Collection number: MC 169
Size: 3 boxes
(1.00 cu.ft.)
About the Portsmouth Council of Defense
Civil defense, sometimes referred to as civilian defense, was the organized non-military effort to prepare Americans for military attack. It truly began to come of age, both worldwide and in the United States, during World War I, but it was during World War II that a significantly greater use of civil defense was made. The Portsmouth Council of Defense was part of the federal hierarchy for civilian defense during World War II. Each state had its own council to coordinate civilian defense within its borders. The Civil Defense Corps, run by the Office of Civilian Defense, organized approximately 10 million volunteers who trained to fight fires, decontaminate after chemical weapon attacks, provide first aid, and other duties. As the threat of air raids or invasions in the United States appeared less likely during the war, the focus on the Civil Defense Corps, air raid drills, and patrols of the border declined but the other efforts continued. More recently, the term and practice of civil defense have fallen into disuse and have been replaced by emergency management and homeland security.
The Portsmouth Council of Defense operated out of the second floor of the Portsmouth City Hall. Gerald Foss was its chairman.
About the Portsmouth Council of Defense Records
The majority of the information in the collection comes from Gerald Foss, chairman of the Portsmouth Council of Defense. The papers, which consist mainly of correspondence between various agencies and individuals, as well as a variety of memoranda and subject files, span the period 1942-1945. Information included in the files includes lists of names of those involved in the Portsmouth defense set-up, including heads of division, air raid wardens, air raid precaution instructors, sector wardens, zone wardens, members of the police department, those authorized to drive during a blackout, messengers, roll calls of U.S. citizens defense and U.S. citizens service corps, and civilian animal defense.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
This collection is open.
Copyright Notice
Contents of this collection are governed by U.S. copyright law. For questions about publication or reproduction rights, contact Special Collections staff.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Portsmouth Council of Defense Records, 1942-1945, MC 169, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.
Acquisitions Information
Donation: Gertrude Foss, January 7, 2001 (Accession number: 2000.1)
Collection Contents
Series 1: Correspondence
| Box 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Box 1, Folder 1 | Correspondence, Mar-Apr 1942 | |
| Box 1, Folder 2 | Correspondence, May 1942 | |
| Box 1, Folder 3 | Correspondence, June 1942 | |
| Box 1, Folder 4 | Correspondence, July 1-14, 1942 | |
| Box 1, Folder 5 | Correspondence, July 15-31, 1942 | |
| Box 1, Folder 6 | Correspondence, Aug 1942 | |
| Box 1, Folder 7 | Correspondence, Sept 1942 | |
| Box 1, Folder 8 | Correspondence, Oct 1942 | |
| Box 1, Folder 9 | Correspondence, Nov 1942 | |
| Box 1, Folder 10 | Correspondence, Dec 1942 | |
| Box 1, Folder 11 | Correspondence, Jan 4-20, 1943 | |
| Box 1, Folder 12 | Correspondence, Jan 21-29 1943 | |
| Box 1, Folder 13 | Correspondence, Feb 2-12, 1943 | |
| Box 1, Folder 14 | Correspondence, Feb 15-27, 1943 | |
| Box 1, Folder 15 | Correspondence, Mar 2-12, 1943 | |
| Box 1, Folder 16 | Correspondence, Mar 13-30, 1943 | |
| Box 1, Folder 17 | Correspondence, Apr 1-16, 1943 | |
| Box 1, Folder 18 | Correspondence, Apr 19-27, 1943 | |
| Box 1, Folder 19 | Correspondence, May 1943 | |
| Box 2 | ||
| Box 2, Folder 1 | Correspondence, June 1943 | |
| Box 2, Folder 2 | Correspondence, July-Aug 1943 | |
| Box 2, Folder 3 | Correspondence, Sept-Dec 1943 | |
| Box 2, Folder 4 | Correspondence, Jan-May 1944 | |
| Box 2, Folder 5 | Correspondence, June 1944-1945 | |
Series 2: Memoranda
| Box 2, Folder 6 | Memoranda, including operations letters, May-Aug 1942 | |
| Box 2, Folder 7 | Memoranda, including operations letters and protection memoranda, Sept-Dec 1942 | |
| Box 2, Folder 8 | Memoranda, including operations letters and protection memoranda, Jan-May 1943 | |
| Box 2, Folder 9 | Memoranda, including operations letters and protection memoranda, June-Sept 1943 | |
| Box 2, Folder 10 | Memoranda, including operations letters and protection memoranda, Oct 1943-June 1944 | |
| Box 2, Folder 11 | Memoranda, undated | |
| Box 2, Folder 12 | Memoranda: Office of Civilian Defense Circulars, Operations Letters, etc., Dec 1942-Nov 1943 |
Series 3: Subject Files
| Box 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Box 2, Folder 13 | Blackout Regulations, etc. | |
| Box 2, Folder 14 | Cambridge (MA) Committee on Public Safety, Dec 1942 | |
| Box 2, Folder 15 | Civilian Animal Defense | |
| Box 2, Folder 16 | Chemical Warfare and Bomb Reconnaissance | |
| Box 2, Folder 17 | Child care Survey | |
| Box 2, Folder 18 | Emergency Personnel: Air Raid Wardens | |
| Box 2, Folder 19 | Emergency Personnel: Essential Telephone Numbers | |
| Box 2, Folder 20 | Emergency Personnel: Fire, Police, Utilities, Military | |
| Box 2, Folder 21 | Emergency Personnel: Identification Cards and Information | |
| Box 2, Folder 22 | Emergency Personnel: Medical Division | |
| Box 3 | ||
| Box 3, Folder 1 | Evacuation Plans | |
| Box 3, Folder 2 | Field Exercises | |
| Box 3, Folder 3 | Gas Specialist Schools | |
| Box 3, Folder 4 | National Housing Agency | |
| Box 3, Folder 5 | Nutriton Committee and Agriculture | |
| Box 3, Folder 6 | Ordinances | |
| Box 3, Folder 7 | Pre-Induction Information Committee | |
| Box 3, Folder 8 | Radio Stations and Addresses | |
| Box 3, Folder 9 | Shelters and Emergency Equipment | |
| Box 3, Folder 10 | Victory Gardens: Applications | |
| Box 3, Folder 11 | Victory Gardens: General | |
| Box 3, Folder 12 | Wireless Radio Communications | |
| Box 3, Folder 13 | Miscellaneous Papers | |
