Office life in war
Business as usual cartoon taken from Commercial Union's Autumn 1943 staff magazine
Once war began in earnest and the men began to disappear life for those left behind in the offices settled into a new routine. Unlike in the first war all offices were already employing women who, in the words of General Accident's managing director had:
"the opportunity of doing splendid work for their country by carrying on the work of those male members of the staff who have gone forward to fight for their country and the protection of us all."
Mr W W Williamson of Norwich Union Life head office, where the first six women had only been employed in October 1937, wrote in 1940:
"we have increased our female staffs very considerably [to 75] and I hear from all quarters excellent reports of their work."
Never-the-less the less the strain of training up new staff and the relatively high turn over of the female staff, especially after December 1941, was bemoaned in staff magazines.
The loss of the lady staff to war service lead one Northern Assurance branch to put their feelings in verse (Limericks by Northern Assurance Manchester staff) while the increase in both men and women staying past retirement, retention of women after their marriage and the recruitment of younger girls inspired an amusing "past and present" cartoon in the Commercial Union staff magazine.
In August 1939 the War Risks Insurance Act was passed for the insurance of ships and their cargoes and of goods in the UK. Its objectives were to ensure that the stocks of food which were essential in war time were adequately insured at a time when neither merchants nor the insurance companies could be expected to provide cover.
All commodities were insured with the Board of Trade and fire insurance companies, many of which are now part of the Aviva group, were employed to act as agents to collect the premiums and pass them on, the board minutes of Commercial Union of 15 August record their agreement to act as agents in this way. In 1942 the War Damage Act extended this to include buildings, plant, equipment and household goods, damage to buildings was covered by an increase in income tax but everything else was dealt with for the Board of Trade by the fire insurance companies.
That this was an extra burden in a time of reduced staff levels is evident in the fact that in the first year of the act's operation staff at Commercial Union dealt with premiums of £10,000,000. By the end of the war in Europe Commercial Union and its subsidiaries had issued over 1.25 million policies under the war risk schemes.
The Norwich Union staff magazine of Spring 1941 quoted from Efficiency Magazine:
"This is a time to appreciate the value of insurance. It is like a huge flywheel that carries a nation steadily over the rough places and up the hills. We can now see the need for the huge reserves of our insurance companies.
"They must be large enough to carry us safely through all the dangers of sea and land. We can now better appreciate the work of the whole body of insurance men who keep the great flywheel going, as we can see more clearly the usefulness of their work in these perilous days."
As war continued those who were running the offices adapted to changing circumstances and reduction in supplies such as paper. For notes and interdepartmental memos staff were encouraged to use the reverse of older correspondence and a number of interesting relics of older companies have come into the archive through being on the reverse of letters written on salvage paper in this period. Staff were not only economical with their own use of paper but also, like those at North British and Mercantile, contributed to the National Paper Salvage Drive by collecting old company paperwork for the cause.
Commercial Union fire mannequins on duty in the blitz
Commercial Union staff at its 24 Cornhill head office, which was kept open throughout the war, collected 18 tonnes of paper in the three months to 31 December 1941. Seeing a potential danger in this zeal for paper salvage an appeal was put in the Norwich Union Magazine for Spring 1942 that people assisting the war effort in this way should think of the museum first and send anything particularly old to the curator rather than to salvage.
Staff at Commercial Union's head office also contributed to the war effort by saving energy. Members of staff were appointed to supervise light saving, "naturally this diminution of light, causing in some cases eye strain and headaches, was not welcomed, but it was tolerated as part of our contribution to the war effort."
All lift journeys of two floors or less were prohibited for those without physical disabilities and the company cut down the length of time the office was heated and the temperature of the boiler: "At times we felt cold, but temperatures rose as we reflected that our enemies were the primary cause of our discomfort and anathematized them, accordingly". In 1943 the company saved the equivalent of 116.5 tonnes of coal in just this one building.
Norwich Union's Home Guard at Buxton
Most of the staff were engaged outside office hours in civil defence work. The staff magazines are full of descriptions of work done by members of the Home Guard, Fire Watch and First Aid Crews and later the Roof Spotter Teams who helped reduce working hours wasted in the shelters by sounding an alarm only when planes were spotted on daylight raids. In his Governor's message of 1941, Francis Norie-Miller of General Accident reported:
"In addition to the 130 men who have enlisted from head office in one or another of the services, over 80 lady members of our staff at head office are in civil defence services-nursing services (32), telephonists (25), ambulance drivers, wardens, etc, and there are also two blood donors.
