Formation
The OMS had its public origins in the letters page of The Times where many were calling for the formation of a volunteer organisation intended to take over the jobs of striking workers in the event of a general strike, which was widely feared amongst the conservative establishment at the time as part of a 'communist plot'. The same letters page was used on 25 September 1925 by Home Secretary to announce the formation of just such a group, with the letter announcing the new OMS name. Nevertheless, the Home Secretary stated on 1 October that he had known of its inauguration for many weeks and the promoters had consulted him. The government had no objection to it.
The organisation, to be run by a committee chaired by Lord Hardinge, was to have branches in every city and to recruit volunteers in five classes, four of which were based on the men's fitness and age and the fifth of which was for women who were to be set to work only in places where they could avoid any "rough handling". Lord Jellicoe and other top military men sat on the committee, both to give the OMS a military discipline and to instill public confidence in the group that such important figures were involved.
The organisation was however explicitly non-political. This meant that the British Fascists were barred from joining unless they changed their name, abandoned their military structure, and changed their manifesto. This led to a split in the British Fascists, with several of the leaders leaving to become the loyalists, an organisation absorbed into OMS. It showed its apparent independence by employing nobody in government service.
Read more about this topic: Organisation For The Maintenance Of Supplies
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