Auxiliary Police Force - 80 Strong, Protects College During Air Raids

Bodyguard of the University during air raids and blackouts, the Harvard Company of the Cambridge Auxiliary Police fulfills a dual purpose. As one of Cambridge's ten or so companies, the Harvard unit aids in preserving law and order in case of aerial attack, but besides this, it is assigned to the special mission of guarding the College property.

The Company is composed of three platoons each directed by a sergeant while the entire unit is officered by Raymond Dennett '36, Captain, and Mason Hamond '25, associate professor of Greek and Latin and associate professor of History, Lientenant.

Forty Are Faculty

When 150 students volunteered for auxiliary police duty this summer, only 40 could be taken on. Of these, 30 are Freshmen. The rest of the unit is composed of faculty members, janitors, and upperclassmen, veterans of last year's company. The entire unit numbers about 80 men, half of whom are faculty.

The regular members of the Harvard Company are drilled once a month with other units of the Cambridge Auxiliary Police on the lawns around Memorial Hall or inside the Hall when the weather is bad. The new recruits have been drilled once a week for about a month and will all receive their arm bands as regular members after next week's drill. The Auxiliary Police are always on call. Forty-four out of the 48 appeared for the practice air raid that was held a short while ago.

In their drills, which are usually held in the evenings, the Auxiliary Police are trained in marching rife formations, the technique of making an arrest, and elementary first aid. Military drill instills the sense of cohesion in the unit and gives the police the same advantage in riots that a regiment of regulars has against untrained men in warfare.

Taught Riot Tactics

In drilling for riot formations, they are trained in the best methods of breaking through crowds and breaking up mobs. Forming in a V shaped wedge, they are taught to rush through the mob and grab the leaders. The formation is very similar to the "flying wedge" once used in football.