"In addition, every member of the staff not enrolled under these services is doing her bit, either in canteen work or in knitting for the forces. Of the male members of the staff not serving with the forces, over 90 are engaged in civil defence. No less than 47 acting as special constables, 20 are members of the home guard, while others act as wardens, stretcher bearers, auxiliary fireman, etc, etc."
Peter Ives
Several members of staff were engaged in more secret work like Peter Ives of Norwich Union who was recruited as a VI to intercept enemy radio messages and later recalled:
"As to be expected, these nocturnal activities meant there was a very sleepy junior clerk at the office who received several reprimands and whose social life was practically non-existent… There was however one nasty moment when compulsory night time fire watching was enforced at the office in order to reduce the affect of incendiary bombs. I reported the situation to my controller as such duties clashed with my intercepting schedules.
Letter addressed to Peter Ives signed Lord Sandhurst
"I received a brief note signed by none other than Lord Sandhurst, which stated that I was doing important work for the war effort, and was not to be involved in fire watching. I was instructed to show this to one person only and maintain secrecy as to what I was doing. I saw the secretary of the life office who raised his eyebrows and had me struck me off the fire watching rota and, to give him his due, he asked no questions."
Read Peter Ives' experience of working as a VI
Another staff member thought to have had a covert mission was Basil Manbey of North British and Mercantile who died in a motor cycle accident in 1940 and is believed to have been a member of the Auxiliers, a "secret army" recruited to hide and reappear behind enemy lines after the expected German invasion.
Civil defence activity was not confined to staff in British branches, staff in the Far East, like Mr Dove of South British Insurance, quickly joined ARP squads, poems appeared in the staff magazines about the Home Guard in South Africa (The Civic Guard Anthem by WAB of Northern Assurance Johannesburg branch), Colin Little of General Accident in New Zealand joined the Home Guard in that country and a correspondent from an Australian branch of Commercial Union wrote in 1943:
"Everyone has had to accustom himself or herself to regimentation by Government Regulation, has joined ARP services or is doing some other form of war work in their leisure hours; has seen Income Tax soar; and...has responded to the urge by the Government to grow vegetables and to accept rationing and short supplies as a necessary concomitant of wartime conditions".
Despite fire watching at night and working by day the staff also gave time and donated large percentages of their salaries to worthy war efforts both nationally and within the company. Thus the Northern Assurance staff magazine of autumn 1941 reported:
"Support for the knitting club during the two years of its existence has been splendid. Knitters have responded well, having knitted approximately £630 of wool. Subscriptions towards the fund have reached us from as far away as our New Zealand and Cape Town branches.
"These, together with the other numerous and generous subscriptions have enabled us to send, in addition to knitted garments, subscriptions to the comforts funds of the three services and through the Red Cross to the comfort fund for prisoners of war. We have also subscribed to the Merchant Navy comfort service towards emergency rescue kits for torpedoed merchant officers and semen and we were able, on your behalf, to answer the urgent appeal for chocolate for the men returning from Dunkirk.
"Christmas parcels are again being sent to all members of the London staff serving in the forces. Each parcel will contain: pair of socks, packet of playing cards, pocket set of dominates, saccharine tablets, razor blades or medicine pack, toothbrush and toothpaste. It is possible to obtain as much wool as we require from the various organisations, so if you will find more knitters we will promise to produce the wool (and patterns)."
The results of Northern Assurance knitting club
By 1942 the club had dispatched over 3,000 garments. Not to be outdone the Canadian Branch of the Northern Assurance set up a "Cigarette and Knitting Fund" which reported in 1943:
"50,200 cigarettes have been sent overseas of which 5,200 sent to our own staff and 30lbs of tobacco sent to our staff overseas. Pipes, cigarettes, candies, magazines, and personal comforts sent to our staff both overseas and in Canada.
"During 1941 and 1942 the knitting club sent over three hundred articles to IODE for bombed-out Britons and Christmas parcels were sent to members of staff on active service. Up to September this year we have kept the boys supplied with socks and other comforts and also sent in April an Easter card and $2 to each member of staff on active service."
