Organisation
 Although under the authority of the Home Office, with a centralised administrative establishment, the Corps was administered locally by Northamptonshire County Council and Northampton Borough Council with a separate Division.
Training was undertaken at the Training ground in Wellingborough Road, Irthlingborough and the County Sub Control Centres in Wellingborough (underneath the Fire Station in Irthlingborough Road) and Kettering (underneath the Henley Institute Saunders Close) and Daventry (near the Fire Station Staverton Road).
Each division was divided into several sections.
Headquarters Section, responsible for staffing control centres and divided into three sub-sections.
- Intelligence and Operations Sub-Section, responsible for recording and analysing information and preparing instructions.
- Signal Sub-Section, responsible for installing, operating and maintaining communications systems.
- Scientific and Reconnaissance Sub-Section, responsible for advising controllers on scientific and technical aspects of nuclear, biological and chemical warfare, and providing reconnaissance parties (especially to monitor nuclear fallout).
Warden Section, responsible for local reconnaissance and reporting, and leadership, organisation, guidance and control of the public.
Rescue Section, responsible for rescue operations, demolition and debris clearance.
Ambulance and First Aid Section, built around peacetime local ambulance services. This section did not exist in Scotland, where the Scottish Ambulance Service was expected to perform ambulance functions and specialist casualty wardens of the Warden Section to perform first aid functions.
- Ambulance Sub-Section, responsible for the operation of ambulances to transport casualties to Forward Medical Aid Units (FMAU).
- First Aid Sub-Section, responsible for basic first aid at the scene and the removal of casualties by stretcher to ambulances.
Welfare Section, responsible for the welfare of those rendered homeless and/or deprived of normal facilities, including evacuation, accommodation, feeding, sanitation, clothing, nursing, information etc
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Uniforms and insignia
Members of the corps were issued with dark blue battledress and berets. A system of horizontal bars and point-down chevrons was used to indicate rank.
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Rank
Insignia |
Intelligence & Operations
Sub-Section |
Signal
Sub-Section |
Scientific &
Recce
Sub-Section |
Warden Section |
Rescue Section |
Welfare Section |
Ambulance
Sub-Section |
First Aid
Sub-Section |
| Two wide bars with one narrow bar between |
Division Chief Officer |
Chief Warden |
Chief Rescue
Officer |
Chief Welfare Section Officer |
Chief Ambulance Officer |
| Two wide bars |
Senior Staff Officer |
Senior Signal Officer |
Senior Scientific
Intelligence Officer |
Deputy Chief Warden |
Deputy Chief
Rescue Officer |
Deputy Chief Welfare Section Officer |
Deputy Chief Ambulance Officer |
| One wide bar with two narrow bars |
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Column Rescue Officer |
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Column Ambulance Officer |
| One wide bar with one narrow bar above |
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Assistant Chief Warden |
Deputy Column Rescue Officer |
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Deputy Column Ambulance Officer |
| One wide bar |
Staff Officer
(Operations)
Staff Officer
(Intelligence)
Sector Staff
Officer |
Signal Officer |
Scientific Intelligence Officer Reconnaissance Officer |
Sector Warden |
Company Rescue Officer |
Assistant Chief Welfare Section Officer |
Company Ambulance Officer |
Company First Aid Officer |
| Three narrow bars |
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Deputy Sector Warden |
Deputy Company Rescue Officer |
Senior Welfare Section Officer |
Deputy Company
Ambulance Officer |
Deputy Company First Aid Officer |
| Two narrow bars |
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Post Warden |
Platoon Rescue Officer |
Platoon Ambulance Officer |
Platoon First Aid
Officer |
|
| One narrow bar |
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Signal master |
|
Deputy Post Warden |
Deputy Platoon Rescue Officer |
Welfare Section Officer |
Deputy Platoon
Ambulance Officer |
Deputy Platoon First Aid Officer |
| Three chevrons |
Operations Clerk Inteiligence Clerk
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Signal Clerk Field Cable Party leader |
Reconnaissance Party Leader |
Senior Warden |
Rescue Party Leader |
Welfare Section Detachment Leader |
Ambulance
Detachment
Party Leader
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First Aid Leader |
| Two chevrons |
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Deputy Rescue Party Leader |
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Deputy Ambulance
Detachment Party Leader |
Deputy First Aid Leader |
