers and visitors. Parish ration/identity cards issued.

  1500 BBC reports NATO troops withdrawing. 1600 Survey team starts continuous radiac monitoring watch.

  1700 Govt broadcast advising population to remain calm and all except key personnel to remain at home and await further instructions; meantime to carry out directions of Govt booklet.

  Buxford, a town south of Manchester, pop. 8, 000

  1700 Buxford Emergency Committee activated, Emergency Control HQ established and Control Staff closed up at full strength. Continuous watch opened with radiac equipment and chemical detector papers. Large numbers of refugees moving south from Manchester by car and on foot, but passing through.

  Sparksley Green, an urban community in central Birmingham, pop. 2, 075

  1810 Emergency Control HQ established at the ‘Red Cow’. Only Controller and two Communications Officers have reported. No radiac or other equipment. HQ organized on reporting basis only. Rapid exodus of population, roads blocked. Some looting of food shops and liquor shops. Few police in evidence.

  5 August

  Branscombe

  0915 All private cars moved to parks in fields and tanks drained. Hospital operating Edge Hill. Feeding arrangements going well. Emergency latrines being dug at Rest Centres and at all Billeting Centres on main drainage.

  1000 All refugees reported under cover. Emergency water scheme operational.

  1100 Stocks of detergents, lavatory paper, pharmaceutical and medical supplies received from District Controller.

  1200 Steady stream of US transport planes flying overhead since 0900.

  2300 Signal from District that enemy bombing can now be expected at any time — probably from aircraft using HE and chemical weapons.

  2400 Electricity supply failed. Switched to own generator.

  Buxford

  1200 Emergency plans operating well. Refugee stream to south continues.

  US planes arriving in some numbers Manchester Airport. Buxford population fear they will attract Soviet attack and 20 per cent have already left. Control Staff at 90 per cent strength. 2300 District warn that enemy are expected to start bombing our airfields at any time.

  2400 Electricity failed. Stand-by candles.

  Sparksley Green

  1200 Still on reporting watch only with Controller and two Communications Officers — no equipment. Approx half population seem to have left. Armed police are bringing looting under control. Two looters shot, one policeman murdered and two injured. A number of fires which a depleted fire brigade have difficulty in controlling.

  2300 Signal that bombing attack expected. District sending two spare Communications Officers with radiac and chemical detectors. Two Emergency Committee members reporting at 1000 tomorrow.

  2400 Electricity cut.

  Branscombe

  0350 Air raid alert.

  0415 Sound of A/C overhead. Bombs falling to east and west.

  0430 Signal that our airfields under heavy bombardment.

  0730 ‘All Clear’ sounded.

  1000 Signal received that bombs dropped during night had contained HE, incendiary and nerve gases (tabun, sarin and VX). 1700 Air raid alerts and All Clears have followed each other all day.

  Controller directed that no further air raid warnings would be sounded in

  the village unless bombs were seen to be dropping or there was threat of a

  nuclear attack. Hot meal ordered for all at 1830. 1930 US transport A/C flew over Parish at 2,000 metres on fire — parachutes emerging as A/C flies off west. Reported to District.

  1935 Enemy A/C flew low across Parish west to east. Reported.

  2300 Electricity restored.

  Buxford

  0350 Air raid warning.

  0400 to 0600 Heavy air raid high level A/C — 100+ bombs land Buxford area. Survey team make short recce at 0500 during lull — report much damage and many fires, and chemical detector papers show positive readings. Police, ambulance, fire brigade and rescue squads working in respirators and protective clothing.

  0615 All Clear. Survey team report bombs still exploding intermittently — presumably with delayed action fuses. As some contain nerve gas it is agreed with police to re-sound Alert to get everyone under cover while unexploded bombs are dealt with.

  0800 Survey report shows approx 1,200 casualties of which 157 are dead.

  0900 Two enemy A/C attack airport. No bombs on Buxford. US transport

  planes continue to come in in spite of bombing.

  1006 One US and one Soviet A/C come down in flames over Buxford. Both crash to south.


  1138 Five A/C attack airport- 50+ bombs on Buxford including nerve gas.

  1400 District Controller agrees all civilians except key personnel be evacuated. Control Staff to stay.

  Sparksley Green

  0550 Air raid warning.

  0600 A/C overhead, bombs falling and exploding to east. None in our area. Reported.

  0615 All Clear.

  0700 District advise water will be cut off at 1200. Police agree to tour area with car loud-hailers to advise householders to fill baths and containers before 1200 and to use plastic bags etc for toilet purposes.