The mobile canteen van provide by donations from General Accident United States branch
Staff in both home and overseas branches contributed to War Bonds, Red Cross penny-a week funds, London War Weapons Week and the like and staff at the General Accident United States branch collected enough money to provide a mobile canteen van which, over 13 months, served more than 250,000 meals to victims of the blitz, rescue parties, ARP workers, soldiers and firemen.
Contributions from staff were clearly encouraged by their employers, as early as December 1939 the board of Commercial Union agreed to support their staff in buying National Savings Certificates by advancing the full cost and recovering it without interest from the purchasers by instalments over a period of time.
An article by the Commercial Union Savings group in 1942 recorded that to date the group had collected £39,370 and ended:
"The Navy, Army and Air Force are doing a grand job for us, giving up home comforts and - if need be - their lives, and it is up to us to save all we can to help them. They give – we lend, and incidentally get our money back with interest, so come along all those who are not 'one of us' and join the group."
The various boards of the insurance companies were also responding to direct appeals made to businesses and board minutes of companies like Commercial Union are full of references to contributions ranging from £100 to £1,000 made to organisations such as the YMCA War Service Fund, King George Fund for Sailors, the Red Cross and St John's War Organisation Fund, The Lord Mayor's London Air Raid Distress Fund, RAF Benevolent Fund and the Civil Defence Comforts Fund.
The Post Magazine of 2 December 1944 recorded a contribution made by Scottish Union and National Insurance Company staff to the entertainment of wounded servicemen:
"Last week 82 wounded servicemen from various hospitals in Edinburgh were entertained to supper and a floor show by the head office staff of Scottish Union and National. Entertainment included Douglas Frater and Jean Dow on accordions, the four Brandon girls, Grace Boyle highland dancer, John Bolton baritone, Stanley Lawrie impressionist, Agnes Blaikie soprano, Oliver MacKenzie conjurer, the compere was Campbell White and 30 lady members of the staff acted as hostesses."
Similar entertainments for returning POW's and men on leave were organised by the "Our Boys Committee" at General Accident in Perth who also organised comfort parcels and a regular newsletter for staff on service.
The Nuflier
Perhaps the most impressive contribution from a single group was the donation by Norwich Union staff of a Spitfire. The company received a reply to their offer from Lord Beaverbrook at the Ministry of Aircraft Production on 10 August 1940:
"It is with very deep gratitude that I accept the offer which you make on the half of the Norwich Union Insurance Societies to provide £5,000, the cost of a Spitfire.
The Nuflier
"This machine shall certainly be named Nuflier as you desire. May I send to you the warmest thanks of myself and the whole of this ministry for the magnificent contribution are making to the National effort. Your gift will be an encouragement and an inspiration to all who are striving to free our skies from the Nazi menace."
The money was duly contributed by staff and the business and Nuflier was delivered in March 1941. She went into service at Manston on 3 April 1941 and flew with front line squadrons until July of that year when it was damaged beyond repair.
Although surviving archive records mostly provide details of events related to life for those working in our home branches it is important to note that those working in branches overseas were also involved in this "World War".
Some staff, like those of General Accident based in Belgium, managed to escape to the UK but others continued to operate under Nazi occupation. Robert Le Sueur, who was working for General Accident in Jersey, later recalled:
"Petrol was rationed so the staff collected the premiums on bicycles… Conditions in the office were very poor: no heating or lighting. Staff wore gloves with the fingers cut out and wrapped themselves in blankets to keep warm."
Read Robert Le Sueur's experience on Jersey.
An important reminder of the strain on those working in the Far East was sent in a letter home by W T Craigie of Commercial Union in 1942:
"In those fateful days before war broke out in the Far East the spirit of the CUACO staffs was decidedly good. War was expected. Internment was an 'odds on' chance for those who remained in Japan and China. Yet no thought of leaving our companies' interests unattended entered the minds of either Mr Dixon in Japan or Mr Arnold in Shanghai.
"Those of military age had their minds made up regarding their course of action too. There is a good deal of courage required to carry out the nerve-wracking game of waiting – especially when you appear to be a certain loser. For this reason I would like to pay tribute to those who remained behind to face it."
