Force Orders 1940

X No. 12. 1st. June, 1940. To be circulatedto Divisional Headquarters& 5tation Offices. VEHIF2CATION05 1.iFS5AGES,ORDERS AMD INST3UCTIO: S. A11 ranks muet be on their guard to cour.tarany attemptswhich may be made by enemy agents to damage the interastsof t e 5tate by sending false messages or obtdning informationby person tion.A11 practicablesteps mu t be taken to counter such attemnte. If there is any doubt about the genuineneseof message the recipientwi11 c eck it back before acting upon it. It is not possible to 1ay down what is to be treated aa importantbut, under present conditione,the guiding principle must be t� treat every messenger, every caller, document,telephone message, telegram and telenrintermessage with suspicionuntil one is quite sure everything is in order. 2t is on1y by adopting this attitude that members o� the Force wi11 be on their guard against acting on false orders or giving away informationto enemy agente. Telephone enquiriesconcerningany matter connectedwith the defence o� the country such as the situation of certein places, troops, aerodromea,and Civi1 Defence matters must always be regarded with suspicion.No informationshould be given without referenceto a euperiorwho wi11 usually decide to send the information in writing or telephone it after he is satisfied it ie aa�e to do eo. If infor atian._ is to be given by telephone the procedurewi11 ueually be to ask the enquirer to ring off an� to te11 him he wi11 be telephonedto later. In the meantime the matter can be referred to a superior if the circumstancesjustify this ei 6 dor.e. In addition to the general principles outlined above the followingrules wi11 be strictly complied with :- No arms, ammunition,equipment,cars or documents in connectionwith the Police or Civi1 Defence Organisationwi11 be handed over by the Police to any one who is not personallyknown to them to be a regular member of the Police service unless that peraon is in posseseionof a written authority from a person whom the Police are satisfied is entitled to give such authority.The written authority wi11 be verifiedby telenhone or messengerbefore it is acted upon. . Orders to move bodies of Police outside a Division are issued on1y on the authority of the Chief Constable,a code word being used. Orders to move / bodies of Police wi11 always be checked back. Ordera concerning evacuationwi11 always be verified be�ore being acted upon, or passed on. So wi11 orders concerningdemolition of buildingb, bridges, or interferencewith communicationso� any kind, or aupply centres. Anyone calling to attend to such things as telephonee,electricity, waterworks, or work of any kind in, or in connectionwith, a Police buildittg mu t satisfy the officer in charge at the time that he ie genuine before being allowed to carry on the work. Uaually the officer in charge at the time wi11 have sufficient lobal knowledgeto satisfy himself, but any doubts must be removed before the man is allowed to proceed. Callers at Police buildingsmust always be kept under suparvision and every effort muet be made to eneure i11-disposedpeople cannot do damage or pick up useful information. It is poseible that an enemy officer in Britieh uniform may go to a Police station and issue orders. Whenever orders are given by any membera o� the Defence Services members of the Police must keep in mind the possibility i i of personationby/enemy agents, and if there is the slightest doubt Veadquarters must be got in touch with immediatelybefore further a�tion is taken. Usually it wi11 be possible for the officerin charge of the Police station to satisfy ' himself about the bo a fides o� the officer cor.cerned.Wy point is that it must . never be taken �or granted because a caller ia dressed in one of the uniforms of the Defence services he ie genuine, It wi11 be �ound that a genuine officer or member of the Defence 5ervice wi11 always appreciate the necessity for e tablishing' ' the fact he is genuine if thie should prove necessary.The averageConstable's knowledge of Police procedureand organisationwi11 enable him to have some knowledge of the sort of informationwhich could not be known or requiredby ' someone not connected with the Police 8ervice. Peraone not connected with the Police,5ervicedo not aek to aee Police records or ask for orders to be issued to the Police service without firet consultinga senior Police officer. prders or instructionsor meseages (whetherwritten, telephoned,. telegraphed or sent by teleprinteror other means) which are importantshould always end with a referenceto a third party. This third party wi11 be the person I to whom the recipient wi11 refer to verify the message. From this it wi11 be seen that the third party must be aware of the order, message etc. at the time it is sent or transmitted.The followingis an exvmple :- An order ie issued from O Headquartersto the superintendento� AltrinchamDivision to aend a body o� Police to Manchester.To carry out this order the Superintendentdraws the men from different parts of hie Division. The ChieC Constable'sorder from Headquarters. wi11 end with 'CheckSuperintendentPowe11' (or whatever officer he may at the time name). The Superintendentat Altrincham wi11 verify thie message by telephoningto SuperintendentPowe11 and aeking him to repeat the message. Phen the Superintendentof AltrinchamDivision is satisfiedthe meseage is genuine he can pass it to the different parts o� his Division, hie mesaage ending with the words Oheck InspectorHollins' (or whatever officer the Superintendentmay name at the time). To verify tha message the 3tationa which receive the mesaage from Altrincham wi11 ring back and ask for InepectorHollins and get him to repeat the message. The same procedure can be followedthroushoutthe Force in the caae o� important meaeages which have to be checked back. It wi11 be appreciatedthat if an important message is received and there is no check mentioned at the end that message ehould immediatelybe viewed with grave suspicion for it is the duty o� every officer who sends an importantmessage to adopt this check procedure.In the paasing of importaht ordere, messages etc. each link in the chain o� communicationwi11 be responsiblefor making certain that importunt orders and messages are verified before beir.gnaeaed on to tha next 1ink. It must be rememberedthat the greatest danger is that false information,if allowed to proceed unchallenged,may lead at the next stage to orders, true in souroe and substance,but on a false basis. sergeantswi11 immediatelyassemble their men and explain to them the purport of this Order and wi11 note in their note-books having done so. A11 ranks wi11 r.oteas read the copy of this General Order Fi1ed at each 5tation. Superintendentsand In pector wi11 satiefy themselves that a11 ranks fu11y understandwhat ie expected from them under thie General Order. Chi�f Con e ?