  1500 Police are withdrawn. Looting and fire-raising starts again. Three murders in streets and some inter-racial fighting. All food shops run out or looted. Communal meals supplied by District at school. Less than 25 per cent of population remain.

  7 August

  Branscombe

  1200 Much A/C activity all morning. Villagers and refugees continue to work on farms and at allotted tasks.

  1341 Electricity fails. District advises water will be cut off at 1600. Emergency water and hygiene plans activated.

  1400 At BREMCO Conference with Parish Council a reserve Controller and four Committee members chosen to replace existing BREMCO team should they become casualties. The Parsonage House chosen as an alternative Control HQ if Holt House destroyed. Directed that second copies of Emergency Diary and Financial Records be kept there.

  Buxford

  1000 No air raids for 20 hours; area declared clear of bombs and contamination. Buxford Controller suffered nervous breakdown — his 70th birthday. Cncllr Deschet appointed as new Controller.

  1115 Gang of four armed youths reported looting liquor warehouse — no police or troops available. Controller with armed posse goes to restore order.

  133 °Controller returns with posse and police Inspector, who has charged Controller with murder and malicious wounding. He charges that after the youths had been disarmed in the warehouse the Controller held a summary court martial and sentenced the four youths to death. When he ordered his armed posse to carry out sentence and shoot the boys they refused, whereupon he took one of the guns himself and opened fire, killing one and wounding three. At this point the Inspector arrived. Chairman of Buxford Council arrives, relieves Cncllr Deschet of his appointment and replaces him with Cncllr Burt-Rand.

  Sparksley Green

  1200 For mutual protection and support most of remaining inhabitants have concentrated in the area round the school and the ‘Red Cow’.

  8 August

  Branscombe

  0600 Signal ex District — enemy concentrating attacks on power stations, oil depots and ports.

  0700 Farmers northern perimeter of Parish report looting of food stocks during night. 0800 Recce of N perimeter report 850+ refugees camped alongside A3052 demanding accommodation in Parish.

  100 °Controller visits refugees and offers accommodation for 34 women and young children, a hot meal for all and two days’ food for the remainder if they will keep moving. Offer accepted. They are given medical supplies.

  115 °Controller orders construction of strong barbed wire fence along northern boundary of Parish.

  1200 Four refugees in village brought before Controller accused of raping girl. Accused and witnesses with armed escort sent to District HQ for trial before JP.

  1350 District HQ signal that nuclear bomb has exploded over London. Village advised and nuclear drill rehearsed.

  1430 District HQ advise previous report false. Village told.

  1630 Air dogfight over Branscombe. Soviet plane shot down over sea. No parachute. Reported.

  2131 Intense air activity, sound of bombs falling and heavy explosions which appear to be in area of village and are getting… [Entry ends here.

  Emergency Diary was found in ruins of Holt House.]

  Buxford

  0800 Heavy air raid on airport during night. Over 50 bombs in Buxford area — HE and nerve — delayed action. No water or electricity.

  Sparksley Green

  1200 Heavy air attacks on Birmingham Airport during night. About 30 HE bombs fell in Sparksley area, approx 170 casualties. Police, rescue, fire, etc, in control. Still no water or electricity. 1410 Epidemic of sickness and diarrhoea reported to District.

  9 August

  Branscombe

  0800 Emergency Control HQ at Holt House destroyed by direct hit with 225 kg HE bomb at 2131 yesterday and Controller and Emergency Committee members and all Control Staff killed. All CD equipment except one dosimeter destroyed. Reserve Emergency Control HQ opened up in Parsonage House at 0400 and stand-by Emergency Committee members and Controller took over as agreed. Supply of dosimeters, survey meters, chemical detector papers, respirators and protective clothing received from District at 0700. Priority phone connection established at 0750.

  Eight killed, seventy-three injured and gassed in village in last night’s raid caused by HE and nerve gas. All casualties evacuated to Axminster.

  0900 120 cattle and sheep killed previous night. Buried at Holt Pits.

