Special Repair Service
Encyclopedia
The Special Repair Service (SRS) was a British
civilian organisation that operated during the Second World War under the control of the Ministry of Works. Its function was to travel anywhere in Great Britain
to carry out essential building and structural repair work.
SRS teams were usually the first on the scene of any new government construction job, laying the foundations and setting up camps for the main labour force. SRS men usually travelled by rail, but the organisation also operated Flying Squads, which travelled in lorries
with caravan
bodies in which they lived until permanent accommodation was available.
The service recruited only men born before 1910 (although younger men were eligible if they had been certified unfit for military service) who had previous experience in the building industry. They signed on for a year at a time and were paid top building industry rates.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
civilian organisation that operated during the Second World War under the control of the Ministry of Works. Its function was to travel anywhere in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
to carry out essential building and structural repair work.
SRS teams were usually the first on the scene of any new government construction job, laying the foundations and setting up camps for the main labour force. SRS men usually travelled by rail, but the organisation also operated Flying Squads, which travelled in lorries
Lorry
-Transport:* Lorry or truck, a large motor vehicle* Lorry, or a Mine car in USA: an open gondola with a tipping trough* Lorry , a horse-drawn low-loading trolley-In fiction:...
with caravan
Travel trailer
A travel trailer or caravan is towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent . It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places...
bodies in which they lived until permanent accommodation was available.
The service recruited only men born before 1910 (although younger men were eligible if they had been certified unfit for military service) who had previous experience in the building industry. They signed on for a year at a time and were paid top building industry rates.