  1015 New stand-by Controller and BREMCO members appointed. Reserve Control HQ will be at Hayes Farm.

  1350 Burial service of casualties of last night’s raid. Service in Parish church.

  1500 Farmers report large number cattle and sheep with unusual symptoms, thought to be due to nerve gas. District asked to send vet.

  12 August

  Branscombe

  0800 BBC report Warsaw Pact forces still advancing southwards up west bank of Rhine. Continued enemy A/C attacks on UK airfields, ports and power stations.

  0900 Outbreak sickness and diarrhoea reported Rest Camp I. District asked to send doctor.

  100 °Controller meets deputation from refugees who complain of inadequate food and harsh and uncomfortable living conditions, and say that many do not wish to work on farms and all have to walk too far to work and for their meals. Controller explains necessities but promises to try to improve conditions.

  1800 The first of the daily evensong ecumenical services in the Parish church. Full.

  19 August

  Branscombe

  0800 BBC reports NATO counter-attack northwards towards Bremen has made headway, and enemy’s southern advance has been stopped. No air attack on UK for 48 hours.

  140 °Cricket match — Village v the Rest. Village 86 all out, the Rest 87 for 4.

  1900 Evening concert Village Hall.

  20 August

  Branscombe

  1140 District reports nuclear explosion Birmingham area.

  1300 BBC confirms high-yield nuclear bomb burst over Birmingham at 1130. Very heavy casualties and great damage. Villages within 50 kilometres and in path of fall-out cloud being evacuated. Govt warns there is possibility that other nuclear strikes may be expected.

  160 °Controller addresses village on sports field — explains position and rehearses nuclear drill. Everyone to continue as normal with no extra precautions.

  Buxford

  1130 Extraordinary bright flash in southern sky, followed by ascending, expanding huge red ball of fire. Immense shock wave later. Can it be?

  Sparksley Green

  0028 Residents’ party in Control HQ ends at midnight. Little activity in UK over past 72 hours. Many hope war will be over in few days. But who has won?

  1100 Routine call to District. Signal loud and clear.

  1128 Warning — all Control Posts to stand by for urgent signal.

  1129 Signal — RED ALERT (air raid warning sounded): ‘President USA has received Soviet warning of immediate nuclear attack on Birmingham Engla… [The charred remains of this log were found in the cellar of the ‘Red Cow’.]

  APPENDIX 5: Deployment of Forces and Equipment

  Authors’ Note and Acknowledgements

  We who have put this book together know very well that the only forecast that can be made with any confidence of the course and outcome of another world war, should there be one, is that nothing will happen exactly as we have shown her
e. There is the possibility, however, that it could. There is also the very high probability that unless the West does a good deal within the next few years to improve its defences a war with the Warsaw Pact could end in early disaster.

  Those who argue for the reduction of defence expenditure in the countries of the West not only seem to live in a land of total make-believe, but they refuse to give the Marxist-Leninists who govern the USSR any credit either for meaning what they say (and have been saying for a long time) or for knowing what they are doing. What they have been saying, and have not ceased to say, is that the capitalist countries of the West are doomed to go down before the inexorable advance of communism, with the Red Army playing a major part in their overthrow. What they have been doing is building up huge armed forces, far greater than what would be necessary, in any conceivable situation, for their own defence, at a cost gravely detrimental to domestic development in the USSR and in a mode essentially offensive.

  We have been encouraged by signs around us that among the peoples of the West the point, on the strength of such indications, is beginning to be taken. We have outlined a possible course that improvement to the defences of the West might take, in full awareness that it might take others. We have assumed that enough is done to ensure that, when the Soviet machine travels of its own momentum along a path of miscalculation and mischance towards an attack on NATO, the West, at some cost, is able to survive. It is possible, of course, that enough will not be done. The outcome is then likely to be different. This is not to suggest that a war is bound to happen, or even that it is likely. If, however, there could be no question that, in the event of war, the Warsaw Pact would win, the free countries of the West would be in no position to withstand political pressure from the USSR, which would enjoy the fruits of a military victory without having to fight for it.

  We have had invaluable advice from a great variety of sources, including the Ministry of Defence in London, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe, Allied Forces Central Europe, the British Royal Military College of Science, and elsewhere.